An Excerpt From God Is My Refuge

This sample devotion is excerpted from God Is My Refuge: 12 Weeks of Devotions and Scripture Memory for Troubled Times by Kathy Howard.

From financial need and illness to loss and broken relationships every Christian woman encounters difficulties. Most believe God can help, but many don’t know where to go in the Bible to find the comfort, peace, and guidance He longs to give. God Is My Refuge provides the direction women need to discover, understand, and apply the “ever-present help” that only God can give. In this daily devotional, author Kathy Howard combines Scripture reading, insightful commentary, personal reflection, and Scripture memory to help women draw closer to God and experience His help in the midst of life’s trials.

Week Six: Broken Relationships                                                                  Day One

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No Relationship Is an Island

Read: Hebrews 12:14–15                                                      Weekly memory verse: Hebrews 12:14

One of my all-time favorite movies is Cast Away. Tom Hanks played the role of Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems engineer. During a business trip, Chuck narrowly survived a plane crash and washed ashore on a deserted tropical island. Before he finally found a way to make it back to civilization, Chuck spent four years completely alone, with no human interaction of any kind.

Complete isolation like this is only possible if you are the lone castaway on a deserted island. The rest of us are constantly connected to other people. Although the depths of our relationships range from superficial to intimate, no relationship exists in isolation from the others. The quality of one relationship affects all the others. For instance, an argument with one friend alters our mood and emotions, impacting our interaction with the next friend we encounter.

Today’s Scripture shows us how our relationship with God directly affects all other relationships. A close, obedient relationship with God fosters holiness in our lives. When we live holy lives—lives devoted to God—we will be different from the world and its ways, and so will our relationships.

The world tells us to put ourselves first. God commands us to love each other and meet their needs. The world tells us to revenge wrongs done to us. God commands us to forgive like God has forgiven us and to get rid of all bitterness.

Are you struggling in one or more relationships? Regardless of the issue or who is at fault, the first step in improving any relationship is to check the quality of our relationship with God.

Reflect and Apply

Take a moment to evaluate your relationships. In the space below, list those in which you need God’s help and direction.

Now check the quality of your relationship with God. Can you see ways that distance from God and disobedience have affected your relationships with others?

Reflect on the grace God has shown in your life. (For instance, God pursues a relationship with you, he offers undeserved forgiveness, and he promises his constant presence.) How can remembering what God has done for you help you to extend grace to others?

Prayer Prompt

Ask God to help you see the relationship issues in your life with his eyes. Ask him to show you any sin you need to confess regarding the way you have interacted with these individuals.

Memory Minute

Commit to memorize Hebrews 12:14 to internalize the truth that the quality of your relationship with God affects all other relationships.

  1. Read the verse in your favorite translation.
  2. Rewrite the verse in your own words at the bottom of this page.
  3. Write the verse and reference on a card for your memory system.
  4. Read Hebrews 12:14 out loud three times.
  5. Pull out the memory verse cards for Psalm 46:1 and Matthew 6:33. If possible, recite them without looking at the cards. Use the anchor words or the front of the card only if necessary.

“God Is My Refuge is an intimate and interactive devotional that will point you to the power and comfort of God’s presence. Chock-full of Scripture, practical application, and encouragement, each page will lead your heart to hope – because this book illuminates a love that is higher, wider, deeper, and farther than any other.” GWEN SMITH, author, speaker, worship leader, and co-founder of Girlfriends in God

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/God-My-Refuge-Devotions-Scripture/dp/089112330X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355923055&sr=1-1&keywords=God+is+My+refuge+by+Kathy+Howard

ChristianBook.com: http://www.christianbook.com/refuge-devotions-scripture-memory-troubled-times/kathy-howard/9780891123309/pd/1123309?item_code=WW&netp_id=1056113&event=ESRCG&view=details

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An Excerpt From God Is My Refuge
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