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!

  • In The Quiet

    Deuteronomy 9:9 NIV

    “When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the Lord had made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water.”

    Did you notice that when Moses received the ten commandments on Mount Sinai, he didn’t just go up and come right back down? Moses stayed on that mountain for at least forty days and forty nights without food and water. When the realization of this hit me, I was in awe.

    I asked myself why Moses abstained from eating and drinking for such a long period of time.

    Did you realize that’s the first mention of fasting in the bible? [Ex 34:28] As a result, Moses  had no distractions. He was in a quiet place, his heart was positioned to God and he had no interference to keep him from hearing the voice of God.

    It reminds me of when Elijah fled to the wilderness. [1 Kings 19] He had slaughtered the prophets of Baal and Jezebel was ANGRY. So angry in fact, she’d threatened his life. Frightened, Elijah left his servant in Judah and headed for the wilderness.

    The very first thing Elijah did was go to God in prayer with his fear and emotions. The Lord provided him with food and rest because the journey was too much. After that, Elijah traveled forty days and forty nights and guess where he ended up? Mount Sinai [or mount Horeb.] I am left to wonder if God provided Elijah with so much food because not only was the journey long, but there would be no other food for that length of time- I mean, we’re in the wilderness right?

    What I love about these passages is that God provided every time, and in the quiet he spoke. He instructed. He prepared. God doesn’t talk to us in the wind, earthquake or fire because we are busy and distracted. Hear me when I say he is always faithful and provides in every season. However, he will talk to you in the quiet stillness, when your focus is on him.

    What in your life is distracting you from God? It doesn’t have to be food and water. Maybe it’s watching TV, social media, or maybe like me, you’re just living a really busy life.

    Join me over the next forty days and forty nights as we just put all these distractions on the back burner. Let’s use the time we usually spend mindlessly scrolling through our phones to have solitude with the Lord where he speaks, instructs, and prepares. I can’t wait to see what he does!

  • Waiting Well

    But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

    Have you been waiting on a new career? What about a spouse? Maybe you want a child, or you’re waiting for that family or friend to wake up from the choices they’re making and find JESUS. Maybe there’s something else you’re waiting on, and I know how frustrating it is!

    There is a lot of scripture about waiting. So many words of truth about what happens when we wait. When I say wait, I mean…waiting well. This isn’t just a practice in patience though. This is literally finding joy through suffering, wondering when our circumstances will change.

    Several people throughout biblical history remind me of someone who waits well. Abraham waited 25 years for a son, and while maybe Sarah took matters into her own hands, Abraham waited! Paul showed amazing strength and patience during his imprisonments, and David… Oh David. An anointed king who spent years fleeing persecution in the wilderness before he ever ascended to the throne.

    There was a time in my life when I was so desperate to get out of a situation that I dedicated all of my free time to driving around town in search of a place to rent on my own. I got lost in a corn field, and with tears streaming down my face I can remember punching the steering wheel of my car and cursing at God!

    I recalled this event with my therapist and told her I felt like in my current waiting period, I was headed back to that corn field, my hands clenched and ready to fight the steering wheel again.

    She smiled at me and said, “What if instead of asking God to get you out of something, you simply ask him to open new opportunities?”

    I admit- that statement caught me off guard. Why had I never thought of it that way? I was reminded again during a women’s event at church when one of the speakers mentioned waiting well. She said that difficult situations are opportunities to see beyond our circumstances. If we look through the lens of the Father, we might see who we are able to reach with love, kindness and an invitation to know HIM.

    Friends, we can smile knowing that God actually has it all worked out. Every time I have surrendered my will to his will and just allowed him to do his “ALMIGHTY THING” it has been such a magnificent experience- much better than anything I could ever have dreamed of.

    Now, I would be lying if I told you that I was an expert in my practice of waiting well. This is a daily struggle and I have to continuously ask God to change my heart and my attitude. The good news is, every day is a new day to wait well.

  • Taking It Back To Grief

                                                                                    GRIEF

    Psalm 34:18 NIV

    The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

    It took me years to understand the verse above is talking about grief, which by definition is sadness or emotional distress following a loss. Unfortunately, we all experience grief at some point in our life.

     I have faced grief many times in my life, and it’s safe to say that this deep sadness is multifaceted. One moment you feel like your breath has been completely knocked out of you. Then later, it changes to an indescribable heaviness. I can’t forget the days I didn’t have the strength to take a shower. Quirky as grief is, there are some days when you don’t even know you’re grieving.

    If I told you I felt the same about each loss, I would be lying. However, God used these events in my life to draw me close.

    The truth is, grieving isn’t new.  Don’t you think God grieved when Cain killed Abel? And Jesus wept for Lazarus. How about when Mary, the mother of Jesus, was at the foot of the cross?

    I can’t seem to find anything in scripture depicting the grief she must have felt.  I can only imagine. Of course, I know the pain of losing a child. What I don’t know is how it feels to hear everyone around you taunting and mocking your child, rejoicing as he hung on a cross. Did she feel like a sword was piercing her soul? (Luke 2:55)

    It was on the days that I didn’t feel like a sword was piercing my heart that I met God. I found that even in our grief, we can open our hearts to God and experience his comfort.  God has many names, one of which is Jehovah Rapha; the Lord who heals.

     My friends, we can call out to the God who is able and willing to heal you in your deepest despair.

    Lord,

    My healer and comfort, I pray for your closeness, your reassurance, and your freedom from grief.  I praise the Lord who heals and I ask that you cover those who are crushed in spirit with your unconditional love and your everlasting peace.

    Amen

  • HOLD ON

    John 15:4 NIV “Remain in me as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

    Did you know that another word for abide is remain? Several versions of the bible use the word abide, while others use the word remain. Another term that is similar to the word abide is, “Hold To.” That one stuck with me. When I see those words, I envision an invisible tether keeping me connected to Jesus. When I actively use that tether, I am holding on to Jesus. When I don’t, it feels like it’s been cut.

    Honestly, Jesus is the source of all life.

    Every good thing we experience comes from Jesus; Love, peace, joy…the list goes on. When I feel disconnected, I am unhappy, lost and hungry for a life that can only come through Jesus.

    The good news is that when we feel the tether pull like it’s going to break in two, the Lord is at the other end making sure it doesn’t. That, my friends, is what abiding is all about.

    When we abide, we aren’t just having a one-time encounter with Jesus. This is an invitation directly from the Lord himself to stay connected to him every day, every minute, all the time. We do this through his Word, the Holy Spirit, community, and by serving others.

    So, yea, life is a little rocky. Jesus knows his sheep are going to wander and get lost. We are going to feel that tether stretch to the point we think its breaks. But remember, the source of life is at the other end. He knows us by name, and he pulls us right back in. So… hold on.

  • Surrender The Pen

    Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV///0 “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “Plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

    Years ago, while walking in the park with my friend Janelle, she gave me excellent advice. Our walk followed a time of chaos in my life- loss of a child, divorce and disappointment. Despite my mind and emotions being all over the place, Janelle was doing what God called her to do-shepherd and disciple me. In her patient way, Janelle simply told me to give God the pen back because HE is the author of my story, not me. That advice has stuck with me to this day.

    Fast forward to more recent times. Another close friend of mine posted on social media something that said, “Sometimes I feel like my life is being written by someone who isn’t sure if they like me or not.” It brought me back to a myriad of times I’ve wondered if I had a plan or a purpose. In our human nature, we often wonder who’s behind the curtain calling the shots and why things happen the way they do. As a child of God, however, we can change our perspective.

    He absolutely has a plan and a purpose for our lives.

    He knows exactly how and when we are going to arrive at those plans as well.

    we can know with confidence that THE somebody writing our story loves us unconditionally.

    If you haven’t gotten there yet, please believe he still has a plan for you. All you have to do is surrender the pen.

  • Joyfully Found

    Psalm 16:11 (ESV) You make known to me the path of life; In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

    “I’m so sorry, but there is no heartbeat.”

    I was near halfway in my pregnancy when the above words were spoken. I sat in the sonogram room where it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, yet there was not even the sound of breath coming from anyone in the room. The news left me completely shattered and I felt as though someone had pulled the rug out from under me. Later that same day, I was induced and endured a very intense labor process. I gave birth to my sleeping angel early the next morning.

    In the days that followed, I was in a very dark place. I didn’t know up from down, and it seemed like I was on autopilot. Who knows what took place each day? But I do know I spent a lot of time in my office writing and crying.

    One night, as I sat at my desk, I remember looking around as if searching for something- anything to hold on to, anything that would help me with emotions I didn’t know what to do with. I felt deep in my heart that I was at a crossroad, and I had a choice to make.

    I could blame God for every broken part of my life and chase darkness, or I could ask God for rescue. I was drowning and so desperate for a life preserver. I didn’t want more darkness, I wanted light. It was in the quiet of that moment where I cried out to God, telling him exactly how I felt and what I needed.

    And you know my friend, The Lord hears you and he listens. I felt his love wrap around me as he told me that he was there, he’d been waiting for me, and this was my moment to say yes.

    Not only was his hand healing and comforting, but he filled me with a joy I never knew. When you hear, “my cup runneth over” THIS WAS THAT! Years later, I still feel that joy just overflowing. The only place that joy can come from is the LORD.

    Psalm 30:5b tells us that weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. There is an end to look forward to. It doesn’t mean our heartache goes away, just that Jesus will joyfully find us in the midst of brokenness and heartache.

    So sit back, take a deep breath and allow Jesus to wrap his arms around you. This is your moment to say, Yes, Lord, come.