by Holly Newton Everyone goes through wilderness seasons – times that feel empty or wanting. When we go through a holding pattern, it doesn’t mean that God is holding out on us. He’s always at work preparing our hearts and our foundation to handle His purposes if we’re seeking Him (Rom 8:28, Amos 5:4-6, Psalm […]

by Holly Newton When I wrote the devotional book, Exhale: 90 Devotions For Letting Go And Living In Unforced Rhythms Of Grace, my prayer and intention was that it would draw readers closer to our Lord, our Savior, exchanging the weight of life for the unforced rhythms of grace He provides. We were never meant […]

by Holly Newton Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind. For your faithful love guides me and I live by your truth. Psalm 26:2-3 We note in Psalm 26 David declaring his loyalty to God and that despite the danger he was facing, he remained confident that God would help […]

by Holly Newton The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3 Today we’re taking a close look at Psalm 23. It has to be […]

by Holly Newton In the Lord I take refuge, How then can you say to me: ‘Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can […]

by Holly Newton Have you ever wondered if God wants to hear your honest pleas? Is He really near when hardship hits? The Psalms give us a beautiful glimpse into who God is. They are a collection of songs and poems written to express the full range of human emotion to Him. Join us this […]

Have you ever felt under siege? Perhaps from circumstances that were a result of opposition from others or personal failure. The good news is Jesus loves you so much that He died instead of you. ⁠

⁠He took the punishment of the cross so we can be made whole.

He showed us how to love when we’re betrayed. ⁠

He didn’t have to, but He did. ⁠

All of us will face trials and temptations. We’ll go through ‘the fire’ and wade through ‘rough waters.’ Sometimes you cannot understand what’s going on and will want to give up. But God often uses the challenges and difficulties of life to shape us. He uses them to strengthen your character and advance His purpose in your life.

Do you see it? We don’t see what’s ahead. Only God does. You have no idea how your obedience today is making way for God to move – on someone’s behalf and even on your own behalf.

In the third chapter of Nehemiah we see that everyone was needed. Everyone went to work side by side. Each was given a portion of wall to rebuild, restore, and repair. And each one’s place was different with different lengths.

We can get so caught up in the normalcy of our days, and even comparison with others, that we miss the significance of how God can work and move through our hands.

The last half of Nehemiah chapter 2 describes Nehemiah’s journey to Jerusalem and his first actions when he arrived. I think it’s notable to mention he didn’t tell everyone, anyone, at this point as he entered the gates what God had put on his heart. It was only after he closely examined the task ahead, prepared with prayer and pondering, that he shared – and they began the work immediately (v. 17).