The Heart of a King
God can use all leaders—whether they’re Christian or not—to serve His purposes. The midterm election season is in full swing, as evidenced by the flood of text messages on my phone, nonstop flyers in my mailbox, and mudslinging ads on the TV. It can be discouraging when we feel like we don’t have a candidate we can get behind 100 percent. And sometimes it seems that no matter which way the vote goes, not much changes. Thankfully, we can look to Scripture to be reminded that God can direct our civil leaders according to His will. In this [...]
A Time Capsule from 2007: My First Blog Post
“I have come that they might have life [zoe], and that they may have it more abundantly.” –John 10:10 In my first post on this site, I mentioned that I started a blog almost two decades ago, where I only posted a few times before abandoning it. If I recall correctly, I used Blogger, and I was writing under my former pseudonym, Zoë Malachi (zoë taken from the word used in John 10:10). I don’t know if those original blogs posts are still out there in the ether, but I wondered: Do I have those posts stashed away [...]
The Evil Foe Has No Power: Angels, Demons, and Christ’s Victory
“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” —Matthew 18:10 Angels have long fascinated our culture. However, the sweet, chubby cherubs plastered all over Valentine’s Day merchandise aren’t an accurate representation of these heavenly beings. Angels are mentioned hundreds of times in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. Scripture indicates that they were created for two purposes: to serve and glorify God and to minister to and protect human beings. [...]
Baptismal Birthdays: Celebrating New Life in Christ
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. —Romans 6:4 Every year, my family looks forward to celebrating the children’s baptismal birthdays. Both of them have a “baptismal birthday box” that contains a collection of treasures from their baptism days: The delicate cloth with an embroidered cross, which the pastor used to dab their tiny foreheads dry. The bulletin from that day’s divine service. The candle that symbolizes Christ as the [...]
Abiding in Christ
What does it mean to abide in Christ? Last weekend, I was blessed to attend my first pastor’s wives’ retreat. About thirty of us gathered together at St. Columba, a camp and retreat center outside of Memphis. It was as wonderful weekend of sharing, sisterhood, and smores, as well as teaching from fellow pastor’s wife, author, and speaker Deb Burma. Deb based part of her fantastic presentation on John 15:4–8, where Jesus tells His disciples that He is the vine, and they (we) are the branches. Whenever I hear these verses, I think of the devotion I wrote [...]
A Birthday Reflection on the Gift of Life
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. —Psalm 90:12 September is one of the most popular birthday months. It sure is in my household, because three of the four of us—my husband, my daughter, and me—were born this month. My husband and I were born 361 days apart, so we’re the same age for four days each year. This year, I’ve been reflecting more on birthdays from a biblical perspective. The gift of life is something I don’t take for granted. My sixteen-year-old unwed mother chose to give birth to [...]
Work as to the Lord
Our work is a gift from God and an opportunity to serve our neighbors and glorify God. I admit that I’ve never given much thought to Labor Day. In the North, Labor Day was merely a marker indicating that the school year was about to begin. Down here in Nashville, it marks the time when my children are beginning their second month of school. (I know, I know!!!) When I was still an editor at HarperCollins, Labor Day marked the end of “summer hours,” and we’d revert to working full days on Fridays. The four-day week was a [...]
Prayer Is About Presence, Not Perfection
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will [...]
For the Lord’s Sake
Our Christian freedom compels us to submit to authorities but to obey God above all. Our government and people in positions of authority often make decisions and take actions that we disagree with, whether as citizens, Christians, or both. As Christians, we must use our God-given discernment to determine when we should obey the authorities and resist them, for the Lord’s sake. In today’s piece from my book, One Nation Under God: 40 Devotions for Patriotic Women, the Apostle Peter and other early church fathers serve as examples as how we can navigate these kinds of situations. Thanks [...]
Happy First Anniversary to The Word Steward Blog!
Also with the lute I will praise You— And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed. —Psalm 71:22–23 In typical fashion, I completely overlooked the fact that last Friday, August 7, 2026, was the one-year anniversary of my first Word Steward blog post. But better a belated celebration is better than none, right? As I mentioned in that first post, my initial attempt at blogging was about two decades ago. [...]