Tag: Kristy Cisneros

“An Object of Extreme Devotion”

Jeremiah 35-37

The Israelites were still heading in the wrong direction. Jeremiah 35:15 reads, “Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, ‘Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.’ But you have not paid attention or listened to me.”

Is there an area of our lives where we need to pay closer attention and listen to God more? Sometimes the sins of the Israelites can seem so unrelatable at first glance. They engaged in idol worship? We might safely conclude,  “None of that going on here, but how foolish of the Israelites!” Then I think about modern day idol worship. Does it look like overconsumption of social media, doom scrolling, adoring celebrities, etc.? Sometimes our idol can be right in the palm of our hands. Do we have a fit of panic when we are getting ready to go somewhere and we can’t find our phones? Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines an idol as “an object of extreme devotion.” Do we have idols we need to clear out of our lives so that God becomes our number one priority? God makes it very clear we are to have no other gods before Him. 

I worked at a Catholic school for a number of years and the faculty and staff worked hard to come up with a school motto that embodied the school’s mission. One of the teachers exclaimed, “God calls, we answer!” and everyone unanimously agreed. That simple, succinct, yet oh so powerful statement really resonated with me and it dovetails nicely with the last sentence in 35:17:

“Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.’”

When God calls, we want to be sure to answer, but first we must make sure we are truly listening and not letting the superficial cares or distractions of life drown out His voice. Perhaps it’s time to put Psalm 46:10 into practice:

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth.”

-Kristy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. Do we have idols (“objects of extreme devotion”) we need to clear out of our lives so that God becomes our number one priority?
  2. What distractions keep you from listening to God’s voice? How can you tune in better to the voice of God?
  3. When you hear God calling – how will you answer?
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A Time to Uproot – THEN – A Time to Plant

Jeremiah 32-34

In today’s reading in Jeremiah 32-34, God is furious with His people and promises to punish them. It won’t be pretty for a while, but eventually God’s love and mercy makes it back on the scene. We learned in yesterday’s reading how important God’s discipline is for shaping our character and turning us back to Him. I hope whoever is reading this realizes that you are never too far gone from God’s love and mercy. Yes, He might teach you a lesson to help you learn from it, but true repentance will lead to restoration. God will not stay mad at you if you choose to turn from your sinful ways. Maybe you’re holding back because you feel so embarrassed and humiliated at your poor choices and feel completely unworthy of God’s love. Maybe you feel like the prodigal son sheepishly returning home and expecting your father’s wrath, but you’re so desperate you will work as a servant in order to survive. Maybe you’re afraid you’ll receive a cold and resentful reception like the older brother gave the prodigal son. Don’t let fear of others’ judgment of you stand in the way of restoring your relationship with your Heavenly Father. His opinion of you is the only one that truly matters.

We can take comfort in God’s character revealed in 33:26 “…For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.” God will meet your repentance with compassion and restoration, but you first have to face the reality of your sin and the damage it has done to your life and your relationship with God. 

-Kristy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. What are some of the consequences of sin in your life? Have you experienced a time when your own personal true repentance has led to restoration? What might that look like – both today and in the future?
  2. How does God’s justice and mercy work together?
  3. Realizing there are still consequences for sin, how might God expect us to mirror His mercy to the repentant? How can your justice and mercy work together?
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He Hears. He Disciplines. Because He Loves.

Jeremiah 30-31

I was especially struck by several verses in today’s reading. In chapter 31 verse 18 we read,

“I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:

    ‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf,

    and I have been disciplined.

Restore me, and I will return,

    because you are the Lord my God.

God heard their moaning. I find great comfort in that the creator of the universe cares enough about us to hear our moaning. He also cares enough about us to discipline us for our own good. Hebrews 12:7-11, 

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. iGod is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, jin which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to kthe Father of spirits land live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, mthat we may share his holiness. 11 nFor the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields othe peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

We all fall short of the glory of God and we will struggle many times to do what is right. When we recognize that we have strayed, we must repent and turn away from that sin. Jeremiah 31:19 gives a great example of what repentance looks like in action:

19 

After I strayed,

    I repented;

after I came to understand,

    I beat my breast.

I was ashamed and humiliated

    because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’

Verse 20 is perhaps the most poignant of all:

20 

Is not Ephraim my dear son,

    the child in whom I delight?

Though I often speak against him,

    I still remember him.

Therefore my heart yearns for him;

    I have great compassion for him,”

declares the Lord.

I don’t know about you, but my eyes fill with tears and I get goosebumps on my arms at the thought of God’s heart yearning for His people and Him having great compassion for us. Though he must discipline us at times, He does so out of His great love for us!

-Kristy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. How do you view God’s discipline? Is there a time(s) you feel God disciplined you? Why do you think He disciplines – in that case, and in general? Or – asked a different way – Does a Good God discipline? Explain.
  2. What role does repentance play? What feelings come with repentance in Jeremiah 31:19?
  3. What do you love about God’s love? How would you try to explain it to somehow completely new to the concept of a loving God (who disciplines)?
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Death Threats

Jeremiah 26-29

“You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22).

In chapter 26, Jeremiah experienced hate on account of obedience to God. He was obedient to telling the people God’s message and they wanted to kill him for it. In our current day, the world is trying very hard to normalize certain sins and they spew a lot of vitriol toward Christians for not supporting it and promoting it. We see in certain areas of the world where Christians are even being killed for their beliefs. 

Did Jeremiah crumble under the threat of death? He absolutely did not. In the face of the threat of death, he stood his ground and continued to be obedient to God’s call to warn the people. God wants us to not have a spirit of fear and timidity but to be bold—even in the face of danger. Thankfully, we don’t need to rely on our own limited power, because we have a far greater source of strength. 2 Timothy 1:7 says,  “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

If we are practicing obedience to God’s word, we can be sure that we will receive push back from the world. We need to be resolute like Jeremiah and not conform to the wickedness of the world, but instead call it out so that we can help bring as many people as possible into God’s kingdom.

-Kristy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. What might you be thinking and feeling and doing if you were in Jeremiah’s shoes? Is there anything you find particularly admirable about Jeremiah?
  2. What is the purpose behind speaking up (not omitting a word) even when it is not positively received?
  3. Have you ever faced a potentially fearful situation because of your faith? How do you think you (with help from the Spirit of God) might handle it today if you ran into persecution for believing in and speaking for God?
  4. What might you be able to do today to strengthen your faith in order to speak every word from God AND perhaps handle persecution better in the future?
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Running with Their Message

Jeremiah 23-25

Jeremiah’s heart was broken over the ungodliness and wickedness he witnessed among God’s people. As noted in 23:11, the priests and prophets were particularly godless. Their wickedness was so immense that God compared them to Sodom and Gomorrah. The prophets were not speaking inspired words, but rather what came to their own minds. I can’t help but wonder if these prophets told the people simply what they wanted to hear. In other words, they were good old fashioned con artists. My mind immediately went to the concept of today’s prosperity gospel and how preachers like Joel Osteen tickle the ears of the people with assurances that God wants you to be wealthy. Or there are even pastors who justify, minimize or normalize sins that are clearly spoken against in God’s word. God issues a clear warning in Jeremiah 23:16-17 about not listening to those who are sharing their own ideas as opposed to God’s inspired word.

16 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
    they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions from their own minds,
    not from the mouth of the Lord.

Someone who is truly sharing the word of God will compel people to repent of their sins and turn toward God. Be wary of anyone who always tells you just what you want to hear.

22 

But if they had stood in my council,

    they would have proclaimed my words to my people

and would have turned them from their evil ways

    and from their evil deeds.

To whom are you listening? If those people are making you feel complacent with your sin, encouraging you to follow after ungodly things or not make the kingdom of God a priority, then you know that they are leading you astray and that will have dire consequences if continued. 

32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. 

“They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the Lord.

– Kristy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. How do you discern what is a godly message and what did not come from Him?
  2. When have you seen people chasing after a message that did not come from God?
  3. To whom are you listening?
  4. How can your words better align with God’s message? What would God have you say, and to whom?
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Help!

Psalm 3-4, 12-13, 28, 55

In today’s reading, I couldn’t help but see some parallels between David and Jesus. In both of these passages, we see a crying out to God in a time of true despair or suffering.  

In Psalm 28, we read David’s heartfelt words:

1 ​​To you, Lord, I call;

    you are my Rock,

    do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you remain silent,

    I will be like those who go down to the pit.

2 Hear my cry for mercy

    as I call to you for help,

as I lift up my hands

    toward your Most Holy Place.
(NIV)

The words, “For if you remain silent” stood out to me. Up until that point, David clearly felt that God had been silent. He wanted to be reminded that God was on his side and actively fighting for him. 

In Matthew 27:46, Jesus also cried out to God in distress:

46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). NIV

To me, that sentence contains some of the most poignant words in scripture. Jesus is truly taking on the weight of the world at this moment by bearing all of humanity’s sins. The weight of it must have been crushing. It must have felt so terribly dark and cold. In this case, he alone had to pay the price and it was not the plan for God to rescue him from death; however, we know how the story ends. We know God did not forsake him in the grave. We read in Acts 2:31: 

31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. (NIV)

When we are in the depths of despair or metaphorically running from danger, it can seem like God is silent and turning a deaf ear to us. However, His word assures us in Romans 8:28 that He is not turning His back to us. 

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)

In the latter portion of Psalm 28, we read David’s recognition that God came through for him.  

6 Praise be to the Lord,

    for he has heard my cry for mercy.

7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;

    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

    and with my song I praise him. (NIV)

Notice the words from verse 7: “my heart trusts in him.” How do we cultivate trust in God? One of the best ways is to learn about Him through His word. His character radiates beautifully all throughout scripture. One aspect of God’s character that really spoke to me in today’s reading is His tenderness. In Psalm 28:9 we read: “Save your people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead them like a shepherd, and carry them in your arms forever.” (NLT)

Isaiah 40:11 gives us more insight into how He shepherds His flock: 

He tends his flock like a shepherd:

    He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

    he gently leads those that have young. (NIV)

God carries us close to His heart. Now that’s an amazing image! Where we are might feel very cold and alone in the moment, but God is there holding us close to His heart. Unlike Jesus on the cross, we never have to bear the weight of our burdens alone. He is working things out for the good for those who love Him. It might not look like how we imagined, but it will be beautiful in the long run. Trust His timing. Trust His goodness. 

-Kristy Cisneros

Kristy is married to Pastor Andy Cisneros who pastors Guthrie Grove Church in Pelzer, SC. This May they will celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary! They are the proud parents of two awesome children: Brooke and Logan. 

(originally posted January 29, 2023 when our Bible reading plan for the year included a New Testament reading from Matthew 27 and a Psalm, 28)

Reflection Questions:

  1. Do you feel that you trust in God’s timing and goodness? If not or maybe not as much as you should, make it an intentional prayer that God will help you grow in these areas.
  2. How can you use this year’s Bible reading plan to grow further in your appreciation of God’s timing and goodness?
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The Big Reveal

Genesis 45-47

Next to the greatest story ever told, the story of Joseph is by far my favorite Bible story. There are so many valuable lessons one can learn from reading it. Some lessons that stand out to me are the sovereignty of God, the importance of trusting God even in the midst of tragedy and suffering, and the beauty and power of forgiveness. 

I have often asked myself if I would have had Joseph’s attitude in the midst of a seemingly unending chain of absolutely horrific events. In spite of the terrible hand that he continued to be dealt, we don’t see him being consumed by anger, self-pity or a quest for vengeance. There’s something very powerful about Joseph’s unwavering faith in God that inspires me. He seems to possess a quiet assurance that everything is ultimately going to be okay. 

In this 45th chapter of Genesis, we see Joseph revealing his true identity to his brothers. We know he had risen to a very prominent position of power as second in command of Egypt. The stage could have been set for him to get the “perfect revenge” against his brothers. We read in verse 5 right after Joseph reveals his identity to his brother: “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” I find it especially poignant that not only does Joseph not want to exact revenge in this situation, he actually chooses to comfort his brothers in this moment rather than “giving them what for.” We know from earlier scriptures that Joseph was clearly hurt by their previous actions, but he wants to spare them the hurt of being angry with themselves or beating themselves up because of their actions. He points them to an understanding of God’s sovereignty and that they were players in God’s plan. 

How differently that 45th chapter of Genesis could have played out if Joseph had been bent on vengeance. Instead, we see the true beauty and power of forgiveness and a reminder that God is in control even in the midst of our darkest hours. 

If we choose to be consumed with anger or self-pity, we miss the important lessons God is trying to teach us. We read in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Perhaps the answer in those dark times is to focus on loving God even more deeply and purposely than ever before.

-Kristy Cisneros

Questions for Reflection and Discussion


1) When you encounter hardships and tragedies, does your attitude reflect one of unwavering faith in God? If not, how can you further nurture and strengthen that faith so that it is at the ready when life’s storms come your way?

2) What action can help us love God more deeply and purposely than ever before?

3) What other lessons can you learn from the story of Joseph?

(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on February 6, 2020)

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In the Spirit – OR – in the Flesh

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 12

Poetry: Proverbs 1

New Testament: Galatians 5:24-26

In 2 Samuel 12 we read all about how King David is rebuked for his sinful ways and the real consequences he would suffer as a result of his sin. 

9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 

Proverbs 1:31 from today’s reading gives us a sobering reminder of what happens when we choose to be ruled by the flesh rather than by the Spirit.


“So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way

And be satiated with their own devices. (NASB 1995)

If we want to avoid disastrous consequences brought on by sin, Galatians 5 gives us some sound advice:

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 

Proverbs 1:7 further instructs us on how to live wisely:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

Fools despise wisdom and instruction. (NASB 1995)

The Bible is full of examples from which we can learn. Sometimes I read the story of David and think how on earth could he do those things, but then I quickly remember that saying, “As soon as you point a finger at someone, you have four fingers pointing right back at you.” God’s word is a mirror for our hearts. If we are left to our own devices and follow the ways of our flesh, disastrous consequences inevitably ensue. We must make a conscious choice to live and walk by the Spirit. The good news is that we are not irredeemable if we have been led astray by our flesh at one point. The story wasn’t over for David and it doesn’t have to be over for us. We can make that choice to reconcile with God and we can be assured by the parables of the prodigal son and the lost sheep that He will welcome us with open arms. Your story is not over while you still have breath. If you’ve walked away from God, please know His heart yearns for you to return to Him and He will welcome you back with loving arms. The choice is up to you.

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Did you notice that nothing can cause God not to love us? God forgave King David and He can certainly forgive you.

-Kristy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. What consequences for sin have you experienced or are you still experiencing? What would you recommend to someone (including yourself) contemplating the sin which brought the consequences?
  2. What role did Nathan play in 2 Samuel 12? Who sent him to David and why? As uncomfortable as it may seem, is there someone God wants to send you to?
  3. Living by the flesh or living by the Spirit – what are the pros and cons of each? Which will win in your life?
  4. What does reconciliation with God look like in your life? What blessings did David receive after his sin and reconciliation? What blessings have you received after sin and reconciliation? How would you describe God’s love?
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The Domino Effect

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11

Poetry: Psalm 72

New Testament: Galatians 5:23

In today’s passage in Galatians, 5:23, we read of the rest of the fruits of the spirit: gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (NASB 1995) The spirit of self-control is a quality that would have served David well in today’s passage in 2 Samuel 11. What can we learn from the story of David? Sin can have a domino effect. One sin can easily lead to another. David’s first sin was probably just looking at Bathsheba longingly while she was bathing. Jesus tells us that for a married person to even look upon someone else with lust is equivalent to adultery. Ideally, David should have looked away immediately once he realized she was not clothed. We can probably safely assume his self-control did not kick in at that moment to prompt him to quickly avert his gaze, which then led to feelings of lust multiplying in him. Then, as the story goes on, we see David actively pursuing her, impregnating her and then frantically trying to figure out how to clean up his mess. David’s struggle with temptation is obviously  not unique. We only have to look around to see we have many temptations competing for our attention. Pornography is more accessible than it has ever been and has been named as a major public health crisis due to the impact on individuals and their marriages and families. 

Abiding in the living vine is our best defense against the onslaught of temptation that we face on a daily basis. Self-control is not easy to come by naturally because temptations are considered to be temptations because they are powerful and tap into our carnal desires and stimulate our senses. Whether it’s overindulging in alcohol or food, taking drugs that aren’t prescribed to us or abusing prescription drugs, sexual sin, etc., temptation comes in many forms. Thankfully we don’t have to rely on our own strength to resist them. Abiding in Christ helps us to cultivate that fruit of the spirit that includes self-control. Of course, like any plant, a vine must be tended to. We cannot ignore it and expect it to thrive. It is a choice that must be made daily, sometimes hourly, at times even minute by minute, to abide in Christ.

-Kristy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. Besides in this chapter, where else have you seen sin’s domino effect in action?
  2. What temptation grabs your attention and pulls you away from where you should be? Where does it lead to next?
  3. What does it look like when your temptation wins over your lack of self-control? What does it look like when your self-control wins over temptation? How do you feel in each instance? How are others affected in each case? What do you imagine God is thinking or feeling in each scenario?
  4. What specific actions can you take this week to abide in Christ more and more? What will it cost you? What will the benefits be?
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God’s Amazing Character

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 9 & 10

Poetry: Psalm 72

New Testament: Galatians 5:22

We previously read the Seek.Grow.Love year’s readings with the objective of focusing on what we could discover and celebrate about God’s character. Today’s reading in Psalm 72 paints a beautiful picture of the kingdom and highlights wonderful attributes of God’s amazing character. We read in verses 4 and 12-14 about His heart for the afflicted, the crushed and the needy.

Give the king Your judgments, O God,

And Your righteousness to the king’s son.

4 

May he vindicate the afflicted of the people,

Save the children of the needy

And crush the oppressor.

12 

For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help,

The afflicted also, and him who has no helper.

13 

He will have compassion on the poor and needy,

And the lives of the needy he will save.

14 

He will rescue their life from oppression and violence,

And their blood will be precious in his sight;

I am always blown away that we are blessed enough to have a Heavenly Father with such compassion and unconditional love for us. Let that sink in for a minute. This passage actually made me think of a few other passages. One was from the story of Ruth and Naomi and we read how they were able to glean the fields per the provision of God’s law. Those harvesting the land were not to clear the grounds of the crops that had fallen or clear all the way to the edges so that the needy could glean the field. 

We can read about this law in Leviticus 19:9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.

Here are a couple of other passages that came to mind:

James 1:27 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.

Isaiah 1:17: learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

If reading these passages doesn’t give you pause, it really should. Take a moment to really think about God’s heart and what that means for you. Take time to deeply celebrate and appreciate who He is! May we seek to imitate His character by looking after the needy, the fatherless and the widow.

-Kristy Cisneros

ReFLection Questions

  1. Where have you seen evidence of God’s amazing character?
  2. How would you describe God’s heart?
  3. How can you pass on God’s compassion and helping hand to others?
  4. Can the fruits of the Spirit of love, kindness and goodness be seen in you?
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