Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- December 6, 2013
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19
New normals are a test of our trust in the Lord. They call us to get on our knees in prayer and cry out to our Heavenly Father. They are transitions we go through in life when we move into new seasons: health challenges, a job transfer, a new church or an empty nest. New normals are more difficult because it is the first time we have experienced these realities. Patience, flexibility and trust facilitate adjustment to a new situation. Adapting to change and focus on God is necessary.
For example, a close friend may move overseas or to another part of the country. Since you are geographically divided, you now keep up by email, calls and visits. Or, if you’ve lived as a single adult for years, but are now married, you focus on the person of your dreams. Hence, friends from your past life don’t receive the same attention as your best friend, your spouse. A new normal in relationships is hard. If you try to be everyone’s friend, you risk becoming no one’s real friend.
Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. Luke 6:26
Make the best of your new normal by seeing God in the middle of your circumstances. Whether adversity or euphoria, either is an opportunity to draw closer to Christ. Accept new normals as your friend not your enemy. It is a nudge toward the Lord, not a wedge between you and the Lord. Our Savior Jesus Christ specializes in doing new things. He makes a way of hope in our wilderness of worry and streams of faith in our wasteland of fear. See your new normal as God’s new thing.
What is your new normal? A boss who is more demanding? A child who is pushing the boundaries of their freedom? Life after divorce? Life after a loved one’s death? Financial limitations? Relational stress? Abundant resources? More opportunities than you ever imagined? Steward well what you have, so the Lord can trust you with more of His blessings. Accept your new normal as an opportunity to adopt new ways to know God. Learn how to lean into the Lord. Your new normal is the next step in following Jesus. Perceive it, believe it, receive it, embrace it.
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. Revelation 21:5
Prayer: Heavenly Father, by grace and through faith, I accept my new normal as Your normal.
Related Readings: Isaiah 48:6, 65:17; Jeremiah 31:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:4
Post/Tweet this today: New normals are meant to be a nudge toward the Lord not a wedge between you and the Lord. #newnormals
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© 2013 by Boyd Bailey. All rights reserved.
Wisdom Hunters Resources / A registered 501 c3 ministry
info@wisdomhuntersdevotional.com / www.wisdomhunters.com
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Oh yes, I know about new normals and am very grateful for the wisdom in this post. My husband is a DOD Military contractor and he has a really high security clearance, so he is used to renovate places on the bases that are top secret. So we move around a lot probably every year to two years we are moving to a new base, a new corporate apartment, in fact we just moved again last week. One thing I have learned is just how true it is that you can’t put new wine in old wineskins, just like you can’t look for a long period of time in your rear view mirror at your “heavenly hindsight”, without crashing into the idol of nostalgia. God is doing something new and HE wants us to know it, to engage with Him in the now! To trust God in a new normal, I have found that I had to completely let go of the past and let God freely spring forth my new normal, as I cling to HIM and dig my life roots deeply in His Kingdom, not this world! I had to stay in a vital-vertical relationship with Him that can and did guard my heart and will and did withstand the wiles of the enemy, who loves to kick up violent dust storms at the end of one life season towards the beginning of the next transition, in hopes to usher in his confusion and uncertainty into our new life season! Transitions, I know them and new normals are seasons I choose to not just go through but to “grow to and grow through” in Christ, depending on HIM alone!
I LOVE this devotional “New Normal”. I went through a divorce after 20 years of marriage. It’s been three years and my 2 kids and I have moved 3 times, both kids changed schools, I changed jobs twice. I have NEVER had this much upheaval in my entire life. But… God is faithful. We are learning to live differently. We are learning to trust God irrationally. We are learning to lean on Him as the father/husband of our family. We are learning who God is in such a real way.
Thanks for the encouragement!
I like this online devotional, but you are ALWAYS ASKING FOR MONEY. You are ALWAYS letting it be very well known that a person cannot and should not READ your devotional UNLESS they contribute MONEY to you. You don’t need money from thousands or millions of online readers to put a devotional online. NO OTHER DEVOTIONAL I read online, from ANY church or organization, even asks for money. You BEG. I am completely offended and turned off by your begging. It’s like you are desperate for an income for you and your “Board of Directors.” It doesn’t take that many people, that much time, and that much MONEY to write a simple daily devotional and put it online. It seems like you are several Christian men that don’t want to work; so you figured out a way to make easy money online through writing a simple daily devotional and then begging its readers to send you money. I am in the worst financial situation of my entire life; but you don’t want readers like me, because we CANNOT donate TO YOU for YOUR PERSONAL INCOME. Life is rough all over. I have to give you this feedback, because I have been so hurt and offended by your begging for money to line your own pockets.
Dear Belinda~
We appreciate you taking the time to express your feeling about the request for donations. I also can understand that there is probably a tendency to be suspicious in today’s world about ministries and money. Unfortunately, there have been people who did not have the best and true intentions to spread God’s Word to others in the past.
However, I hope you will look into the Wisdom Hunters minsitry abit more to understand our mission. Our website,www.wisdomhunters.com would be a great place to start. You mentioned in your email that you did enjoy the daily devotional and I am so glad! The author, Boyd Bailey, loves the Lord and loves spreading God’s truth through this devotional. Please know that each devotional has been prayed about and has come about as a result of Boyd’s time with God and His Word.
Belinda, I would love to talk about this more with you and ask you for the opportunity to further discuss Wisdom Hunters. Please email me at: gwynne@wisdomhunters.com. We can arrange a time to email or even chat on the phone.
One last thing, you also mentioned that “you were in the worse financial situation of your life”. If you would like, maybe it would help to talk about that, too, and certainly, it would be a blessing for us to be able to pray for you during this time.
I will look forward to hearing from you, Belinda.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
Belinda,
I have been receiving this daily devotional for several years now. And though they occasionally ask for support for the ministry, I have to say it is very infrequent and I never feel pressured to do so like you imply. You are correct and it ministers to me tremendously as well. And unfortunately even though my finances have been devastated I have only given back a few times over the years. I hope you reevaluate your stance on the ministry and I encourage you to keep reading.
Blessings’
PZ Lake Villa, IL
Dear fellow wisdom hunter,
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. You, my friend, are a blessing to Wisdom Hunters and we are thankful for you.
May 2014 be a year of joy and good health to you and yours.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
Gwynne Maffett
Wisdom Hunters
Dear Belinda,
Wow, your email was EXTREMELY harsh. In fact, it was downright rude. You certainly have more guts than brains to hurl insults at a man of God doing the Lord’s work. How do you know how much time, effort, money, and manpower it takes to write these daily devotionals and get them out to the masses? It’s obvious you didn’t do your due diligence or you would have provided proof to enlighten the rest of us readers. I have never yet contributed to this ministry and never felt pressured to do so, or that these folks were begging for money, so I don’t know what you are talking about. But here’s an idea: If it upsets you that much that Wisdom Hunters asks for donations, why don’t you just unsubscribe to them?
While going thru a 20 month battle of brain cancer with my 58 yr old husband (who passed away 10/18/13), I cannot tell you how many times the Lord spoke to me thru these “simple” devotionals as you called them. Many days it was just the encouragement I needed to get me thru one more day. And then there were days when I didn’t want to hear what the Lord was telling me, but I appreciate a godly man that has a backbone and tells it like the Bible says it is. If I wanted to have my ego stroked, I would sign up for a daily devotional from Joel Osteen.
So you can call these “simple” devotionals all you want, but they always minister to me. And here’s a word of caution…..don’t ever underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe if we are being fed spiritually then we need to contribute to God’s work. So thanks for your nasty email, Belinda. It’s exactly the kick in the backside I needed to get me off my duff and send in a donation. See, God really can use evil for good.
Dear Rita~
We are thankful that you are a fellow wisdom hunter. Thank you for your kind words regarding Wisdom Hunters and the daily devotionals.
I was sorry to read about the 20 month struggle you and your husband went through with his health. That must have been so hard, but I rejoice in the fact that your Heavenly Father was there for you both every step of the way.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, FOR YOU ARE WITH ME; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
May this new year bring you joy, Rita.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne Maffett
Wisdom Hunters
Hi Pam…..Thank you for your comment. I too am going through a divorce, after 29 years. My three daughters are grown and out on their own so it is now just me. I would love to hear how you dealt with all the new emotions and being alone. I feel like everyone is looking at me differently or judging. (I’m sure it’s just me being self-conscious, but it’s hard. I find myself wanting to just be a hermit.) I’m not sure if I will get to see what you respond, but I sure would like to hear suggestions for getting through. Thank you.
Me too!!! My divorce took 2 years and $130,000 dollars. I was accused of doing things to my 3 daughters. I now have full custody. It was the worst divorce I have ever heard of. My faith in God is the only reason I am alive. These devotionals helped me through some incredibly tough times. I pray your life is getting better each day. Mine is day by day…piece by piece….
One reason i never give,is because i can’t use a credit card. I have shared alot of your articles & enjoy so much.
Dear Janet~
Thank you for reaching out to us and letting us know about your desire to donate. If you would like, I can further explain ways to donate that may be helpful. Please feel free to email me at : gwynne@wisdomhunters.com.
In the meantime, I am so thankful you are a fellow wisdom hunter! I am glad you are enjoying the devotionals and look forward to hearing from you.
May this new year bring you joy!
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
Dear Cindy~
Thank you so much for reaching out to Pam through our Wisdom Hunters blog. I hope you both were blessed with the devotional, “New Normal”. From reading both yours and Pam’s responses, God has helped you and your families through some difficult challenges. Isn’t it amazing that HE never leaves us and is right there through the good, as well as, the bad times. Praise God!
I hope you and Pam continue to TRUST HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART!
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart,
Lean NOT on your own undertsanding.
But in all your ways acknowledge HIM,
and HE will set your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5-6
Dear Monty~
While reading your comments on the blog, I am SO THANKFUL you know your Lord and Savior and that you had your FAITH through the challenges you went through. Isn’t it awesome to know that HE was right there by your side every step of the way? WOW!! Never did He leave you!
Thank you for reaching out to Pam through the blog. I hope you will continue to heal and Glorify God with your life.
May this new year bring you joy.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne