The Inkers Pen
Spiritual Sparks
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12 NIV Have you ever found yourself in the midst of an endless waiting game? You know the feeling—tapping your foot, watching the clock, drumming your fingers. It's like being stuck in a never-ending line at the grocery store, behind someone who's scrambling to find their last dime, with a primed and teary-eyed three-year-old ready to devour a Happy Meal--now! With empathy in your heart and a smile on your face, you hand this person your last five-dollar bill. That, my friend, is a God moment in patience. You've just been blessed to wait. Waiting. It's not exactly everyone's favorite pastime. Our first instinct is to question why something is taking place. Next, we spring into action, lend a helping hand in hope we can end the problem. Sometimes, our prayer life turns into exactly that. We don't understand why the clock keeps ticking, but the prayer we've prayed for days, months, or often longer continues unanswered. Throughout our lives, we encounter countless moments of waiting. However, during those moments, we are to "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12 NIV). That's a tough verse to smile through. God never forgets our wait or our circumstances, but we, as humans, often forget God reigns over every tick-tock of time. We live in a world that's all about instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it now. That's the way of the world. However, our God operates in his own time zone. His timeline is not bound by our impatience or our demands for immediate answers. Why? Because our God is always working behind the scenes to bring about His perfect plan in His perfect time. Dear friends, when our prayers go unanswered or our health isn't exactly what we want it to be, or the person in line scrounges for their last dime, instead of frantically twiddling our thumbs or checking the clock, let's take a cue from Paul and use this time to grow in hope, patience, and faith. Even during the hard times, God blesses us as we wait. Heavenly Father, When my toes begin to tap and the clock continues to tick, remind me of Your perfect timing. Help me embrace each frantic moment with an open heart. May every blessed-to-wait moment teach me to be joyful in hope, patience in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Thank you for all that You are and all that You do in my life. In Jesus' name. Amen. Spiritual Sparks 1. Have you ever experienced a moment where waiting felt like an eternity, yet you found peace in helping someone else in need? 2. How do you typically react when faced with a situation where you have to wait? Do you find it challenging? Can you maintain patience? Hope? Faith?
Jesus said to the father, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately, the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24 NKJV Have you ever found yourself in a perplexing state where you’re torn between belief and unbelief? You stand suspended on a tightrope between two worlds without a safety net. This happens when a situation seems to have no earthly solution. You search for answers but find nothing. You cling to hope, but despair looms large. For a moment, let’s reflect on the poignant exchange between Jesus and a father grappling to believe as he sought healing for his demon-possessed son. " Jesus said to the father, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. Immediately, the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’” (Mark 9:23-24 NKJV) Every parent can empathize with the anguish and desperation etched in this father’s heart. Believing in God’s ability to orchestrate miracles often feels a bit like anticipating the sight of a double rainbow, maybe a triple rainbow. We cling to the belief of witnessing the vibrant pastel hues of a twin bridge arcing across the sky after a fierce storm. Yet, deep down, our unbelief sometimes overshadows this anticipation and casts uncertainty on the likelihood of such a magnificent spectacle. Miracles happen, often when we least expect them, and present-day miracles are God’s specialty. He doesn’t require us to move mountains or part the Red Sea or build an ark. Although, that would be wonderful if we could, right? Instead, God desires us to cultivate genuine heartfelt belief, even if it’s as small as a mustard seed. Beloved, you can believe Jesus balances on that tightrope with you; he’s also your safety net. Heavenly Father. When circumstances go beyond human reasoning, bless me with those ancient words of “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” I praise you for the tightrope moments. I thank you for all the present-day miracles you have blessed me with, and I am ever so grateful to know and believe that no matter my circumstances, You are my safety net. In Jesus’ name. Amen . Spiritual Sparks: 1. Have you ever felt torn between belief and unbelief in your own life? 2. Have you ever experienced a miracle or unexpected moment of grace?
Prayers Under Fire
(coming soon)
Dex Hamilton, special ops mercenary, turned his back on God six years ago. He now spends his rogue life living for the government, sidestepping a monotony of red tape, and righting a long-overdue wrong.
Marcee Simmons, small-town preacher’s daughter from Ohio, is forced to drive deep into the Belize jungle with Dex. Her faith is tested as she and Dex dodge a host of armed men, cavort with a freeloading tarantula, and plunge over a makeshift waterfall.
Together they must evade the evil forces of a kingpin who fights to monopolize new smuggling channels for the exploitation of illegal drugs and human trafficking. When a few phenomenal miracles cross their paths, the results become an awakening kaleidoscope of change, making their survival critical, their trust unavoidable, and their love unstoppable.
Linda Morgan
Linda Morgan resides in Ohio with her husband. She is a flower gardener at heart, loves to zipline and shoot guns—not at the same time, though. She is an eclectic book nerd and will read everything from Dr. Seuss to Helen Steiner-Rice, YA adventures to espionage thrillers, romantic suspense to clean rom-coms. The latter being her all-time favorite, and as her husband is always quick to point out: “Life’s (more!) better when you’re laughing.” She agrees.
She is a word geek to the extreme and for some quirky reason has an overwhelming impulse to spell words backwards, but only to herself. Not out loud. That would just be weird.
She's written a full-length novel, Prayers Under Fire, which will be released soon. When she typed "the end" to Marcee Simmons' story, she says it was a cartwheel-delight moment--literally. Linda combines page-turning adventure, intriguing suspense, and a romantic happily-ever-after ending to her novels. She had a poem published a decade ago, and a few years back, she won first place on two devotions submitted to FaithWriters.com.
Above all else, God is number one in her life, and Linda knows she wouldn’t be writing if she didn’t believe this is what He’s called her to do. Please take the time to stop by her devotional page, "Spiritual Sparks." She welcomes your visits and prays her words touch your heart.