Devotional for friends // Devocional para as amigas

  In moments of peace and tranquility, it is useful to remember times of stress and struggle by Thomas à Kempis Whenever you are enjoying some time of peace and rest, it is useful to call to mind those times when you have been busy, overworked, or stressed. Whenever you are enjoying the calmness of solitude and silence, it is useful to reflect on those occasions when you have been assaulted with noise and activity. Indeed, calling such things to mind is a sure and effective way of learning to love and value the peaceful tranquility of your times of solitude! If you reflect upon how easily you can become anxious or worried, or how little it takes to perturb your soul, you will also realize that the achievement of true inner peace is not something which human efforts can ever achieve on their own. Left to yourself, how often you have fallen prey to anxiety, even when there is little or no real need to worry! How often, even when you are surro...

  Here I am one more time thinking about Psalm 23.  While the pastor was preaching, my mind wandered a little bit for something that he said. I read this morning in my daily Bible reading. The pastor was preaching in Daniel, but he said something that is written in Colossians 3. He was the king in Babylon (that one who saw the handwriting on the wall), he was empty; there was nothing that could feel him inside. He was an idolater. Colossians says that covetousness is idolatry also. So, when I covet something, when I desire something that I don’t have, and most likely I don’t need it either, I am coveting. Also, I am giving in to the desires of the flesh, which I should have put to death as the apostle Paul instructed so many times. Bear with me, I will get to Psalm 23 in a minute. When we give in to the desires of the flesh, which are anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, fornication, passion, and so many other things, I am forge...

  The Word of the Lord is beautiful and true. In there, you find so many poems. This is the form the Bible authors chose to communicate the Word of the LORD, and it is profound. I’ve been listening to the Bible Project podcast for more than a year now. Lately, they are covering the theme of “The Wilderness”. Now, everywhere I read in the Scripture, I see something related to it. It is amazing. I am now in the book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 43. And guess what? It is wonderful. Just in the first few verses, you find that God is telling His people that it doesn’t matter what sort of hardship they are going through, He, the Creator, will deliver them. Actually, it is said like this: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior....

  Have you ever felt like you haven’t fully overcome some trauma? That all of a sudden, you feel that shame rising, and the only thing you can think of is “to hide”. Oh well, I hope not. I wish this were only my experience. But I know it is not. There are so many things that we suffer once or for a period of time over and over that make us uncomfortable and small. I have to tell you, this world is not for tender hearts. This world is tough, and the people are cruel, knowing and unknowing. People often think they are doing their best, they do what they think is good and the right thing to do. They think they are helping just because they wish they could be of some help. Even without knowing what exactly the problem is. Because of that, we often hurt people without knowing or even wanting to. And to make matters worse, we don’t understand and get ourselves hurt, too. We think the other is being way too sensitive. We instantly go into defensi...

  My family is very worried about what is going on in Brazil, mostly about politics. As they asked me to pray, I am praying for it. Last night, I think, before falling asleep, one thought came to mind. The talk Jesus and Pilate had. When Pilate confronted Jesus, saying, “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. (John 19:10 – 11). I asked God, yeah… I remember this part. What about it? So, the answer came to my mind: who has the authority over the governments of the world? Who has given them authority? Who put them there?” Right.   This was one thing. First of all, God knows everything and has everything under his control. Just the fact of knowing this should be enough not to fret.   Then this morning, while watching the Bible Project class about Abraham, something...

  O amor é uma decisão, não apenas uma emoção. É altruista e um compromisso. As I was watching a TV show a few days ago, this theme came up in that episode. It got me very frustrated because it made me think, “Is this how people are thinking about love and relationships”? So, there was a couple who were married but with a different kind of agreement. They called it a contract. They had a contract of relationship. The woman wanted to have a structured home, but with no feelings for each other. She wanted a family, with a kid, but no sexual interaction with her husband. It was not allowed for them to get “in love” with each other. (In that moment, my jaw fell wide open on the floor). I thought, what were they thinking? They would live together and not get attached to each other? How did they get a child of their own? Well, the child came with an IVF treatment, of course. What a stupid question, Hadassa! So, I thought, on the other hand, we see ...