Write from My Heart

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Be with My Mouth

Proverbs 29:20 (NIV) ²⁰Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.

Proverbs 17:27a (NIV) ^27aThe one who has knowledge uses words with restraint...

Proverbs 4:24 ²⁴Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Ephesians 5:4 (NIV) ⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thangksgiving.

It isn’t always pleasant to realize that we need reminders about our speech; some of us more frequently than others. Guarding our words, especially in a heated or difficult moment isn’t easy; but it is part of living a Christian life that shows the world the love of Christ. Fortunately, the Bible does not only contain warnings, it also contains positive goals about what our mouths should be producing.

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) ²⁹Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Job 13:5 (NIV) ⁵If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

Matthew 5:37 (NIV) ³⁷All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Colossians 4:6 (NIV) ⁶Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

The verses I have provided above are by no means an exhaustive list. I am quite confident that you have your own favorite ‘go to’ verses for both warnings and positive guidance. However, there is one additional thought I would like to explore. We understand that the Bible is not a book about us. Although we find excellent examples for Christian living, ultimately, the Bible is a book about God, our Heavenly Father, the LORD God Almighty. If we follow that line of thought; what do we know about how God uses speech? Does He ever speak in haste? Does He ever use coarse joking or teasing? Indeed NOT! God says what He means, and He means what He says! Furthermore, sometimes His silence speaks volumes!

Psalm 141:3 (NIV) ³Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Psalm 19:14 (NIV) ¹⁴May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Lord God Almighty, my Heavenly Father;

Be with my mouth and what it speaks.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The devotional Be with My Mouth appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version^®, NIV^®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Out with the New - In with the Old

If you just read the title correctly, then you realize it is flipped backwards from what is the usual idiomatic expression. That is for a reason as we will explore in a moment.

Psalm 100:1-3 (NLT) ¹Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! ²Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. ³Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Psalm 100:1-3 (KJV) ¹Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. ²Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. ³Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Typically we are trained to get rid of anything that is old, worn, or outdated in favor of replacing it with new, shiny, sturdy, or better quality. For most things in general that may be good advice. However, God’s Word is never old or outdated; unfortunately for most of us it also shows little evidence of being well-worn. In fact, if you have your Bible on a Kindle or eReader you don’t even have to ‘turn’ pages anymore. But that’s a bit of a bunny trail for now. Be patient with me; I’ll get my thoughts back on track.

Many people have placed their King James Version Bibles on the shelf in favor of newer translations and the ease of reading more modern languages. There is nothing necessarily wrong with that, in fact there may be benefits especially if it gets you to open the pages of your Bible more often! Yet sometimes, I enjoy the wording of the good ole fashioned KJV. There is a rhythm and cadence not found in modern translations. The ‘thee’ ‘thou’ and ‘ye’ do not bother me because I know it means ‘you’ (directed toward ‘me’). Just for something interesting, let’s look at three verses from Psalms and make a little new-old thought comparison.

Psalm 100:1 [Read verse one of both translations.] Not many of us shout with joy unless we are at a stadium or watching a ball game on tv. And I’m not certain it would be appropriate in worship services – unless you go to a church with songs that are repetitiously shouted and screamed under the guise of ‘worship’. I’ve often wondered about that worship strategy because I seriously doubt God is deaf or ever has trouble ‘hearing’ us. However, making a joyful noise unto the LORD is something we can all do anytime, anywhere, even within our hearts. It’s about the LORD and not about ourselves. It expresses joy for what He has done in our lives, and for the beauty of his creation all around us.

Psalm 100:2 [Read verse two of both translations.] It is clear that we are to come before the LORD our God with gladness of heart; but the old 1965 Webster’s on my desk offers new insight to consider: [e.g., causing pleasure, making happy, willing: as in ‘I’m glad to do it]. Do we go to church so that we can feel happy and glad, and come away feeling like we’ve been adequately entertained? OR are we happy and glad to go to church where we gather with others for the purpose of praising the LORD God Almighty? Are we glad to do it? Is the focus of our worship on God or on how we might benefit?

Psalm 100:3 [Read verse three of both translations.] One can acknowledge (i.e., admit, recognize) God but there is another depth to knowing God; (i.e., understanding through study, learning through experience, pursue depth of knowledge). The next portion of verse three also needs the attention of our thoughts. He made us is clear, and while yes, we are his; let us never forget that we did not make ourselves! The world would have us to believe that we are our own creation, that what we do and how we function should be pleasing to us personally without regard to other persons. The world teaches the philosophy of self. The Bible is all about God; not us. We did not make us; God made us, both collectively as humans and individually as you and I. There is not another ‘you’ who can do what God has purposed for ‘you’ to do. We are His people and yes, a bit like aimless sheep who definitely need a shepherd.

Whether you choose to use a new translation like New Living Translation (NLT), New International Version (NIV), New English Translation (NET) or another authentic translation (not paraphrase); I challenge you to once in a while get out your old King James Version (KJV) sitting on the shelf and dig a little deeper. While some newer translations may provide clarity, there is still a rhythm and cadence of the old English text that may spur your thoughts to a deeper praise and worship of the LORD, the Almighty God and our Father.

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

Forgive us for being content with merely skimming the surface of your Word. Forgive us for wanting easy explanations without expending any effort on our part to dig deeper. Teach us to come before you with joyful hearts and honest praise for who you are and what you have done.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The devotional Out with the New – In with the Old appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Monday, October 12, 2026

The First Gleam of Dawn

Recently I have started walking again and morning is my preferred time. Our southwestern sunsets are beautiful – but nothing compares to the vibrant colors and the glory of the sunrises. This morning, twice I had to just stop and thank the Lord for the beauty of his creation.

Although I had some tentative plans for what to write this week; plans changed, as they often do when I ‘Write From My Heart’. This week we will take a stroll through some familiar verses in Proverbs. We’ve read them before, but perhaps this week we will find some fresh thoughts and new motivations. My prayer is that we will allow our Heavenly Father to speak to us, guide us and direct us in cleaning out the cobwebs of our hearts and minds; to set us on the right path anew.

Proverbs 4:18-19 (NLT) ¹⁸The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. ¹⁹But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

When was the last time you took the time to see the first gleam of sunrise? Or do you see early mornings so often that they have become routine and you no longer notice them? Do you get up at night and stumble around in the darkness? Or is your home peppered with nightlights?

For humans, we depend on light and darkness as signals of activity or rest. The crow of roosters at dawn awakens the farmers, who then work until it is too dark to see. Of course, now with electricity and tractors with headlamps – that is all antiquated talk. For humans, the lines of light and darkness are blurred. We easily go from one to the other with the literal ‘flip of a switch’.

Here comes a thought to ponder. Since our text uses light and darkness as metaphors for righteousness and wickedness... do we not also ‘flip a switch’ from one to the other? Do we walk in light on Sundays, and stumble around in darkness during the week? In what metaphorical room of our minds and hearts are we keeping dark but using the dim glow of nightlights to move around – just enough dim light to skate by, but not enough to lose the darkness we prefer?

1 John 1:5-7 (NLT) ⁵God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. ⁶So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. ⁷But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

Thank your for the glory of your sunrises and the brightness of each day. Thank you for the inspiration you give through your written word that you are light and there is no darkness in your at all. You know our weaknesses, you know the darkness we think we are hiding from you... yet all is known to you, whether it is our darkest moments or dimly lit areas we have not fully yielded to you. We ask forgiveness. Show us each area of our lives that need your light.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The devotional The First Gleam of Dawn appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Friday, October 9, 2026

Unseen - Yet Omnipresent

John 1:18 (NIV) ¹⁸No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Colossians 1:15 (NIV) ¹⁵The Son is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation.

Part of the mystery of faith in God and walking in His Will and Way is the acceptance that God is real, that he is One triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is the realization that although God is ‘unseen’ He is Omnipresent – all places, all times, concurrently. It is also the same realization of the Psalmist when he spoke confidently of the omnipresence of God.

Psalm 139:1-3, 7-12 (NIV) ¹You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. ²You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ... ⁷Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. ⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. ¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” ¹²even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (c.f., Rev. 22:15)

Perhaps Satan’s most devious ploy is to plant the World’s seed of doubt into our minds from the earliest age. How many children have asked, “What does God look like?” How many teens and adults have asked, “If you can’t see Him, how do you know He’s real?” How many false religions have created wooden, brass, stone objects of worship to visualize an invisible god, when the one true God demands, “You must not have any other god but me” (Ex. 20:2, NLT); “You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you” (Ex. 34:14, NLT); “Do not make any idols” (Ex. 34:17, NIV). Are we any better than Thomas who wanted visual proof?

John 20:29 (NIV) ²⁹Then Jesus told him [Thomas], “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

1 Timothy 6:15b-16 (NIV) ^15b...God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) ¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Do you want visual proof?

Romans 1:20 (NIV) ²⁰For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Psalm 8:3-4, 9 (NLT) ³When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers – the moon and the stars you set in place – ⁴what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? ... O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Psalm 19:1-4 (NLT) ¹The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. ²Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. ³They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. ⁴Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

Psalm 104:24 (NLT) ²⁴O LORD, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of you creatures.

Do you still want visual proof? Look around you! Observe the changing seasons, the migration of butterflies, the kettle [i.e., swirl] of turkey vultures, the flash of lightening with the roar of thunder, the gentle breeze, the starry skies, the vibrant colors of sunsets and sunrises, the fluffy clouds. Contemplate the design of giraffes and camels, ostriches and mosquitoes, the variety of layers of rock and earth, the water cycle, the planetary orbits, microscopic molecules, the solar system and beyond, the very fact that you are alive today with respiratory system, circulatory system, brain waves & central nervous system. Visual proof? Find a mirror. Here you are, right now, in the midst of His Glory for He is omnipresent.

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

We do not and cannot see you with our human eyes... but your creation says all we need to know, and much more than our minds can fathom. We pray for those who are looking for other answers; may their eyes be opened to You.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The devotional Unseen – Yet Omnipresent appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Special courtesy thank you to Dr. Joe Barnett for providing the idea for today's title.

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Helpless - But not Hopeless

Psalm 73:21-22 (NLT) ²¹Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant – I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

Psalm 142:4 (NLT) ⁴I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.

Psalm 143:4 (NLT) ⁴I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear. ... ⁷Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens.

First, allow me to be clear; I realize that using verses in isolation of their context is never wise, but the Psalmist David definitely knew what it felt like to be ‘helpless’. In modern times, I consider myself to be ‘helpless’ on all things technological. I am desperately dependent upon my husband and two sons for assistance. Yet our theme for today digs deeper than just the need for technological assistance.

Our accumulated birthdays bring seemingly insurmountable challenges, our heart is weary, our health is weak, our mind is tired of processing thoughts... we feel an overwhelming depth of helplessness. Yet there is hope – there is always hope – we are not left hopeless!

Psalm 142:5 (NLT) ⁵Then I pray to you, O LORD. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.”

Psalm 73:23-26 (NLT) ²³Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. ²⁴You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. ²⁵Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. ²⁶My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

Hebrews 10:23 (NLT) ²³Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

Lamentations 3:21-24 (NLT) ²¹Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: ²²The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. ²³Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. ²⁴I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

My dear Friends & Readers, I do not know what level of helplessness you are feeling today – whether it is related to situations beyond your control, health issues, feeling helpless as you watch friends and loved ones battle life’s challenges, or just the aging effects of accumulated birthdays that seem to affect us all in varying degrees. But I know this; you may carry a sense helplessness, but you are not left hopeless for your hope is firmly grounded in the God of ALL HOPE. He will never fail. He can be trusted to keep his promise. God walks with you through every adversity and sees you safely until the Blessed Hope of Christ’s coming.

Titus 2:13 (KJV) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ!

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

You know us. You see us. You know each trial, struggle, or adversity we face. You know when we are weak or weary and when helplessness overwhelms us. Yet you are always ready to provide the strength and comfort we need. You not only provide hope, but You ARE our Hope, now and forever more. With humble and grateful hearts we trust Your Will and Way.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The devotional Helpless – But not Hopeless appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Special courtesy thank you to Dr. Joe Barnett for providing the idea for today's title.

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Unlovable - But not Unloved

1 John 4:19, 21 (NLT) ¹⁹We love each other because he loved us first. ... ²¹And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.

Clue #1: My brother and I were the only two siblings in our immediate family unit. Clue #2: My brother was the older sibling. Clue #3: My brother had a very unlovable little sister. Mmmm; I wonder who that could be? And when I say ‘unlovable’ the words selfish, bratty, and tattletale come to mind. Now true enough, my brother knew how to provoke me and how to get me ‘all stirred up’ as they say. Nevertheless, between the two of us, my brother definitely had the larger challenge. No matter what the squabbles were; one thing was never in question. My brother loved me.

Our Dad died when I was 12 and my brother went to work at 15 to help Mom pay bills. My brother watched over me when Mom was at work. He made sure I was the first to get a college education before himself. And on March 28, 2009, he called me to see how I was doing and if everything was okay. We talked for a long time – what I thought was just a routine chat – but what he knew was most likely our last communication. He was aware of his heart growing weaker and the next morning, Palm Sunday, he collapsed and died at his home. But the night before, he made sure his little sister was okay. Now THAT is love. I might have been an unlovable little sister while we were growing up; but I was never unloved. Neither are you! You might have moments of poor attitude, selfishness, anger toward others... you might have many unlovable moments and traits... but YOU are not unloved!

Romans 8:38-39 (NLT) ³⁸And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of [the grave] can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 4:9-10 (NLT) ⁹God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Romans 5:8 (NLT) But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

Thank you for placing people in our lives who love us unconditionally even when we are the most unlovable. Yet even greater still, thank you for the amazing love you have for each of us that you would sacrifice your only Son as the means for our salvation. Because of your great love for us; let us be the conduit to show that love to others.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The devotional Unlovable – But not Unloved appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Special courtesy thank you to Dr. Joe Barnett for providing the idea for today's title.

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Inexcusable - But not Unforgivable

Romans 3:23 (NLT) For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

James 4:17 (NLT) Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

1 John 1:8 (NLT) If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.

Romans 14:23b (NLT) But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat [do] something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

These are not obscure passages. Most of us know them, yet somehow, we tuck them away in the back of our minds. They are uncomfortable passages. These verses remind us that sin is not just doing wrong things, but it is also failing to do right things. Most of us are familiar with the classic definition of sin (Gk. and Heb. hamartia or hātā) ‘missing the mark’. We have trained ourselves to understand that when we sin it is because we somehow ‘missed the mark’ of God’s Will and Way for our lives.

All sin is inexcusable. Why? Because all sin separates us from our relationship with God. It is this depth to sin that we seldom explore. It’s not just doing wrong things, or not doing right things. The devastation of sin – all sin – any sin – is that it hinders our relationship with God.

Isaiah 59:2 (NLT) It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.

Psalm 66:18 (NLT) If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

Praise be to our loving, merciful, and gracious God for he does not leave us in our sinful state without any hope or possibility of remediation. Our sin is inexcusable – but not unforgivable!

Psalm 66:19-20 (NLT) ¹⁹But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. ²⁰Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.

Proverbs 15:29 (NLT) The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.

Romans 5:8 (NLT) But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

1 John 1:9 (NLT) But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Isaiah 43:25 (NLT) I – yes, I alone – will blot our your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.

Psalm 130:3-4 (NLT) ³LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? ⁴But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

Thank you, that in love you prepared a way for our Salvation. Thank you for the gift of Christ’s death on the cross and his glorious resurrection that paves the way for our forgiveness of sins. We acknowledge that our sins, all sins, separate us from you and place a wedge in our relationship with you. But with humble and contrite hearts we thank you for the gracious act of forgiveness you offer to any who call upon your Name.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The devotional Inexcusable – But not Unforgivable appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Special courtesy thank you to Dr. Joe Barnett for providing the idea for today's title.

Monday, October 5, 2026

Failing - But not a Failure

Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT) ²³The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. ²⁴Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.

We are human. We make mistakes, blunders, errors. Some of us seem to have a tougher time than others with challenges and times of testing. We fail often. Yet, we are not failures!

I’m not sure why it is that some face challenges and times of testing more often or seemingly face more difficult than others... but I do know this: Our God is a loving and compassionate God. He will never leave us nor abandon us. Difficult times may weaken and distress us for a time; but God is with us, supporting us, loving us, providing the strength we need to persevere in each and every situation. We are not failures!

I am reminded of the apostle Paul who comforted the Corinthians by sharing his own difficulties with what he referred to as his ‘thorn in the flesh’. We are not told what that specific problem or malady was, and that is not Paul’s point. Paul’s point is found in his response:

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NLT) ⁸Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

We may never reach the place where we are able to ‘boast in our weakness’, but with prayer and perseverance we can reach the peace that comes with understanding Who provides our daily strength. We are not failures!

Psalm 73:26 (NLT) My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

We are human and you are well aware of all our failings. You know each mistake we make. You know each challenge or hardship we face. Through it all, you love us, you never abandon us, and you provide the daily strength we need to face each situation. We ask forgiveness for the times we fail; and although we fail many times, in your eyes we are never failures. With humble and contrite hearts we thank you.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The devotional Failing – But not a Failure appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Special courtesy thank you to Dr. Joe Barnett for providing the idea for today's title.

Friday, October 2, 2026

But Now I See

Greetings, dear Readers! This week I would like to share with you some of my favorite passages from Job – a man who was truly tested; whose helpful friends were not so helpful; but a man who never lost sight of his Redeemer.

Job 42:1-6 (NLT) Then Job replied to the LORD: I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?” It is I - and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, “Listen, and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.” I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.

How easy it is for us to expound on things which we really do not know nor fully understand. This was Job’s admission, too. Job spoke of many things, and many things were beyond his comprehension. Something different occurred with this exchange between Job and the LORD. This humbling experience was real; not hearsay; not passed down from someone else; this was real. Now Job knows, sees, and understands for himself the wonder of the LORD.

When the Book of Job opens, we find him sitting in dust and ashes with a myriad of questions and explanations. When the Book of Job closes, we again find him sitting in dust and ashes; but the difference is now there is humility and repentance. But now I understand; but now I see...

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

Thank you for the life of Job and the lessons we learn about true humility and repentance. Thank you for opening our eyes to catch a glimpse of your amazing qualities and lovingkindness.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The devotional But Now I See appeared first February 6, 2026 on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com As the original author, I reserve the right to update, edit, and republish.

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Thursday, October 1, 2026

The LORD's Response

Job 38:1, 31-33 (NLT) Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: ...Can you direct the movement of the stars—binding the cluster of the Pleiades or loosening the cords of Orion? Can you direct the constellations through the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens? Do you know the laws of the universe? Can you use them to regulate the earth?

One of my most favorite childhood memories of time Dad and I shared were the times when we would slip outside at night and gaze at the skies. Dad would point out various constellations. We would stand in awe of God’s magnificent creation. We would talk. But we would always end our nighttime sky experiences with our voices joined in the hymn so often sung by George Beverly Shea:

My Father is omnipotent and that you can’t deny;

a God of might and miracles; ‘tis written in the sky.

It took a miracle to put the stars in place;

It took a miracle to hang the world in space.

But when He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole;

It took a miracle of love and grace!

It Took A Miracle, (John W. Peterson, 1948)

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

You are the God of miracles and your wonders never cease. Every detail of your creation is a beacon of light that points to You. But the greatest miracle of all was your plan to offer us the gift of life through the sacrifice of your only Son. Truly a miracle of love and grace! Mere words can never express our humble gratitude for such a gift. We thank you by giving You our faithfulness. It is the only thing we have to offer.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The devotional The LORD’s Response appeared first February 5, 2026 on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com As the original author, I reserve the right to update, edit, and republish.

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com