Never Ending Praise The Lord

Devotions and short stories that draw me to God.

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Hey! I’m Chelsea and I started this website as a way to get closer to God through devotional time. I thought, why not share it with others? If I have questions, it’s very possible that you have questions as well. Eventually, this website will have short storiesarticles as well as devotions. I would also like to implement prayer requests and a place to share answered prayers and testimonials I can feature. I live in Texas with my mom and our two dogs Twiggy and Bella. I’m a woman who has been through the fire many times, and the only way I came out of it was the love of God. Until things come together, please feel free to comment your need for prayer. You have the option of telling me “Please pray, God knows.” or if you want it to be specific, you’re more than welcome to share. Praying it all comes together soon!

  • Pretty Stones, Powerful Truth

    Revelation 21:11 NIV “It shone with the glory of God, and it’s brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”

    I might just throw you for a loop with this one. So far, my divination series has been firmly against any occult practices. I’m actually going to encourage you to enjoy crystals- for their intended purpose. The reason I’ve included crystals in this series is because many people use them for their alleged healing properties- physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual. Some people even go as far as incorporating them into occult rituals.

    Remember, occultism involves studying and utilizing supernatural influences. Typically, these supernatural influences merely open a door inviting Satan and his demons in and what follows is chaos and destruction.

    In all honesty, I myself use to collect crystals, admiring them for their beauty. Then I started studying what each stone could do for me. I was fascinated by the false promise of divine communication. Hear me out…divine communication sounds great for a Christian, right? What could possibly be wrong with longing for divine communication? Well, that’s what the Bible is for- to communicate with God! After all, the word of God is living and active [Hebrews 4:12].

    So what IS God’s intended use for crystals? If you read on in Revelation 21, you’ll see in verses 18-20 that they illustrate the splendor of heaven [“The Wall was made of Jasper and the city of pure gold-as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation, jasper. Second, sapphire. Third, agate. Fourth, emerald. Fifth, onyx. Sixth, ruby. Seventh, chrysolite. Eighth, beryl. Ninth, topaz. Tenth, turquoise. Eleventh, jacinth. Twelfth, amethyst….”] They also reflect the majesty of God and the clothing of the priests in the Old Testament.

    Crystals have no magical purposes, and they aren’t meant to replace relationship with God. They are symbols of God’s glory to be admired.

  • Shame Off Me

    Note: Next week, I will return to my occult/divination practices devotion. Happy New Year! I am praying many blessings to those reading this.

    Ezra 10:2 NIV “…We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.”

     By now, you may be thinking ‘This girl literally only reads the old testament.” I promise it’s relatable! I have to tell you why this verse jumped out at me…

    There I sat at the desk one morning, reading over that days passage from my bible study class. These Israelites were exiled to Assyria and Babylon and after a long period, God brought them back to the land he’d given them and restored them. It’s a beautiful story, except…. Can you believe the audacity of these guys? They disregarded everything that had happened in the past and started intermarrying with foreigners who practiced idolatry, divination, witch craft…. Huh. Need a devotion about that? I know a girl…

    Kidding aside, Ezra heard these things and immediately tore his robe in grief. Appalled, he even pulled hair from his head and beard. [Ezra 9:3]  That night, he finally went to God in confession and sorrow. He didn’t just go to God pointing fingers at the community of people doing wrong- he took blame upon himself, acknowledged how gracious and good the Lord had been to them, and prayed about how to handle the situation. The Israelites gathered around him and realizing their grave sin, they too wept.

    Then, something incredible happened. Shekaniah- not a leader or priest, just a member of the community- reminded the people that while they had sinned greatly, there was still hope for them.

    Ding! The bell in my head rang! I sat for a while thinking, how many times have I allowed my shame over a sin to keep me from growing and changing to become the woman God intended me to be? That’s not living in the security of God’s goodness, faithfulness or the fact that he died to cover that sin.

    I’m not saying to take sin lightly. We went over this; sin is the desire, thought, or action that doesn’t conform to God’s will, and it separates us from him. When we recognize the gravity of sin and it’s painful consequences, we have a responsibility to acknowledge, confess, and take action to turn back to God. However, there are times when  we acknowledge the sin and then we don’t ever get past it.

    We may say things like, “How could God ever love someone like me?” or maybe you feel like you’ve done so many things wrong that it replays like a movie in your mind- over and over again.

    Listen, stop hitting that rewind button! Hit the fast forward button because there is HOPE. His name is Jesus and he covered that sin at the cross. Your past can no longer condemn you. [Romans 8:1- see? I know some new testament stuff!] You are forgiven and cleansed. [1 John 1:9] You’re a new creation. [2 corinthians 5:17] Shame has nothing to hold on to because God cast our sins into the depth of the sea. [Micah 7:19]  Don’t let the enemy hand it back, Jesus already crushed it!

  • What We Bring To The King

    Matthew 2:11 NIV  “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”

                    I often think back on gifts I’ve received throughout life and I have to say, my dad was a really thoughtful gift giver. This man really paid attention to what the people around him enjoyed and desired. One year, he took me on a hot air balloon ride for my sixteenth birthday. I can’t imagine how much work that took, and how he was able to keep it as a complete surprise, but that was the experience of a lifetime! Another year, I woke up on Christmas morning to find a go-kart standing against the wall. I honestly assumed it belonged to my brother until my parents had to ask me if I was ever going to say anything about the obvious gift. I was overcome with joy if I’m being really honest.

                    I’m not trying to brag though. I know that not everyone gets to experience these extravagant gifts. However, there’s one person in history who got gifts far greater than a go kart or a ride in a hot air balloon.

                    Matthew and Luke give us very similar accounts of the details surrounding the birth of Jesus. However, Matthew tells us about something special that happened after the birth of Jesus.

                    Three travelers came from the East, following a star. They were known as magi, which just means wise men. These men were most likely interested in dreams, astrology, and magic. Yet, they were men who had deep faith enough to follow a star to a baby called The Messiah. Had they followed prophecy? Studied the stars? The Bible isn’t specific about any of that but there is plenty of scholars and commentary to study if you’re interested! [My favorite can be found at Enduringword.com]

                    At that time, it was common- especially in the east- that one would never appear before royalty or a person of importance without bringing gifts. The wisemen brought gifts of gold [for royalty], frankincense [for divinity] and myrrh [for death]. Again, there’s no way of knowing if these particular wise men saw what their gifts foreshadowed or if they simply wanted to honor a king. We also don’t know if Mary and Joseph ever used these gifts for anything, although I’m willing to bet there are differing theories about that too. It does make me think though. If these wise men were bringing their best for a baby king they didn’t know, but believed in enough to make a long journey for…what does that say about society today?

    We obviously don ‘t give directly to Jesus, but we do give to his people on his behalf and for his benefit. So what gifts are we given that we can use to glorify the Lord? Some can sing and lead worship, others have the gift of speaking and drawing people in to hear the word of God. There are even people who are gifted to care for and support the grieving and hurt. A lot of us actually have multiple gifts. These gifts call us to action. The wisemen didn’t just admire the star, they did something about it by following it. Then they entered in the house of Joseph and Mary, and they worshiped Jesus.

    So, in this next year, what gifts will you bring to The King?

  • Emmanuel, God With Us

    Emmanuel, God With Us

    Isaiah 9:6 NIV For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince Of Peace.

                    Like many children, Christmas was always a really magical time. It wasn’t just about gifts for me though. Christmas meant the weather in South Florida changed for a couple days. It meant being part of Church Christmas plays and costumes, egg nog, movies, and… it was the one day of the year my brother and I seemed to get along. Christmas morning was always met with my older brother waking me up first and then we woke up our parents together. The rest of the day was filled with laughter and joy, and all was right in the world.

                    Traditions changed as I got older. My brother left the house, and it seemed pointless to wake my parents alone. Then I got married and Christmas became movie theatres and Chinese food. The magic was lost on me, and it became just another day. This was compounded by the loss of my Father on Christmas Eve in 2017. My dad had truly loved Christmas and he tried making it special every year. Without him, Christmas didn’t feel like Christmas at all anymore.

                    For several years now, I’ve really missed the nostalgia of Christmas as a child but as I’ve grown deeper in my faith, learning about the origin of Christmas has left me even less enthused about the holiday. Why do we celebrate the birth of our messiah when he wasn’t even born on December 25th? Maybe the better question is, when was Jesus actually born? Sadly, we don’t know the answer. There is a lot of speculation and in my research, I’ve seen different answers. My favorite theory is that Jesus was born around the feast of tabernacles. This is a celebration of harvest so typically in the fall. The feast of tabernacles commemorates the Israelites exit out of Egypt and how God was with them as they wandered the desert. God guided them by day as a pillar of cloud. By night, he lit their path by fire. If Jesus was born at this time, it would make sense that he would be called Emmanuel which means “God with Us.”

                    As I’ve questioned God about how to celebrate and honor him at this time of year feeling the way I do, he has reminded me that it’s less about the date and more about our heart’s intent. God can take any date, season or tradition and fill it with his presence. It’s not the date that is holy; it’s HIM that’s holy. The manger became a throne. God came to us in human form and walked among us, teaching and showing love with miracles and then by suffering human cruelty and death on a cross. The shepherds, considered ‘nobodies’, outcasts and social lepers, were the first to witness Glory. They didn’t just proclaim the good news- they hurried to do it. God even made an overlooked small town like Bethlehem the birthplace of a King.

                    The beauty of Christmas isn’t in the date, but in the person of Jesus. He is the reason for the season, and he truly is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince Of Peace…Emmanuel. Merry Christmas to you!

  • First Responder

    First Responder

    Note: I will get back to my divination series after Christmas season! For now, I have a few other devotions to post!

    Psalm 46:1 NIV God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble

                    I don’t recall ever being on a girls trip before, but it could be because none of them started off as wild as the one I’m about to share.  Picture this:

                    It’s a beautiful, sunny day and two of my friends and I are driving along I-35 just sharing laughter and good conversation. As a girl who detests interstate driving, I was a mere front seat passenger. I’m not sure what the conversation was at the time, but all of a sudden, we were swerving. I immediately slammed my eyes shut and grabbed something on the door. As I felt the car moving out of control, my friend desperately trying to steer it back in the right place, I saw the word GOD flash through my eyes. I would be lying if I said fear didn’t tell me this was it- this is how my life would end. One of my friends later told me that her eyes had been open the whole time and we’d cut across three lanes of traffic. She really thought we were going to hit the median wall. I’m glad I had my eyes shut.

                    The minute I saw the word GOD, I said “Jesus, take the wheel.” Now, I have no idea how many times I said it or how I worded it exactly and it probably doesn’t matter. I will say, I thought I screamed it multiple times, but my friends say I said it boldly and loudly just one time! I have never in my life gone straight to God in a desperate time. I am ashamed to admit that God is usually an afterthought or a last resort. Not this time. This time, I went to the Father immediately.

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                    I no sooner spoke his name and asked him to take the wheel then he took that wheel and steered that car right back in control.  I found out later that not only was the Lord my 911 dispatcher, and my superhero, but he was also a crossing guard, keeping the surrounding traffic at bay to give us space for what felt like an inevitable crash. He was my automatic response yes, but he was the first to respond back.

                    This got me thinking about how often I really do make God an afterthought. What if I immediately went to him for everything in my life no matter the circumstance- not just to check off a box? The truth is, he wants our victories, fears, tears, all of it.  He wants our automatic response for him so he can be our first responder.

    Fortunately, the worst damage was a couple broken nails! Hallelujah!

  • Tarot Terror Vs. Jesus’ Joy

    Tarot Terror Vs. Jesus’ Joy

    Isaiah 44:24-25 NIV “…I am the LORD, the maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise, and turns it into nonsense.”

    I sat in a little room, at a small table with a woman I barely remember. If I passed her on the street, I wouldn’t even know. She wasn’t wearing big hoop earrings or staring into a crystal ball, but she did have tarot cards. I was in my early to mid-twenties, and at that time, I only knew my mom wouldn’t approve of what I was doing. I didn’t even consider how God would feel. I also didn’t really know enough at the time about the Bible and what it had to say. I just sat at that table and listened as the woman reading cards told me about my life.   I’d always dreamed of being in the movies or on stage singing so when she told me I belonged in the entertainment field, I took it as confirmation- but that confirmation came from the wrong source.

    Years later, I played with tarot cards on my own, studied them at times, bought them because they were “pretty.” I entertained friends who were deep into the ritual of reading tarot cards and completely ignored the little feeling I had that it was all wrong. If memory serves me right, friends that were more into tarot reading would warn me about correct card handling and that the future was subject to change. If the future is subject to change, why are we consulting something so unstable? Scripture tells us that God has plans for us [Jer. 29;11] That sounds a lot more stable and secure. We may not know what those plans are yet, but we can be confident that God has it all worked out. His plans are to prosper us, not to harm us, and to give us a hope and a future. Still,  I would say things like, “It’s just harmless fun.”

    Yet, I suffered a great deal from depression and anxiety. It seemed like bad things consistently happened, and life just felt so dark all the time. Maybe you’re rolling your eyes and thinking, “you were young and that’s how life is, don’t blame the tarot cards.” . Well, I now realize that there is way more to the tarot cards and in studying them, I opened myself up these dark things. You might be thinking, “That’s you, not me.” Maybe you’ve been reading tarot cards for years and still see no harm in it.

    Think about this for a minute…When God tells us not to do something, it’s not because he’s mean and trying to ruin our fun. He loves us and wants to protect his people. He knows what we’re up against and he goes before us to warn us about how detestable things can be. He always desires and expects our full worship and faith.

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    I’ve never been more happy than when I threw out my tarot cards. If you want to be happier, I encourage you to get rid of them and see the changes God can make!

  • Spoiler Alert! The Cards Can’t Tell You What God Already Knows

    Spoiler Alert! The Cards Can’t Tell You What God Already Knows

    Deuteronomy 18:9-13 NIV When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.You must be blameless before the Lord your God.

    I know the above verse is long and you’re probably thinking, “Okay what is she talking about?” You also may be rolling your eyes thinking the old testament is just full of old laws that are null and void. Well, I’m talking about Divination! Divination is defined as the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. It’s an attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by use of magic ritual or practice. I will also tell you that the Lord specifically speaks against these things and more in the new testament as well. [Acts, Galatians, even Revelation, and I promise to get into all of that!]

    Some examples of Divination are fortune telling, witchcraft, tarot and palm reading, crystal balls, crystal healing, astrology and necromancy [speaking to dead people]. I am going to tell you about all these things in separate devotions.

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    When the Lord said “Write about divination” I admit, I really questioned him and dragged my feet. To a degree, I still am! Scrolling through social media, I found current believers who formerly dedicated their lives to these same practices, but now they speak on why it’s dangerous. Surely, they are much more qualified to speak on these matters than I am.

    While it can be a pretty confusing and a difficult topic to address, I encourage you to do your own research and ask the Lord for discernment and conviction. Some of these topics are seen as harmless to other Christians, and while I will explain my alternative view, the Lord may not convict you of the same things he has convicted me of.

    My aim isn’t to scare or shame anyone but to invite you to seek him first in all things and share what I’ve learned in my own journey. Obedience is rarely comfortable, but I believe he convicts to protect and show his sovereign love. I am praying that you stay open to whatever the Lord wants to reveal.

  • A simple gratitude list

    A simple gratitude list

    Before I post my next few devotions next week, I wanted to use this week as a time to just sit back and show gratitude to God for all he’s done for me. I could probably sit here and list hundreds of things, but I will spare you the reading and list a few. Please feel free to tell me what you’re grateful for as well!

    1. I am grateful for the freedom I have in America to carry, open, and read my Bible as well as publicly worshiping and proclaiming God.

    2. I am grateful for God giving me discernment and wisdom in different areas.

    3. I am grateful for the opportunities and blessings on the horizon for next year already!

    4. I am grateful for amazing friends, Christian and non, who support me and everything I stand for.

    5. I am grateful for my family!

    6. I am grateful for my dog, Bella…… ok and I guess the felines as well. 😉

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    Have a safe and beautiful Thanksgiving, friends. I pray blessings and joy beyond your wildest dreams!

  • An Attitude Of Gratitude

    An Attitude Of Gratitude

    1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV  “Give Thanks In All Circumstances. For This is God’s Will For You In Christ Jesus.”

     I have a question for you. Have you stopped and given thanks to the Lord today? Really think about this for a second. Think past the bills that are piling up, your stressful job, and how broken you might feel. What have you thanked God for?

    Believe it or not, anxiety and depression had a stronghold on my life for a long time. Negativity surrounded me. A lot of it was company I kept, circumstances of life, and not walking in line with Christ. Because I wasn’t really living as a true Christian, showing gratitude never even crossed my mind. I was so focused on everything that was so wrong, that I didn’t even open my heart’s eyes to all that was right.

    As I’ve been thinking about gratitude, I looked to scripture and even throughout history for inspiration and connection.  I’ve been guilty of saying things like, “Of course that person can find things to be grateful for, they haven’t even walked a mile in my shoes.” I was officially aboard the pity train in those days. However, there are people who, surprise, have had it much worse than I could imagine and somehow, they maintained their attitude of gratitude.

    For instance, as Paul sat under imprisonment for his ministry, heavily guarded, he wrote the book of Ephesians. In fact, he said to give thanks to God in everything. [Eph. 5:20]. I’ve never been imprisoned, but I can tell you anxiety and depression are a sort of prison all their own. Paul has many instances of straight gratitude in the midst of hardship all through the books of Thessalonians and Acts.

    I’m left to ponder what was so great in Paul’s life that he was able to look past all of lifes unfair circumstances and instead see blessing? The answer doesn’t lay in wealth or worldly possessions. The answer is God himself- His goodness and faithfulness, his perfect sovereignty, his unconditional love, and the cost of that love.

    This came together for me after a short period in a psychiatric ward, when I began seeing a therapist. He advised me to start a gratitude list of three to five things a day. Then, I moved and during a period of loneliness, I started the gratitude lists up again. That list of small five things a day grew and grew until I found I was grateful for at least a hundred things daily. Some of it was a little silly, some of it was more personal and of course a lot of it was repetitive. I found that my depression kept me in the past, my anxiety had me worrying about my future, but being grateful kept me in the present and the more I chose to find things to be grateful for, the more joy I found.  My anxiety and depression lifted entirely because I focused on all the blessings that came from God.

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    With the holidays upon us, it’s a great time to put gratitude into practice and sit in a quiet time of reflection to just pray and thank God for his goodness and faithfulness- even if it’s small and silly.

  • Even If

    Daniel 3:17-18 NIV …” If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

    I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this, but I love the Old Testament. There’s so much adventure and history. I get hooked every time I reread the story of Moses leading those grumbling, wicked Israelites out of Egypt. I often find myself flummoxed at the sheer audacity of those guys. Of course, I’m not much different than them. I too prioritize worldly treasures over God. I also complain and tell God that what he’s done isn’t sufficient. I seem to clearly be guilty of questioning God as well.

                                    Don’t worry, I’m not being too hard on myself. Questioning God and asking him for signs and wonders isn’t entirely out of the ordinary.  I want to specifically zero in on my friend, Gideon for a minute here.  In Judges 6, Gideon is called to deliver the Israelites from oppression by the Midianites. My man is doubtful. Have you ever squinted your eyes at God and thought, “Me? Really?” I can totally relate. Gideon was no different. He laid out fleece on a threshing floor and told God if he really wanted Gideon to do this thing, that the fleece would be covered in dew the next morning and the ground would be dry.

                                    I know you don’t have to guess what God did. Of course, he obliged. Still not quite sure, Gideon then said, ‘Okay, God let’s just check and make sure it’s really you though. If the fleece is dry in the morning but the ground is wet, I’ll believe you then.” God again answered. I think if he was exasperated by Gideon, scripture would tell us.  It honestly makes me scratch my head. I know I would for sure want to strangle Gideon by that point. However, God knows human nature- he did after all, create us.

                                    I think it’s the same for people today. I know I never thought I would be writing devotions. In fact, last year my friend had us write advent devotions and when I tell you I was dragging my feet over it, I’m not exaggerating. I didn’t know it at the time, but that was God preparing me for what I’m doing now. When he told me to write the devotions, I really said, “Are you sure, Lord?” I kind of wish I had asked for a fleece test now.

                                    Now that I’ve told you about Gideon, I’m going to skip forward quite a few books in the bible and tell you about three of my other favorite people.  If you don’t already know, Israel continued to be disobedient and well, wicked. So, God eventually exiled them to Babylon. Not all of the Israelites were fools though. Meet Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I urge you to run-don’t walk- for your bibles and open up to Daniel. Daniel’s three friends refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue and as a result, they were tossed in a fiery furnace.

                                    These guys didn’t just refuse to bow down to a statue though. They specifically stated that God would save them…. But even if he didn’t, they would not bow down to the King’s idols.

                                    My question is, how do we go from testing the Lord when we doubt, to trusting him in full confidence? I can only hope to be that person that chooses to trust… even if.