Category: <span>thoughts by Idelette McVicker</span>


“Make yourselves at home in My love.” –John 15:9 (Msg)

I have lived in three countries and in many different places. For many years I was on a quest to understand what it means to be home. Home used to be the place where I grew up; later it became the place where I rested my head at night. After I got married, it became the life I shared with my husband.

Home may carry many different meanings for those who have crisscrossed the world. But even those who have stayed home all their lives, may not have come home yet.

Jesus makes it very simple. He says, “Make yourselves at home in My love.” We don’t need to go looking for home; we may simply come home to Jesus. He invites us in. Because of His great love, He has already prepared a place for us. Come in, today. Open the door wide and enter into Love.

Reflect:

  • Where are you standing in relation to Jesus today?
  • Are you at home in His love yet? If not, is there anything keeping you from entering in?
  • What is it?
  • If you already know the Love of Jesus, what is He saying to you today?

Prayer:

Thank you, Jesus, that You have gone to prepare a place for me. I have a home in You, in Your everlasting arms of love. I come today, to be scooped up and embraced in your love. I am here, Your child. Amen.

By Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

FURTHER READING

A Moving Mountain – Have you ever heard of a mountain moving a person?

Up from Depression Story – Barbara Epp shares her journey with depression and the misconception that Christians shouldn’t get depressed.

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/


Follow Us On:

facebooktwitterinstagrampinterest

 

 

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women


“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Whenever I get to a place where life seems more than I can handle, there’s that still, small voice that nudges me: “Remember, Idelette, be still and know that I am God.” Often it’s easier to run and accomplish tasks rather than putting on the brakes and quiet my heart. On those days, it is what I need most. My Creator reminds me of that often.

Where do I need God to be God? What are the questions in my heart? Where is it that I need to be still today and invite God in?

What will this day bring, Lord?
Be still and know that I am God.

Is there a relationship that needs healing?
Be still and know that I am God.

Am I anxious about finances?
Be still and know that I am God.

Someone I love is sick, Lord.
Be still and know that I am God.

Am I concerned about my work, my future, my purpose?
Be still and know that I am God.

Prayer:
Thank you, God, that You have already saved the world. I don’t need to. I only need to do what You require of me. Help me return to that place of stillness where I find perspective and strength.

By Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/idelette-mcvicker_chaos/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:

facebooktwitterinstagrampinterest

 

 

 


thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women


“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross.” Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

One of my close friends suffers from chronic headaches. She lives with pain. It is something I am, thankfully, rather unfamiliar with. Her suffering, however, has introduced me to the huge realm of those who suffer from severe pain. Sometimes I just feel helpless. Most days I stand on the sideline and watch her endure.

While reflecting on the power of the cross again, it dawned on me that dying on a cross meant, for Jesus, enduring unfathomable pain. He doesn’t stand as a bystander, removed from the pain. Jesus became intensely familiar with pain. When you talk to Him about pain, He knows. He knows what you’re talking about. He has entered into Pain with you. This is the amazing God we love. There is nothing too far removed from Him. I may not be able to enter into the pain with my friend, but her closest Friend can and already has.

Reflect:

We have all suffered pain, whether emotional or physical. Imagine Jesus being right there with you. Then thank Him for enduring a pain that is so far beyond our imagination. Thank Jesus for being willing to suffer, so we may call him Friend in the places where we need Him most.

Prayer:

Jesus, thank You for Your incredible sacrifice on the cross. Not only did You carry the sins of the world, ”past, present and future” but You died an extremely painful death, all for us. You are the best Friend we could ever ask for.

By Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

&Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/idelette-mcvicker_he-knows-pain/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:

facebooktwitterinstagrampinterest

 

 

 


thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women


“He is the sacrifice for our sins. He takes away not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” 1 John 2:2 (NLT)

A few years ago, I participated in a course called The Ancient Paths put on by Family Foundations International. It was a time of beautiful healing for me.  After bringing my stuff to Jesus time and time again at the cross – every detail, every bad thing, every lie that had been whispered to me, every wrong turn I
had taken, I was amazed again by the power of Jesus, and especially Jesus on the cross.

I got a glimpse, even in just a small way, of what He must have experienced on the cross. Besides the humiliation, besides the physical pain, He took the sins of the
world on him. As I looked at the stuff I had in my life – the pain, the disappointments, the sin, knowing how heavy these things had been in my heart, I couldn’t imagine Him carrying the sins and pain and disappointments of every person who has ever lived and will ever live on this earth. But He did. He broke through and created space for each and every one of us. That power is now available to us as we bring our lives to Him.

This is our Jesus, amazing God who became man, my Superhero.

by Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/idelette-mcvicker_my-hero/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:

facebooktwitterinstagrampinterest

 

 

 


thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women


My three-year-old has been very aware of her strength. “Feel how big my muscles are,” she says, thrusting her arm out. This morning as I was driving her to preschool, she said, “Mommy, Katie doesn’t think my muscles are big.” As we talked through it, she suddenly added, “Mommy, I can’t slay a big lion.” She connected her strength with what we’d been reading – the story of Samson who was so strong that he could kill a lion with his bare hands.

After a little thought I asked her: “Do you think you can slay a little lion?”

Sure” she said. “I can slay a little lion.”

I thought about the challenges we face in our lives – the lions that come on our path. I realized that God allows us to grow in our capacity and confidence to fight the lions. Samson started with a lion and moved on to Philistines. David learned to keep the lions and bears at bay before he faced Goliath. With every challenge we conquer, we grow in strength and capacity. We build on experience and face the new challenge, knowing that God has seen us through the previous trials.

Reflect:
– What challenge are you facing in your life right now?
– What “little lions” have you slain in your journey up to now?
– How does your past experience inspire you to face your current challenge?

Thank You, God, that You grow me in my capacity and strength to face the challenges of every day. I bring my lions to You right now and I ask for the confidence and strength to conquer these new challenges. Remind me of what You have already brought me through successfully. Amen.

Bu Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/idelette-mcvicker_facing-the-lions/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/


Follow Us On:

facebooktwitterinstagrampinterest

 

 

 

___

thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women


“Do not say, “Four months more and then the harvest.”  I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” John 4:35 (NIV)

I have felt a rising urgency in my heart. Whether it’s about understanding the times and the seasons, or responsibility in taking care of our personal matters, the urgency is growing.

At first I experienced it with increased anxiety. Then a wise friend reminded me that even the disciples lived from the perspective that the end was near. This was how the New Testament was written – with an urgency – because Christ is coming soon. Now, a few thousand years later maybe we can smile at the disciples’ sense of urgency, but perhaps Christ wanted us to understand that part of living the Christian life is grasping this urgency. It’s not intended to invoke fear in us; instead we may understand that while every day is closer to His coming, it is also one more day in which we can give and love and work to help establish God’s Kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven.

We can look up, today, and see that the fields are ripe for harvest. And as Isaiah 61 reminds us, “This is the year of the Lord’s favor.” We need to make the best of today.

Reflect:

– How are you living from an understanding of the urgency of the day?
– How will you seize this day?

By Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/idelette-mcvicker_urgency/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/


Follow Us On:

facebooktwitterinstagrampinterest

 

 

 

___

thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women


“I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2

In my daughter’s preschool, they learned this song early on: “Let’s make room for our friends”. The school’s philosophy is clear: they foster an environment where students learn inclusivity. They make space for each other. I’ve watched the children grow into this atmosphere. On the playground after school or on occasions when we have gone out in a group, they all romp together. They naturally gravitate towards certain friends, but it is not at the cost of other friends. Each child is respected. No one is left behind.

Let’s make room for our friends” has become a philosophy in our home too. When the neighborhood kids or other friends come over, we make sure we include everyone, especially the younger ones.

Jesus came to make room for each one of us. He came, so as a family of God, we make room for each other. How ironic that right from the start, there was no room for the Prince of Heaven. His life defied this exclusion and He opened doors. He still knocks on the doors of closed hearts. “I stand at the door and knock,” He says. He moves right into the tight places we create around the marginalized. He makes space for each of us. We can love in His welcome and in turn, open doors for others.

Reflect:
Have you made room for Jesus today?
Where do You need Jesus to make room for you?
Where are you called to make room for someone else?

Thank You, Lord, that You have prepared a place for me. Even when life may exclude me, You are there, right beside me.

By Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/idelette-mcvicker_room/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/


Follow Us On:

facebooktwitterinstagrampinterestrss

 

 

 

___

thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women


“It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 21:6 (NKJ)

An eighty-something-year-old beautiful woman of God reminded me of one of the keys to living a Divinely inspired life: praising God in the midst of the most difficult, un-Kingdom-like circumstances.

At a time when she was feeling very stuck—hopeless even—she heard the whisper of God: “When you start praising Me, I will bring them in.”

What am I going to praise You for?” she thought. “Everything I see is a mess.

For who I am,” came the answer.

She started doing exactly that: praising God for who God is, not for the circumstances she saw all around her. She focused on the character and nature of God, not the fragments of relationships and human emotions scattered everywhere. She started singing in the midst of her trouble and one by one God began to pick up the pieces … God, our amazing, faithful God, proved true to the promise.

Prayer: Thank You, God, for who You are: faithful, loving, patient, great, kind, compassionate, just … I look to You today and I praise You for who You are. Amen.

by Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/idelette-mcvicker_circumstances/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/


Follow Us On:

facebooktwitterinstagrampinterestrss

 

 

 

___

thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women

Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.”  Psalm 54:2

Once, after walking the streets of the most destitute area in our city, I asked a friend who lives there as a missionary about taking a person through the process of coming into freedom. As a couple, my missionary friends have spent their lives working with people who want to grow whole in Christ.

Knowing my own healing journey, I could hardly imagine the time and commitment required for someone who has suffered deep trauma and beyond.

He said that once, while in prayer, his wife felt God saying that the hours and hours they put in for someone to be set free is so they would appreciate when Freedom comes in an instant.

I look forward to the day when we can all be healed and well in an instant. In the meantime, I look forward to appreciating the miracle as we put in the work and the love.

Thank you, Jesus, for taking us through the process of life. We long for your healing and your renewal of all your people, however you choose to pour it out on us. May your Kingdom come. We love you, Amen.

by Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/idelette-mcvicker_journey-wholeness/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/

Follow Us On:

 

 


Or Share this Devotional:

Thoughts by All thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women

Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

Earlier this year I visited the former Berlin wall. I found a segment that was kept in tact for historic purposes and I stood there and prayed. What once seemed so impossible, happened. The wall came down! What once seemed indestructible, crumbled.

One of the inscriptions at the Wall Museum reads,

It was the first wall in history to be built around an entire city and nearly around an entire country.” And Michael Gorbachev said, “The wall not only embodies the split in Europe but in the entire world.”

Standing at this physical wall reminded me of the walls we carry within ourselves. The walls we build in our heart by holding on to things like unforgiveness and anger, separate us from God. Walls between ourselves and others keep us from experiencing the fullness of relationship.

Standing at the wall, however, filled me with hope. Here was a very vivid picture that walls can come down. Besides, Jesus came to break down the walls that keep us from experiencing life to the full. He offered His life to be spilled out and broken, so that we can get break through walls and walk in freedom and the fullness of the Kingdom of God.

Reflect: Which walls do I see as insurmountable?

Lord, thank You for giving me hope. Please help me to break through the walls in my heart and the walls that oppose my relationships. Help me to walk in freedom and experience all You have for me today.

By Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/idelette-mcvicker_prayer-wall/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/

Follow Us On:

 

 


Or Share this Devotional:

thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women

The Lord is my Shepherd; I have everything I need.” Psalm 23:1 (NLT)

I started a 40-day fast, abstaining from spending, acquiring and shopping. Thankfully my husband eagerly accepted the challenge to shop for groceries and necessities.

Although as a woman I enjoy shopping, I realized early on that the fast isn’t about shopping. Instead it’s about a deep desire to be clear about how God is calling our family to live. I want to decide from a core understanding, rather than follow the ways of everyone around me. I don’t want to be shepherded by the strength of marketing. I want to follow the One true Shepherd.

These past 20 days I have found that I have a lot more “space and time” to think through what is truly important to our family. I am not busy acquiring, gathering and storing. Instead, I am planning for what we really need, while being creative in how to use what we already have.

Dear Lord, Thank you for being my Shepherd. Thank you for being our Provider. May I never forget that everything good and beautiful and perfect comes from you. Amen.

by Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/idelette-mcvicker_shepherd/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/


Subscribe to Daily Devotionals by Email

Thoughts by All thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women

“I know the greatness of the Lord -that our Lord is greater than any other god.” Psalm 135:5 (NLT)

Dictionary.com defines “devotion” as “profound dedication; consecration” and “earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc.” We know that devotion is our 24/7 way of being with God. At the same time, setting aside consecrated time daily to spend with God is my act of devotion; of showing God my profound dedication to Him. It is not a matter of habit or religious duty, but rather it flows out of love.

During this time before our Lord, our Heavenly Father becomes the central focus of our devotion. We worship Him, and only Him. We can come, not only because we love God, but also because we know that God loves us unconditionally. We can come without our armor. We can come expectant and with our hearts opened up to Him. From this central place of devotion, we can move out into the rest of the day, pointing our life towards our King.

Reflection:
What brings you today to spend time with our Lord?

Prayer:
Dear Father, I am devoted to You. May I center my day around You today, so that I can walk in the great Love You have for me.

By Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/idelette_mcvicker_act-devotion/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/


Subscribe to Daily Devotionals by Email

Thoughts by All thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women

Children rain boots

Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD.” Psalm 127:3 (CEV)

It struck me that if children are a blessing from the Lord, then God must actually be looking upon us as blessings too! Since we are “His children God is our Heavenly Father” God also views us as a blessing to Himself.

I know some days my children are blessings. Just recently, a simple “thank you” from our kindergartener made me smile. When she saw the impact her words had on me, she quickly asked, “Mommy, did that just lift your spirits up, up, up?”

There are many simple things that make my heart sing: I am blessed when our children, “brother and sisters” treat each other with Love and respect. I am blessed when they are kind to friends and neighbors. I am blessed when they share well. I am blessed when they remember good manners. I am blessed when they are thankful and not just consumed with their own needs. I am blessed when they are obedient. I am blessed when they learn and grow into new skills. In the same way, our Father in Heaven is blessed when we, His children, do these simple things.

Reflect:
Knowing that God loves you unconditionally, take a few moments and ask God to show you how you bless Him. How can I bless the heart of my Father today?

Prayer:
Dear Father, help me be a blessing to You and Your Kingdom. Help me love others and treat everyone with kindness and respect. Help me live a life that makes Your heart sing.

By Idelette McVicker

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

You can learn how to start a new life with Jesus.  Read this explanation at:
http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/4laws/law0.html


Brought to you by www.thoughts-about-god.com

Comments are welcome – click on the Title (email readers)


Follow us by:
       
 Follow  Follow

Share with a Friend
Would you take just a moment to prayerfully consider sending this to two friends who might be blessed by what we’ve shared today?
If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.thoughts-about-god.com/blog/

Thoughts by All thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women

Prayer about the safety of submission to God
“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
.” Philippians 2:8-11 (NKJV)

Jesus, having all power and all authority, submitted His life to the authority of His Father. He consistently responded under authority, pointing back to the Father. The Father, in turn, rewarded His obedience and humility and exalted Him.

In our individualistic world, we try to avoid submission to authority. There’s a Chinese saying: It’s better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox. We want to be our own boss; make our own decisions; answer to no one. Truth is, we answer to the One.

Our act of saying yes, to make Jesus Lord of our life, is our primary act of submission. From that day onward we keep bringing our lives and our decisions before Him, acknowledging that there is One greater than we are. It’s a relationship of submission, rooted in our understanding that the Father loves us even more than we can comprehend. Jesus was no doormat, “He understood His worth” but His authority flowed out of a heart submitted to the Father. In that place He had the power to heal the sick, raise the dead and transform lives. That’s the place I want to live from today.

Reflect:
Who do you point back to?
What do you need to surrender to the Father today?

Prayer:
Father, thank You for loving me beyond my selfish human heart. Thank You that submission to You is a safe, beautiful and even powerful place. I submit my life to You today. May I live my life in such a way that I am consistently pointing back to You. In Jesus’ exalted Name, Amen.

By Idelette McVicker

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

arrowcircleEmail Visitors, please visit our webpage to leave a comment. We warmly invite your thoughts on this devotional.


Share with a Friend
Would you take just a moment to prayerfully consider sending this to two friends who might be blessed by what we’ve shared today?
If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.thoughts-about-god.com/blog/
Brought to you by www.thoughts-about-god.com

Thoughts by All thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women

Alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic! Alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic!”

devotional on enthusiasmWe sounded the words to the rhythmic clapping of our hands. Faster, faster, faster. Alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic! This morning drill formed part of our early morning leaders meeting at Winners Camp, a residential camp for teenagers on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”. As we went off to our daily tasks of shaping the lives and hearts of a troupe of teenagers’ some more privileged than others it wasn’t difficult to be enthusiastic about the day. I remember those seven days with such fondness. And I still remember many of the faces.

I learned a few years ago that the word ‘enthusiasm’ comes from the Greek term entheos, meaning “God within”.

When we can be enthusiastic about something, perhaps it is also an indicator that we are doing what we were meant to; that we are about the things that were set out for us on this earth to do. I find God in the places where I am most enthusiastic.

As another day dawns, am I alert, awake and enthusiastic about the possibilities that lie ahead? And if not, why not?

Dear God, today I invite you into every activity I put my hand and heart to. Thank you for filling me with enthusiasm as I go about the work you set out for me to do. Amen.

By Idelette McVicker

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Follow us by:



Follow
Follow

Thoughts by All thoughts by Idelette McVicker Thoughts by Women