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.
What Will You Do?
The Parable of the Talents has been one of my favorite parables for a long time. Jesus tells a story about a master who gives his servants a set amount of "talents," each talent being a very large sum of money. What’s interesting in this story is that Jesus clearly points out that the master distributes these talents according to each servant’s ability to manage them… and then he leaves. What we read and understand is that these servants are expected to multiply what has been given to them. The master doesn’t provide a detailed plan for how to do it, yet he trusts their capabilities because of his relationship with them. Again, he gives to them according to their ability.
Do You Believe?
“You need to DTR!” my close friend and pastor, Chris Huffman, would often say when talking about difficult conversations with friends, family, peers, or employers. If you don’t know, DTR stands for “Define The Relationship.” It’s the process of figuring out where you stand in any relationship—typically with people.
Yet
King David has been known for many things throughout history. He was a warrior anointed to be king, operating under a divine calling filled with passion and worship. He was a man after God’s own heart, yet he experienced plenty of failures along the way. We have the unique perspective of seeing the fullness of his life, and among the greatest lessons he could teach us is simply this—perspective.
I Know
As parents, we’ve made a lot of effort to speak words of affirmation over our kids. “Josiah, I love you so much. You’re a really great kid, and you’re so kind to others. I love who you are.” “Stevie, I love you so much. You make me laugh. You are such a spark of joy and energy.” What I didn’t expect is the response they started giving as they’ve gotten older: “I know.” Not an arrogant “I know,” or an irritated “I know” like we’ve said it too much—they give us the biggest hugs and respond with joyful confidence and the sweetest smiles on their faces, “I know.” They are hanging onto these words with confidence that it’s the truth.
