A Story of God and All of Us Reflections

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DAY 1

In the beginning
God created
the heavens and the earth.

GENESIS 1:1

DAY 2

I need regular quiet times in my life. The world is so noisy. Between the TV, computers, and mobile phones, it is hard to do what God tells us to do in today's verse. Be still. For me, that means finding some quiet space. It is in the quiet space that I hear God speak.

I try to take time daily to wait, listen, and feel. For most of us, God's voice doesn't come as a burning bush experience. At times, I wish it did. I've often wished "Monica" could show up for me, like I did for all those people on Touched by an Angel. It usually isn't that clear.

And yet, if we really have the ears to hear and eyes to see, God's voice is strong. Over time, you learn to know and hear it. As Mark and I worked on The Bible series, we prayed every day that we would have access to that knowing. We prayed that God would bring us the right people, and that he would provide solutions to challenges we faced. We watched and listened carefully.

When we are still, we are to know that God is God. That requires trust. We have learned to trust God. We had to trust him when the journey of The Bible began, and we learned to trust him throughout the process. It has deepened our spiritual journey.

We are glad that you are reading these devotional thoughts. For you, this might be your quiet time and space. We hope that you will seek to hear the voice of God speaking to you through what you read. And we pray that as you learn to listen, you will grow in your confidence that he is God. He loves you and wants to be part of your life today and every day. R

Heavenly Father, help us take time to get alone with you in a quiet place. Teach us to hear you when you speak. You speak through the Bible. You speak by your Spirit. You have created us with the capacity to hear your voice. Help us be still so we can know you and hear you in our hearts. Guide us and help us trust in you. Amen.

DAY 3

We consider our love and our children to be among the good gifts God has given us. Our story is a beautiful example of how God works when you pray for his will in your life.

We had both met with disappointment in relationships before. We came to a point where we needed God's help and wisdom in meeting and choosing a life partner. I asked God to choose for me. I actually made a list of suggestions for God! I wrote out the qualities that were important to me and then handed them over to God to find a husband who would be my soul mate, my lover, my best friend, and life partner.

I did ask God to let me know when my answered prayer was here. I knew God would send him, but I wanted to make sure I recognized him when he arrived! God sent Mark. I knew he was the answer. Just to make sure, I introduced Mark to Della Reese. In classic Della fashion, she put Mark through his paces and then came and told me, "Baby girl, he is the one!"

I don't know what you need in your life. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish needs from wants. But I know God has good gifts for you. I'm sure he has already given you many. But ask him for what he wants for you. Turn your needs over to him and ask for his best. Trust his love for you. Ask him not to give you anything that would not be good for you. Trust his timing—it is always perfect. And always be sure to give him thanks for every good and perfect gift he bestows! R

DAY 4

DAY 5

I love butterflies. A friend once told me that they are "the wink of God." I can't begin to tell you how often, just when I needed a little encouragement, God sent a butterfly. We even had butterfly designs woven into the arbor we stood under when we exchanged our wedding vows. They have a special significance to us.

Butterflies also have a big lesson to teach us. God is in the business of transformation. The word metamorphosis is actually derived from a Greek word Paul uses in today's verse. The process of spiritual transformation is not unlike a caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly.

I once heard a story of a young child who found a caterpillar's cocoon with a butterfly struggling to emerge from it. In an attempt to help the butterfly, the child ran into the house and found a tiny pair of scissors with which the child cut the remaining part of the cocoon to free the butterfly. What the child couldn't have known is that the struggle of emerging from the cocoon is a critical part of the process that enables the butterfly to fly. In attempting to ease the struggle, the child had accidentally ruined the process of metamorphosis.

I've found the same to be true in my life. When I face challenge and difficulty, I want God to rescue me and free me from the struggle. But sometimes it is the very difficulty that we are trying to overcome that gives us strength to fly. This is our metamorphosis and how we become strong. Next time you are struggling, pray that God would send a butterfly to remind you he loves you and is transforming your life to make you stronger—so you can spread your wings and soar. R

Heavenly Father, thank you for all the times you send "butterflies" into our lives to let us know you are there and you care. When we are in times of struggle, help us remember that you use these things to make us into the kind of people you created us to be—strong and with wings to soar. We love you and praise your name. Amen.

DAY 6

I have an amazing wife. We met while both living in California. A friendship turned into a romance, and a romance into deep love. We both had a growing sense that God had brought us together. On a moonlit night in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, on a torch-lit beach, we became engaged.

The words of today's verse are words that reflect our commitment to each other. I am Roma's, and she is mine. She is my beloved. Marriage is used in the Bible as a metaphor for our relationship with God. Some scholars believe that the importance of today's verse is that it symbolically reflects the intimacy of relationship we should have with God. I like that thought.

I love God. He loves me. He doesn't just want me to know about him. He wants me to know about him. I knew a great deal about Roma before we met. Both of our series were currently on CBS. I had watched episodes of Touched by an Angel and admired her gentleness, and although beautiful, she exuded grace and humility. We had only met in passing at TV events. And when I met her, I wanted to know her, personally. I wanted to have a relationship. And eventually I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

This is what God desires for each of us. He is ready and willing. It is up to us to reach out and begin to know him. M

DAY 7

For some people the journey of life can be long and hard, the road is stormy, and they have burdens to carry that few could ever manage. Dreams have been lost, loved ones have passed away, bills outnumber paychecks, and challenges outweigh strength. It's easy to feel tired and discouraged and hard to see the light at the end of the journey. You want to go on, but some days the road just seems too long and too dark. But be encouraged. God never said that the road would be easy, but he did say that the light at the end of the road would shine brightly and that the arrival would be worthwhile. R&M

Dear Father, we know that no matter how long or bumpy the road may seem that you are with us every step we take. You bring light out of darkness, and for this we are always grateful. Amen.

DAY 8

You might think of the Book of Psalms as containing "God's Greatest Hits." The words of the psalms are actually lyrics to songs that were sung in the Temple in Jerusalem when the people came to worship. David, the king of Israel, wrote about half of the psalms contained in the Bible. The first psalm is actually about the Bible itself. The words poetically describe how our engagement with the Scriptures can produce a life of prosperity.

These lyrics say that prosperity is the result of avoiding bad counsel and delighting in the truth contained in the Bible. As David paints a brief picture of the person who is prosperous, he notes that this is someone who meditates on the truth of the Bible day and night.

It is important to remember that prosperity from God's perspective is not the same as the idea of prosperity in our modern culture. In biblical terms, the idea is much more about living a life of meaning and purpose. It carries the sense of being successful in experiencing God's plans and purposes for our lives.

God wants us to prosper. He wants us to discover and successfully live out his reason for creating us. He wants us to live blessed lives. To that end, he has given us the Bible. As we read the Bible and meditate on it throughout the day, we allow the truth we discover to guide our day; then we will prosper! M

DAY 9

DAY 10

One of the more amazing experiences that happened on the set of The Bible took place as we were filming the scene from which today's verses are taken. We felt the hand of God on the project from the beginning, but this was special. It happened as we were filming the scene in which the Jewish Pharisee Nicodemus came at night to visit Jesus. This scene takes place in episode 8.

It was early evening, and we were around a campfire filming the scene. Nicodemus had just arrived, and Jesus lovingly welcomed him into the camp. It was a warm evening, and the air was still and calm. The two sat down together by the fire. Jesus spoke to Nicodemus of the need to be born again by the Spirit. He then spoke the words about the Spirit being like the wind blowing where it pleases. Suddenly, as if on cue, the wind began to blow. It whisked through the campfire and swirled up where tree branches and leaves began swaying and rustling. Even Jesus' hair began to blow about. It was extraordinary.

It took the entire crew's breath away. There had been zero wind, and then, as if on cue, it moved through the camp. We could not have timed it more perfectly. It was clearly a divine moment where God was saying, "I am here!"

Our experience reflected what Jesus said to Nicodemus. The work of the Holy Spirit is mysterious. We can't always see what God is up to, but we often see the results. He is at work in your life at this very moment. You might not feel it. You might not believe it. But it is still true. R&M

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of spiritual life. Thank you that when you invade our lives with your Holy Spirit, we experience new birth. We open our hearts to you. Let the wind of your Spirit blow where it will today. Amen.

DAY 11

I was raised in Ireland. My mother passed away when I was a little girl, and my father stepped into the role of both parents. He was a quiet man, filled with integrity, love, and kindness. He was the kindest person I knew. He was a man filled with faith. Through my childhood, he would take time to pray with me. We would pray together in our little kitchen with the sound of the rain on the windows outside.

When I finished high school, with his blessing, I went to college in England. I was homesick and missed him dearly. I had a trip planned to return to Ireland and spoke to my dad the night before to finalize my travel plans. I was so excited to see him. "It's been raining here and is damp," he said, "so I've hung your favorite yellow flannel sheets on the indoor clothesline to air." He was so kind and thoughtful. I went to sleep knowing I was loved and excited about getting home the next day. But the unexpected happened. In the middle of the night, my father had a heart attack and died.