The Jesus Seed 2/27/2026

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by Staci Stallings.

Narrated by Artificial Intelligence, Jenny.

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Here is an interesting concept, but first, we’re going to look at a scenario you’re going to find humorous.

A farmer decides that he wants to grow corn. So he goes out into his field, and he makes all the furrows. He waters the field because he’s been told he must do so in order to yield a crop. He makes sure that he starts watering in the Spring because he’s heard that’s the best time to raise a crop. He fertilizes the soil because he’s heard you should do that if you want good corn. He waters it some more and puts on some bug killer because he doesn’t want the bugs to come and destroy his crop.

He waits, and soon something start coming up–a bunch of weeds. Angry, he goes out and starts hoeing the weeds. He hoes from sun up to sun down, row after row after row. When he’s finished, he looks out over his field and is incredibly disappointed. He’s done everything right and still no corn!

So he increases the water and keeps chopping at the weeds. After all, that’s what the farmer down the road did and this worked great for him. He keeps this up all summer, and at the end, he is incredibly frustrated. Why didn’t his field produce any corn?

Go ahead. Answer the question.

Why did this farmer’s field not produce corn?

Right.

Because he didn’t plant any!

Now this is going to sound ridiculously simple, but if you don’t plant a seed, I don’t care how much you work and tend that field, you are not going to get a crop.

So I’m going to ask you–have you ever worked to get a crop but forgotten to plant a Jesus Seed first?

In the book I’m reading, “How People Change” by Timothy S. Lane and Paul Tripp, the idea of Jesus as seed is touched upon. Strangely maybe, I have never had cause to think of Jesus this way, but if you start with that metaphor and look at the Bible stories and parables about seed, it will illuminate many new insights.

You see, I don’t care what “crop” you are wanting to grow, without Jesus at the center of it, you’re watering and weeding a crop that is never going to show up. And if it does, it will feel very empty and will almost certainly lead you to death rather than life.

Really. Look at some of the news stories of the past couple years. Bernie Madoff for example. He wanted money, and he scammed and lied and cheated. Clearly he forgot to plant the Jesus Seed first. Instead, he did what the world said would give him what he wanted, and he ended up with a field full of weeds.

Look at some of the stars that have gone off the deep-end. They wanted fame and fortune. They watered their talent and let the sun shine on their careers, but when the weeds showed up and took over, they had no defense against them. The crop of fame and fortune turned to bitterness and regret.

If you want change, if you want a great crop, you have to start with a Jesus Seed. You must plant HIM in the middle of it. The dreams with Him in the center may not bring you where you thought you wanted to go, but they will always bring you where you were meant to be.

To plant your Jesus Seed, seek His will for your life, put your desires in His hands and take the steps He’s asking you to take when He asks you to take them. Yes, there will still be watering and weeding, but the Seed of Goodness is the key to having an abundant crop that will lead to a life you cannot even imagine right now!

About the Author:

Staci StallingsNow a #1 Best Selling Christian and Inspirational Romance author, Staci Stallings, astay-at-home mom with a husband, three kids and a writing addiction on the side, has numerous titles for readers to choose from. Not content to stay in one genre and write it to death, Staci’s stories run the gamut from young adult to adult, from motivational and inspirational to full-out Christian and back again. Every title is a new adventure! That’s what keeps Staci writing and you reading. Although she lives in Amarillo, Texas and her main career right now is her family, Staci touches the lives of people across the globe with her various Internet and writing endeavors i

 

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by on February 27, 2026  •  Permalink
Posted in Devotional, Faith -- Inspirational, Faith's Checkbook
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Posted by Staci Stallings on February 27, 2026

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CrossReads Weekly Devotional: Faith’s Checkbook: Unbroken Fellowship Essential 2/23/2026

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Faith's Checkbook

by C H Spurgeon.

Narrated by Artificial Intelligence, Thomas.

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lf ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)

Of necessity we must be in Christ to live unto Him, and we must abide in Him to be able to claim the largesse of this promise from Him. To abide in Jesus is never to quit Him for another love or another object, but to remain in living, loving, conscious, willing union with Him. The branch is not only ever near the stem but ever receiving life and fruitfulness from it. All true believers abide in Christ in a sense; but there is a higher meaning, and this we must know before we can gain unlimited power at the throne. “Ask what ye will” is for Enochs who walk with God, for Johns who lie in the Lord’s bosom, for those whose union with Christ leads to constant communion.

The heart must remain in love, the mind must be rooted in faith, the hope must be cemented to the Word, the whole man must be joined unto the Lord, or else it would be dangerous to trust us with power in prayer. The carte blanche can only be given to one whose very life is, “Not I, but Christ liveth in me.” O you who break your fellowship, what power you lose! If you would be mighty in your pleadings, the Lord Himself must abide in you, and you in Him.

About the Author:

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (June 19th 1834 – January 31st 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, to some of whom he is known as the “Prince of Preachers.” He was a strong figure in the Reformed Baptist tradition, defending the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, and opposing the liberal and pragmatic theological tendencies in the Church of his day.

 

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by on February 23, 2026  •  Permalink
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Posted by Staci Stallings on February 23, 2026

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Learning to… 2/20/2026

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by Staci Stallings.

Narrated by Artificial Intelligence, Jenny.

Click Above to Read/Listen to the Devotional.

I’m going to ask you a very simple question that is going to get you into a lot of turmoil.

If you never have to do something, how do you learn to do it?

Let’s say that I am going to operate on you. Let’s say further that you need a heart transplant. Now, the good news is that I’ve read a lot about doing heart transplants. I know the Anatomy books backward and forward. I’ve looked at all the diagrams and all of the graphs and charts. So I’m pretty sure I can do this.

How confident are you in my ability to perform this task correctly on you?

(I see those nerves springing to the surface.)

But I don’t see why you would be nervous. After all, I have read all about the history of the heart transplant, and I’ve even read up on the most recent advancements.

Why are you nervous?

I’ll tell you why… because I’ve never actually done a heart transplant, right?

In fact, truth be told, I’m really squeamish at the sight of blood and would probably pass out the second the first incision was being made! And in all honesty, I would not in good conscience even think I could do such a thing. It takes years of practice to be able to even consider doing such a task.

But the truth is we do this type of thing all the time in the spiritual realm. In fact, we get indignant when a practice-session comes our way.

After all, we’ve read in the Bible that we’re supposed to forgive. 7 X 70 times. But what happens when our neighbor borrows our wrench and forgets to return it? Or when such-and-such said something about us, and we heard it—or heard about it?

See, much like that heart surgeon who doesn’t just read about heart transplants and thinks he or she just knows how to do them, we have to be presented with opportunities to test if we can forgive—in real life, in real time. We need that knowledge to move from our heads to our hearts and through our hearts into our experience and our world. Until we do that, we are about as helpful as that surgeon who has read all the books.

And how do surgeon’s practice? Most of the time, they assist under a more skilled doctor for many years. That’s why they do internships and residencies before becoming doctors because they need to have the book knowledge move through them into their actual experiences!

So when Jack shows up, and he broke your mower blade… again. Or Suzy made that comment, or Jill is mad, or Stan said…

Remember, this is how you learn to forgive and to love.

God’s not mean for letting these people be in your life. He’s helping you to learn to be the person who doesn’t just read the words but actually lives them.

About the Author:

Staci StallingsA stay-at-home mom with a husband, three kids and a writing addiction on the side, Staci Stallings has numerous titles for readers to choose from. Not content to stay in one genre and write it to death, Staci’s stories run the gamut from young adult to adult, from motivational and inspirational to full-out Christian and back again. Every title is a new adventure! That’s what keeps Staci writing and you reading. Although she lives in Amarillo, Texas and her main career right now is her family, Staci touches the lives of people across the globe with her various Internet and writing endeavors.

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by on February 20, 2026  •  Permalink
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Faith’s Checkbook: God Can Make You Strong 2/17/2026

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Faith's Checkbook

by C H Spurgeon.

Narrated by Artificial Intelligence, Thomas.

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Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. (2 Chronicles 15:7)

God had done great things for King Asa and Judah, but yet they were a feeble folk. Their feet were very tottering in the ways of the Lord, and their hearts very hesitating, so that they had to be warned that the Lord would be with them while they were with Him, but that if they forsook Him He would leave them. They were also reminded of the sister kingdom, how ill it fared in its rebellion and how the Lord was gracious to it when repentance was shown. The Lord’s design was to confirm them in His way and make them strong in righteousness. So ought it to be with us. God deserves to be served with all the energy of which we are capable.

If the service of God is worth anything, it is worth everything. We shall find our best reward in the Lord’s work if we do it with determined diligence. Our labor is not in vain in the Lord, and we know it. Halfhearted work will bring no reward; but when we throw our whole soul into the cause, we shall see prosperity. This text was sent to the author of these notes in a day of terrible storm, and it suggested to him to put on all steam, with the assurance of reaching port in safety with a glorious freight.

About the Author:

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (June 19th 1834 – January 31st 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, to some of whom he is known as the “Prince of Preachers.” He was a strong figure in the Reformed Baptist tradition, defending the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, and opposing the liberal and pragmatic theological tendencies in the Church of his day.

 

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by on February 17, 2026  •  Permalink
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Posted by Staci Stallings on February 17, 2026

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CrossReads Weekly Devotional: Gems From Pastor Jim 2/16/2026

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by Jim Hughes

Narrated by Artificial Intelligence, Andrew.

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CrossPsalm 100:3 Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

To acknowledge that the Lord is God is to recognize and accept that God is in control of all things. He is actively ruling over all creation. He is beyond our comprehension or understanding. He is absolute goodness in all things which are good. He is absolute holiness incapable of having sin in His presence. He is unchangeable and eternal. He is capable of doing all things He has revealed He has done. He is not limited in His knowledge and power. He is love personified and has taken an invested interest in us. He created us with a need for fellowship with Him that can only be fulfilled by Him. The Lord, He is God!

We are not who we are by some random act of nature. The Lord has made us who we are–a people capable of having a spiritual relationship with Him. He has made us differently than any other created life on earth. We are spiritual beings encased in fleshly bodies who will live eternally. We are made in the image of God.

We are His when we accept the life we have been created to have in Him. Sin prevents us from being who we were created to be, but the Lord does away with sin. We become His people when we submit to Him, confess our sin to Him, acknowledge Him as the only one who can take away our sin, and commit ourselves to living in relationship with Him. We become His people, a people who reflect His character in all that we do.

We are the sheep of His pasture, a people who rely on Him for guidance and our daily food. We are a people who are content to rest in His loving care and trust Him to always treat us well.

Is the Lord God for you today? Can you say with joy in your heart that you are His? Are you resting in His care for you, trusting in His goodness and love? Are you?

About the Author:

Jim HughesSpending his formative years in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Jim followed the love of his life to southeast Iowa where they married and have spent the majority of their lives. Jim has pastored several churches throughout his life and has worked many years in local factories to help support his family. The father of two married adult children and one son still at home, Jim is a first-time author.

C Through Marriage came into being through many years of pastoral and life experiences. The book first took on a life of its own over 20 years ago when I sought to address the much publicized moral failures of prominent leaders in the church. In the chapter on Chasity, I include the guideliness that I developed then to protect one’s self from such failures.

I am a firm believer in order to make sense out of life you have to use much common sense. We need to get back to the basics of what has worked for many, many generations. If it isn’t broke, why try to fix it? I strive to return to the basics of what really works in all my writings.

This site contains Third Party Advertising, using online behavioral tracking technology. Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will add value to our readers.

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by on February 16, 2026  •  Permalink
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Posted by Staci Stallings on February 16, 2026

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Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah 2/13/2026

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by Staci Stallings

Narrated by Artificial Intelligence, Jenny.

Click Above to Read/Listen to the Devotional

One of the really, totally cool things about hanging out with God is how often He brings multiple pieces from varying places together so that you KNOW He’s talking right to you. That actually happens to me a lot. I think many times people don’t “hear” God talking because they seem to think that He’s supposed to have a voice that speaks to you. Yes, sometimes that happens too, but far more often (for me at least) it’s a series of pieces that fit too well together for it to be anything but God trying to tell me something.

That was the case this weekend.

The theme of the pieces could be summed up in three words: faith and works.

Now we all know there is great discussion in the church about those two words—one without the other, the other without the one, in what order, how much, which is more important, which first and which second? I’ve felt for a long time that I understood the proper relationship, but I could never put it into words that expressed it very well. And then God started putting the pieces into place.

First came a short talk that I gave on Luke 8:48. Then Jesus said, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” I pointed out that in this verse, there are four words that crystallize the message. Faith, more specifically YOUR faith. To begin the process, God requires a very small amount of faith on your part. That faith may only be the size of a mustard seed, but YOU have to act on it. You have to take the first step to Him by applying that faith.

The next word is healed. When we come to Jesus through our miniscule amount of faith, He will bring us healing—emotional, mental, spiritual, and sometimes physical healing. When the healing has come, we are then at peace. Peace and healing go together. You do not have one without the other. If you are still in pain, it is nearly impossible to be at total peace. However, once you are completely healed, peace is the natural bi-product of that healing.

Finally, “Go.” When we find God’s healing and peace, it is natural for us to want to go out to our world and tell everyone about this wonderful thing He has done for us.

So that was the first piece.

Then at Mass this morning, the sermon centered around “stewardship” or how are you giving back to your Church and your world? The priest said this, “The loudest testimony we have is not spoken but LIVED!”

Too often we know the talk backward and forward, but our walk is stumbling and hesitant. We proclaim one thing at the altar, but live something diametrically different when we walk out the door. In short, we have the faith part down, but our actions don’t follow the faith we profess.

Add to these pieces Dr. Lee A. Simpson this morning. He said that our Christian works should never be defined by “and”; our works should be defined by “because.”

We are not saved by Jesus dying on the cross AND our reading the Bible AND our good works AND our prayer life. We are saved by Jesus dying on the cross, and BECAUSE of that, we read the Bible and do good works and have a strong prayer life. Our works are a result of what Jesus did, not somehow a necessary addition to what He did.

This is a point I could really have used when I was younger. Back then, I was firmly in the AND column. I was doing, doing, doing because I had heard, “A tree is known by the fruit it produces” and “if a vine does not produce, it shall be cut away and thrown into the fire.” Man, I wanted to be known as a GOOD tree, and I did not want to be thrown into the fire. So I put A LOT of effort into producing good fruit so that I could prove to God I was worthy of Heaven.

Oh, how wrong I was. Wrong and EXHAUSTED.

I worked, and I worked, and I worked, and mostly all I felt was frustrated and tired and overwhelmed. I was trying to live the testimony of my Christian walk based on “and” not based on “because.”

I’m guessing by now, you’re starting to see the pieces fit together the way I did. This is not some random thing. No, God is showing me something truly incredible and meaningful, and He’s allowing me to pass what I’m learning on to you. Through this process, God is speaking to directly to me from many different sources—all with a unique angle on the same topic and then producing that fruit in my life so it can be used in yours.

All of this was great. Then my sister called. (You’ve really got to love God!) She was reading this book about leadership in the church, and one part she read to me said, “When our lives are all talk and no action, what our world hears from us is: blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…” (Maybe it’s me, but I think that’s another way to say: “The loudest testimony we have is not spoken but LIVED!”)

And then she finished with this question: “What would the world be like if we really lived the Gospel instead of just talking about it?”

Huh. Good question.

Maybe if we did learn to orient our works around because rather than and, and start living the Gospel we say we believe in… Maybe, just maybe, our world would hear more than blah, blah, blah, blah.

About the Author:

Staci StallingsA stay-at-home mom with a husband, three kids and a writing addiction on the side, Staci Stallings has numerous titles for readers to choose from. Not content to stay in one genre and write it to death, Staci’s stories run the gamut from young adult to adult, from motivational and inspirational to full-out Christian and back again. Every title is a new adventure! That’s what keeps Staci writing and you reading. Although she lives in Amarillo, Texas and her main career right now is her family, Staci touches the lives of people across the globe with her various Internet and writing endeavors.

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by on February 13, 2026  •  Permalink
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Posted by Staci Stallings on February 13, 2026

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CrossReads Book Spotlight Violets for Veronica 2/12/2026

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CrossReads Book Spotlight

CrossReads Book Spotlight

Violets for Veronica

Victorian Valentines

by Janice Cole Hopkins

Violets for Veronica

One scandal, one season, one shy baron, and a heart that doesn’t want to follow the plan.

With her family insisting that she have a season to find a husband, Veronica Smith has one mission: restore her family’s reputation with a match that dazzles society. After her sister’s scandalous elopement with a dockworker, Veronica convinces her parents to send her to Bath instead of London. Determined to secure a husband of rank and refinement to offset the scandal, she navigates the glittering assemblies with grace and charm. But her plans begin to unravel when she meets Baron Andrew Westley, a man of quiet strength and the lowest title in the aristocracy. He’s everything she wanted to avoid but can’t seem to forget. Can she stay true to her goal? Will her head or her heart win in the end?

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by on February 12, 2026  •  Permalink
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Posted by Staci Stallings on February 12, 2026

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CrossReads Short Takes: THE SEVENTH DOOR of the CARPENTER & Chasing Hearts 2/10/2026

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CrossReads Short Takes

THE SEVENTH DOOR of the CARPENTER

When Faith Still Builds

by John Cicero

THE SEVENTH DOOR of the CARPENTER

Some miracles aren’t meant to be seen.
They’re meant to be remembered.

In 1925, a violent storm tore through Brooklyn, leaving a small parish church in ruins.
From the wreckage emerged a nameless carpenter.

For seven days, he worked in silence.
And on the seventh, he carved a door unlike any other.

A door that seemed to breathe.
To heal.
To console.

The townspeople called it The Seventh Door.

But wonder has a way of unsettling those who fear what they cannot explain.
Quietly, the door was sealed.
Plastered over.
Hidden—not lost, but buried.

A century later, architect Maria Lucenti returns to her family’s parish.
And with her comes a feeling her grandmother, Emmy, once knew well:

The hum of grace.
The scent of lilac and cedar.
The echo of hammer on wood.

As past and present begin to intertwine, Maria must confront what was hidden—and why.

The Seventh Door of the Carpenter is a quiet, faith-infused story of legacy, redemption, and divine craftsmanship. A novel about belief that lingers, love passed down through generations, and the truth that even the doors we seal in fear still remember the way back to light.

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Chasing Hearts

A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel

(The Perspectives Series Book 1)

by Staci Stallings

Justin Caradon is all about becoming a success in life. He has moved away to college, gotten a job, and has made it to junior year. In fact, life is looking pretty under control. But sometimes life has other plans…

Anna Murphy has one goal in life–to not let anyone down. Unfortunately, life isn’t exactly playing fair. When she’s in an accident, the life she thought she was building begins to twist and turn in ways she cannot get a hold on. Worse, her no-nonsense manager at work, Mr. Caradon, keeps showing up to rescue her at the most inopportune times. For someone who is so together, why does it always feel like everything is falling apart?

The Perspectives Series by USAToday Best-Selling Contemporary Christian Romance Author, Staci Stallings takes readers on a journey through the lives of the Caradon siblings that readers met in The Love Series. These siblings, the nephews and niece of Pete Caradon, are striking out on their own–finding love and the challenges life can bring. Come along on this journey of faith, grace, hope, and love. God’s got a plan if you will just learn to let Him lead..

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by on February 11, 2026  •  Permalink
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Posted by Staci Stallings on February 11, 2026

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When Fear Leads God’s People to Compromise 2/10/2026

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by Robin McKinley,

Narrated by Artificial Intelligence, Christopher.

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When God called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, he hesitated. He didn’t want to because he couldn’t speak well. In response, God appointed Moses’ brother Aaron to stand beside him. 

Aaron, along with Moses, watched the power of God confront Pharaoh. They witnessed the plagues that effected the Egyptians but not the Israelites. They led their people through the Red Sea on dry ground.

In other words, Aaron did not serve on the fringes of God’s work; he lived right in the center of it. He heard God’s commands, witnessed God’s miracles, and daily benefited from God’s presence. 

And yet, while Moses met with the Lord on the mountain, Aaron led the people into one of the darkest moments in Israel’s history. When Moses returned and confronted him, he asked a piercing question. 

“What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?” Exodus 32:21 

Moses did not ask what the people demanded. He asked why Aaron gave in to them.

That Question Still Matters

From a human standpoint, Aaron’s actions confuse us. Some suggest fear drove him. The people grew impatient and pressured him. Perhaps Aaron feared losing influence—or even his life.

“Don’t get so upset, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know how evil these people are. They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’ Exodus 32:22-23

His explanation, though, fell short. Aaron did not flinch when they boldly stood before Pharaoh. He trusted God’s word and watched Him act with unmistakable power. 

So why did he crumble here? The answer reaches deeper than his fear of the people. Aaron allowed his circumstances to outweigh his confidence in God.

He knew who God and understood His history concerning Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet, he still chose a substitute. He substituted the unseen glory of God for a golden calf—a man-made object shaped by human hands and inspired by human fear.

That is the danger of compromised worship. It rarely begins with outright rebellion. It begins when pressure replaces trust and urgency replaces obedience. 

Aaron did not wake up that day planning to betray God. He responded to the moment instead of anchoring himself in what he already knew to be true.

We can also be guilty of the same thing. When God seems silent, we feel tempted to create substitutes. When our patience grows thin, we lean toward what feels manageable. 

We shape our own “golden calves” out of approval, security, routines, or control—things that promise relief but are void of life.

This passage warns us that proximity to spiritual things does not guarantee spiritual faithfulness. Aaron stood near holiness, but in that moment, he failed to cling to it.

Knowledge alone did not keep him steady. Only an unwavering trust in God could have done that. The Israelites paid a price for their sin, but Moses stepped in to intercede for the people.

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves. But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!” Exodus 32:31-32

Judgment came, but mercy followed, and even though they had some detours, God led them to the promised land. Just like Moses became a mediator between God and His people, we have a mediator, too. 

Jesus stands between God and us with a plan of redemption. We can call on Him, our faithful mediator, who has never compromised and never traded truth for comfort.

After seeing how easily Aaron turned his back on the Lord, maybe we ought to cover ourselves by consistently praying the following prayer. Lord, after all I have seen and experienced, help me never turn my back on You.

About the Author: 

Pastor RobinRobin, with his wife Cindy, became children’s evangelists early in their ministry. They ministered to children full time for 8 years. During that time they developed several children’s stories which were told with visuals and puppets.

Robin recently turned two of those stories into children’s books. One is called “The Contest,” a book about the Fruit of the Spirit, and the other is called “Twas the Night of Christmas”.  He has also authored 5 volumes of devotional books called, 3 Minutes Alone with God. Each entry is a product of his personal biblical Journaling.

These and his other writings are available on his website called Christian Perspectives at www.ramckinley.com. When you visit this site, you can sign-up for newly written devotions as they come out which will be emailed to you.

Presently Robin is the pastor of Calvary Christian Center in Pottstown, PA. He is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. He and his wife make their home in Birdsboro, Pa. He also serves as the president of the local ministerium. He and Cindy have two married sons and four grandchildren.

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by on February 10, 2026  •  Permalink
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Posted by Staci Stallings on February 10, 2026

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CrossReads Weekly Devotional:There Are People to Encourage 2/9/2026

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by Rebekah Beene

Narrated by Artificial Intelligence – Jenny.

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It really wasn’t too difficult to stay home in bad weather for almost two weeks. At least not for me. I love home and after spending many years working, it is still a real treasure to be retired. That being said, I am not sure God wants hermits. Once I got out I realized how wonderful it is to spend time in the sun, getting natural Vitamin D, and visiting with people again.
Yesterday a woman in a clothing store in the nearby town started up a conversation with me about blouses. And as we talked she said she was older than me. I responded that I didn’t think so. She said she was 65. I told her I was 70. And then the golden of the conversation began. “Oh no way you don’t look 70 at all!” I replied thank you and said, she didn’t look 65 either (she didn’t!) and I thought she was maybe 55. As we parted smiling, I said look, we both had been convinced we were “old” but now we know that was a lie! That conversation of encouragement couldn’t have happened if we were hermits.
Oh beloved, God speaks to my heart and yours.  No matter your age, there are people to see, encourage, laugh with and enjoy. It’s Kingdom business. God wants to use you and me to give others a lift up in their spirits. Both of us women walked away lighter and happier. Such a small thing, but God is in the small things. A God bless you here and there, a praying for you, a helping hand- these are gifts of the Spirit for the world. You aren’t too old, too used up, too finished to be God’s hands and feet and voice to whomever you cross paths with. Your life doesn’t have to be perfect, for you are being perfect in Christ as you go and share.
God loves you and He wants you to know that. Jesus made the way for you to be productive and joyful and loving all the days of your life. Somebody needs you to come out of hermit life and share the Gospel and God’s love along the way.
John 20:21 Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”
Psalm 96:3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
I Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage and comfort one another and build up one another, just as you are doing.

About the Author:

Rebekah Beene

In a Christian Women’s meeting in 1983, Rebekah was given a prophetic message that she would write books. Several years ago she began writing stories about special holiday memories and travels, sharing God’s love and care through each story. God has gifted Rebekah with the ability to look at the natural and see the supernatural. Both Rebekah and her husband Danny have a heart to share the Gospel and the riches of life in Christ to everyone they meet. They have served in the local church and in ministry to motorcyclists. Danny is an ordained minister and they both have been Bible study teachers for many years. Rebekah also speaks at women’s retreats and conferences. Her tag line says it all “God loves you and He’s for you”.

My website is http://rebekahbeene.wordpress.com

My first book in print is Oh Beloved! Live in the Light of His Word.
Link to buying the book via paypal is on the website.
As well a link to purchasing the ebook on Amazon is there too.
I’m also on twitter @rebekahbeene, tumblr http://rebekah-beene.tumblr.com/
and of course facebook as Rebekah Beene (Warren) I included my maiden name for old friends.

 

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by on February 9, 2026  •  Permalink
Posted in CrossReads Weekly Devotional, Devotional, Faith -- Inspirational
Tagged , ,
Posted by Staci Stallings on February 9, 2026

http://graceandfaith4u.com/posts/crossreads-weekly-devotionalthere-are-people-to-encourage-2-9-2026/

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