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Running Into the Light

2026-04-16T01:35:19Z

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Running Into the Light

By: Alice Burnett
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April 16, 2026

When we were children, my brother and I would overturn rocks or old boards lying on the ground. We would like to watch small, slate-grey bugs scurrying away. These bugs, called sow bugs or potato bugs, are cold bloodied land crustaceans with segmented bodies and seven pairs of legs. Sow bugs prefer dark, cool and damp places, so are most active at night, feeding on decaying plant material. They avoid the light, which would dry them out, decreasing their chance of survival. In a classroom experiment I read about online, a bright light like an iPhone flashlight was much more threatening to them than dim classroom light. The bright light definitely increased their frenzied behaviour in their effort to escape.

The reaction of sow bugs to the light reminds me of people who try to avoid the light of God.

Light is mentioned immediately in the first chapter of John's gospel.

“The Word [Jesus] gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” ( John 1:5 NLT)

The light of Jesus appears threatening to some, just as light is threatening to sow bugs. When God breaks through our darkness, we see ourselves as we really are. We see that our lives do not reach His perfect standard of holiness. Like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, we try to hide from God.

“God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil” (John 3:19b NLT)

We may not want our lives exposed to God's light. We are afraid of what God might reveal. “All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.” (John 3: 20 NLT) As the sow bug which thrives in darkness runs away from the light, those who are comfortable in their lifestyle run from God. They do not want to change.

On the other hand, God wants us to run from darkness and into His light. God doesn't want us to hide in the dark. He desires to save us. He draws us in from the darkness by offering His Son, Jesus Christ, who died and rose again so we could access the Father. He wants to have fellowship with us. He wants us to spend eternity with Him.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”(John 3:16,17 NLT)

Please consider God's amazing offer, and stop running from Him. Run into the Light!

Lord, thank You so much for giving us Jesus to draw us out of darkness into Your glorious light. May we refuse to run from it, so we continue to have unbroken fellowship with You. Amen.

Alice Burnett
Red Deer, Alberta

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Spiritual Booster Shot

2026-04-14T01:56:59Z

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Spiritual Booster Shot

By: Paul Smyth
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April 14, 2026

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'” (Psalms 91:1, 2 NIV)

This Bible verse showed up on my phone this morning as the verse of the day. Why am I telling you this? Because I required a spiritual booster shot in the arm, and the Lord knew it. This timely verse was just what I needed to hear—a reminder that in the midst of life’s chaos, I can rest in the shadow of God and take refuge in Him, my fortress, in whom I can wholeheartedly trust.

Do you need to hunker down with Jesus Christ and allow Him to be your refuge and shelter?

I admit that there are days when I need a regular booster shot of God’s word, a loving nudge that even when it feels that my ship is taking on too much water, the Most High is right there beside me as my rock and refuge. And He is there for you. It doesn’t matter what you are going through or how deep your feet might be sinking into the mud—the Lord is waiting for you to rest in Him and trust in Him with every fibre of your being.

Here's a Bible booster for your other arm.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 42:2 NIV)

It’s comforting to know that you and I have a stronghold in Jesus when the road beneath our feet is uncertain and filled with craters. Our Saviour opens the door for us to come to Him when we need to recharge our spiritual batteries and find sanctuary for our weary souls and physical bodies. This is not to imply that your life and mine won’t be trouble-free when you choose to dwell in Christ, but we can be blessed in the process.

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (Psalms 34:7, 8 NIV)

Did you know that in the Bible, and depending on the translation, the word refuge, appears 40-50 times? Neither did I until I Googled it! God uses the word refuge, to emphasize Himself as a place of safety and protection for all of His people, and that includes you and me!

So, the next time you need a spiritual booster shot, all you need to do is turn to scripture and seek refuge in the loving arms of Jesus. He is ready, willing, and able to receive you and wrap you in His secure embrace. There is truly no better place to be.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalms 46:1 NIV)

Paul Smyth

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Inexplicable Peace

2026-04-11T01:40:50Z

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Inexplicable Peace

By: Lyn Chaffart
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April 11, 2026

I know where it came from, but I can't tell you why God gave it to me... I certainly didn't deserve it, and my pitiful actions up until that point did not show any signs of growing faith! Therefore all I can do is praise God for this beautiful, undeserved gift ...

But let's go back to the beginning of the story ...

Moving to western Canada would be a monumental task involving three miracles: To find a private home who could accommodate my husband's needs; to sell my home in eastern Canada in the middle of the winter; and to find the perfect home for me in western Canada. Of course I worried about each step. I tried not to, and you don't know how many times I gave it to the Lord; but my peaceful sleep of many nights was robbed by my inability to surrender all worry to God and to rest in His peace.

To condense a very long story, after multiple rejections, God brought forward the only private care home in the city who could accommodate my husband's needs. Then God brought forth the way to affordably transport him to western Canada, which was a miracle in itself. My house went on the market, and after only two weeks, I received a very good offer, which I accepted. I had already found the "perfect" home for me out west and had put forth an offer that was accepted. It was, however, conditional upon the board at the condominium complex accepting my "over-sized" (their terms, not mine!) dog.

I tried so hard not to worry about this. Nonetheless, there were again many long nights of sleeplessness. And then the day of the decision arrived, and with it, the resulting email.

I was worried again, and I didn't open it immediately, preferring to be with someone when I did. In the meantime, however, I gave it to God. I told Him that no matter what was written in the email, I would accept His will. If they accepted my dog, I would know the place was right for me; if they did not, I would know God had a better place for me. Either way, God's perfect love would dictate the outcome.

That's when the inexplicable peace came over me. I didn't even shed a tear when the email stated unequivocally that my dog was not welcome in the complex. I knew God had this!

And that peace stayed with me. I was walking in total peace, even though my house in eastern Canada was sold, my husband was moving out west in two short weeks, and I had nowhere to go.

It was, however, more than peace. It was an excitement, an anticipation of what God would do. For the first time in my life I was actually experiencing Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (NIV). I didn't see it, but my faith that God has this assured me and gave me confidence and peace!

I know there were praying people who knew about the upcoming board decision. I can only thank these people for praying for me to hold on and place my faith 100% in the good-gift-giving God: "Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow." (James 1:17 NLT).

Could I give this gift away?

Yes, of course I could. I could feel the temptation ever present and surrounding me to worry about this. Yet I kept claiming the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13b: "And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (NLT).

You see, during the long and sleepless nights, I was fighting the worry. I was even begging God to show me the way out of the worry, the way to put my total trust in Him. And He did. My "way out" was to focus on Him in total surrender of every part of the situation. That was my part. God's part was to make it all possible.

What are YOU going through?

How many sleepless nights have you endured?

There is a way out, my friends! You may not see it or know what it is called, but it is there! Claim that promise and look to God to bring you to the way out of your temptation to worry. He is faithful, He will show you that way out, that way to total surrender, and give you the strength to take it. Then all that is left is to accept His inexplicable peace, and the excitement and anticipation of what God will do in your life that accompanies it!

I am praying for you!

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries

P.S. God did give me the perfect place, even better than the first, and I was able to move in immediately after my house in Eastern Canada sold…

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Caught

2026-04-09T01:24:49Z

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Caught

By: Kari Vo
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April 9, 2026

"On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on Him to hear the Word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and He saw two boats by the lake .... Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, He asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, 'Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.' And Simon answered, 'Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets.' And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.' For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken .... And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.' And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him." (Luke 5:1-2a, 3-9, 10b-11 ESV)

I have to laugh at this story. Jesus is going fishing in a boat—but the fish He is trying to catch are standing on the shore, listening to Him! These are people who badly need to hear the Good News of God—and Jesus knows that if He doesn't get some water between Him and them, they will probably crowd Him right off the shore! Therefore the boat. That was a sensible idea!

I doubt that Simon thought Jesus' next idea about catching ordinary fish was very sensible, though. But of course Jesus is right. The boats are so full of fish they start sinking, and Simon is terrified at the power of God. He kneels down right in the flopping fish to beg Jesus to back off from him—"for I am a sinful man, O Lord."

But Jesus won't do it. He has already caught Simon, and He intends to keep him. So He comforts him, saying, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." And when they get to shore, all four of them leave their boats—and the huge catch of fish, which probably supported their families for a long time—and go after Jesus as His disciples, the first of His own great catch.

But not the last. For Jesus takes the fish He catches—the human beings He teaches and baptizes and turns into disciples—and He uses them to catch more people, and more and more, with the nets of the Gospel. You and I are among the people Jesus has caught. And we know that being caught by Jesus doesn't mean dying; because here, it is Jesus our Fisherman who did the suffering and dying for us. We have the benefit—everlasting life with our Lord and Savior, who rose from the dead, never to die again.

We Pray: Thank You, Lord, for catching me! Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on January 6, 2025
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights

Reflection Questions:
1. Do you like going fishing? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think Jesus compares His work to going fishing?
3. What are the "nets" Jesus used to catch you with? (How did you become a Christian?)

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God Is My Stronghold

2026-04-07T01:50:28Z

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God Is My Stronghold

By: Paul Smyth
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April 7, 2026

As is often the case with my sleep patterns, I woke up in the middle of the night last evening and had difficulty returning to slumber. So, as per my usual, I prayed. I’ve decided that if I am awake when the moon is out, I might as well do something useful with my time and beseech the Lord’s intervention for family and friends. I also asked God to intercede in my own life and that of my wife—that through times when it feels that God is absent from certain situations, we both might be at peace.

Have you ever felt that God is dilly-dallying in answering your prayers?

While I lay in bed and prayed, I began to feel the opposite of peace—a sense of anxiety and worry that was not conducive to rest. Trying hard to keep my mind on Jesus, I drifted off just long enough to be jolted awake by one dominant word in my mind. Stronghold. “Stronghold?” I repeated, now fully awake again. In the quiet of the night, I sensed that the Lord had just spoken and that I was to pay attention to that single word—a word that I had not heard, or said, or thought about for a very long time.

In the morning, and once I was fully conscious with a hot coffee in hand, my wife looked up the word stronghold, after I told her about my experience. Mirriam-Webster defines it this way: a fortified place, a place of security or survival. Then I looked up stronghold in scripture and found too many verses to list here. But here are a few.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalms 27:1 NIV)

In other words, God is our Saviour, and when troubles brew up in our lives, we are to rely on Him to protect us and pull us through our struggles, that Jesus Christ alone is our place of safety, protection, and refuge, a stronghold to get us over any obstacles when we place our faith and trust in Him. Did you know that Jesus became our stronghold when He chose to lay down His life in our place? Psalms 94:22 says this. “But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.” (ESV)

Here’s another Bible verse using the word stronghold.

“I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalms 18:1,2 NKJV)

I’ve read that nothing brings success like making God a stronghold in our lives. This kind of unconditional trust invites the life we, as God’s people, want to live—lives of peace, joy, contentment, health, prosperity, and protection.

We all have challenges in our lives, but making Jesus Christ our stronghold is very sound Biblical advice. Can you and I vow to rest in the Lord through thick and thin, to make God our stronghold?

That’s a place of eternal security I long to be. I pray that you’ll join me!

Paul Smyth

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The Day Between

2026-04-04T00:31:58Z

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The Day Between

By: Lyn Chaffart
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April 4, 2026

Yesterday we celebrated the death of our Lord and Saviour, a horrible experience that He went into with joy in His heart, "He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him..." (Hebrews 12:2b GW).

Just what was it that He saw ahead of Him that brought Him so much joy?

He saw you and I—US!—reigning with Him for eternity! Without the cross this would not have been possible, for "The payment for sin is death..." (Romans 6:23a GW See also Romans 3:23). For Jesus, there was no greater joy that to see us saved (See Luke 15:7a)! .

Tomorrow we will celebrate the greatest achievement in history: The resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of His resurrection, a resurrection that brings us new birth and new life: "God has given us a new birth because of his great mercy. We have been born into a new life that has a confidence which is alive because Jesus Christ has come back to life." (1 Peter 1:3 GW), we have a "once-for-all" victory, a defining, history-shaping act that conquered death forever. It's the turning point of eternity!

So with yesterday celebrating Jesus' death on the cross, and tomorrow celebrating His resurrection, what about… today? The day between these two mighty acts?

The only thing that the Bible tells us about that historic Saturday was that the people—rested! Jesus was brought down from the cross before nightfall, and the women didn't even anoint Jesus' body but waited until Sunday... (See John 19:31, Mark 16:1).

It was like this: There is major excitement leading up to Jesus' burial, and there is major excitement when He is resurrected, but that time in between is for—rest!

This, however, raises an interesting question: Just what does Biblical "rest" look like?

The Bible is full of clues. Here are a few:

1. Hebrews 4:6-10: "So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: 'Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.' Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come.So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world." (NLT)

This very vital passage on rest in Jesus teaches us that putting aside one day of the week isn't enough! It is more about resting our hearts in Him.

2. Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.Place my yoke over your shoulders, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble. Then you will find rest for yourselvesbecause my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (GW)

The way to access rest is to come to Jesus and give Him our burdens.

3. Jeremiah 6:16a: "This is what the Lord says: 'Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls." (NLT)

When we live the way the Lord has directed us to live in His Word, we find rest.

4. Isaiah 26:3: "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" (NLT)

When our thoughts are fixed on Jesus, we find rest, not just any rest, but the rest of perfect peace!

5. Psalms 23:2-3: "He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name." (NLT)

When we allow the Lord to be our shepherd, when we give Him our worries and surrender our fears, He brings us peace, rest, guidance and renewed strength.

6. Philippians 4:6-7: "Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus." (GW)

What is rest, anyway, if it isn't having peace of mind? We cannot rest in the Lord while we are worried about things; but when we tell God what we need and thank Him for what He is about to do, that peace comes over us!

6. John 16:33: "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.” (NLT)

Rest isn't about absence of trouble. It's about resting in the One Who overcame the world.

And that One Who overcame is the One we are celebrating this weekend. Let's spend this special day, the one that falls between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, basking in the rest that He came to give us.

Any while you are at it, why not try this every day of the week?

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries

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Final Answer

2026-04-02T01:51:31Z

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Final Answer

By: Kari Vo
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April 2, 2026

"And as Jesus taught in the temple, He said, 'How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies under Your feet.'" David himself calls Him Lord. So how is He his son?' And the great throng heard Him gladly." (Mark 12:35-37 ESV)

After so many days of having other people ask Him tough questions, Jesus finally asks one of His own: "How can the Messiah be David's son and David's Lord at the same time?" As far as we know, nobody could answer His question. He won the battle of wits, and probably drove His enemies crazy as well.

We can answer it—but only because we know something they didn't. We know that Jesus, the Messiah, is David's Son because He is a human being, born into the family line of David. But He is also David's Lord because He is God Himself, come down into this world to become our Savior. Since Jesus is both God and Man, He is the answer to His own riddle.

And He is the answer to the riddle of our lives, too—the question of how sinful, broken people can ever become the joyful, clean, blessed children of God we know in our hearts we ought to be. On our own we cannot do it—we've tried again and again, and we're just too deeply broken. But Jesus, who is both God and human, has given His own life to save us. Through His death He has put to death all the evil that destroys us; and through His resurrection He has become the Source of everlasting life for all of us who trust in Him.

We Pray: Lord, You are the answer I need. Thank You. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
* Do you enjoy riddles?
* Why or why not?
* How is Jesus the answer to your needs?

Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on March 15, 2025
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights

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With Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday just a few days away, why not spend some time praising God for His endless love that resulted in the cross and ultimately, our salvation?

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Glorified

2026-03-31T01:53:07Z

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Glorified

By: Kari Vo
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March 31, 2026

"Jesus was troubled in His spirit, and testified, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.' ... So when [Jesus] had dipped the morsel, He gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot [and said] to him, 'What you are going to do, do quickly.' ... So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. When he had gone out, Jesus said, 'Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him at once.'" (John 13:21b, 26b, 27b, 30-32 ESV)

It happened so quickly, so quietly, that most of the disciples didn't realize what was going on, right under their eyes. Jesus said to Judas, "What you are going to do, do quickly." Judas got up from the table and went out, and it was night. And Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified ...."

What? Wait a minute! What has just happened? And why does it glorify Jesus?

Judas has just gone to betray Him. And Jesus, knowing this, has let him go-why? Because He loves us and He loves His Father, and this is the way it has to be, to save us all.

Surely this is Jesus' glory, that He has such a heart-that He loves us, and the Father, so deeply He accepts betrayal and suffering and death on a cross-all to save us and bring us home in peace to God as His forgiven children. Tomorrow, Jesus' death and resurrection will put that heart on display for everyone to see. And that will be His glory, now and forever.

We Pray: Lord, no one loves us like You do. Thank You. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
* Why does Jesus let Judas go?
* Why does Jesus' choice bring glory to God?
* Why would Jesus consider the cross His own glory?

Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on March 21, 2025
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights

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With Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday just a few days away, why not spend some time praising God for His endless love that resulted in the cross and ultimately, our salvation?

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To be Served? Or to Serve?

2026-03-28T01:01:34Z

Welcome To

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To be Served? Or to Serve?

By: Lyn Chaffart
-----------------------------------------------

March 28, 2026

As I scurried around, preparing for the move to western Canada, there was one thought always at the forefront of my mind: God was moving us out west so that we could be near family!

The thing is, I already know that my western kids, who pastor a large church out there, lead really busy lives. Their priority is to work for the Lord, as well it should be! When God gives us a purpose, we would be best served to do it: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." (Eccl. 9:10 NASB)! But wait. Would there be time in their lives for aging parents? Especially when one was already in a nursing home?

It wasn't long before I had convinced myself that they simply didn't have time to worry about their parents. This idea quickly morphed to, "God, why are You moving us out there to be with the kids? They don't have time for us!" I know this sounds like such a selfish thought, but I'm just being honest with you...

One day, as I was stressing about being a burden to our kids, I said out loud, "God, the kids don't have time for us! Why are You taking us out there? Did I mis-read all of Your messages about where You want us to be? Because, Lord," and I repeated myself, just for emphasis, "the kids really don't have time for us!"

The response was immediate, loud and clear. It wasn't so much a voice, as it was a "rewriting" of my thoughts. It was like God had pressed the "insert" key over the top of what I was saying, because the words out of my mouth, the ones that were supposed to say, "the kids don't have time for us," came out, "It isn't about what they can do for you; it's about what YOU can do for ME!!!"

Whoa! Now that was a complete and total reset of my thinking! But it makes total sense. God wasn't moving us out west so that we could be served by our kids; He was moving us out west so that we could serve ... Him!

I often think about how hard this must have been on David. It was his dream to build a temple of the Lord, yet God was putting the responsibility on someone else. Did he wonder how Solomon would have the time? I mean, running a kingdom would take a lot of time and energy! I often wonder if David felt a little bit like ... me! Like God was putting a huge responsibility on someone else, when David would have been happy to have taken it on himself!

We can learn a great lesson from David's response. He didn't wash his hands of the temple. Even though he couldn't build it himself, he set out to make the task as light as possible for his son. David said, "'My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous, and glorious throughout the lands. Therefore I now will make preparations for it.' So David made ample preparations before his death." (1 Chron. 22:5 NASB)

The point is, we aren't here on earth to bring glory to ourselves. We aren't even here on earth to be served. We are here on earth to serve! In whatever way possible! I still don't have a clear picture of what it will all look like for us out west, but I know one thing for certain: It isn't about me, it's about Others! My job is to help further the work of the Lord, no matter where I find myself or what country, state or province I find myself in!

What about you?

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries

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Beautiful

2026-03-25T23:46:03Z

Welcome To

THE NUGGET

Beautiful

By: Kari Vo
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March 26, 2026

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. ... But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose. ... The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.' On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor ... God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." (1 Corinthians 12:12-15, 18, 21-23a, 24b-27 ESV)

Sometimes on Sunday morning I like to just sit there and look around at all the different people who make up our bit of the body of Christ here in St. Louis. There's the man who videotapes our Vietnamese service, and the woman who makes tea and oversees the snacks at Bible study. Down the hall someone is teaching this year's batch of confirmands. Upstairs English worship is going on, with musicians, readers, a preacher, and the folks who serve as greeters and ushers. In the narthex someone is talking to a homeless man who came for help today.

Much less visible but just as important are the ones who set up the tables for coffee hour, for the sake of members who can't stand very long, like me. There are the people who run the food pantry, and the man who pulls together the bulletin and newsletter every week. I'm aware of several people who have no title at all, but they make it their job to watch out for other people who need help—those who are sick or having housing problems or who just need a ride to church or the grocery store.

Visible or invisible, these are the people Jesus has chosen to make up His body, the church, in this location. Why do they do what they do? Because of love—because Jesus has loved them, and laid down His life to save them and make them His own. And now that He has risen from the dead, His love lives in them, and His Spirit moves them to do what is needed by the church and by the community we serve.

It's beautiful. And you, as a member of the body of Christ, are part of it.

We Pray: Lord, show me what You have for me to do in Your body. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on January 22, 2025
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights

Reflection Questions:
1. How easy is it for you to live without parts of your body?
2. What does this suggest about how Christ values you?
3. If your current role is severely limited, does that make you any less a valuable part of the body? Why or why not?

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Memory Recall

2026-03-24T00:48:57Z

Welcome To

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Memory Recall

By: Kathy Keller
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March 24, 2026

"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14 ESV)

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

Do you know what memory recall is? That's where the devil keeps bringing up your past.

There are things in everyone's past that they aren't happy about. I have things I am not happy about. But it's in the past. The past is over, done, and gone. Why worry about now? Worrying about the past will only cause you grief and maybe ulcers. You can't change it, so let it go. God wants us focused on Him. He wants our undivided attention. Not scattered thoughts, random thoughts distracting us from Him.

The world is full of distractions, just waiting to catch us and take our focus off God. Memory recall is a nasty little demon that waits for the opportunity to bring up past thoughts or actions. Break agreement with it. We don't need that distraction. God is just waiting for us to get our focus where it needs to be. He wants us free, not fearful or anxious. Not angry or upset.

Let's break agreement with memory recall right now. Don't let it bring up the bad memories. Just think about all the good things in your life. And keep your focus on God. When memory recall tries to rear its ugly head, tell it to go. You are a blood bought child of God.

Have a blessed day, everyone.

Kathy Keller
Writer and Prayer warrior with Answers2Prayer Ministries
If you would like to receive daily inspirational messages from Kathy Keller, click here and put “devotional” in the subject bar.

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Running Into the Light

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April 16, 2026

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Glorified

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To be Served? Or to Serve?

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March 28, 2026

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Beautiful

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March 26, 2026

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Memory Recall

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March 24, 2026

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By: Alice Burnett
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By: Paul Smyth
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By: Paul Smyth
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By: Lyn Chaffart
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By: Kari Vo
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By: Kari Vo
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By: Lyn Chaffart
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By: Kari Vo
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By: Kathy Keller
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