Be the Tree [Bonus, Part 2]
By Steven Snyder
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3 KJV)
The second half of our Scripture eludes to us as “trees of righteousness.” I would even paraphrase this for today as “trees of wholeness” or “trees of health.” Once we are able to draw deeply and be anointed with the oil of joy as Isaiah describes, then perhaps we can be such a tree:
Trees turn poisonous air into good air.
Trees shade us from the sun, which, although is vital, can also kill us without any protection from it.
Trees hold the earth in place when the elements work to soak and scatter it, so that it makes a firm foundation beneath our feet.
Trees die and are harvested for our food and shelter and, in much of the world, for energy to cook our food and keep us warm at night.
We cannot spread health, peace, and wellness if we are not healthy ourselves. We cannot overflow with rivers of living water without drawing deeply enough to first fill ourselves up.
Draw deeply from the well of God; strengthen your spirit, mind, and body; take care of yourselves; and stay healthy. Draw deeply and drink until you experience healing and can be that life-supporting, shade-giving tree. Empathize with people’s anxiety, and respond always with love and patience. When you are able, give them food if they are hungry. Give them shade if they burn from the unforgiving sun. Provide stability when the earth shifts beneath their very feet.
Prayer
God, fill us to overflow so that our abundance of peace and joy flows across this stricken land. Be glorified by the joy, peace, rest, and cool living water that we bring to others, as the worldly things to which they hold fast continue to forsake them. Let them see that Jesus is the answer. Amen.
How to Praise God When You Don't Feel Like It [Bonus, Part 1]
By Heidi Snyder
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3 KJV)
I love worshiping the Lord at church. I love singing, playing the piano, watching people “put on a garment of praise” and sing to the Lord even when I know they are going through something difficult. I’ve had times when I, too, have been going through struggles like long-term sickness, the death of a loved one, or extreme relationship challenges, yet I’ve still been able to worship God and experience how He “took” and “lifted“ off my heaviness and pain as I worshiped Him.
There is an exchange that happens when we worship God. It’s like we’re saying, “Even though my problems are bigger than I can handle, I’m still going to trust God because He is bigger than my problems.” When we worship God, He exchanges our heaviness for hope and joy. I have experienced this exchange many times, but when we moved to Seattle, during our first winter here I had some depression and anxiety, and there were times when I genuinely just didn’t feel like worshiping God. It’s not that I didn’t want to or that I didn’t love Him. I was just too tired, anxious, or depressed. I had experienced depression years ago so I realized it was time to start seeing a therapist again. That was definitely the right decision; she helped me sort through a lot of things and also remember some healthy habits. When this quarantine started, I was immediately aware that I was feeling some anxiety and would need to employ these same habits more during this time even if I didn’t feel like it. I’m encouraged by this Scripture because God promises to take our heaviness as we praise Him. But it’s not just up to me to “get happy” and start praising Him; if I choose to praise Him He will help.
If we make the choice to praise God, He will meet us where we are.
Make it a priority to praise and worship God.
I like to put on a podcast from my favorite preacher, listen to special worship songs, find a friend to pray with, go on a prayer walk, or write in my gratitude journal. Getting into the Word, being encouraged by a friend, remembering God’s goodness—these things strengthen my spirit and stir up my faith. Ephesians 3:16-17 reminds us that God can “strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” What do you like to do to connect with God? Even if you don’t feel like it, you can try something and God will bless it. Start with what seems easy like finding a friend to pray with. Kalos small groups are a great place to find new friends.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we are amazed that You can take our burdens and give us peace and joy in the midst of our anxiety and this pandemic. When we feel too weak to praise You, please help us. Strengthen us with Your energy, love, and creativity that we would simply look to You, trust You, and thank You for who You are and how much You love us. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.
Trust is a Must [Day 40]
By Josiah Anthony
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:31-33 NLT)
As a freelance videographer, the pandemic has come with some crazy challenges. When this all started, not only were my wife and I ineligible for unemployment, but the gigs that we had lined up for the following few months had to be postponed or canceled completely. Deemed as non-essential, we were legally not allowed to work in fear of losing our business licenses. With no foreseeable income throughout the upcoming quarantine, our brains quickly started working on the practicals: How will we pay rent? How will we be able to afford food? What if our already struggling car gives out on us? And the questions went on and on.
Overwhelmed by a fear of the unknown, I quickly spiraled into a dark place. I began avoiding these hard-to-answer questions and numbing myself with busywork, video games, excuses, and anything that could distract me from the hard reality we were facing. I was burdened with not only my own questions and fears, but those of my wife and our clients as well. I couldn’t possibly handle the solutions on my own, and I could see no practical way out of this hard situation. When I hit my lowest point, it finally made me wake up to the only reasonable thing I could do as a Christian: pray, and trust God that He would provide.
Trust is a must. We have to trust that God knows our needs, as it says in Matthew 6:32. We need to step out in faith, and “ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought” (James 1:6 MSG). God wants to provide exactly what we need; He loves us and cares deeply about the details of our lives. All we are called to do is seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and ALL these things will be given to us as well. My wife and I still don’t know how rent will come or how we’ll put food on the table, but throughout this entire quarantine we have had exactly what we need. God has provided in unexplainable ways throughout this pandemic. Every time He provides, we give thanks for our daily bread, share our testimony with others, and keep on seeking Him first.
Is there an area in your life that you aren’t trusting God? Are you seeking Him first in everything you’re doing? Seeking His kingdom first doesn’t make any logical sense when you have a mortgage to pay, a family to take care of, or a job that’s on the line. But if you seek Him first, His word so clearly says that He will provide all the details in your life.Trust is a must.
Practice trust in a small way today: when you feel yourself leaning towards fear or control of a situation, pray and lean the other way towards God. Believe that He will be there with open arms to catch you.
Prayer
Father, You are good, and You care deeply about the details of my life. I trust You, and I know that Your word is true. I trust You with my finances, my work, my family, my health, and everything else in my life. I will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, and I trust You when You say that You will give me everything I need. Amen.
Compound Interest & The Highlight “Real” [Day 39]
By Linda Ho
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT)
So it’s day… 9,238 of quarantine, right? Can I be honest? This whole shelter-in-place is bringing out the worst in me. The sloth, the prideful, and most definitely the glutton. Can anyone resonate with that? Am I the only one that feels like all of my insecurities are at an all-time high?
In a recent counseling session, my therapist and I did a deep dive into a behavior I have a tendency to exhibit. I’ll have a desire to accomplish something, but if I don’t think it will turn out 100% exactly how I envision, I won’t commit to the process, let alone even try. I wanted to refinish some furniture, but a half-hour into sanding it down, I gave up. Tore it apart and threw it away. Now, I’m coffee table-less. I wanted to master baking macarons, and I’ve been so frustrated with the results, I stopped trying. So where does this come from? I’m a pretty motivated, go-getter type of person. But I’m also extremely lazy. I know it doesn’t make sense, but still, what is the root cause of this?
After talking it out more, we realized that it stems from my biggest insecurity: never having graduated from college. If you know my story, this is a huge weight in my life. One that can easily bring me to tears and makes me want to low-key shame myself. I didn’t graduate, even though I tried, and it didn’t turn out the way I expected. And because of that, my life didn’t turn out the way I expected. I’m a planner. I’m type A. I have very specific things in mind. And when they don’t happen, everything falls apart. Maybe not immediately, or even all at once. Again, why is this happening?
I have a two-part theory.
Compound interest. Something I experienced so long ago is still affecting me to this day. In an impactful and unnoticeable-until-it’s-noticeable kind of way. I made this “investment” years ago, and now it has completely debilitated my drive to take on a new challenge. Something I continually brush off keeps coming back, and it gets worse every time.
The highlight “real.” Yes, I mean reel, but I also mean REAL. The highlight reel is SO real. I see people on social media of all these new things people are doing in quarantine. Growing their green thumb. Mastering their art skills. Remodeling their house. Creating fun, likeable content TikTok. (So embarrassing to even write that.) So much comparison goes on in my head. “I don’t want to come out of quarantine with nothing to show for all the extra time I had at home. Binge-watching shows is not productive.”
Who am I proving myself to? No one is going to say, “You should be spending your time more wisely,” or “Wow, you didn’t do much with your time. What did you even do?” Whenever I tell someone, “Yeah, I just binge-watched Gossip Girl and anime,” they immediately respond with “Good for you. You really needed that time for yourself.” Why am I putting these expectations and comparisons on myself when no one else is?
Clearly, if I’m still struggling through all this, I don’t have all the answers. But what I want you to hear is that you’re not alone. You’re not the only one setting someone else’s definition of “success” and “productivity” as your own. You’re not the only one getting jealous of others when they accomplish something really cool, unique, fun, or different. You’re not the only one sitting at your place, feeling disappointed about the choices you made today or for putting off more things until tomorrow.
Whenever you’re in those moments, don’t brush them off and act like it’s nothing. Lean into them and take them by the horns. Give them to God. Call a friend. Tell your small group. Bring someone into it. The more you keep things to yourself, the more alone you’ll feel. The more your burdens will weigh you down.
He cannot heal what we don’t reveal.
Prayer
Father God, thank You for Your unconditional love. No matter how much of a mess I am, You are there to put the pieces back together. God, thank You for wanting to give me more, even when I don’t deserve it. Thank You for believing and trusting in me. Lord, I pray for strength in low moments and to know my past mistakes don’t define me. I pray for wisdom and guidance to know who You have called me to be and to stand firm in that everyday. I pray for courage to bring in others when I’m feeling doubtful or shameful. I pray I overcome these battles once and for all. To heal, learn, and grow. In Your mighty name, amen.
Don't Move On [Day 38]
By Yuna Kim
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." (John 20:26-27 ESV)
I met this girl in the back row of a new church sanctuary in 2012, and the story goes: She asked what brought me there, I shared my story, she cried for me, grabbed my hand and told me she was sorry for my pain. Fast forward 3 years: We’re best friends, we saw a boy, she said she was interested, he caught on, they got married, and I emceed their holy matrimony day. Now the number one thing on her I-wish-for-please-pray-for-me list was to have a little baby Chang. I promised her that I’d pray for that specific request every morning as I blow dried my Rapunzel-level hair (easily a 20 minute prayer session). After a year of them trying, she surprised us with the news: baby boy Owen Chang to be born in September of 2017. They bought a new house with the perfect little nook of a room for a nursery. She laid out his “coming home” clothes after we went back and forth on the color of his teenie beanie. They were ready to start their new life of 3. And finally, the moment we all so badly petitioned for arrived: she went into labor and gave birth to a non-crying angel of a babe on September 30th, but a few hours later on October 1st, Jane passed away.
When we plan for large milestones—the first day of college, our wedding day, the birth of our first kid—we never imagine getting stopped short at the 99% mark. How do we come to godly terms with things we felt like had to have happened by mistake? I didn’t know how to do the last leg of grieving: the part where we move on. Because it felt inappropriate to sink back into my usual routine of life, of normalcy. It was such a big deal—all the horror and shock—and normalcy felt like pretend. But we needed to move on without her.
Except, not. Don’t move on.
When Jesus came back to life after everyone witnessed his brutal death on Calvary, He appeared with all the evidence marred on His body. Weird, why didn’t the almighty God come back in pristine condition? There are a few reasons I’d learned through Sunday sermons growing up in the church. Pastors love shedding new light on that token passage during Easter. But one week after I got the call from Jane’s husband that she didn’t make it, the Lord revealed another lesson in his scars: we are to be reminded, not to torture but to commission. It’s not about pretending that the pain wasn’t as excruciating and visceral as we’d felt, or fading the lessons learned until it no longer accumulates burning tears. Jesus didn’t ask his friends to move on from him or without him, but to move forward with his Spirit and the new understanding and mission they’d been given.
When hardship happens, life is never the same. I don’t think the goal is to try to return to the same exact state. We are called to persevere in forward motion, and the way we do this is by remembering what He’s done. It was never about me moving on from Jane, but about moving forward with the new perspective she’d given me. Because of Jane, I think eternally, giving the most weight to things that yield eternal value.
Think of the hardest seasons in your life. What were the godly lessons you learned from them? Now answer this: How are you moving forward with the changed perspective? Are you able to see the scars in your past without reopening the wounds? Ask the Lord to quiet the lies and the wrong lessons learned, and to amplify His voice and direction.
Prayer
Lord, we thank You for the extreme seasons of pain, and the fact that all of our momentary affliction yields an eternal gain. Heal us in the areas that are still raw, and bring us comfort as we rely on You to move forward with a redeemed perspective. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
God’s Got Your Back [Day 37]
By Michele Nishioka
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT)
Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. (Psalm 55:22 NLT)
Packing and moving is one of my least favorite things to do, yet we have moved eighteen times and now we are getting ready for move nineteen. Our new place is not far away, but it still means cleaning, packing, and moving boxes from one place to another.
When we move, I have no problem with moving furniture and carrying boxes by myself. Now, I am a 5’1” woman, maybe a little out of shape, and old enough to have a 20-year-old and a 17-year-old—let’s just leave it at that. When moving boxes and furniture, I can be pretty stubborn. When someone can plainly see that my body is shaking and my face is turning red from the stress of the weight, they will offer help. “Nope, I got it. I only have a little ways to go. I am good.” “See how strong I am? I can do this all by myself. Thank you very much.” Strength? Or stubbornness? Then the cost of my stubbornness comes as I can feel every bone in my body. My shoulders, my entire back.
I am also like this when it comes to doing life, especially now. This pandemic has brought on additional stress in people’s lives including my own. There is a lot weighing on my mind and in my heart. More times than not, I try to carry as much as I can on my own, all by myself. “It is okay, God, I got this. I am strong. I have perseverance and grit.” Then I get weary and tired. The cost of me trying to carry burdens on my own manifests in headaches, muscle pains, and restless nights.
In the book of Matthew, Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you. I am humble and gentle.Then you will have rest. For my yoke is easy to bear and the burden I give you is light.” I love this visual of a yoke, that Jesus comes beside us and carries our heaviness, so our burdens can be light. (A yoke is used to harness two animals together to carry a heavy load.)
How are you doing? Are you feeling weary? Are you finding true rest? There is a lot that we are navigating in this pandemic. We have all had to shift, pivot, navigate life in a very different way in unprecedented times. It is a lot to carry on your own. But guess what? You do not have to carry it on your own. God has your back. Go to God. God wants to care for you. Psalm 55:22 says, “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” Abandon pride and stubbornness, and claim God’s promises that God will take care of you. God has your back.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for being a God that listens and cares for me. I confess that I am trying to carry some heavy burdens on my own and that I have not asked for help. I know coming to you, Lord, is not a sign of weakness, but it is a sign of strength knowing my strength should come from You. Thank You for being my comfort and my peace. Thank You that I do not have to carry my burdens alone. I come to You with my burdens. These are my burdens right now: _____________________, __________________, and ____________________. Thank You for loving me in all of the seasons of my life. Thank You for Your unconditional love. Thank You for rest and peace. Amen.
Working for Grace [Day 36]
By Chanel Anthony
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 28:30 MSG)
Overall, I’m a pretty hard worker in whatever I do: my job, my marriage, dreams I go after, and new challenges. When I’m committed to a challenge and undertaking, I usually show up even if I have no understanding of what I’m supposed to be doing! Usually this can be a good quality of work ethic and commitment, but as I intensely go after an undertaking, my identity and value can quickly become wrapped in the thing before me. And since I want my identity to reflect good character as a “strong” believer, I work even harder! I push harder, try harder, and set the standard of expectation over myself higher and higher with each micro-decision. Since my identity has wrapped in, I find myself asking the Lord questions like: “Lord, did I hear You right?” “Am I reading enough Scripture?” “Lord, did I misunderstand you?” It is only at this point that the Scripture above is sometimes the only thing to get me to slow my pace and, for the first time, listen.
The Scripture above speaks to my overworked, heavy, exhausted, and burdened spirit. This Scripture embodies the meaning of grace: unearned, safe, and open to the Lord. We are called immediately to walk with the Lord and leave every overwhelming thing at the feet of the Lord. When we run at a pace that is unsustainable and ultimately becomes our identity, it feels impossible we can receive anything like unearned grace. But learning the unforced rhythms of grace and knowing the Lord won’t lay anything heavy on us is the biggest hug the Lord can give us in those moments. That’s how I picture Jesus in those moments of our life: giving the biggest hug and grace, in the safest place we can experience.
Do you feel overwhelmed? With surviving in your job or having to even find a new job? With the expectations we have put on each other as parents, friends, sons/daughters, and believers? I encourage you to take 15 minutes alone, read this Scripture in silence, and receive God’s grace. He wants to be in these moments of life, and He certainly does not expect you to come in any shape or form other than your real self with real burdens. He wants to be in these moments to comfort your heart, walk with you, and give you the goodness of His grace!
Prayer
Lord, You are so good to me! You offer something that comforts my soul like nothing else can: unearned grace. I’m so thankful to follow a Lord that sees my struggles, mistakes, and shortcomings only to be met with incredible love and friendship. I pray that You take this overwhelming burden off my shoulders and help me direct my identity and value back to You. I choose to follow You, walk with You, and learn the unforced rhythms of grace. Amen.
An Intimately Knowing God [Day 35]
By Joy Orona
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! … Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139:1-18,23-24 NLT)
As a proud Gen Xer, my “boring” summers were full of activities such as “Phone Book Roulette,” where we’d flip through the 1000-page white and yellow pages, call strangers (or frenemies), and ask them if their refrigerator was running. Of course, if it was, they “should go catch it!” My mom was also the mom who sat on the front step with her glass of iced tea and watched us (and most of the neighbors in our apartment complex) run up and down the street from lunch until dinner.
Eventually, we would reach the time where all that was left was to sit down next to Mom and people-watch with her. Once I was quiet, she would speak. “So how did you work it out with Dawn after that conflict?” “Did you notice that Omid didn’t have anyone playing with him? Could you have done something differently?” “Do you know how happy it makes me to see you build that ladder on the tree? I’m proud of your creative solution!” As a mom now, I realize she was thinking those things and ready to share them all day, ready to invite me to grow, and ready to reveal her love for me. But I didn’t get to hear her thoughts until I sat down and was ready to be quiet.
How much more are we busy and unable to put down our schedules, our phones, our identities that are gained from what we produce, and forget to wait in the quiet for what the Lord would speak to us? We have become experts at silencing our inner voice with our to-do lists and distractions, and in the process we often silence the Lord’s tender voice as well. I have used my own frantic work schedule and responsibilities as a mom to be even more busy than ever in this time of social distancing and quarantine. And four-plus weeks into it, I am struck that this really is the most incredible opportunity to sit down next to Jesus and people-watch with Him. To become quiet and allow Him to speak. For He has searched me and He knows me, and He wants to surprise me with how intimately He sees me. Friends, our busyness is our attempt to “rise on the wings of the dawn,” to “settle on the far side of the sea,” but He is sitting on the front step with His right hand ready to guide us, ready to hold us fast.
Hear this, dear ones. If we are quiet and listen, He speaks: “I have searched you, and I know you!” “I know what you are about to say before you say it!” “I created your inmost being; I knit you together into exactly who you are.” “I have heard you cry, ‘Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?’ But I tell you, even if you go up to the heavens, I am there; if you make your bed in the depths, I am there.”
Take a step today to be quiet and listen. Choose not to pick up your phone or start the next chore, but to be present to yourself and to Jesus. He is there. See what He has to say to you today. You might be surprised what you hear.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Amen.