Weekly Devotional by Jan Ritter

“God’s Toolbox

Ever have one of those days? Recently I was struggling, feeling down, sad, tired, worried, and hopeless; my spirit felt paralyzed. The news was bleak. The coronavirus, the political situation in our country, fires out west, yada-yada-yada. You know the drill… we’re all experiencing it.

I didn’t like feeling that way; something wasn’t right and I knew I wasn’t coping well. I had lost my focus. Yet where were my thoughts dwelling? My focus was no longer on God, but on the world, and that wasn’t working very well.

I realized that I had strayed from God’s plan for my daily life. I was neglecting to use the most important tools in my spiritual toolbag, tools I received from Him when I my faith in Christ came alive. Here are my “Top 3”:

Tool #1: PRAYER = To not only speak to God, but also to be quiet, to listen to Him. He wants to guide us, if only we will listen. (More on that below.)

Tool #2: READ HIS WORD = The Bible is His story, the owner’s manual for our life. The scriptures are full of reassurances of His loving care and guidance, of strength for today and hope for tomorrow. A few samples:

“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will never fail you nor abandon you.” Deut. 31:6

“Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.” Phil.4:6-7.

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3.

Tool #3: FELLOWSHIP = Some of my sweetest times have been those spent with friends in my church family, those in my Bible Study Fellowship group, my Spirit Seekers study group, and other Christian friends. He has bound us together and we provide strength for one another. Even if you cannot be together in person, make a phone call, send a text, send emails, and use tools such as Zoom, Facetime or Skype to see and hear one another.

These tools have helped me to cope, to keep me grounded on Him and give me hope for the future. Join me in using God’s toolbox to keep you centered on Him.

“Father God, thank you for giving us these tools, these gifts of love. Please remind me to use them, and to come to you at the beginning of my fears and anxieties, instead of waiting until I’m in a pit. Remind me that you have never left me and you never will. Thank you for your constant love, guidance, grace and peace. Amen.”

– Jan Ritter