These devotionals give encouragement, faith, hope, and joy in the midst of difficult situations. They were birthed in my devotions as I experienced significant changes in my life. After I retired from my job as university professor for 32 years, I moved to another country and another culture, and then we all went through "the pandemic". Each transition brought more separation from the routine, the familiar, and the necessary. The connections that I had became "virtual". But we had God, the Bible, material via the internet and cable TV, family, kids and grandkids.
The psalms are poems, prayers, and praises, with sincere expression of feelings, but with a deep trust in God. The psalms present the need to fear and respect God and to love one's neighbor as a lifestyle. Praise with humility, simplicity and freedom is a powerful weapon that brings victory when we are in difficulties. Go to God who is our strength, always remembering past victories.
There is no place for depression, and if there is, we must long for the presence and communion of the living God, who is our refuge and help in the construction of life and family.
The devotionals on passages from Isaiah encourage us and offer us internal and physical healing. They call us to recognize our need for forgiveness, repentance and restoration.
God in his eternal mercy, love and holiness, promised and gave his Messiah and hope to those who receive him. In the chosen passages of Isaiah, we see the promises of consolation and rebuilding through the Messiah.
Each devotional contains:
• a base scripture to be read,
• a reflection on essential points and their application to needs in our daily life,
• and a section of questions for individual meditation and group discussion.
