Category: devotion

An Advent Challenge

Posted on by Susan Panzica
So today, here I was standing in the supermarket evaluating the prices of dishwashing detergents, when all of a sudden I caught myself silently singing along to “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, my favorite Christmas carol. Why is it my favorite?
Not because I used to think it was Harold the Angel singing.
Nor because have a beautiful collection of angels.
Not even because the melody is so lovely.
No, it is my favorite because of the lyrics. To think that all over the world people are singing the gospel truth. “God and sinner reconciled!!”
That, in a nutshell, is what Christmas is all about. Jesus left His home in heaven for one purpose, to redeem us.
Yes, He set an example for us to follow.
Yes, He healed and did miracles.
Yes, He taught parables to thousands.
But His crowning achievement and His ultimate purpose in coming was to reconcile us to Himself. How awesome!!

This time of year, people all over the world are singing the gospel truth, yet they don’t realize it. They sing words without recognizing what they mean. What an opportunity to share the truth with those who don’t know Jesus personally, but who know ABOUT Him and the story of His birth.

We say it’s the “Christmas story”, but in fact, it is sharing the Word of God when we share that “story”. When I began to seriously read Matthew 1 & 2 and Luke 1 & 2, God began to show me things that I never noticed before. Since it is such a familiar portion of Scripture, we tend to read it without really reading it, just like I was singing God’s Word without being aware of it.

Advent is a time of expectation of the coming of the Savior. May I suggest that you use the days of Advent to experience the expectation of His coming deeper into your life. Read those 4 chapters asking God to show you something new. He’ll meet you there! And then you’ll have something to share!

Susan

Call 911!

Posted on by Susan Panzica


For years, my favorite Psalm was Psalm 91. I even used Psalm 911 as my email address. Why?

“911” is who we call when we are in trouble, and the first verse of Ps 91 is: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” That’s who we call when we have a problem!! And the psalm goes on to declare why we need not fear, how He will cover us with His protection and become our refuge and our rest, and even how He commands His angels concerning us. Psalm 91

When we look at the end of the psalm – verses 14–16 – it becomes clear just how lopsided our relationship with Him is. (I took the liberty of changing the “he” to “she”.)
“Because she loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue her; I will protect her, for she acknowledges my name. She will call upon me, and I will answer her; I will be with her in trouble, I will deliver her and honor her. With long life will I satisfy her and show her my salvation.”
If we look carefully at these verses, we will see that God does the lion-share in this relationship: He rescues us, protects us, answers us, is with us in trouble, delivers us, honors us, satisfies us, and saves us. Our part? Love Him, acknowledge Him and call upon Him.

How awesome is that!! Just like a loving parent with the lion-share of responsibility wishing only for her child to love her, so too, our heavenly Father just desires us to love, acknowledge and call upon Him. His promise is to rescue, protect, answer, be with us, deliver, honor, satisfy and save us. Could you ask for anything more?
Susan

The Thorn in the Flesh

Posted on by Susan Panzica

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor. 12:7-9

In this well-known portion of Scripture, Paul begs the Lord three times to have his thorn in the flesh removed, and learns instead that God’s grace is sufficient for him.

Bible scholars often speculate that Paul’s thorn was an infirmity or illness; however, let me present another point of view. Paul specifically describes his thorn as “a messenger of Satan to torment me”. The word for “messenger” in the Greek is “angelos” meaning someone delivering a message, and every time it is used in Scripture, it is translated as a specific person or angel. Therefore, it is my belief that Paul’s thorn was a specific person in his life. Not just any person, but a person whose purpose was to keep Paul humble.

Think – Marie Barone.

In the TV show “Everybody Loves Raymond”, Debra’s mother-in-law, Marie, delivers classic lines that deliberately convey her opinion that Debra is a poor housekeeper, terrible cook, inadequate mother and so on. It’s hysterical on TV, but not funny at all if you have this type of relationship in real life. Often it is a family member or coworker, someone that you can’t escape. Someone who just gets under your skin: a splinter – or thorn- in your flesh.

You may have heard that when we ask God for something in prayer, His response may be “Yes”, “No” or “Wait”. But here, when Paul asked over and over and over again, for the Lord to remove this person, God did not say “Okay, you’ve done a great job for Me, Paul, I’ll do as you ask.” Neither did God say, “No, this person is there for a reason – to keep you humble, as you know.” God didn’t even say “Not now, maybe later.” In fact, God does not respond to Paul’s specific request at all! God does not mention the thorn, whatever or whoever it was. Instead, God’s answer can be stated this way: “Look at Me, Paul. Stop looking at the thorn. The problem is not your relationship with that person, it’s your relationship with Me. If you take your eyes off your problem, and focus on Me, you will see that I am all you need. My grace is enough for you. ”

In the days and weeks to come, we’ll be in more family and social situations than at any other time of year. It’s time to join with Paul, and look to God and His all-sufficient grace. Don’t pray with your eyes on your thorn. Pray with your eyes on Jesus Christ.

The Message Bible: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
Susan

I Am a “Kept” Woman

Posted on by Susan Panzica
(sent to me by another “kept” woman – thanks!)
I Am a “Kept” Woman!
There were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind,
But GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3)
There were times when I thought I could go on no longer,
But the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15)
At times, I’ve wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong,
But the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Psa. 13)
Sometimes, I think the money just isn’t enough,
But GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., (Matt. 6:25 -34)
When I thought I would fall, He kept me up.
When I thought I was weak, He kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7, Matt. 11:28-30)
I could go on and on and on, but I’m sure you hear me!
I’m blessed to be ‘kept.’
Are you…or do you know a ‘kept’ woman (or man)?
I’m Kept by the Love and Grace of God!

Susan

When The Son Don’t Shine

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Several years ago, I was asked to speak at a women’s retreat. The theme was “How to Keep Growing When the Son Don’t Shine.” As I contemplated this idea, the thought came to me – but, the sun is always shining! There are various reasons we may not see it, but the sun never ceases to shine. As for the Son, He never ceases to shine either. He IS the light of the world – not He will be nor He was – but He IS the light of the world. Always IS. Present tense. Yesterday, today and forever, He shines!!

So then, why does it seem dark sometimes? One reason is because it is nighttime. At night, the earth is turned away from the sun. And when it seems dark spiritually, perhaps it is because we have turned away from Him. Have we stopped spending time with Him? Are we standing in or relying on our own strength? The answer is simple: turn our focus back to Him, spend time in the Word and prayer, enjoy the fellowship of believers. I know I said the answer is simple, but that’s just simple for me to say. It is not always easy to do. Just take one tiny baby step in the right direction, and God will meet with us. He may ask us to keep taking those steps, but He gives us the strength to do it as we lean on Him. “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” (2 Cor. 4:6-7)

Other times, it seems dark because something is blocking the sun, like an eclipse or dark clouds. There are things that seem huge and overwhelming, but the fact is – nothing is bigger than the sun! It’s just that these issues are closer. When is your thumb bigger than the sun? When it’s right in front of your eye! These obstacles capture our attention and block our view of the Son. But if we can step back and put things in the proper perspective, they shrink in comparison. My friends, we are engaged in spiritual warfare, and an effective enemy tactic is to distract our focus. He uses busyness, family or friend problems, work concerns, over-sensitivity, self-consciousness, financial worries, etc. to attract our attention. When we concentrate on eternal matters, the things of this world dim in comparison. Like looking through the lens of a camera, if our focus is on things nearby, those details in the background are fuzzy. When we adjust the lens, we can bring the background into crisp detail, and the close things are less harrowing. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”(Heb. 12:2-3)

Lastly, when the sun’s glare is difficult to endure, we put on our sunglasses. We can still see the sun, but it’s dimmed. And people can’t see us as clearly either. We hide behind a façade, and don’t face the issues that keep us from the light. From minor misunderstandings to serious hidden sin, we can cautiously be near God, and yet separated from Him. We put up a barrier to keep God and people at a “safe” distance. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. God removed the barrier to the Holy of Holies signifying our new opportunity to have a direct personal relationship with Jesus. “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away. … All of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more.” ( 2 Cor. 3:16-18)

Oh, may we become more like Him and reflect His glory more and more!! That is my prayer for you and for me, beloved.

Susan

Leaves and Light

Posted on by Susan Panzica


Oh, how I LOVE autumn. Such a spectacular display of God’s design. When driving around, I can get so distracted by the vast array and brilliant colors.

“Autumn is spring where every leaf is a flower.”

But oh, how I HATE the leaves all over the ground! Augh! We have an abundance of leaves that cover the ground like a slippery carpet! My son has his work cut out for him 🙂 And the trees are looking so bare now.

Except one tree! There’s a tree right next to a streetlight. The bottom and left side of the tree are bare, but the upper right side has lots of leaves left, and many are still green! That’s because the streetlight is right there. As long as the leaves are near the light, they are vibrant and alive.

What a beautiful reminder to me to remain near the Light of the world! Jesus is the Light of the world. He makes us vibrant and alive. And yet He said that WE are also the Light of the world! We are not to hide under a bushel, but are to let our light (which is His light in us) shine before all, glorifying our Father. We are to walk in the light, surrounded by His light, radiating His light from within.
“If we walk in the light, as His is in the light, we will have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, will purify us from all sin.”
How wonderful when we are bathed in His light. But what about those times when it seems dark or cloudy? Stay tuned for the next post!!
Susan

Betrothed

Posted on by Susan Panzica

All over the country, men and women have just been elected to national, state, county and local government positions. However, none of these newly elected officials will take office for 2 – 3 months. They are legally committed to their new position, but are not officially serving in that office yet.

In the Bible, there was a betrothal period in which the bride and groom had made a binding legal commitment to each other, but were not officially married yet. This is why the Bible says that Joseph considered quietly “divorcing” Mary when she was found to be miraculously pregnant, even though the formal wedding had not yet occurred.

When we become Christians, we are in a betrothal period with our Bridegroom. We are committed to Him, bound to Him, serving Him until such time as our formal wedding to Him takes place. We represent Him here on earth. We are cared for by Him and are under His protection. One day, we will be completely united with Him in glory, but until that time we live this life with Him as our Bridegroom.

Let us keep Him in our thoughts throughout our day, each and every day. Let us experience Him beside us and inside us. Let us live with the joyous expectancy a bride feels as her wedding day approaches. It’s a time of preparation and work, but always keeping our focus on the joy set before us.


Susan

Stand Up!

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Today, my pastor’s message inspired us to stand up strong for what we believe.

In the book of Daniel, we saw 3 friends, believers in God, refuse to bow down to an idol. They were consequently thrown into the fiery furnace, a fire so hot it killed the soldiers who brought Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to it.

In the book of Acts, we saw that Peter and John were thrown into jail for sharing about Jesus and healing a man in Jesus’ name. Instructed by the rulers and elders to keep quiet about the name of Jesus upon their release, they refused to remain silent.

This, in itself, is inspiring, but I believe the key is this: in both cases, these men had experienced the very presence of God in their lives. When observers looked into the fiery furnace, they saw not 3, but 4 men walking around! And that 4th man is described by the king as looking like the “son of god”. And the observers of Peter and John said that “when they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” When we follow their example, we will stand because we stand with Jesus. We will fall if we stand in our own strength.

In our service today, we were encouraged to stand up for our faith. There will come a time when it will be at great sacrifice for us to do so. The church is growing most rapidly in countries where Christians suffer persecution, and the early church grew and spread because of persecution in Jerusalem. I pray that we will stand strong long before we are faced with formidable opposition, but sadly, history indicates that persecution is an effective means of growing the church.

Now, I do not mean that we are to behave in an assertive or aggressive manner. I don’t believe that we should trample unbelievers with our demands. What I do believe is that we must be salt and light in a dark world. We should appear to have been with Jesus. This means that His grace, peace and love are apparent in how we relate to others, but we will refuse to compromise that which dishonors God. And if we fall, if we should miss an opportunity to stand strong, remember our story about Peter. Previously, on 3 occasions, he had denied that he knew Jesus, yet God used him repeatedly in mighty ways after that.

Our service concluded rocking to that old Tom Petty song, “I Won’t Back Down”:

Well I won’t back down, no I won’t back down
You could stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won’t back down
Gonna stand my ground, won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won’t back down
Hey, there ain’t no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down
Well I know what’s right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around
But I’ll stand my ground and I won’t back down
Susan

Guidance

Posted on by Susan Panzica

This is from an email I received years ago that is so special to me. My daughter, Lauren, is a gifted dancer who uses her gift to teach and inspire others. May this post inspire you today to allow the Lord to be your partner, to lead and guide you in His song for you.

Dancing With God
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing “dance” at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn’t flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It’s as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw “G”: I thought of God, followed by “u” and “i”.
“God, “u” and “i” dance.”
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God’s blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.
Susan

The Inscription

Posted on by Susan Panzica

As an artist always autographs his work, so God too has placed His autograph on us. But not only is His image carved in us, we are carved on the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). In Isaiah 49, the Israelites are wondering if God had forgotten them. He assures them that He could never forget them, they are written on His hand. Many of us have scribbled on our hand something we want to remember, whether it be a name or number or other information. Isaiah 49:16 is an assurance from God that we are inscribed, carved permanently, on His hand. He will never, ever forget us. When we mistakenly think that God has moved away from us, we must remember these words from Scripture, and ask ourselves the question, “If God feels far away, who moved?” As many steps as we might have taken away from God, it is only one step back. He never, ever forgets us.

Susan