1104 results for author: Ashlee Schmidt

Our Eternal Security

"For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence." Psalm 91:3 The first question that comes to mind when I read this verse is, “Wait a second; wasn’t I delivered from this ‘deadly pestilence?’ Was I not making God my refuge? Was I not dwelling rightly with Him?” Anytime these kinds of questions are stirred in our hearts when we read God’s Word, it is good to pause, dig a little deeper, and ask “Since I’m not experiencing this, what does the author mean?” For the sake of context, if Moses is the author of this Psalm, (which many believe he is) then this verse could quite literally be speaking ...

Let Not Your Heart Be Overcome

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1 The disciples were concerned about Jesus’ imminent departure from them. Jesus says not to be troubled at the fact that He will not be on earth, walking with the disciples through the rest of their lives. He wants the disciples to remain steadfast according to the strength that He alone could impart. He looks to their hearts, aiming to give comfort and emotional support. So, he encourages the disciples that they believe in God, and in Jesus. The command to believe in God (14:1) can also be translated: “You believe in God.”¹ He reminds them of the preciousness ...

In the Word: Patiently Enduring

Welcome to Hope Mommies In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be meditating on 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. As we study the truths found in these verses together, we’d love you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dig into God's Word each week with us! “If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.” 2 Corinthians 1:6 READ: Being able to ...

Return, O My Soul, To Your Rest

Return, O my soul, to your rest;     for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death,     my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 116:7-9 A LAMENT Darkness closes in again. Despair wields its ugly sword. Hope and joy feel so far off. Why does it feel like you are so slow to save? My lungs are tight, my breath is heavy. I cannot keep my eyes cleared of tears. Will there ever be an end to this sorrow? Where is your redemption in all of this? I am wearing thin. This load seems too heavy carry. How long, O Lord? B...

In the Word: Sharing in Suffering, Sharing in Comfort

Welcome to Hope Mommies In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be meditating on 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. As we study the truths found in these verses together, we’d love you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dig into God's Word each week with us! “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s suffering, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 2 Corinthians 1:5 READ: While in the depths of grief, we often feel alone in our suffering. It seems that everyone else is living ...

Finding Security in the Character of God

"I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”' Psalm 91:2 There is a song, often sung with greater conviction in seasons of suffering, that contains the line, “When all around my soul gives way, He is then my hope and stay.” I know, because in my own season of loss, that song took on far greater meaning. In fact, most songs did. At least the lyrics themselves caused me to think and wrestle in ways I hadn’t before. There is a difference between slapping on truth, and truly wrestling with it. When we wrestle, we begin to discover if our security is in fact in God alone, or in our circumstances. As the ...

Dear Noelle: A Letter to my Hope Baby

Noelle, My dear, we miss you. Oh, we miss you. You’re missing from every day. There’s a hole in our family. How I want you! I got to wrap my mommy-arms around you in the hospital. You were a perfect baby. Full cheeks. Sweet hair. Plump lips. You were beautiful. I’m not over losing you. Though my grief is much different now these years later, it seems that yours are the tears that don’t stop being shed. And, I’m still waiting. Jesus. That’s who you’re enjoying now. How blessed! How beautiful! How rich! How glorious! I’ve gotten to know him better since you went ahead. Much. And, what I know without a shadow of a doubt is that I have ...

In the Word: God of All Comforts

Welcome to Hope Mommies In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be meditating on 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. As we study the truths found in these verses together, we’d love you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dig into God's Word each week with us! "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction" 2 Corinthians 1:3-4a READ: It’s often noted that God is with us in our adversities, that He is ...

Abiding in Security

The word for abide quite literally means: to make our home somewhere; to pass the night. Typically, our home is the place where our defenses are let down, and the real stuff comes out. Let us dwell; let us stay and abide in the safest place that God has given us. Let us live there, and rest in the secure promises of God—the promise that we now have access to the holy place, and sit under the shadow of His wings. And when we know we are secure, we can bring our questions and fears to the Lord unashamedly and without condemnation. The question is, is the real stuff coming out towards God? Are we being honest with Him about our fears and insecurities, ...

The Heart of Joy

Joy—do you neglect this fruit of the Spirit like I do? Jesus has spoken to my heart, challenging me to a life of greater joy. It’s a hard word for me, I will admit it. He knows that. So, He gives me days to breathe, converse with Him, relax, be, rest, recuperate from sorrows—and yes, to summon joy to my heart little by little. Just as He kindly challenges me, He also provides the means for me to look to Him and receive the joy that He gives. As bits of joy appear in my life like little stars of glory, I start to wonder what it would look like for my joy to be full and radiant! What does misplaced joy look like in your life? You see, my joy is ...