Devotionals
In 2015, I was given the opportunity to write devotionals for LandMAX Properties and Timber Company, where I worked part-time. The "Words of Encouragement" devotional series was originally inspired by LandMAX’s owner, Chad Smith, whose heart has always been to be a light to others through his daily work. Though my husband, Matt, and I took on a new ministry role out of town shortly after this began, I’ve continued writing for LandMAX ever since (and sometimes Matt jumps in to write as well)!
We’re incredibly grateful for the many years we’ve been part of this wonderful vision for the LandMAX community, and now we’re excited to extend these devotionals to you, too!
As a thank you to The 31 Co. Foundation’s monthly business partners, we offer this devotional in a customizable, printable format that can easily be distributed to clients in weekly settlement checks or regular mailings. (Learn more about The 31 Co. Foundation here.)
Not a business? No problem! You can subscribe to our devotional and have it sent straight to your inbox weekly, or simply scroll down to start reading below.
The Thief
In John 10, there’s such a contrast between living for Jesus and living for “the thief.” Living for Jesus means “finding good pastures.” It means “a rich and satisfying life.” And the thief does everything in his power to try to rob us from these things and destroy our lives, keeping us from enjoying the things that God intended for us to delight in.
From Labor to Joy
It’s camp season! We’ve been working hard for weeks in preparation for our camps, and they’re finally here. The days leading up to camp are intense. Since we rent a campground, we load a U-Haul, unload, and set up—all in one day—before camps begin! By the time day one starts, we’re already pretty tired. It almost feels like pushing a cart uphill. But once night one of services begins and we see students responding to the call of salvation, the cart tilts and starts moving downhill. Seeing immediate fruit from all that hard work is such a relief and brings tremendous joy. It’s the kind of joy that makes us do it all over again the next year—and do it gladly.
Want to Be My Friend?
Have you ever watched kids make friends? It amazes me how effortlessly my boys can walk up to other kids on a playground and just start playing. Sometimes it’s as easy as saying, “Hey! Want to be my friend?” Other times, they don’t even start with an introduction. They just start running and chasing each other, and before you know it, they’re introducing me to their “new best friend.” I wish making friends was that easy as an adult!
Peaceful, Faithful & Wise
Have you ever read a story where you thought it was going one way, but it ended up going somewhere entirely different? That’s exactly what happened to me with this one. To give you a little background: Joab, a mighty warrior in King David’s army, is pursuing a man named Sheba. Sheba is causing great division in the kingdom and trying to stir rebellion against David’s rule. In fact, King David feared Sheba might cause even more damage than his own son, Absalom.
Under Control
I don’t know about you, but I get really frustrated when life feels out of my control. Still, it’s an inevitable part of life—we can make all the plans we want and be great at setting goals and achieving them, but sometimes life throws us curveballs we didn’t see coming.