Tag: Makenna Landry

Will You Stand Firm or Topple?

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 13-14

Poetry: Psalm 95

New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 2

            Psalm 95 encourages praise and worship to the LORD with joy and thanksgiving. When I was in upper elementary school, I was challenged to make note of three things I was thankful for every day. I gave the same challenge to those who attended Family Camp at the end of my sermon Sunday night. I challenge you today to find at least three things you are thankful for and lift them up to the LORD in praise. 

            In 2 Chronicles 13 and 14, you read about the reign of Abijah and Asa, kings of Judah. Unlike King Rehoboam who did evil in the eyes of the LORD, these two both pointed the people back to God, but in different ways. Abijah focused on the fact that the Levites were still faithfully serving and teaching in the temple. He recognized the faults of the king of Israel for having false priests who were not faithful to the LORD most high. King Abijah recognized who God was and the implications that had on the people of Judah. King Asa went farther than King Abijah by removing anything that was meant for idol worship. He also commanded the people to seek God and follow His law. Under both these kings, the nation of Judah was prosperous and had great success when defending their land. They recognized and encouraged truth among the nation. 

            2 Thessalonians 2 warns against a man of lawlessness who will say he is higher than God as well as encourage lawlessness and wickedness. This man is not like the kings you read about in 2 Chronicles. He will lead people away from God instead of towards God. Paul writes in verse 15 “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.” The way to combat this lawlessness is to stand firm in what you have been taught. Abijah stood firm in what he had been taught about God being with the people of Judah. Asa stood firm in what he had been taught by pointing people back to following God’s commands. Both successfully and literally fought off those who were against God. 

            This is going to look different within your own life. Instead of fighting a nation, you are fighting on an individual level. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (NIV). Temptation will come your way. Lawlessness approaches. Luckily, the Bible warns against that happening so you can be prepared to stand firm in your faith just like Abijah and Asa. One way you can be prepared to stand firm is doing what I challenged you to do at the beginning of this devotional. Finding the good in life that you can praise God for doing. Recognizing His presence and work within your life helps combat against the negativity of the world.

            Judy Hopps, from the movie Zootopia, is a good example of how your mentality can help you stand firm or be swayed. Judy is a small bunny whose childhood dream was to become a cop. She worked her hardest to pass from the police academy. She continued to work towards her strong desire to do good even when everyone around her didn’t think she could do it. When she ended up as a meter maid, she still tried to keep a positive attitude about her situation to stand firm in her convictions of doing good as a police officer. If you’ve seen in the movie she doesn’t always have that attitude and when she doesn’t, it doesn’t go well for her. Her joy and determination were completely gone so she ended up giving up. Judy lost her strong stance and fell. 

            The same can be true within our own lives. Not only should we know and understand the scripture in order to be firmly rooted in truth, we must also be firmly rooted in thanksgiving and praise. Recognizing God’s work in your life will help you stand firm. Having both knowledge and an attitude of thanksgiving, your foundation will be deeply rooted and ready for whatever comes. Like Paul warned against, a lawless one will come. He will spread lies and try to topple believers. You must stand firm in your faith like the good kings of 2 Chronicles. Knowing what is within the Word will help you stand firm, but having a heart of praise will keep you close to God and your attitude in a positive place. 

-Makenna Landry

Reflection:

1 – What are three things you can praise God for today?

2 – How has thankfulness helped you stand firm when the world seems bleak?

3 – What stood out to you the most in the lives of King Abijah and King Asa? 

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Your Perfect Parent

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 11 & 12

Poetry: Psalm 94

New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 1

Key verses: Psalm 94:18-19 – “If I should say, “My foot has slipped,” Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.”

            Psalm 94 uses some harsh language at the start of the Psalm. To start, the psalmist calls God “God of Vengeance” and is asking God to let His vengeance come down on the wicked. The psalmist also calls upon God to have judgment upon those who are proud. This Psalm calls upon God’s justice against the wicked. It even ends with saying that God will destroy the wicked because of their sin. This paints a rather harsh and commanding picture of God’s character. This is similar to Psalm 7 where it displays that God will sharpen His sword against those who do not repent. In today’s reading from 2 Chronicles, it shows that God sent Egypt to rise up against King Rehoboam due to his sinful ways.  

We like to focus on viewing God as our compassionate father who is loving and overflowing with grace, but in the Psalm you read today and in 2 Chronicles 12 that isn’t the same picture. How can both be true?

You can understand this through the fact that God’s perfect plan for each of us is that we choose to dedicate our life to Him. He desires our hearts and calls us to be faithful to His teachings. God has laid out a clear way of how we can live righteously. In Old Testament prophets, you can see God calling His people to follow Him with their full hearts time and time again. Then again in the New Testament He sent His son to teach us the same lessons of following God with our hearts and our lives. Just like any parent, God has set boundaries for His children to follow. When those boundaries aren’t followed, there will be punishment. You saw that today in 2 Chronicles 12. Rehoboam turned away from God and did evil, so Egypt came as a punishment for the choices Rehoboam made. In Psalm 94, the psalmist calls upon God to judge those who are not following the boundaries God has set for His people. 

As new parents, my husband and I have started to navigate what it means to correct a child when they make the wrong choice or push the boundaries we have set. With a two year old, every day is a constant battle of learning that he can’t be independent like he wants to be and he can’t have his way all of the time. It’s a tough lesson for a two year old to learn! That lesson is taught by Cameron and I as his parents. Sometimes it means gentle reminders while other times he ends up in time out or losing a privilege that was about to happen. We as parents would be failing him if we didn’t stick to our clear boundaries and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. He would end up running into the street, not being buckled in his carseat, or trying to drink vinegar! All of those things would cause him harm and so as parents we must help guide and protect him from that harm. God is doing the same thing with His people. He has set boundaries that will allow people to have the gracious gift of eternal life. His justice is enacting the rules He has put in place like any parent should do for their child. 

You might be wondering why I have the key verses as something seemingly different from the theme of this devotional. Those two verses are the hope we as believers have because God is our gracious and loving father. The psalmist went into what happens when we don’t follow God’s rules and boundaries but there’s hope for those who do. You have someone to run to when times get tough. When it feels like the world is trying to pull you down, you have a great God who is ready to lend you a hand. Yes you should recognize that choosing to not follow God will have bad results, but when you actively dedicate your life to Him, what a great hope you can have. He will be present with you as you walk along in this life and He has promised the return of His son to usher in an eternal and perfect kingdom for you to partake in. 

-Makenna Landry

Reflection:

  1. What do you know about the God of justice and vengeance? What do you know about the God of love? How do these both work together from the same Almighty and Sovereign God?
  2. Describe what you have learned from your parents’ parenting style. Did you have a compassionate father who disciplined? Why would a compassionate Heavenly Father discipline? How did your parents comfort you?
  3. What is one way that God has brought you comfort when the world tries to get you down?
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Children of the Light

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 9-10

Poetry: Psalm 94

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 5

            The start of 1 Thessalonians 5 shares the promising truth of Jesus’s return. We can rest assured as children of light and look forward to Jesus’s glorious return that will usher in the Kingdom of God. This mindset of being children of light or being light itself is shared in the following passages:

“For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.” Ephesians 5:8

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Our identity is found within the Bible. We can find peace and hope in our identity. You are a child of light. You are light through Christ. This means you are filled with the love and goodness of God, and your life has been sanctified through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. What you have read about in the last few devotionals are all centered around living out this light. Living in a manner that brings glory to God by shining your light to all those around you. 

            I grew up going to Midwest Family Camp every year. One of the most important items I would pack would be a flashlight. The walk from the tabernacle to the girls’ yurts was long and dark at night so that flashlight made it less likely to trip and fall over uneven ground. One of my friends would commonly forget her flashlight so most years we would walk together sharing the light. It would have been selfish to have kept the light to myself and it would have caused her to stumble and fall without it. The same applies to the light we have received from Christ. It is not something to be hidden under a bushel, we have to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Allow the identity you find through Christ to shine forth to those around you. 

            Take Solomon as an example of this. Was he a perfect guy? Absolutely not. But as you read in today’s readings his actions and skills shined brightly to those around him. The queen that visited Solomon saw how much God cared for His people through the actions of Solomon. She recognized the glory of God because of Solomon. He did not hide the light that God had given him. Solomon worked hard and would always point his work back to God, like you have read in the last few days of 2 Chronicles. God’s light and love shines through all His children. Don’t hide it!

-Makenna Landry

Reflection:

1- What has been the main takeaway of 1 Thessalonians?

2- How has King Solomon’s life served as an example to you?

3- What is one way you can shine your light to those around you?

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Quiet Living

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 7-8

Poetry: Psalm 93

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 4 continues in the instruction of how believers should be living. Paul commends the people in Thessalonica for doing well in following God’s commands and encourages them to do even more. Paul writes that God calls us to sanctification. Sanctification means to be made clean or holy. God calls us to be clean and holy. He provides this cleansing through Christ’s death and resurrection. Hebrews 10:10 says “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (NASB95). This verse is in the midst of a passage that expresses that Jesus’s sacrifice is sufficient for us and there will be sanctification and forgiveness through his sacrifice. It aligns with what Paul writes confirming that we have been made clean from our sins through Christ. 

In the 2 Chronicles reading for today, some of that same theme of cleansing/forgiveness of sin can be seen. God appears to Solomon after the finishing of the temple and tells Solomon that He will be present in the temple. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” God has often reminded His people that He will forgive their sins. In the time of Solomon, the cleansing of sins was sought through prayer with an animal sacrifice. Hebrews shows that the sacrifices are no longer needed because of Christ and 1 Thessalonians encourages how to live out this cleansing of sins. 

In 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, Paul discusses one of the ways to live a sanctified life. Paul reminds the readers to love one another which God has taught them previously. In the case of the Thessalonians they were doing well with showing this brotherly love to those around them. Because they are doing well, Paul encourages them to love even more. What a high praise to have received from Paul and great encouragement to continue not only in doing well but to do it even more! If Paul wrote you a letter inspired by God, would he praise you for the love you show others or would he need to teach you what it means to love those around you? 

            1 Thessalonians 4:11 says, “to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you” (HCSB).  This reminds me of Hebrews 12:14 which says, “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord” (NASB95). A quiet life that pursues peace with all people can be a difficult life to lead. Living a quiet life that is minding your own business and seeking peace with those around you is centered around living out our sanctification. Through our forgiveness, we are called to love those around us which looks like living quietly, minding our own business, and seeking peace. 

            If you’re in any social setting where people are involved, it can be difficult to both love them deeply and also mind your own business while trying to pursue peace. Everyone has something that you won’t like about them. It might annoy you and get on your nerves. It could be anything from a difference of beliefs or political views, to the way someone pronounces a specific word. It’s really easy to get frustrated and lash out at someone who is annoying you, but that is not living out our sanctification. When a moment comes where you are feeling frustrated, annoyed, upset, or angry with someone, try to take a moment to remember the two verses from the previous paragraph. When in a place of disagreement or frustration, seeking peace and loving the person takes priority over being right and having your way. Showing grace and forgiveness will display the forgiveness you have received. It will also allow the person to feel loved and cared for. 

-Makenna Landry

Reflection:

  1. How do you live out sanctification in your life?
  2. When someone is getting on your nerves or you come to a disagreement, how do you seek to live peacefully and quietly with them?
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For the Majestic God

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 5 & 6

Poetry: Psalm 93 (and/or 92)

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 3

“The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty” Psalm 93:1a

We have a great and majestic God. The Psalm from today’s reading is short and straight to the point: God reigns forever. He reigns over the world and our lives. Chaos may seem to have a tight hold on the world today, but ultimately God still reigns and His plan for the future Kingdom will unfold. What is the attitude that we have as we await the kingdom?

Do you recognize the work of God in your own life? It’s easy to fall into a mundane routine of our lives, living each day the same and simply going with the flow of life. In these moments of routine, we are likely to miss God’s mighty hand working within our lives. When life is peaceful and easy, we tend to forget to lift our eyes to God in praise and thanksgiving. 

A family favorite film in my household growing up was the movie Miracle. This movie tells the true story of the U.S. hockey team that participated in the 1980 winter Olympics. It was a ragtag team of college students who didn’t always get along with one another and some of them weren’t the most talented hockey players that the coach could have chosen for his team. The movie recounts the events of Team USA being demolished by the Russia hockey team, who were known as the best hockey team in the world, before the Olympic games even began. The Russia team was confident in their own individual skill and didn’t see Team USA as a threat. However, with training and dedication, this team of college students was able to miraculously have victory over the Russia team during the Olympic games because they relied not on their own skills but on the skills of the team and the guidance of the coach. When we have a lot of success in our life or our life is simply going peacefully, we tend to become confident in our own abilities like Team Russia. We think that by sheer skill we can conquer anything on our own. This is not the case. Our success in life is from God and the peace we feel in good times is a precious gift not to be wasted by relaxing into the good times. King Solomon was seeing a lot of success as king. In the Old Testament passage from today, he had finally completed the temple and instead of praising his own ability and focusing on his own skill like Team Russia, he praised God. He recognized the building of the temple was not something done by himself alone. It was accomplished through the work of man following the instructions and will of God much like Team USA following the instructions of their coach. 

“He said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; who has kept with Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him; indeed You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.’” – 2 Chronicles 6:14-15

King Solomon recognized the goodness and provision of God in the work of the temple. Take a moment to note the different descriptive terms Solomon uses to describe God and what He has done for the people. How have you seen these things in your own life?

-Makenna Landry

Reflection Questions

  1. What is the attitude that we have as we await the kingdom?
  2. Do you recognize the work of God in your own life?
  3. Take a moment to note the different descriptive terms Solomon uses to describe God and what He has done for the people. How have you seen these things in your own life?
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Serving – with Joy

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 3-4

Poetry: Psalm 92

(or repeat 91 one more day – they are both great Psalms – or read them both!)

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 2

            Yesterday, we looked at being imitators of Christ and allowing our faith to reflect positively in the lives of others. Remember the verses about the fruits of the spirit from the devotional yesterday? Those are the start of reflecting our faith positively in the lives of those around us. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2:6-7, “nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.”  Paul is explaining how they shared the gospel with the people of Thessalonica. He shared with great gentleness and care. In the following verse he talks about having a fond affection for the people. As an imitator of Christ, Paul shared the gospel in love, gentleness, and care. Both Paul and Christ cared for the people they ministered to. They didn’t command authority over them, they walked alongside those they taught. 

            Jesus said in Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” He is explaining to his disciples that his role was to serve the people and to give his entire life to them. Jesus many times flipped the worldview of being the best and greatest to showing that humility and service was above all most important. Paul recognized this about Christ and imitated this selfless and humble lifestyle. 

            Think of the person who has had the largest impact on your spiritual walk. Is this person controlling, authoritative, and pushy? OR does this person show how much they care for you as an individual and show you through grace and mercy the life and death of Jesus? I know for me it is the latter of the two. My parents were always my strongest examples of what a life following Christ should look like. They loved the people within their church even when it was hard. They went out of their way to help whenever there was a need. They never forgot to say I love you to everyone they cared about. Having a deep care and love towards people will help them trust you and it will allow them to see God’s faithful and never failing love. 

            Psalm 92:1-2 says, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and your faithfulness by night.”  Growing up with siblings, it was a lot easier to find things to be mad at them about than to be thankful for them about. A sibling cleaned the bathroom but moved your brush so instead of focusing on the good they did, you yell at them about touching your stuff. Does that show your sibling you care about them and are thankful for what they do, or does that say something opposite? 

Right about now you might be wondering why I pulled the two verses from Psalm 92. Let me explain. When we focus on the negatives in life, it makes it hard to find anything positive and that will reflect in how we speak and act around others. This doesn’t serve as a good example and it definitely won’t show that we greatly care for those around us. Instead, we should have an attitude of praise. Psalm 92 is a psalm full of praise and it reflects on the good God has done. If we thank God for His lovingkindness in the morning and praise Him for His faithfulness at night, our attitudes will slowly shift from one of negativity to one of positivity. When we look for God’s goodness throughout our day, we likely will look for the goodness in those around us as well. In order to selflessly serve like Christ and to impact people like Paul with his gentleness and care, we should have a heart overflowing with praise to help focus on all the good that is in our lives. 

Recently, the movie Inside Out 2 came out. If you have had the chance to watch it or the first film, we see the huge role Joy plays in the lives of people. In the second film, Joy wonders if growing up means being less joyful. The world isn’t a joyful place and it will push us towards locking our Joy deep within ourselves. In the film, it made Riley hurt her friends and not connect well with the people around her. Joy is a needed emotion that will help us find the good in life. 

-Makenna Landry

Discussion Questions:

1: What are ways you can show people you care deeply for them?

2: Why is caring deeply for people important?

3: Are you letting Joy be your main focus or are other negative emotions clouding your view of those around you?

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Changed

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 1-2

Poetry: Psalm 91

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 1

Key Verses: “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

In 1 Thessalonians 1, we see Paul praising the church of Thessalonica due to their receptiveness of the gospel message and their life changes that came from following the Word of God. Instead of living in sin, they turned their lives around to honor God and their example was seen by other believers. Those in Thessalonica were not the only ones who had a pivotal life change due to their faith. Take the author of this letter, Paul, as an example. He had been a devout Jew who persecuted the Christians and attempted to put a stop to the spread of the gospel message. After being confronted by Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul had a pivotal life change that would impact people for generations. To this day, Paul and his inspired writings shape the lives of people around the world. 

This pivotal life change that the people in Thessalonica experienced and that Paul had experienced due to their faith in God and His son Jesus, wasn’t uncommon. God has been working in the lives of His people since the beginning of the world. In the reading of 2 Chronicles today, we see a life change God grants to King Solomon. Even the King of another nation recognized the gifts and talents God himself had given Solomon. The gifts of wisdom and knowledge shaped King Solomon’s reign and allowed the kingdom of Israel to prosper. What an impressive life change for King Solomon. 

God continues to grant gifts to His believers and change the lives of those who follow Him. Galatians 5:22-25 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” When we repent from our sins and commit our lives to Christ, there is a pivotal life change that happens. We are granted the holy spirit as a gift that produces good fruit and spiritual gifts in order to be imitators of Christ. It is a slow work in progress to hone your skills and to produce the positive fruit of the spirit, but it will be worth it! Each person has been called to be an imitator of Christ and to dedicate their life to God. The way we spend our time, the things we say, and how we treat other people will serve as an example of our faith. Those in Thessalonica lived as imitators of Christ producing good fruit that was seen by those around them. King Solomon was recognized by the gifts God had granted him because of his faith. How are you impacting those around you? Can you be seen as one imitating Christ, standing in your faith, and working with your spiritual gifts granted by God? Reflect on these things as you go about your day today. 

-Makenna Landry

Reflection Questions

  1. How have you been changed by your faith?
  2. What does it look like to imitate Christ? If others started imitating you – what would they start doing? What would they stop doing? Are there any more changes you want to work on in your own life, with the help of the holy spirit, to be imitating Christ Jesus better?
  3. Just like Makenna asked: How are you impacting those around you? Can you be seen as one imitating Christ, standing in your faith, and working with your spiritual gifts granted by God?
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