Giving Thanks When Nothing Seems Right
Giving thanks when nothing seems right is the challenge we all face this Thanksgiving. Deep in the throes of the COVID-19 surge, we must choose to forego some traditions but our hearts are free.
Read MoreIn the Solitude, Jesus Makes Himself Known
In the solitude, Jesus makes Himself known to the deepest parts of my heart and spirit. I cannot hear Him in the crowded busyness of daily life.
2MefromHim Devotionals
In the Solitude, Jesus Makes Himself Known
After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Matthew 14:23
Our world clamors with chaos, the cacophony of voices vying for our attention. Just as in Jesus’ day, He had to escape the crowds.
News confronts us from phones, computers, and television. Advertisements call our attention to millions of products designed to meet our every need. The one thing no one offers us is solitude, the calm and quiet of peaceful, uninterrupted time.
My heart pleads for solitude. For it is in the quiet that I can hear Jesus speak.
In the Solitude, Jesus Can be Heard
Jesus often took His disciples away to lonely places where He could teach them. The demands of people and responsibility distract us from the call of our Lord.
Mark 4:4 reminds us that, “When he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.” Our deepest desires to draw near to the heart of God are only answered when we set aside the time to spend with Him alone.
In a place of solitude, away from the din of the world, our Savior can be heard like nowhere else. Just as we crave one on one time with those we love, so God desires to have our attention to Himself, to have us care enough to carve out space and time to spend with Him.
Just as we crave one on one time with those we love, so God desires to have our attention to Himself... #devotional #prayer #Godislove Click To TweetIn the Solitude, I Find Great Reward
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:6
If we seek Him with our whole heart, we will never be disappointed. He will grant us the riches of His glorious grace, open to us the secrets of His word, and give me of Himself.
Sometimes I need to be reminded that He speaks in the silence more than in the chaos. God longs for my time and attention, and if I offer it to Him, He will bless me abundantly. His treasures are best discovered when we are alone.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
Sometimes I need to be reminded that God speaks in the silence more than in the chaos. #chaos #silence #peace Click To Tweet© Norma Gail Holtman, October 26, 2020
About the author:
Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (released May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.
Children are a Heritage and Blessing from God: Champion Them
Children are a heritage and blessing. However, our society tends to view this gift of God as precious only if it suits convenience.
2MefromHim Devotionals
Children are a Heritage and Blessing from God: Champion Them
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him … Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. Psalm 127:3-5
Children are Heritage not to be Despised
Matthew 18:10 says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” As a nation, the abortion rate proves that we despise our little ones. Only 1 in 6 voters in the United States makes pro-life issues central to their voting choice. To me, that is a crime.
As early as Leviticus, God warned Israel against offering their children to Molech, the Canaanite god associated with child sacrifice. Anyone doing so was to be stoned to death.
Only 1 in 6 voters in the United States makes pro-life issues central to their voting choice. #achildnotachoice #prolife #vote2020 Click To TweetChildren are a Heritage to Protect
I went through nursing school in the mid-70s, after Roe vs. Wade made abortion legal. As a student nurse, my class saw a baby, the victim of a saline-induced abortion, die on a towel in a cold, soiled-utility room. We could not offer it comfort or warmth.
Does it horrify you that I had to watch that? We should be horrified by the unspeakable cruelty that can be done to a child. This isn’t the 12th century. Science enables us to look into the womb of a pregnant woman and see her child moving, sucking its thumb, responding to touch and sound. We can see the miracle of life from conception to birth with special cameras. The heartbeat is detectible at around 6 weeks.
should be horrified by the unspeakable cruelty that can be done to a child. #prolife #hope #truth Click To TweetChildren are a Heritage from Conception
Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” God had a purpose and plan for Jeremiah before he was born. He has a plan for you too. According to Psalm 139:13, 16, God knits each of us together in our mother’s womb. He sees and knows each human being and has a plan for every day of our lives.
God created male and female in His own image. It is God’s breath that gives life to me and to you, whether or not you believe it. Isaiah calls man the work of God’s hands. He admonishes us not to neglect or forget the helpless, the poor, and the fatherless.
God admonishes us not to neglect or forget the helpless, the poor, and the fatherless. #prolife #children #Godislove Click To TweetWe Must Protect our Heritage
The Book of James says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
The God of heaven and earth asks us to make a choice. He says, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live….” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Will you use your vote to champion life?
Will you use your vote to champion life? #vote2020 #prolife #truth Click To Tweet© Norma Gail Holtman, October 19, 2020
About the author:
Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (released May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.
Read More
A Dwelling Place of Peace and Rest in Uncertain Times
I have a dwelling place of peace and rest in a world that often seems inside out and filled with uncertainty.
A Dwelling Place of Peace and Rest
A 2MefromHim Devotional
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Psalm 90:1
I need a dwelling place of safety and peace through the troubled days of COVID and social unrest. It often seems our world has turned inside out, leaving us unprotected and filled with uncertainty.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Psalm 90:1 #safety #help #peace Click To TweetA Dwelling Place Safe from Evil
When the daily news brings only turmoil, I turn to the presence of my Savior and Lord. Prayer and God’s word fill me with hope and comfort. He does not leave me alone and without shelter. I have a place of rest.
Evil ran rampant in Noah’s day, yet God promised to save him. In Genesis 6, the Bible tells us: “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”
When the daily news brings only turmoil, I turn to the presence of my Savior and Lord. #trouble #trials #Jesus Click To TweetA Dwelling Place for God’s Own
However, Noah was a righteous man, who walked faithfully with God. And when God told him to build an ark, he obeyed in everything he was commanded. God puts great store in obedience, in people who put Him first and walk according to the commands in His word. This relationship and careful obedience become my ark, my safe haven in a world gone mad. In Genesis 7, we read that Noah did everything the Lord commanded, and then he and his family, and all the animals, entered the ark, and “Then the Lord shut him in.”
When I stay close to the Lord, He becomes my place of refuge, my ark, safe though tossed on troubled seas. This doesn’t mean I will never experience hard times. However, I have the comfort that nothing can touch me without the express permission of God Himself.
The Lord is my place of refuge, my ark, safe though tossed on troubled seas. #trouble #refuge #peace Click To TweetWhere to Find a Place of Shelter
Jesus calls those who dwell in His word are His disciples.1 John 4:15 tells us, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” The thought of dwelling and abiding with the God of the universe wraps me in a warm blanket of peace and calm. Like the old hymn by George Robinson reminds me:
His forever, only His;
Who the Lord and me shall part?
Ah, with what a rest of bliss
Christ can fill the loving heart!
Heav’n and earth may fade and flee,
Firstborn light in gloom decline,
But while God and I shall be,
I am His, and He is mine;
But while God and I shall be,
I am His, and He is mine.
God made it possible to find peace in a troubled world by sending His Son, Jesus, to dwell on earth. Revelation 3:20 says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” What a perfect picture of a God who longs to be known and to know me intimately!
God made it possible to find peace in a troubled world... #peace #safety #hope Click To TweetA Dwelling Place of Eternal Safety
In a world filled with disease, riots, fires, and hurricanes, I have a haven of safety for now and all eternity. Jesus, my friend, stands with outstretched arms, saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28)
I have a haven of safety for now and all eternity. #eternity #protection #rest Click To TweetWill you come?
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36
© Norma Gail Holtman, September 21, 2020
I Am His and He is Mine by George Robinson, Public Domain
About the author:
Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (released May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.
Finding Shelter and Rest in Troubled Times
Finding shelter and rest is a delightful concept in the insanity of 2020. The latest news offers little hope for change in the near future.
Finding Shelter and Rest in Troubled Times
A 2MefromHim Devotional
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1
Finding shelter and rest is a delightful concept in the insanity of 2020. The latest news offers little hope for change in the near future. We remain threatened by a pandemic and buffeted by violent attacks on our society. Quarantine holds us captive in our homes and destroys our economy, wildfires threaten much of the West.
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1 #shelter #rest #help Click To TweetFinding Shelter and Rest When You Feel Uncertain
In Psalm 91, God is portrayed as a shelter, refuge, fortress, shield and rampart for those who dwell in Him. He banishes fear from terror, pestilence, and plagues. However, these things are promised to those who dwell in the Most High. In other words, God reserves His choicest blessings for His children.
For example, when my husband was a child, he and his family toured a large cave. Afraid in the black, unfamiliar place, he grabbed his mother’s skirt and walked through the cave holding on tight. However, when they reached the outlet of the cave, he discovered he held onto the skirt of a stranger. His calm and sense of protection evaporated. He didn’t have a relationship with the woman. Therefore, the stranger couldn’t offer the comfort of his own mother. God desires an intimate relationship with His children.
God desires an intimate relationship with His children. #Godislove #relationships #hope Click To TweetConditions for Receiving God’s Help
Those who desire protection from God are to love Him, acknowledge His name, and call on Him. It’s easy to say we believe. Most people call on God or use His name when frightened or grieved. The question is, do we dwell with God as a child dwells with and depends on a parent?
We prove the depth of our relationship with God by how we live. Those who desire to receive from Him must stay in close relationship to Him and keep His commandments. In the New Testament, John 15 tells the believer to “abide” or “remain” in Christ, the true vine, and God is the gardener. Don’t expect blessings if you don’t love and obey God.
The question is, do we dwell with God as a child dwells with and depends on a parent? #Jesus #help #rescue Click To TweetFinding Shelter and Rest Requires Relationship
Likewise, in Matthew 7:9-12 Jesus offers an illustration of the close relationship between God and His children: “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Though the world is a strange and often unfamiliar place in these days of COVID and social unrest, God offers peace, protection, and unfailing rest to those who live in an intimate relationship with Him.
What will you choose?
God offers peace, protection, and unfailing rest to those who live in an intimate relationship with Him. #peace #protection #rest Click To Tweet© Norma Gail Holtman, August 22, 2020
About the author:
Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (released May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.
I Will Rejoice in the Lord and Have Hope
I will rejoice in the Lord, though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food…
I Will Rejoice in the Lord and Hope
2MefromHim Devotionals
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19
I will rejoice in God no matter what comes my way. In the midst of COVID, quarantine, natural disasters, and lawlessness, hope fades to a faint glow, flickering in the breeze. We must search for God’s blessings each day.
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines...I will rejoice in the Lord. Habakkuk 3:17 #rejoice #hope #2020 Click To TweetI Will Rejoice in the Lord in Sorrow
This past weekend, I spoke with a friend whose 62-year-old husband died suddenly, three weeks ago. What impressed me most was her gratitude for the quarantine that caused them to work from home for the past four months. In busy, two-career marriage, the pandemic offered them time together they wouldn’t have had otherwise. Only she, her two sons, and the pastor were in the church for the funeral. Friends and family members watched a live stream or on YouTube. However, she expressed thanks for the support and comfort of loved ones.
Habakkuk wrote his prophecy in the time of Jeremiah and Zephaniah, prophesying about the same events, the time of the Chaldeans, and their ruin of Jerusalem. In spite of the terrible prophesies regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, Habakkuk speaks of God’s deliverance.
Here is great spiritual truth: even in the darkest night, God never leaves His people without hope.
Here is great spiritual truth: even in the darkest night, God never leaves His people without hope. #Godisgood #truth #hope Click To TweetI Will Rejoice Because God is My Hope
In 2020, struggle and fear dominate our news and threats loom on the horizon, but God promises better things to come. When Job believed his suffering would never end, he proclaimed his certainty of seeing God in his flesh. (Job 19:23) Paul and Silas believed when they sang songs of praise in a Philippian jail. (Acts 16:16-40) There is always something for which we can give thanks.
God doesn’t promise to answer all of our prayers. However, He promises strength and the power to endure hardship. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, God grants His people all the power that raised Christ from the dead.
In spite of plagues, fears, unrest, and attacks, choose to give thanks and rejoice. God is still on His throne. #Jesus #fear #trust Click To Tweet
God is Faithful
When overwhelmed by unexpected trials, remember the faithfulness of God and rejoice. Give thanks for the small things. Write down your to be remembered time and time again.
In spite of plagues, fears, unrest, and attacks, choose to give thanks and rejoice. God is still on His throne.
Give thanks for the small things. #gratitude #Godislove #Jesus Click To Tweet© Norma Gail Holtman, August 17, 2020
About the author:
Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (released May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.
