Daily Devotions for Caregivers

1.30.20 Circumstantial Evidence Isn’t it funny how no matter how many times you’ve read a story in the Bible, you always see something new? Maybe it’s because we’ve changed, learned new insights, or stumbled over new obstacles since the last time we read it. Perhaps, God just reveals more as we become more ready to receive, or that we are able to see and understand new depths. Who knows? No matter why it happens, it does. This week I saw something I’d never seen in Exodus 6 and 7. God and Moses are still discussing the great Exodus. It’s the words He used to describe the Children of Israel that got my attention. In Exodus 6:26 He tells Moses to bring out His people according to their armies. Then in chapter 7, verse 4, He says bring My armies and My people. I don’t know if it had ever registered that He called them armies. Maybe I just had read the account in a different translation, but it stood out to me. The Children of Israel had been bound up under the oppression o

This morning I was reading in Exodus and I stopped and thought about this one verse for a long time. It’s the last verse of chapter 2. The children of Israel have been enslaved and are being afflicted by Egypt. We of course, know the story and know they are being set up for a huge deliverance. But they don’t know that yet even though it was prophesied by Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph. The verse says this: So, God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them. That’s a lot of action words. He heard, remembered, looked, and acknowledged them. And the very next chapter is where God seeks out Moses to be His deliverer. In chapter 4, Moses and Aaron show up and explain to the elders what God is up to. They have an active response to the promises. In verse 31 it says, So the people believed , and when they heard the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that He had

I continue my quest to read the Bible through this year and in my reading, I’ve come across a common thread. It’s funny how we see different things in familiar passages, even though we’ve read them many times before. I’m supposing that is because as Hebrews 4:12 says, the Word of God is living and powerful, it’s sharper than a two-edged sword, dividing between the soul and the spirit. That’s intense. Even though I’ve had that verse memorized for years, taught it in many classes, and read it who knows how many times, it still reverberates through me. God’s word is alive. That blows my mind – yet I feel it when I read the word and sense it brings changes inside me as I yield my will to His. The other part of that verse that sticks out to me today is the diving asunder of soul and spirit. Now, that’s the Old King James because that’s how I memorized it! But think about that a second. God (and His word) can tell the difference between our spirit-man and our soul. God knows the dif

It’s funny how some days I wake up and words just roll out of my heart and onto paper yet other days I sit and stare at a blank screen and have no clue what to write. Part of me feels that way too like I’m too tired to have emotions right now. I could easily spend the day staring at the wall drinking coffee. But alas, that’s not going to happen! Too many things are needed in a day. Such is the caregiver’s world, right? We talk about how busy we are as caregivers and I hesitate using the word “busy.” It has the connotation that what’s being done is not important. Remember when you were in school and you knew the teacher had given you an assignment as busy-work so you’d stay busy so she could do something else? Our work is certainly not that! But the whole world is busy like that. For caregivers, and many non-caregivers too, there are so many tasks that have to be done in a day, it’s overwhelming. Plus, many of us work either at a traditional job or online and have addit

So, yesterday we looked at Genesis 16 and how Hagar had been run out by Sarai and God found her by the brook. As the story goes, he sent her back to Abraham’s household. I personally think she had a few attitudes to deal with. Time passes. Ishmael is born. Isaac is born. Now we have round two. Ishmael scoffed at Isaac and mother hen Sarah gets upset and runs Hagar and her teenage son out once again. This time, Hagar thinks she and her son are going to die. She cannot bear the sight of it and goes where he can’t see and cries. How many times have I done that? I try to encourage my son and then retreat to my room to bear it all out to God. Even as He heard the cries of Hagar rise before Him, I’m sure He hears our cries too. As Hagar is distraught once again, and not sure what to do – God heard the voice of the lad. (Genesis 21:17) But the angel called to Hagar . He asked her what was wrong as He had heard the voice of her son. Here she is in another situation where she’s n

I love reading the Word. Hebrews 4:14 says it’s alive, and active. I find that true as I can read passages I know I’ve read many times before and see something brand new in it. Such is the case this morning. This year I wanted to read the Bible straight through again as I haven’t done that in a while. I found myself in chapter 16 of Genesis reading and re-reading the story of Hagar. I’ve shared many pieces of this chapter in this devotional over the years. But I saw something else today that spoke to my heart. In verse 7, after Sarah has sent her away, it says, the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water…. I read that two or three times. Then, I wrote in my journal that if He found her – He must have been looking for her. We know Sarah is her mistress and she’s lived in Abraham’s household for years. But now she’s been thrust out of her norm – and is pregnant to boot. What a predicament! There’s no doubt in my mind that she is uncomfortable, upset, worried, and

This year one thing I’ve purposed to do is read the entire Bible through again. I have done this many times in years gone by. But life happens and things change and I although I’ve read, I haven’t read it through in a year in a long time. As always, different things stand out. I’m three days in, three altars have been built each day I’ve read. I noted the first two, but when there was one in today’s passage, it caused me to pause and think. The first altar mentioned in the Bible is right after the flood. When Noah and his family exited the ark, he built an altar. God’s response to this act of worship was to make a covenant with Noah and promise to never destroy the earth again with floods. The second altar mentioned was built by Abraham in Geneses 12:7. The Lord had spoken to him to leave his family and he headed for Canaan. Once Abraham reached the Oak of Moreh, God appeared to him and promised him that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. Abraham built an a

I'm sure we should be happy for a new year as it symbolizes new beginnings, right? But for the caregiver, it can mean just more of the same. There's not really a new way to do a lot of the tasks we have to complete - it's day in and day out - the same ole same ole. But of course, there are always hiccups in the way so there's no way to totally settle in  to a routine. As sure as you do - something will bounce around like a call to urgent care, deliveries not on time, aides not showing up... I'm sure you've got a few of your own hiccups to list! King Solomon said it right when he said, there's nothing new under the sun. We'll just keep on doing what we do. But if we are not careful, we'll get sucked in and under. I know I have a few times over the years. If that's our perspective it doesn't take too much for the enemy to knock us out. Let's toss another verse in the mix. Lamentations says, His mercies are new every morning. It's