Abbie Coffey

Hebrews 4:9 There remains then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; I have spent quite some time studying this verse and trying to figure out what in the world Paul meant by "Sabbath-rest".  Sabbath translates into "rest", so I was quite confused.  "'Rest'-rest"?  After reading passages in Genesis and Exodus, reading a little before and a little after the focus verse, I have an understanding of "Sabbath-rest".  "Sabbath-rest" is believing in the finished work of Christ and having faith in His promise.  Paul warned the Hebrews of falling into disbelief.  We are guilty of this when we try to take back our own work to gain salvation and be sanctified.  Disbelief was the Israelites struggle in the desert.  They didn't trust God, even when He provided exactly as He promised.  We will experience Sabbath-rest when we believe that we are forgiven through Jesus' death for our sins and have faith in our resurrection through th

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. This is such a hard thing to accomplish when we are human.  Our natural self absolutely craves selfishness.  We so easily fall into this trap of thinking about what we want and when we want it.  I think it is quite possible that our culture has encouraged our selfishness too, which definitely doesn't help anything.  So how do we overcome our selfishness?  Very simply, we don't.  The only way for us to consider others better than ourselves is to let the one who already did so do it for us.  Jesus put others first.  Paul describes it this way in verses 5 and 6, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus; Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,".  Through Jesus we can put others first, but only through him.  Left to our own efforts we will continue to fail.  My prayer is that I can

Genesis 2:2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Today is a day of rest from meditation.  I will let my spirit rest in the arms of Jesus.

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Today's focus is on the way we can support our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are all on a journey and we all have gifts to offer to one another.  What do you have to offer others on their journeys?  Likewise, each of us is surrounded by so many who support us in our own journey.  Make time today to think about those who are your support and your help.  It's always a good idea to recognize those who are a part of your faith journey.

Matthew 28:20 And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Today I reflect on the journey, past, present and future.  I can look back and see the path Jesus has walked with me.  I can see those things that once bound me so tightly and now no longer have any hold because He has made it so.  I can see where I am currently and the path that seems a bit rocky at this time.  Looking to the future, I can see the Spirit leading on and I know that we have much work to do, both personally and for the Kingdom.  I know that the Spirit is working on some of my other earthly shackles that hinder the light of Jesus shining brightly.  Hopefully I am able to surrender those things quickly and move on.  The journey is beautiful.  It has moments of sadness, victory, peace, frustration, and impatience, but all of those are part of sanctification.  What joy to know that my sanctification can take my lifetime because my salvation is already secure.  Even greater joy is knowing that the

Psalm 139:16 All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. This day is about God's Calling.  I often spend time in prayer checking in with God to make sure I am still called to the same place and ministry.  Many times I have to check my passion and my calling and make sure I am not just doing the things I am passionate about, but that my passion aligns with my calling.  Sometimes these two align beautifully and other times they are not part of the same path.  This will be my focus for today.  What is my passion? What is God's calling? Are they the same or do I have a new path on which to journey?

1 Corinthians 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. Today I will reflect on my Spiritual gifts and how God is providing opportunities for me to use those gifts.  My prayer is that God will reveal to me the moments when I am being prompted or called to use His gifts, but I'm missing His leading.

1 Kings 17:16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah. Today I am spending time in prayer praising God for the ways He has provided.  So often those little items of everyday life go unnoticed.  I pray I notice each and every one of them today, and give God the glory for how He provides.  There are also things that I still try to control and figure out, because I think I'm supposed to (where I got that idea, I don't know).  Today I am asking God to give me the capacity to understand and relinquish those things for which I think I should be able to control.

For the next seven days, I'm going to take a meditative journey.  Each day I will spend the day reflecting, praying, and listening to God about my focus topic for the day.  Please join me on this journey. Luke 24:46-47 Jesus told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Today I'm reflecting on the gift of salvation I have accepted through Jesus, the sacrifice He was in my place, and how He has changed my eternity.

Today's prayer is a word of praise from the Psalms… Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. -Psalm 150

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I am feeling a little battle weary lately.  I am ready to take a week and just pause life to get rejuvenated. I know that this feeling is all part of the journey, those times when I feel as though I am just plain worn out and my mind can no longer think. Those are the times when I need to pause and listen.  Times when I need to be in the presence of God for the sake of being in the presence of God.  Not looking for something profound to learn, or something prophetic to be said, just being with my Creator.  These are times when I ask Jesus the question, "Why did you take hold of me?" and he can remind me of who He created me to be.  Only when I know who I am in Christ can I press on toward the goal.  Jesus, remind me of who I am in you.

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Oh, what wonderful words!  The exhortation offered by God in the old testament through the prophets is beautiful to read.  It is always amazing to me how perfectly His words touch my soul at precisely the right moment.  (Disclaimer: I am not a fan of pulling verses to fit one's life, that's a bad idea.  We must be careful not to make the scripture fit our lives, but instead allow our lives to fit the scripture by knowing God and His voice.  I believe that God uses His living word to speak to us in ways that only He can do through the scriptures.)  There are moments on this journey where I experience complete weakness.  Nothing I can do will make Mom return to us on earth.  Not a single thing on this earth will bring her back to us nor does it offer any type of comfort.  Things on earth are not even band-aid

Psalm 29:3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. As I sit on my couch and listen to the thunder outside and await the impending rain, I can't help but smile at this verse being given to me today.  There are so many people who are dealing with flood waters and the effects of the exorbitant rainfall.  I know it's not always helpful in crisis to hear scripture, but this is what I was given for today and I can't help but think God is speaking to us.  I have no profound words, just this reminder from scripture.   Psalm 29:10 - The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. Keep your eyes on Him.

Luke 8:17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. One of the many things I love about Jesus is that there are never any secrets.  Oh, we may not know the exact path or outcome of a thing, but we absolutely know exactly who Jesus is, which is what's most important anyway. Jesus reveals His true nature over and over in the new testament.  He is a man who loves unconditionally, offers mercy to those unworthy, and gives grace to those in need (among other things).  He always spoke truth and acted in love.  The other thought on this scripture is that we need hide nothing from God.  All of our ickiness is laid bare before Him and He loves us.  We don't have to worry about keeping secrets from God because just as Jesus showed unconditional love while he was on the planet, we receive the same unconditional love from God through Jesus.  How freeing to be loved unconditionally and honestly!

2 Corinthians 2:10-11 If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him.  And what I have forgiven-if there was anything to forgive-I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us.  For we are not unaware of his schemes. I'm not exactly sure why this is my verse today.  Paul gives an excellent reminder of the fact that not forgiving someone is more harmful to you than to the other person.  Satan's schemes always work best when we deny what we know about Jesus and hold on to our selfish ambition and feelings.  He counts on us to believe the lies with which he fills our heads and the words he tells us to keep inside.  Is there someone that you are needing to forgive?  I encourage you to follow Paul's words in order that Satan will not get the slightest foothold.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. I was actually reading verses 8 and 9 and then was caught by this verse.  I was reminded of my dad.  I believe my dad is currently doing exactly what God created him to do.  And I believe that God prepared all of these things in advance, knowing full well what would be on that journey.  My parents waited 13 years to go into church ministry in the role of pastor.  I know that God took those 13 years to prepare my entire family for His purpose.  Dad has been molded and shaped into the shepherd God created him to be and he continues to follow the lead of the Good Shepherd.  I know that God also knew the exact turn this road would take 15 years in and He is already well ahead of us on this journey. For if He wasn't, we would not want to move forward as we do.  I know it's not the best thing to be, but I am very proud of my father and the way he ha

This is my sentiment for today's prayer... Twenty-four by Switchfoot

John 11:35 Jesus wept. It's the easiest verse in the Bible to memorize and yet it has such profound meaning.  We know that Jesus understands our pain and our struggle because he went through horrific pain and struggle.  We often forget that he understands our sadness too.  Jesus had dear friends whom he loved very deeply.  He experienced sadness in the case of Lazarus.  It's fascinating to me that Jesus knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead and yet he wept over his death.  Jesus had a complete understanding of what was about to happen and he still felt the sadness.  This is where I am at certain moments of this journey.  I know where Mom is and I know Who she is with, and all with complete certainty and peace.  This peace that passes all understanding does not remove the sadness that is very real.  The sadness provides a time for me to intentionally connect with God on a very personal level and the Spirit is closer than ever in those moments.  The Comforter is a master a

2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. This seemingly small statement has a huge impact on me today.  I feel as though this verse provides living water to my soul.  The first part is great, that the Lord will direct my heart into God's love.  It seems like such a simple task, but that I would be ever seeking of His love and that the Spirit would continually guide me to it is my prayer.  And the second portion? Oh! It is exactly what I need.  Christ's perseverance.  To think of all Jesus went through in the days of his ministry and then in the journey of the cross through the resurrection makes me stop short.  He persevered because of his relationship with God.  "Your will be done."  Jesus persevered because of his love for us and his trust in God the Father.  Beautiful.  My life is not even comparable to the road Jesus walked and yet, I am offered the perseverance of the one who died for me.  Wow, it

Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Throughout the journey with Mom and now in her passing, we have always said we are being prepared for something.  We don't really have any perception of what that is, just yet, but it is something of God.  He is preparing a new thing.  He has already given us streams of life in the desert of our journey.  Each day is something new.  There are so many times of sadness and tear-brimmed eyes, but the power and grace of God is flowing steadily throughout.  This verse makes me excited today.  I know God has a plan, and I am excited to take the next steps.  The verse prior to this one is "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."  I don't think this means I am to forget my mother, but I will definitely not be dwelling on the past for her sake.  I know where she is and who she is with.  We have a new intercessor for u

Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. I'm looking at each of these separately today.  "With all your heart"  In a world where I am continually pulled in all directions and I am busy with the hustle and bustle of daily life, I think I can get caught up very quickly and not use my whole heart for loving God.  I maybe justify that by saying that those things I am loving have been given to me by God and so, therefore, I view it as an extension of loving God.  I guess there would be some truth to that, but my barometer for whether or not I am loving the gift or loving God is how tightly I am holding onto that gift.  If I have a death grip on the gift from God, my love is not an extension of my love for God.  It is me giving a part of my heart to love, rather than being an outpouring of the love of God in me.  "With all your soul" maybe seems a little easier to do because I see my soul as the et

Psalm 104:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul, O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed in splendor and majesty. "I am even greater than you think," the words I got when I asked Him what He wanted me to know today.  All of Psalm 104 lays out the splendor of God as the creator and sustainer of life.  In His wisdom He created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them.  He has made each and every item on the planet.  That is pretty incredible when you start to think about each individual item, whether living or nonliving.  The greatness of God is surpassed by none and yet sometimes I know I take this greatness for granted.  I forget to spend time thinking of God in a way that gives glory to the incredible works He does and has done that are not directly related to my life.  A word that has been floating in my mind for these last few days is "selfless".  I'm going to begin paying special attention to that word and see what God is trying to show me throu

Genesis 2:22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. As I read this portion of scripture and think back to a little earlier in Genesis where it tells us man was created in the image of God, I was struck by the unity in the creation of man and woman.  The woman was made from man.  They were one in the beginning.  For me this really hit home within the marriage relationship.  It is a true likening to the Trinity.  When man and woman come together in a marriage of God, the three become one.  I have known this part for quite some time (a cord of three strands is not easily broken), but the part of being made from one another is what sticks out today.  It is the true connection to the way the Trinity is one.  All three are one in the same, and yet they are separate entities.  God wants us to experience the beautiful unity of the Trinity relationship and that is His purpose for our earthly marriages.  God wants us to be in uni

Lord, today I have a prayer of thanksgiving.  What a week filled with your glory, your power, and your grace.  Father, I pray that all of those who were a part of this journey would get a glimpse and a taste of you in the way that we have.  You have opened the eyes and hearts of many throughout our time together.  I thank you for the way you have worked this for the good of the kingdom and us.  Lord, you are the One who set everything in motion.  You know the plans you have for us.  You know the final outcome and I thank you for sharing your son with us so that we could know the final victory has been won.  I thank you for the peace and comfort in the sorrow.  I thank you for a new depth of joy that can never be taken away.  I thank you for the light and hope that you have given us as a family, both in our earthly and heavenly blood relation.  Thank you for my sisters and brothers in Christ and the support and care they have continued to provide.  Father, I thank you for the power you

1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. It is so simple to tell someone you love him.  Love in our world is such a broad term.  We use it for so many different things.  I love chocolate. I love to read.  I love going to coffee with friends.  This is why John's words are so poignant for me today.  In order to really share my love for someone, I must show it through action.  (An aside here...Really, this better be happening through the Spirit in me, otherwise it is only of my own doing and that isn't real love anyway. I hope you've already gathered that from reading prior posts.)  I understand that for some people words are their "love language" and this is very valid.  My experience with people who have words as a love language is that they tend to seldom say the phrase "I love you".  The words they choose to say to share their love are uplifting and exhorting.  This verse is just a good reminder to

Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. This is my prayer for today.  I will ponder this in my heart.  Join me.

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brother, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. I am struck today by Paul saying that offering your body as a living sacrifice is a spiritual act of worship.  I think we often run with this verse as a physical act of worship.  So let's look at it as Paul wrote it.  I don't think he mixed up his words.  Offering your body as a spiritual act of worship is more than just what you eat or drink or the types of physical activity you put your body through.  A spiritual act of worship requires you to see your body through the eyes of Jesus and give him full reign of your physical body.  Allowing Jesus to live through you is the way you offer your body as a living sacrifice.  Only then does it become a spiritual act of worship, because the Spirit is working through you to do the will of God.  Surrender to Him today and be a living sacrifice.

Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. Amen!  I just keep thinking of Mom's words to Dad, "If we cower at death, what have we got that's so special?"  Right on, Mom.  Paul said so too.  This entire chapter of scripture is bringing out Jesus' sacrifice as an atonement, once for all.  And then Paul ends with a call to perseverance in the faith.  His last line is what you read above.  So powerful.  As followers of Jesus, we have something that no other religion has, a living Savior.  Our leader is alive and well, and he is living in each of his followers to bring about change in the hearts of men and women to continue his impact on the world.  I do not like to call Christianity a religion for that very reason.  Religion to me is a set of rules and morals to follow and achieve.  It is a specific standard with certain rituals to be followed.  Christianity is not a religion in that sense.  Oh, w

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Today I am sad as I think about my mom.  I saw her obituary in the paper and thought to myself, "Becky Teel is in heaven."  It seems so surreal at moments.  This scripture is exactly what's going on inside of me at this time of grief.  As we've said all along, there are two words for this journey, peace and sadness.  It was complete truth when Jesus spoke the words, "I do not give to you as the world gives."  Jesus left us in order that he could completely give himself to us.  What an amazing gift!  He has given us his peace, which comes with so much more than just calm.  His peace is a tranquility in upheaval, understanding without explanation, joy among sorrow, love out of pain, quiet in the midst of chaos, and  it's all perfectly personal.  The peace of Jesus transcends all earthly circumstances a

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. What is freedom in Christ?  Freedom in Christ is not being bound by a set of rules and regulations.  It is no condemnation and no guilt.  It is light in darkness.  It is not having to try so hard.  There is no failure; no defeat when you live in Christ.  Freedom in Christ is complete and utter bliss, even on your worst day.  The most important word in the phrase is not freedom , however.  Many people think this is the case, but this leads to a misunderstanding of grace and its role in our lives.  Paul even speaks to it, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may abound? Buy no means!"-Romans 6:1-2  The key word of the phrase is in .  We must remember that our freedom only comes through Christ living in us and through us.  Only when we surrender completely to Jesus in our lives will we be able to experience true freedom in Christ.  What is even more beautiful about freedom in Christ is that we are continually cha