Freely Speaking Audio Devotion

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Freely Speaking Audio Devotion

Jessica Gerth (Writer) - Tyla Yauk (Narrator)

November 6, 2024 • Jessica Gerth

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Welcome to Freely Speaking, an OHSOFREE devotional ministry where we share our hearts and trust God for transformation.

Today’s devotional is written by Jessica Gerth.

Our scripture reference for today is from Romans 11:36 MSG. “Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.”

The second anesthesiologist finally instructed me to lie down. Could it be that I would be awake for the arrival of my baby - after the waiting, countless jabs into my spine, and a lot of prayer?

I heard my doctor say, “It’s a boy!” followed by the most precious cry, and everything in me felt a shift. Years of physical pain and disappointment suddenly made sense with the unexpected arrival of this child. In that moment, all I felt was gratitude.

The verse above has magnified my understanding that Jesus is the source of every blessing. So much uncertainty surrounded the birth of my fourth baby. The years leading up to this impossible pregnancy took a toll on my body, but finally, I understood why God had allowed such suffering in my life. Sometimes, He walks us through hard seasons to prepare us for what’s coming and to increase our trust in Him.

If my prayers had been answered when I asked Him to take away the pain, the damage to my discs and spinal cord wouldn’t have been discovered. My neurosurgeon explained that, among other things, I would have lost the ability to walk. God allowed the pain for my benefit.

But from Him comes miracles, and through Him comes healing. I never expected to be blessed with another baby, but this was no surprise to God. Despite the minimal chance of my being awake for the delivery due to my spinal fusion, everything is possible in Him. He loves us enough to do the unexpected.

God often develops us slowly, sometimes with seasons of waiting or uncertainty. But even then, we can be grateful for His unwavering presence and that He is preparing a future for us beyond anything we could plan.

Give thanks to the Lord for the everyday gifts and the unexpected miracles in your life.

Thank you for joining us today. If you would like to learn more about OhSoFree Ministries, please visit us at www.ohsofreeministries.com/

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Welcome to Freely Speaking, an OHSOFREE devotional ministry where we share our hearts and trust God for transformation. Today’s devotion is written by Marge Web. “...My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior… For the Mighty One has done great things for me and holy is His name.” (Luke 1:46-47, 49 NRSV) I love Christmas music. My former employees will tell you when they rode to a lunch event in my van; they expected two things: I would drive fast and undoubtedly listen to Christmas music. Did you know singing worship songs at Christmas is evident in the Bible? Of course, the era wasn’t called Christmas, but the angels were bringing the good news of the Savior, and Mary and Zachariah responded with singing. Mary’s beautiful song says in part, Sing out my soul the greatness of the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior. This song is often called the Magnificat and has been used as the basis for choral music and hymns for centuries. What beautiful praise as Mary reacted to all the events happening in her young life sharing the news of the promised Messiah with her aunt Elizabeth. This Christmas let’s not just sing Christmas carols for fun but also worship the newborn Savior through these beautiful hymns. From the daunting melody of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel to the more familiar Silent Night, focus on the lyrics of each song. Maybe we can start with this one. It’s not worshipping a town, but a Savior born there as prophesied in Micah 5:2, “But thou Bethlehem, out of thee shall a ruler of Israel come forth.” (KJV) “Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem, how still we see Thee lie! Above Thy deep and dreamless Sleep The silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light: The hopes and dreams of all the years, Are met in Thee tonight.” Let Jesus meet your hopes and dreams this Christmas. Thank you for joining us today. If you would like to learn more about OhSoFree Ministries, please visit us at http://www.ohsofreeministries.com

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