Category: Devotionals

Advent 2022 – Day 5

Emily Chase December 4, 2022 0

Welcome back to the fifth of these Advent thoughts about “God’s Love Story”! Have you wondered how my father overcame the obstacle of distance in his love story?

In that same February 2, 1941 letter, my father wrote, “She’s a perfectly lovely looking girl with that beautiful English coloring and complexion and she has the sweetest personality. She’s the kind of girl that I would never have any doubts about and I know that you would love her.” His interest in her only intensified over the next week.

February 11, 1941… “I’ve never had anything so strange happen to me as this thing about nice Joan Lee-Cole, whom I was telling you about last week. I haven’t seen her of course since that one evening a week ago Friday, and I don’t even remember exactly what she looks like – except that she’s sweet and a little taller than my sister Priscilla. But the ridiculous thing is that I still wake up every morning about 5:00 or 5:30 thinking about her, and it’s terrible, because with this loss of sleep I feel like a wreck during the morning. Of course this has been partially stimulated by two awfully nice letters I received [from her] this week in reply to mine, and I almost think that perhaps she has a bliss feeling too! Isn’t it amazing?”

There is a thrill about meeting someone special and falling in love, but imagine discovering the other person finds the same delight in you! In Luke 15, Jesus tells us how the Prodigal Son returned home and was overwhelmed by his father’s welcome. If that father rejoiced when his son came back, we can be confident the Lord too has a broad grin on His face when we turn to Him!

Think back on your own life. Were you excited to first know Christ? Believe me, the feeling was mutual. He was just as excited to welcome you into His family.

Advent 2022 -Day 4

Emily Chase December 4, 2022November 30, 2023 0

Does it seem that Christmas is a long way off? Here’s another thought from our “Love Story” to help you during this period of anticipation.

February 2, 1941…continued. My father had met this new girl, and he immediately wrote home to his parents, “Her name is Joan Lee-Cole, and her father is a minister in Dublin, Ireland. She’s over here on a fellowship from the English Speaking Union, and it seems she has been here in NY for two months, and Friday was her last day here before going up to the Harvard Graduate School to study biology until June.”

Can you imagine the consternation that my father must have experienced, meeting a wonderful woman only to learn that she was leaving New York the next day to head to Massachusetts?

Before Jesus’ cousin ever began baptizing, God had revealed that John would one day meet the Messiah. In the gospel of John, the Baptizer reported, “I didn’t know [Jesus] was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘When you see the Holy Spirit descending and resting upon someone, you will know this is the one you are looking for.’” I wonder how many months went by as John eagerly anticipated meeting the Christ. Would this person be the one? Or perhaps that man standing over there?

At last, John baptized his cousin. There were no doubts. “I saw it myself and I have born witness. This is God’s Chosen One.” (John 1:34) Then Jesus immediately disappeared into the wilderness for over a month. Picture how John must have felt: He finally realized that his own cousin was to be the Messiah, only to see Jesus leave town that same day! John went from elation to confusion in less than 24 hours!

Have you ever thought everything was moving smoothly in one direction, only to be jolted as you suddenly faced obstacles and delays? Never fear, God’s timing is perfect…to the day and hour! So stay tuned!

Advent 2022 – Day 3

Emily Chase December 2, 2022 0

Thanks for returning for another thought involving our Advent theme, “God’s Love Story.”

Yesterday, we saw that my father had a clear idea about what he was looking for in the woman he would marry. He soon got a little help from his Uncle Jim and Aunt Vera. They often invited young people to their home. They had a reputation for match-making, so it seems appropriate that they were the ones to introduce my parents to each other. (FYI, Aunt Vera’s full name was Vera Scott Cushman, and she was one of the founders of the YWCA.)

February 2, 1941…continued. In the same letter from which I quoted yesterday, on the very next page, my dad describes his first encounter with the girl who later became his wife: “As a matter of fact, on Friday morning up at Uncle Jim and Aunt Vera’s, I met another girl whom I think I really would like to marry if I ever get the chance, but I’m afraid it’s unlikely.”

How interesting that family members often play a key role in introducing us to people that will change the course of our lives. The same was true for the apostle Andrew. In John 1:40-42, right after Andrew met Jesus, the first thing he did was seek out his brother Peter. “We have found the Messiah!” Andrew wanted to share good news with his brother, just as my father wrote to share his good news with his family.

Who introduced you to Jesus? Take some time today to thank God for those members of God’s family who shared their good news with you! How might you, in turn, impact the lives of your friends and family?

Advent 2022 – Day 2

Emily Chase December 1, 2022 0

Welcome back to the second installment of our Advent season. “God’s Love Story” unfolded over thousands of years, but ours will take only 24 days.

February 2, 1941…Dad’s letters since the previous November were full of descriptions of girls he met in college and seminary. They went skating, watched movies, went on picnics, and danced until 1:00 am. In this February letter he had a date with another girl. Describing their time together, my father told his parents, “Much as I like Virginia, she isn’t quite the girl I would consider marrying.”

Dad knew what kind of girl he wanted to marry and he had high standards. This girl did not fill the bill. How many of us are glad we did not marry the first person we dated? Waiting can be hard, but I am so thankful that I waited for the right man to come into my own life!

In a similar way, many people explore or “date” other faiths that appear interesting. The Hindu pantheon might seem intriguing. Buddhism might attract some. Islam can feel intimidating. However, none of these faiths offer complete assurance of acceptance and eternal peace with God. Only Christ can fill that longing. He promised that all who have faith in him would become forever children of God.

Peter understood this. When Jesus asked if the disciples wanted to leave him, Peter replied, “Lord, to whom else can we turn? Your words are the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)

My father wanted the very best as a wife. In Christ, we have the gold standard. Take a moment today to think of all the blessings He has brought into your path.

Advent 2022 – God’s Love Story

Emily Chase November 30, 2022 0

Advent is a time of preparation as we await the appearance of our Savior. This year, I’ve prepared another series of 24 devotionals but, of course, the theme is new: “God’s Love Story.”

This December, we will take a journey through the early 1940’s when my father was attending seminary in New York City. He wrote home to his parents every week, and they saved all his letters. Thus, I have a collection of Dad’s personal “advent,” from the times of anticipation to meeting his future wife, from falling in love to celebrating his wedding. Along the way we’ll see parallels with our eager anticipation of Christ’s arrival at the end of Advent.

Nov. 19, 1940…on this date, my dad was pondering his future. He wondered on paper if any of the girls he had recently met might one day become his wife. “The girl that caught my eye most of all was [RM] whom I hope I may see again – too bad she lives so far away in Washington [DC].” My father had no idea that exactly seven years later to the day, he would have not only married a different young woman but have four children. That included his daughter who would be born on…Nov. 19! (And as for a girl living far away? The woman Dad eventually married would be from even farther away, from Dublin, Ireland!)

Like Dad, when I was young, I had no idea if I would ever marry. I didn’t know what that person might be like, nor when/where our paths might cross. And some of us never marry. But each Christmas, we all have the opportunity to greet Someone who is already madly in love with us. Galatians 4:4,5 tells us, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.” God is full of surprises. After a thousand years of anticipation, in the fullness of time, our Savior was born in a humble stable in a small town called Bethlehem. Join us here tomorrow for more of the unfolding love story.

Thanks for the Memories

Emily Chase July 4, 2022 1

When my husband Gene died of COVID during the peak of the pandemic, before vaccines and boosters, he left me with about 120 bankers boxes of files to sort. These boxes held an amazing variety of items, including my husband’s notes on calculus – from when he first took the class as a high school student. (Mind you, Gene taught calculus on the college level and could have written a textbook on the subject.) The boxes also revealed a ghoulish pair of earrings that my mother made for a Halloween party, earrings made out of my older brother’s wisdom teeth. Not exactly a family heirloom!

These items were quickly tossed aside. But other boxes required more careful examination. Long ago, college student ID numbers were their Social Security numbers. I had to cull out and shred any paperwork that listed that precious information.

Fast forward two years. I am down to the last two boxes. These are full of old letters from close family and friends. I have spent incredible evenings rereading each letter and renewing friendships with people I knew fifty years ago, including one dear friend in Australia. Amada and I last saw each other when we were in our 30’s. What a delight to visit over Zoom recently and see each other now as grandmothers!

In another file envelope, I found letters to my parents when I was working in Mexico. Rereading these was like revisiting life in my 20’s. What did my mother think learning about my exploits in jungle training camp where a galloping horse tossed me off its back, a dugout canoe threw me into a raging river as we headed through 22 sets of rapids, or I hiked 25 miles in a single day?

But the biggest take away from all this sorting has been the joy of seeing God’s perfect faithfulness down through the years. He has guided, protected, comforted me all along my journey. Deuteronomy 8:2 tells us, “Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.” Thank you, Gene, for the memories.

Rain and shine

Emily Chase May 21, 2022May 21, 2022 0

I don’t often write poetry but I do like to play with sounds and words, so enjoy this recent poem I wrote. Read it aloud just for a change!

Rein in my wayward soul, Father.
Rain Your grace upon my frequent failures.
Reign with peace over my turbulent spirit,
so that my life forever shines with Your glory.

Emily Chase, 2022

Putin and Pride

Emily Chase May 2, 2022 0

The war in Ukraine continues to wreak havoc on that area of the world. It appears to be a David vs. Goliath event, a small country defending itself against a giant called Russia. Like Goliath, Putin is a proud man, confident of his strength.

Goliath assumed David and Saul’s army and David’s God were all beneath him. He relied on his physical strength. Jeremiah 9:23,24 (NLT) reveals the foolishness of such an attitude.

23 This is what the Lord says:
“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,
    or the powerful boast in their power, [Goliath’s error]
    or the rich boast in their riches.
24 But those who wish to boast
    should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord
    who demonstrates unfailing love
    and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,
and that I delight in these things.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!

Notice that God does not boast about His omnipotence or omniscience or wealth, even though He has a right to do so, since He is the source of all power, all wisdom and all riches. No, our God describes Himself as the source of unfailing love, justice and righteousness. These are the character qualities God delights in.

Many already pray that Putin would recognize the only true Source of power. But today, pray with me for ourselves, that we would forever pursue love, justice and righteousness in our own lives!

“I know my Redeemer lives!”

Emily Chase January 2, 2022 0

Do you remember the story of Simeon and Anna in Luke 2? Anna was an 84-year-old widow who lived in the Temple in Jerusalem. Why did she stay at the Temple? She was DESTITUTE. She was alone, according to 2:37.

When her husband died, Anna should have been redeemed by one of her husband’s brothers. But either no brother-in-law existed or no relative on her husband’s side chose to redeem her. Unlike Ruth who was redeemed by Boaz, Anna had no kinsman redeemer.

To make things worse, Anna likely had no children to take on responsibility to care for her. She may have been barren. She had been married for seven years with no children? The natural assumption would have been that she was barren like Zecharias’ wife Elizabeth who was also old with no children. Barrenness was considered a curse from God, not a blessing.

So Anna became a ward of the Temple, remaining there not in bitterness but in prayer and fasting.

Into this circumstance, on an ordinary day, Anna meets Mary and Joseph at the Temple. Instead of seeing the young mother with her newborn baby and feeling envy, Anna welcomes Mary and her child. Anna overflows with joy over a birth that she herself had never been able to experience.

Anna was a woman without a redeemer. Yet sixty long years later, she found her Redeemer, the redemption of all Israel!

As this new year begins, may we too set aside grief, bitterness and envy. Let’s replace those negative emotions with joy in the faithful fulfillment of God’s promise of a Redeemer.

Advent 2021 – Day 23

Emily Chase December 22, 2021 1

Tomorrow my children will be arriving to celebrate with me. I am eager to hug each grandchild. But let’s pause for another Advent devotional on “preparation.”

Have you ever received the red carpet treatment? I used to speak at conferences and retreats and schools hundreds of times each year. Sometimes the person introducing me would give me a big build up, saying what a wonderful person I was. (You can fool a few people some of the time, right?) But after I was introduced, I would often ask the people seated in the audience to all stand up. “Now raise your hands high, high in the air.” And they did. “Now take all your expectations of me off that top shelf, lean over, bend down and put them on the lowest shelf.” I didn’t want to have to live up to all the hype.

I wonder if John the Baptist ever felt the same way. In Malachi 3:1, the Lord said, “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming.”

No doubt John the Baptist did not exactly fit the expectations of the people as a forerunner of the Messiah. With his camel hair robe and leather belt, he looked more like a wild animal than a holy prophet. But that didn’t stop him from proclaiming that Jesus, someone far greater than John, would soon be coming. And Jesus lived up to every bit of hype!

The messenger of the covenant, Christ himself, was eagerly awaited by the people. They looked forward to his arrival more than we look forward to Christmas. And we know he is surely coming again. Do you anticipate his coming eagerly as they did? Are you prepared?