Devotional — Nicole O'Meara | Blog

Often, real change happens in small increments that we may not notice. This is true for physical healing as well as spiritual healing. Becoming more like Christ happens in one moment (salvation) and in a lifetime of moments (sanctification). It is the work of the Holy Spirit who is constantly healing and shaping our hearts, but if we’re not careful, we’ll miss it entirely.

No wonder the Bible repeatedly commands us to “remember,” “remind,” and “write down” the faithful deeds of the Lord.

Blog, DevotionalNicole O'MearaAugust 5, 2022Devotional, Journaling, Joyful Life MagazineComment

DEVOTIONAL: Come to Me -- and rest

We need the kind of rest that renews and restores. Rest when our feet ache at the end of a long day, and rest when our heart breaks for a dear friend. Rest when we need grace for ourselves, and rest when someone needs grace from us. We need rest that heals. This is the rest Jesus offers when He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Blog, DevotionalNicole O'MearaFebruary 11, 2022devotional, RestComment

DEVOTIONAL: A Gift to Treasure

I am now the keeper of a set of 100-year-old wedding rings. They are the oldest possessions in my care, and I feel the weight of their history.

The Holy Spirit reminds me that I possess a truth much older and much more valuable. I do not know the monetary value of my great-grandmother’s rings but I know the truth of the gospel is priceless. Matthew 13:46 tells me the Kingdom of Heaven is like a priceless pearl: “When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (NIV).

Blog, DevotionalNicole O'MearaJanuary 19, 2022devotional, faithComment

DEVOTIONAL: Find Victory in God

For as long as my lungs have bled, I have wanted a doctor with enough wisdom to explain why my body continues to grow bad blood vessels and how to stop it from growing more.

On the other side of human limits we find hope in the infinite strength and wisdom of God. Where man’s abilities end we can find a new beginning — to trust “in the name of the Lord our God.”

Blog, DevotionalNicole O'MearaNovember 30, 2021rare disease, Rare Hope Series, chronic disease, devotional, PsalmComment

DEVOTIONAL: Finding Identity in Christ

Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Say that three times fast. It’s the name of the condition I carry deep in my genetic code. Maybe you carry the weight of a hard-to-say, even-harder-to-explain rare disease. Maybe your diagnosis isn’t even named yet and you’re in a frustrating cycle of doctors’ visits, tests, and endless waiting. With all of the appointments and daily management of our disease, we can easily let these identifications become our identity.

Our rare disease can take up a lot of our time, but it must not take preeminence in our hearts.

Blog, DevotionalNicole O'MearaNovember 4, 2021rare disease, Rare Hope Series, Ehlers-Danlos SyndromeComment

DEVOTIONAL: Worth the Effort

The hard task of climbing is good for me. I intentionally choose the challenge of climbing because I trust that it is good for me and I desire the results. Most days, I don’t look forward to the challenge but I love the “I’m alive!” feeling I get after the climb.⁠
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I feel the same way about reading God’s Word. Tempting thoughts come every day as I sit down to read and I must shove them aside and choose the challenge of focusing, reading, and listening. My reward is the feeling of intimacy with God I get during those times. I never regret the effort.⁠

Blog, DevotionalNicole O'MearaSeptember 28, 2021devotional, Joyful Life Magazine, Rare Hope SeriesComment

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