April 2, 2026 carriedinthecrossLeave a comment

Psalms 42:7 NIV
[7] Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
Growing up in BC I developed a passion for water. Streams, the ocean, waterfalls, rivers, crystal clear lakes. I was always known for being wet. For spending my time in the water. Fully dressed I would run into the water, just happy to be near it. Something about it drew me in. It still does. My college days in Castlegar BC I got into the habit of just having my swim suit with me, because I knew there would be sparkling water and I wouldn’t be able to keep out of it.
God is supposed to be like that for us. A constant draw to be with Him. Closer to Him. Deeper into His presence. As the Psalmist says earlier in this chapter, “when can I go and be with God?” We are meant to hunger after Him in that way. Unable to be far from Him because we desire His presence.
We are supposed to be drawn to Him like a wild animal is drawn to water.
Are we though? When we the last time you desired above all else to be near God?

Take away:

We are supposed to desire God. To walk away drenched by His spirit. But we settle for shallow water, ankle deep only.
Dive in instead. Be lost to the current of His peace and grace. Don’t settle for the shore. Get wet!
Seek Him with passion and love.

Christianity · Devotional · dreams do come true · encouragement · found · free · guidance · holy spirit · Jesus · lent · no longer lost · power of God · Prayer · psalms · searching · still fighting · The Bible · True Joy · Uncategorized

Psalms 38:21 NIV[21] Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God.

March 28, 2026 carriedinthecrossLeave a comment

Psalms 38:21 NIV
[21] Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God.
There is nothing worse than being forsaken by God. Without Him there is nothing. Yet only one has ever been left by Him, and that one was Jesus. That day on the cross, in the worst suffering a person can endure, Jesus was left to die alone. Our sins. The one you had ten seconds ago, the sin you will have ten years from now, all of it was on Jesus that day and because of that He was forsaken by God. His Father had to turn His face away.
We sometimes feel so pained by life that we wonder what we have done to cause God to leave us. Possibly because that’s easier than thinking that God could possibly let us go through this.
Sometimes bad things happen because the world is broken and God permits them because He has a reason we do not and will not understand. Most things God protects us from though. There are battles for our lives happening ever day without us even knowing it. That thought doesn’t make the pain easier, but maybe it help to make the love of God clearer.

Take away:

God is stronger than the devil, but that does not mean that He is not sometimes delayed from saving us by him. Remember when the demon of Persia way laid the angel of Lord when he was coming tl rescue God’s anointed? It can happen.
When bad things come don’t blame God. Turn to Him. Pray even if you feel cold. Even if you have no answer and never will. Even if your faith is shattered. Keep seeking Him. He will pull you through.

Christianity · Devotional · Jesus · searching · encouragement · free · guidance · still fighting · found · psalms

Psalms 37:35 NIV[35] I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,

March 27, 2026 carriedinthecrossLeave a comment

Psalms 37:35 NIV
[35] I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
I wonder of David was thinking of himself when he wrote this. He says he saw this man but he withered away and could not be found even though David looked for him. Perhaps he was thinking of a part of himself which he repented of. Perhaps not.
But it is a good point. Sometimes our former selves did better in this world then our Christian, God following selves.
There may have been better chances for promotion. You may have had more friends. Yet, when you chose Jesus, you died to that person who would fit in those groups. Choosing to leave all past behind you and seek Jesus instead.
We think of the verse about not being upset when the wicked prosper over us, as being about others, but what about who we were before letting Jesus change us. Sometimes we get upset when we think of how well the old us did in this life. Some days we may think unfair that following Jesus better means leaving things behind. But who God is, how He loves us, the way He provides, He is so much greater than anything you could have without Him.

Take away:

The verse above also leads on to say how David sought for the wicked man but could not find him.
When we die to the old us, that person us gone! We may seek them out, but we are better off if we don’t find them.

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March 22, 2026 carriedinthecrossLeave a comment

Psalms 33:18 NIV
[18] But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
God cares for His people.
Read that again.
We hear and repeat those words so often that we forget the meaning. God Himself, care for you.
He watches us and keeps us safe. Even in times of trouble and terror God has us in His hands. Our hope is in the fact that God loves us and will take care of our needs. In truth, and this is hard, God does not always care for our wants. Sometimes He gives us what we want as a gift of love from a Father to a child, but we often we lose faith in Him on the times when He does not give us our wants and we forget the times when He has provided our needs.
I was reminded recently that we can build an alter to God even in the valley. That was really encouraging because I have felt like I am in the valley for a few days now. It’s a “why God?” Instead of a, “but God!” Moment. Then a friend said how she was marking down her blessings because she had seen how much she has, this was after spending two days in emergency not able to get in. But she lives like that. No eyes on the dark clouds, only on the ways to dance in the rain. God has permitted her to go through so much and yet every morning she takes special time to praise Him. I lack so much compared to her. To feel blessed in the middle of your stress may sound like a bumper sticker but it’s a good way to live. God has got you! He has a plan! You may never know why you spent this time in the valley, but God has a reason.

Take away:

Just because you are down does not mean that God has left you. Look around, you will see Him there reaching out His hand. Sometimes God speaks in the sunshine on a day that was supposed to rain. Sometimes He speaks through the laughter, in a time that should have brought pain. Sometimes He speaks in the “caught it just in time,” when you would rather it had not happened at all.
Sometimes the blessings are wrapped like a sugar coating on a pill. Something sweet to take a sting out of the bitter. But God will remind you He is there, you just have to look around.

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · found · free · guidance · holy spirit · Jesus · lent · power of God · Prayer · psalms · searching · still fighting · The Bible · True Joy

Psalms 20:1 NIV[1] May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

March 7, 2026 carriedinthecrossLeave a comment

Psalms 20:1 NIV
[1] May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
We fall into distress easily. We’re people, it’s natural. But do we remember that God is on our side? When we fall into distress/anxiety/fear/meltdowns, may the Lord answer us. Let us remember to go to Him.

Take away:

Life happens, and it can be terrible, but God is still with us. He alone will save us and protect us.
Life happens, but we are not al

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · found · free · guidance · holy spirit · Jesus · lent · Love · no longer lost · power of God · Prayer · psalms · searching · still fighting · The Bible · True Joy

Psalms 19:12 NIV[12] But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

March 6, 2026 carriedinthecrossLeave a comment

Psalms 19:12 NIV
[12] But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
We all have hidden faults and errors. Pride, arrogance, anger, complaining, it goes on and on. Sometimes we even have faults and sins we do without thinking of it. Not a willful sin, but a sin that has crept into our lives and personalities in some cases. There are many great things about God, but one of them is that He does not just search the depth of our hearts to judge what’s there, He also brings to our attention what’s going on inside that might be wrong. Best of all, He forgives us. We do not even have to be specific, look at the simplicity of David’s prayer; God hears that, knows what you are talking about and forgives. He’s amazing!

Take away:

God searches our hearts and knows the depth, but He doesn’t just sit back and be judge of our mess, He comes to us and helps us see it and clean it up!

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · found · free · guidance · Jesus · no longer lost · power of God · Prayer · psalms · searching · still fighting · The Bible · True Joy

Psalms 16:6 NIV[6] The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

March 3, 2026 carriedinthecrossLeave a comment

Psalms 16:6 NIV
[6] The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
This poem of David is known as a Miktam, which most likely means precious. David made God his precious hiding place and rejoiced in His protection. God surrounds us with His presence and in Him we are safe. Nothing can cross the boundary line that God sets and this is such a precious thing to know. I know that here David is most likely referring to the boundaries that dictate a person’s property due to the mention of a delightful inheritance from the Lord; however I wish to think of the type of boundaries I mentioned earlier.
This past year we built a fence for my dog on our farm. It’s a nice large area right out the front door of our house. It holds a boundary. Due to the fence, I can let him go and run and play and am not worried about the foxes and coyotes because they cannot cross the boundary line.
God sets a boundary line for us. He promises to protect us from more than we can handle, which means despite all we go through in our lives there are things far worse that have been stopped at that boundary line. I can imagine a shining fence surging with power all around me as I rest, many thing prowl outside it but do not dare even coming close, and I am safe. It’s a pleasant thought.

Take away:

The boundary lines of our inheritance from God are wide and vast! Truly a blessing to be joyful in thinking on. His boundary lines of protection for us are also something to take joy in. They are strong and unending, nothing can reach over or under and we are safe in Him.

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · guidance · Jesus · lent · Love · no longer lost · power of God · psalms · searching · still fighting · The Bible

Psalms 15:2 NIV[2] The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;

March 2, 2026 carriedinthecrossLeave a comment

Psalms 15:2 NIV
[2] The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;
David speaks here about who can enter God’s holy mountain. One whose walk is blameless, a person who does not sin, does not slander, hates all that is vile.
I would like to take a moment just to think on that. I have slurred people’s names several times today. It was a rough day for it, it seemed like everywhere I looked people were being a problem. I don’t like to use the word slander for this because slander includes the words you use being a lie. But what if all the terrible things you say about people are completely true, should we say them?
Before we say ‘no’ and walk away feeling good about ourselves let us remember something, we are all guilty of talking behind people’s backs and embellishing events to improve our story. As far as I have met, there is only one person I know who I would say most likely never did this, and even then I am not positive.
When it comes to most sin it is generally fairly straightforward when comes to avoiding it. But pride and slander come circling around with ease. Some are more prone to it than others, but none are immune.
Yet here David reminds us that those who are this way cannot abide upon God’s holy mountain. He says only the blameless can stand before God. And he’s right. Which means that absolutely no one can stand before God, except one.
Jesus is blameless of all sin and He alone stands freely before the Father.
The amazing thing is that Jesus then looks at us. We struggling little beings living on His earth. And He invites us to join Him, all we have to do is ask. If that isn’t amazing I don’t know what is.

Take away:

Even the most righteous of us fall to certain sins. None of us are holy enough to stand before God. But because Jesus died for us we can repent and be given the same blameless purity He has. That is an amazing gift! How can anyone say Jesus does not love them, when His whole book is about how much He loves us!
All we have to do is repent and try and change and do better, that’s all He asks, is for us to keep trying. He knew we would mess up and need forgiveness every moment of every day, so opened the tapestry and said ‘come in and ask.’
Nothing we can do deserves such love as to be able to be forgiven each time we mess up because the only one who was pure died in our pl

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March 1, 2026 carriedinthecrossLeave a comment

Psalms 14:2 NIV
[2] The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
The band Whitheart has a song called Desert Rose- in it they say “Lost in a windswept land
In the world of shifting sand
A fragile flower stands apart
There in that barren ground
Feel like the only one
Tryin’ to serve Him with all your heart.”

How often do we feel like the only ones trying to serve God with all our hearts? We have people around us who claim to be Christian as well, but their lives speak of compromise and Luke warm taste. It can make us feel lonely, it can make us feel like somehow we are wrong and their way of submitting to sin under the shelter of “love” or “empathy” or the all famous, “Jesus didn’t really say that, it was meant for those times and not for now,” and we feel alone- hurt- confused. Sometimes we feel like David felt, angry. He was angry as he watched the sinful prosper, as he watched them gloat over the righteous. We feel like anger is a sin, but if it is for the right reason and handled correctly, anger is not always a bad thing. We can be angry about sin. We can certainly be angry when people who claim to be fellow believers attack us for standing with God’s word. But see how David uses his anger correctly and takes it to God and brings his pain before Him and pleads for HIS justice.

Take away:

God is still looking on mankind to see if any understand and seek Him. Will He see us as those who have served Him and stand with Him even when our friends turn away? In our anger and hurt do we turn to Him and ask Him for His help and guidance?
Feel your feels, then give them to God. But no matter what those you once trusted and believed in say and do, never compromise your faith and your stand with righteousness. Where the righteous are, God is also.

Devotional · encouragement · found · guidance · holy spirit · Jesus · lent · power of God · Prayer · psalms · searching · still fighting · The Bible

February 25, 2026 carriedinthecross1 Comment

Psalms 11:1 NLT
[1] I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
I really love this! Here we see David singing about the evil who pursue him with underhanded ways. His people (the righteous) try to convince him that they should all find shelter and hide from those who attack them. Yet David believed more in God being his shield than almost any other person in scripture. He trusted so much in God that he refused to flee from his enemies. Sure he had times of great pain and discouragement, even fear; yet he refused to run.
When bad things happen, or darkness rises, it is easy to want to run away. Flee to the mountains to hide and cower. Yet David knew that the only mountain to flee to was the mountain of God. God alone is our mighty stronghold to protect us.
Most of us are not facing violence, sadly some of us are, but we all have some enemy attacking us. It might be anxiety, illness, strife, a wandering child, an addiction, a lost job. Whatever your giant, three headed monster looks like, God is still your safe place to run to. We do not need to flee to the mountains when the enemy draws it’s bow taught, we need to flee to God.

Take away:
A fallen world means people will face pain at sometime in their lives. Pain can come in many shapes and sizes and most of the time it is preloaded by fear. When fear rises and we see pain coming, do not try and find something to hide in that is of this world. Hide in Jesus! He is your safe zone. He is your strong tower. He is the mountain where you run. This world will hurt you and let you down, but Jesus never will.