Shine.FM

Perhaps you’ve experienced the privilege of a gift that keeps on giving. That could be a true joy like family time, a season pass, or a beloved recipe. Or, an irritation—that ongoing car issue, the ugly curtains, or someone asking for more help than you already gave.
 
In my home, we call those “gifts that keep on giving.” Whether good or bad, they’re persistent and seem to pop up repeatedly. One of the more unfortunate occurrences is when one of us shares a cold with everybody else. On the flip side, there are helpful gifts, like the soft, warm blanket I brought back from Ecuador.
 
My life is full of perpetuating gifts of some kind or another. But by far the best one I’ve known is the Word of God. It is a pure treasure given to teach, equip, correct, encourage, mold, and serve us throughout our lives. The Bible has the capacity to speak to us every time we interact with it.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
– 2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV

Indeed, the wisdom of God Himself is made available to us through the preservation and promulgation of His Word. David said God’s commandments made him wiser than his enemies (Psalm 119:98). Solomon taught prudence to the simple (Proverbs 1:4). Paul affirmed that God’s sacred writings gave wisdom to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:15). And for those who reject the Word of the LORD, Jeremiah warns, they are dismayed and caught (8:9).
 
One of my friends recently expressed to me, “I’m reading in the Proverbs right now, and I didn’t realize there’s so much wisdom there! It’s just full of it, and I want to be too.” I also, am working through Romans, and desiring the same: a deeper understanding of God, who grants wisdom to those who need it and request it through faith.
 
God’s Provision:
 
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
 – James 1:5
 
God’s wisdom is not like the world’s. Rather, it is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere (James 3:17). By it, He founded the earth and established the heavens (Proverbs 3:19). His thoughts and ways are immeasurably higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). Even His “foolishness” is wiser than men and His “weakness” stronger (1 Corinthians 1:25).
 
Word of the Week: Revelation. Romans 1:19-23 tell us that God has made Himself plain to us in such a way that we can know and perceive Him, giving us the chance to honor and thank Him. That is true wisdom, for anything else is folly and futility. The wise Creator “is blessed forever! Amen” (25).

Abby

Dear Younger Me, 

Learn to share in the things that make others happy. The selfishness in you wants to complain when your loves ones pick activities that you don’t find as much interest in, and your attitude might make an appearance, but when you look back at the moments you spent complaining during the activity your loved one loves, you’re going to regret that. Instead, realize that even though you might not find that TV show as entertaining, or you don’t live and breathe hiking a mountain, what is special about doing those things is doing them with the people you love. You appreciate it when someone watches your favorite movie with you, or any other time someone partakes in an activity you love even when it’s not their favorite. So, find joy in joining in, appreciating the things others love and appreciating the ones you love. It’s wonderful to see their joy in doing something they love or to laugh along with them in sharing the experience together. The Bible has a lot to say about complaining and grumbling, as well as loving others. Be aware of your stubbornness, knowing when to lay it down and choose the joy of time with your people. Because the smiles and the joy on their faces and the time spent together…it is all so beautiful. 

Love, 

Megan 

You admire a friend’s gentleness or appreciate your pastor’s passion. You think back to a favorite elementary school teacher or high school coach who impacted you. Certain role models shape and guide us.
 
By God’s grace, I have many! But far above them all stands my Savior Jesus Christ.
 
A Type A personality with perfectionist tendencies, I used to be intimidated and frustrated by Jesus. I struggled through a difficult growing season in which I couldn’t grasp why God would set an absolutely unattainable expectation for humanity. “Be holy for I am holy,” He says. From Jesus’ own mouth comes the command, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
 
It didn’t make sense to me until the Lord started to chisel away at my hard, prideful heart, and open my eyes to His rich mercy. I still strive for godliness, but not by my own strength, only that of the Holy Spirit, following the faultless footsteps of Jesus Christ Himself (1 Peter 2:21).
 
Part of what God is revealing to me is His holiness.
 
There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. – 1 Samuel 2:2
 
His character demands ceaseless worship because He is worthy of all praise. God is the personification of perfection, wholly embodying flawless beauty and majestic power.
 
Another part is His grace.
 
God’s Provision: Romans 8 captures that for me. “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (3-4).
 
In His inexplicable grace, God lays bare man’s sin. The Law exposes depravity and underscores our need for a Deliverer—whom He also graciously provides.
 
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly … God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us … We rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. – Romans 5:6, 8, 11
 
The expectation truly is unattainable, but only if I rely upon my own efforts.
 
Word of the Week: Noble. Because of His righteousness, perfection, and humility, Jesus Christ is beyond comparison and exalted above all. What He did for us always wrecks my heart and blows my mind.
 
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
– Philippians 2:5-8
 
The Gospel in short? God requires perfect holiness … I don’t cut it … Jesus does … He swapped places with me so I can receive His perfection and its glories … !!!!! Praise God!!
 
What a role model.

Abby

You pull out of your driveway, noting the U-Haul a few doors down. Your youngest is in the backseat glued to the tablet, and the teenager beside you is texting away. On your way into town, you pass a Catholic school, Methodist church, or Chinese restaurant. At the store, the cashier greets you with a vague accent. On the radio, you discover a Spanish station. At home, you hear news from various parts of the country and world.
 
Diversity is all around us, not as a political agenda or forced policy, but as a natural expression of God’s beauty. He made us all different and loves us all the same.
 
Whether its location, age, religious affiliation, culture, ethnicity, or language, you and I are surrounded by those unlike us.
 
Your new neighbors could be from a nearby town, another state, or distant country. While your kids exist in a technological world, your parents might struggle to navigate their screens. The town you live in has its unique population, demographic, and selection of restaurants and businesses.
 
One thing I’ve noticed is that, even in settings when I resemble the group of people I’m with, there are many variations among us. Different “culture” could simply mean someone likes to bake and knows a lot about it, while I am not seasoned in that department. To me, this brilliant multiplicity speaks to God’s sovereignty.
 
And He [God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place. – Acts 17:26, ESV
 
Not only that, but we all have a commonality. The following verse states every human’s purpose: “that they should seek God.” For, “‘In Him we live and move and have our being,’ … and ‘we are indeed His offspring’” (verse 28).
 
I love that! No matter where we come from, what we look like, or how we dress, we are bound together in this one quality. We speak an assortment of languages, celebrate distinct holidays, and uphold varying values; yet we are all human, in need of the same Savior.
 
Romans 3 explains, “All, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God … There is no distinction: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (verses 9-11, 23).
 
God’s Provision: Praise God, we have a High Priest who knows us and made Himself like us! Jesus, Son of God, is able to sympathize with our weaknesses and give us confidence to approach Him (Hebrews 4:14-16).
 
Word of the Week: Reconciliation. God declares us right in His eyes when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, enabling us to share that good news and new life with others. We’ve “been there” and can relate to our brothers and sisters in mercy.
 
The Kingdom of God is upon us. May the Lord mold me into a compassionate conduit of His truth and love!

Dear Younger Me, 

Congratulations, it’s your wedding week! In all your longing as you wait for this week, I want you to know God sees you as you are growing up and maturing, and He is growing you and shaping you and His timing is oh, so good. The time you prayed by your bed like Grandma did hoping for a man to marry, the prayer request you wrote in your prayer journal that you could marry this man. All the times you’ve told him, “I wanna marry you” and the joy of him down on one knee. You’re going to stand at the beginning of this week and feel how surreal it is, how beautiful it is, and see how God answers prayer.  

As you grow, you’ll see the world has so many messages for women, but I hope that right now you’ll press into what the Bible speaks to godly wives. Find joy in being a helper. Find joy in humble submission.  

Praise God for His every gift to you. I wish you could know now how amazing the gift of this man is. How much he loves God, how handsome he is, his tender heart…the list goes on. Until then, celebrate the ways God works and the blessings He has in store for you that are better than you imagine yourself. Oh, the joy that is to come!  

Love, 

Megan 

Some things never change. In your life, maybe that’s your ringtone, sarcastic personality, or family tradition. It could be the beauty of a sunrise, relief of a weekend, or joy of new life.
 
While change is constant, I’ve taken note of certain aspects of my life that persist steadily. My family is always there for me, nature is still my happy place, and most of all … God remains the same. Come what may, the Lord never changes.
 
How thankful I am for that! No matter the frustration, confusion, and devastation; amidst chaos and tragedy; despite instability, desperation, and complacency, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
 
I’ve been reading through the Psalms, an experience that has brought much peace and assurance to my soul. Time and again, the writers sequence litanies of difficulties, followed by unashamed declarations of faith, despite all opposition. I’ll paraphrase: Oh Lord, my enemies surround me, my heart fails me, my life ebbs from my very bones … men surround me to destroy me, evil prevails, and my soul is destitute … but I will place my trust in the Lord, the God of my salvation.
 
The songs remind me of life: one hiccup after another, heartbreak upon heartbreak, seemingly endless suffering … but then something good—something unchanging.
 
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (56:3). “In you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by” (57:1). “O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress” (59:9). “For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy” (61:3).
 
How can the psalmists, you, and I stand so firmly on these truths, especially when everything else seems to paint another picture, in fact, an opposite reality? Psalm 56 nails it for me.
 
This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life– verses 9–13.
 
God’s Provision: God is on our side! And, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32). He gives us everything we need because He is everything we need.
 
Word of the Week: Defense. God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, is our Defense. He shields us against the attacks of the enemy, protects us from harm, and covers us with His gracious favor. We are safe with Him, for His is trustworthy and benevolent.

Abby

Dear Younger Me, 

Being an introvert is okay. If you were an extrovert, that would be okay, too, but you have this idea that introverts aren’t as lovable as extroverts, and that’s not true. I know there’s a lot of pressure to make good impressions with others, but you don’t have to fake your personality for people to like you. You can be quiet and reserved and still friendly and warm. You can respect your own limits and be okay with that, and believe me that there are others who feel the same way you do. They also don’t expect you to be “on” all the time.  

What if you walked into social situations without the pressure to perform, and just walked in with an appreciation for the people who are there, ready to love them and focus on them instead of on yourself? The beginning of 1 Corinthians 14 starts with “Let love be your highest goal!” Love others. Take your eyes off yourself and put them on others. They may be feeling the same way you do.  

Love, 

Megan 

Your homeschool co-op convenes biweekly, ladies’ group monthly, or board meetings quarterly. This week, you’re off to prayer meeting one evening, parent-teacher conferences another, and somewhere in there you’ll grab coffee with friends. If you’re anything like me (and many people I meet), we’re a part of something at least, and lots of things many times.
 
With that comes the excitement of participation and comfort of belonging. In our communities, congregations, social circles, workplaces, homes, and families, we are a part of what is going on. You and I are privileged to observe and contribute to something greater than ourselves!
 
That’s how it is in the family of God as well. He adopts us as sons and daughters, assigns us a unique task, and equips us to carry out His work for the greater good! This sense of duty and gratitude has fully invaded my mind and heart this past week.
 
I think of what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 7:17.
 
Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

 
Married or single, serious or goofy, rural or urban, employee or employer, divorced or widowed, male or female, young or old, outgoing or reserved, leader or follower, child or adult, whatever the case or distinction may be, it does not matter. God calls and sends, blesses and redeems, equips and transforms anyone who surrenders to Him.
 
Your contribution, and mine, is a critical portion of the story God is writing. “In the same way,” Jesus says in Matthew 5:16, “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Then we read in Hebrews that we are a part of the great cloud of witnesses who live by faith and seek identity in God.
 
The truth is, God does not need us. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present. God wants us. He invites us to the work He has already planned regardless of us, but we also know He has arranged those plans to include us (Ephesians 2:10). Mind-blowing!
 
I love the illustration in 2 Timothy. It says, “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2:20-21).
 
God’s Provision: God extends His offer of salvation to you and me! It not only includes freedom from sin and death of the past, newness of life in the present, and a promise of eternal life in the future, but also ongoing redemption in the daily moments and ministries of life.
 
Word of the Week: Restoration. God is doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:19) and making all things new (Revelation 21:5)—including us! Romans 8 paints the picture: “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God … For in this hope we were saved” (8:19, 24).
 

Abby

Dear Younger Me, 

Can you be thankful for the chores? I know, cleaning and yardwork aren’t the most fun things to do on a Saturday. Doing dishes after supper is not ideal. Folding laundry while a show is on when you could be snuggled up is also not your favorite, but if you only knew what all those chores are preparing you for. Not only have your parents shown you the importance of doing your part in your home, but they are preparing you to take care of your husband and your own home someday. And you’ll be so thankful you know how to do such things when you get there. You’ll know what cleaning products work and what setting the laundry machine should be set on, and you’ll handle those tasks with confidence.  

I know right now, it isn’t fun. You can try to imagine and wonder if anybody else’s parents make them clean or help with cooking and dishes or yardwork, but I wish I could tell you now to learn as much as you can. Sure, when you’re older and you don’t know how to do something you can always ask for help or do some research (and believe me, I’ve done that plenty), but I didn’t have the appreciation for what I was learning when I was younger.  

Because someday, there will be somebody (hopefully somebodies) you can take care of, and thanks to your parents you’ll be equipped and ready to do so. 

Love, 

Megan 

Dear Younger Me, 

The world is bigger than just your own little world. There’s a lot going on in your world, with friends and family and all the life stuff that can keep your eyes from looking too far out. But the beauty of God’s design is that you live in His world, His family, His body, His Church. There’s a joy you can experience when you recognize that you are a part of something bigger than yourself, and that God has a great plan, and you get to be a part of it. Every day you live is a day you get to live with God’s great purpose in mind, that you get to glorify Him, and be His hands and feet in the world, whatever that looks like each day.  

And the people you see all around you? God loves them. And they might be adopted into God’s family as Christians, too. What a glorious thing to get to meet members of God’s family around you, when you have open eyes and ears to see them. And maybe someday you’ll choose bravery and get to know someone, either asking them if they know God or telling them about Him. 

 And when you pray, certainly pray for your needs and the needs of the ones you love, but remember the Church. Remember what you’re part of.  

Love, 

Megan