Devotions

This devotion was published in the Upper Room in its March/April 2012 issue, and a reprint was published in Word Aflame on 9/13

“I Can’t Do It!”

 Read: Amos 7: 12- 15

“Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, ‘I am not a prophet, not the son of a prophet, for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore trees.” Amos 7:14 (NASB)

            “Lord, I can’t do it!” Have you ever said this to God? What has He asked you to do that you think you cannot do? In this passage, God asked Amos to do something new; something Amos had never done before.

            Every now and then a verse of scripture strikes me as a little bit humorous. This verse did that the first time I read it. In this verse, the prophet Amos tells Amaziah that he is not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet. Amos claims to be nothing more than a herdsman and a grower of sycamore trees. I think Amos’ comment is funny, perhaps because I can relate to it so well. How many times have I perceived God asking me to do something for Him, whether it was go on a mission trip, write a devotional, or teach a Sunday school class, when I have told God, “But God, I am not a teacher or the daughter of a teacher…I am just a housewife and a grower of tomato bushes!”

            May we learn to offer God a willingness to do what He has called us to do. May we trust that just like God made Amos into a great prophet, He will also equip us to do whatever He has asked of us. Let us be willing to do more than just taking care of our herds and tomato bushes.

 

Prayer: Gracious Heavenly Father, we know you are able to accomplish all that you desire, even through inexperienced and insecure people like us. Grant us willing hearts and capable hands to do your work. In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

Thought for the Day: Offer God a willing heart and you may be surprised at how He uses you!

Through My Kitchen Window

Devotional Writing - Part Three

Finding Markets

There are three ways I write / sell devotions. I freelance them, selling 1^st rights to a publication, freelance selling reprints, and work for hire where I accept assignments from a publication.

The freelance markets I have found that will buy 1^st rights include:

The Upper Room–this is a Methodist publication. It pays $30 per devotion and its guidelines can be found at: http://www.upperroom.org/about/writer-guidelines/upper-room

The Upper Room has other devotional magazines which also accept freelance work, buying 1^st rights. These include devozine, Alive Now, Pockets, and Weavings. Their guidelines can be found at: http://www.upperroom.org/about/writer-guidelines/upper-room

The Secret Place–published by Judson Press. It is an American Baptist publication, pays $20 per accepted devotion, and their guidelines can be found at: http://www.judsonpress.com/catalog_sp_guidelines.cfm

The only place I have found that will purchase reprints is Word Aglow–published by the Pentecostal Publishing House and they only pay $8 per devotion. Their guidelines are found at: www.wordaflame.org/assets/writers_guidelines.pdf

But there may be others too.

Once you build up some devotional writing credits, you can send a query letter along with samples of your work to magazines which make assignments and ask for an assignment. These are work for hire and there are many of them. The two I have received assignments from are Open Windows (Lifeway) and Reflections (Smyth and Helwys)

I hope these posts have been helpful. Devotional writing is not the highest paying type of writing out there but they are fun and easy to write. And it’s nice to know others are being reached and blessed by your writing.

Devotions

I have done a lot of devotional writing since I submitted my first freelance piece in August of 2009. Today, close to 75 devotions of mine have been published. I have decided to post some of them in my blog. This is the 1^st devotion I ever sold. It appeared in “The Upper Room” in Feb 2011 and a reprint was later published in “Word Aflame."

The Day of Small Things

Read Zechariah 4:6-10

 The prophet Zechariah asks the question, “For who has despised the day of small things?”

 -Zechariah 4:10 (NAS)

 “Mom! I’m bored!” This exclamation came from my twelve year old son just two weeks after school ended for summer break. My, how quickly a child can become bored.  Frankly, becoming bored with the mundane is something adults do too.

The prophet Zechariah poses the question, “Who has despised the day of small things?” One answer to this question would be my twelve year old son. But the question is a good one to be pondered by all. What are the days of small things? These are days when nothing out of the ordinary happens in our lives. We are a people who yearn for excitement, especially in today’s fast paced world. We would do well to learn to appreciate days when nothing of significance occurs–days of small things.

In my life, I have seen some difficult days when people I loved were hurt or died. When I compare these days with ordinary ones, I’ll take the ordinary every time.

May we learn to appreciate mornings when we wake up to nothing unusual. We face the ordinary challenges of home, work, and church life. We go to work, come home, eat dinner with our families, help the children with homework, attend Bible study or choir practice – the usual weekly church activities. Then, we crawl into our warm, safe bed for a good night’s sleep in the home God has provided for us. On those nights, may we be mindful of the extraordinary God who has allowed us to live another ordinary day.

Prayer:  Father, we thank you for all of the normal and ordinary days n our lives. Teach us to live each of them for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thought of the Day

God gives us ordinary days and not so ordinary ones. May we learn to appreciate them all.