thoughts by Gail Rodgers Archives - Thoughts about God

The Ripples of Your Journey

Devotionals — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:03:02 +0000

“…you be an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

I stood on the shore and watched the kids throw rocks into the water. Whole fistfuls of pebbles flew through the air. Each one hit the water with the same result…ripples. Ripples that circled out and intersected with the other ripples, going far beyond the spot where each stone landed.

We are like the pebble. No matter how influential or insignificant we see ourselves, we each send out ripples that circle out further than we ever dream.

Words and deeds of kindness or cruelty, gentleness or abrasiveness, generosity or greed, all ripple out and touch other lives far beyond the boundaries we think they go. Our families, co-workers, neighbors, and even strangers are often touched by an act or a word of ours that we never thought would go that far.

We do influence, we do touch others, even when we are not aware of it. God even reminds us of our ripples…

“…you be an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

As you go through your day, today, be reminded that you are sending out ripples. You have no idea how far they will go. Ask your Heavenly Father to help you bring His heart of love and grace into your setting and be conscious of the ripples you are sending out.

Heavenly Father, I sometimes forget that I am an influence in the places I walk each day. Help me today to be aware of the ripples I send out with my words and conversations and even with my tones. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit today so that the ripples from my words and actions touch and encircle those around me with strength and encouragement. Help me to be an example of love and faith and purity today because You have placed me in this very spot to bring Your love to the people around me.?In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

Further Reading

• What Is Your Measuring Stick? – by Dr. Henry Brandt

• Why is What I Say So Important? – by Dr. Henry Brandt

• Who is My Behavior Affecting? – by Dr. Henry Brandt

The post The Ripples of Your Journey can be found at Thoughts about God.

Building a Strong Relationship

Devotionals — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:03:53 +0000

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4

The relationships that mean the most to us are often the ones we are hardest on. While we maintain a polite and pleasant demeanor away from home, the frustrations often come out where we feel safe to let off the day’s steam.

Life’s pressures can drive a wedge into the relationships we treasure most. It’s important to be intentional about building into the people we love. In order to keep the relationships you treasure at their BEST, remember these four steps. B E S T …..

B- Bless those you care about by speaking “life” words. Pay attention and point out the good character qualities you see. Focus on using “building” words, and you will find the warmth factor in your relationship will grow. When there are things that need addressing, ask God to guide you in speaking words that will not destroy and at the right time.

E- Encourage those you care about in their daily life. Listen well to the things they say. Communication dries up when we don’t pay attention, and we get lost in our own cares. Listen for the feelings behind the words and seek to be encouraging. Let your support be known even when the solutions are not.

S- Share thoughts, ideas, time, and experiences. When we become too busy to share ourselves with those we love, erosion and indifference slip in. Be intentional about sharing life. Take time to talk and share ideas or concerns. Time to pray together and dream together won’t be there unless you make it. Let those you care about know this is important to you and prioritize it. History is built one shared experience at a time.

T- Touch those you love in appropriate and loving ways. Touch is one of our most basic needs. Take a hand, give a hug, put your hand on the arm or back of the one you care about. It can do much to convey care and warmth. Often, a simple touch can melt away a barrier and reconnect two people.

Strong relationships don’t just happen…they are intentionally built.

Heavenly Father, You know the people that I deeply care about. You also know the way I can take them for granted or let my frustrations out in their “safe” presence. Please help me to come to You with the stresses in my life. Help me to get my strength and help from You and then offer a caring, helping hand to those I love. It’s so easy to look out for my own interests first. Please help me to do as Your word says and to look out for the interests of those around me, especially of those I love dearly. Help me to build strong history together through intentional sharing with the help of Your Holy Spirit. I ask this in the name of Jesus, amen.

By Gail Rodgers
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Building Relationships with Love

Disapproval Derails Relationships

Pursuing Peace in Relationships

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The post Building a Strong Relationship can be found at Thoughts about God.

Sanding off the Rough Edges

admin — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:03:47 +0000

“ … God’s kindness leads you toward repentance…” Romans 2:4

It’s so easy to let judgment rise up within our hearts toward one another. In little ways every day we choose to offer grace or to simply stand in judgment. When our hearts offer grace, freely received from the heart of God, we are giving out samples of the kindness and love we have received from God.

When we remember God’s kindness to us it leads us in the direction of a soft heart. It leads us to repentance and an open, flowing relationship with Him.

Then we are able to lay down our agenda with other people and set aside our desire to refrain from constantly interjecting our thoughts and instead, be “quick to listen and slow to speak”. (James 1:19)

Then we are allowing room for the Holy Spirit to minister respect and gentleness through us.
(1 Peter 3:15,16a)

God’s love, poured into our hearts in our times alone with Jesus, will enable grace to flow through us as we listen. The Holy Spirit will enter the conversations and with, or without words, minister God’s love and lead others toward Himself.

Father God, Thank you for the kindness that You have shown to me and how it lead me into repentance and into my relationship with You. Help me to be quick to offer grace, rather than judgment. Help me to be quick to listen and slow to speak so that Your kindness will draw others to You through me. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Mercy for Judgement

Rush to Judgment

Fruit of Kindness

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Overcoming Unbelief

admin — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 08:06:49 +0000

It was a move made more out of desperation than out of faith. The father was out of resources. His son had had severe convulsions since he was a small child. The man had heard that Jesus could heal.

He made his way through the crowd that surrounded Jesus and called out for help. “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” It wasn’t exactly what you would call a strong declaration of faith. “If you can… ” tells us the father was hopeful but not faith filled.

Jesus took note of the question. “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” The father cried out…

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

His son was healed!

All too often many of us find our belief mingled with unbelief. Jesus responded to the heart of this man who openly admitted that his faith was weak. He was openly honest. He declared his belief and cried out for help to overcome it.

When we find ourselves facing circumstances that loom large in our lives we often find our faith is weak. We want to believe God to move the mountain or part the seas. We know He can. Yet unbelief hovers in a corner of our heart. We hope, yet we are reluctant to really believe He will. We hide our unbelief.

Jesus knows us in the very depth of our souls. He understands our lack of faith and He looks beyond it to our individual hearts. When He hears that cry, “help me overcome my unbelief,” His heart is stirred by our desire to fully believe Him… and he increases our faith.

As we cry out for help to overcome unbelief in our lives, He responds and builds our faith. As we see Him begin to move the mountains in our lives, our faith grows. We develop a track record of His faithfulness that keeps moving us down the road to even greater faith.

If your faith is small today in believing God can intervene in something you feel is impossible, ask Him to help you overcome your unbelief. He will meet you at your point of desire and He will increase your faith. Confess your unbelief to Him and ask Him to grow your faith. He will do it.

Prayer & reflection

Father God, My faith is so often weak as I seek to trust You with my whole life. Today I confess to You that I do have unbelief mingled with my belief. I ask You right now to help me overcome my unbelief. I need Your strength and Your help to grow my faith. Thank you for Your power in my life. In Jesus’ strong name I pray, amen.

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

The Stone of Unbelief

Our Complex Negotiations with God

Help Me Believe

The post Overcoming Unbelief can be found at Thoughts about God.

Drama

admin — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 08:06:40 +0000

1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace…”

In this chapter of the Bible the Apostle Paul is addressing the church about orderly worship. In the midst of his dialogue on worship he makes this statement: “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace”.

This statement about God can help us, not only in understanding how to worship together, but also in every circumstance right where we walk.

Whenever you find yourself in the middle of disorder today stop … and invite God’s peace to come into that situation through you.

Disorder exists all around us. Perhaps it’s as simple as a disorderly home or papers that are in disarray. Invite God into the mess and ask for His help in creating order.

Or it may be in relationships at home or at work where drama is accepted as the norm and creates disorder of many kinds. Stop and invite God to help bring His peace through you.

Wherever you experience disorder today ask God to remind you to use it as a call to prayer. Stop and quietly ask Him to give you wisdom in the moment and to bring His peace and calm into the situation. Don’t buy into the drama or the disorder but instead respond in the opposite spirit by inviting God’s spirit of peace to come through you. He will defuse the turmoil in your own heart and mind so you can respond in ways that help foster peace.

Lord God, Thank you that You are a God of peace. Thank you for reminding me that disorder does not come from You. Today, when I encounter drama and disorder please help me to respond in Your Spirit of peace. Keep my heart in order and bring peace to me and through me. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

by Gail Rodgers
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Where is Your Focus?

Inviting God into the Chaos

The Remedy for Chaos

Keeping It Together In the Midst of Chaos

God Can Speak into the Chaos of Your Life

Chaos Now For Beauty Later

The post Drama can be found at Thoughts about God.

A Fresh Start

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 08:06:31 +0000

Kelly loved the prospect of a new year at her doorstep. It made her anticipate a fresh start.

This year she was thankful for the calendar turning. As she looked in the mirror she was reminded of some of her choices and the consequences they had brought to her life. She had some regrets this year. Yes, a clean start would feel good. She would make some resolutions and hoped, this year, to keep them.

Yet she knew herself all too well. Fear nibbled at her heart and mind as she hoped she had the courage to make the changes she needed to.

God knew the desire of her heart to change. He used a Bible verse that came in a card to remind her how to make a lasting change.

The words flew off the card and, unexpectedly, went straight to her heart…

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

With sudden clarity Kelly knew she would not likely succeed in her hope for a change in lifestyle. No, in herself she would simply circle back to where she had been. She didn’t want that. She realized it was only God who could create a clean heart in her and give her the right attitude.

Silently she prayed asking God to forgive her stubborn independence, she asked for His help to create in her the kind of change that she needed. Only with His help could she make the turn and go the other way in her life.

God is the only true source of help when we need a fresh start. Turning to Him, asking His forgiveness and turning away from the wrong attitudes or the destructive behavior is the only way to true freedom. He can direct us to those who can help us along our pathway as we make the changes and face the challenges.

His strength, given to us on a daily basis, is more powerful than any resolution we can determine in our own heart. He will do it! We need only ask and depend on Him to act.

Father God, thank you for Your desire for me to make a clean start. Thank you for your forgiveness for my stubborn independence. Please create a clean heart in me. Give me daily strength to make the right choices. Renew the attitude of my mind with new thoughts and desires that will help lift me above the pull of wrong choices. Help me to follow Your pathway. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so I can walk in a way that pleases You and in turn, also refreshes me. In Jesus’ strong name I pray, amen.

by Gail Rodgers
used by permission

FURTHER READING

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A Different Kind of Resolution

admin — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:06:22 +0000

Kathy thought about the approaching New Year as she filed away the boxes of last year’s paperwork. There were things she would like to do differently in this new year.

Oh, there were the usual things most of her friends were claiming as their New Year’s Resolutions:

•   Lose weight
•   Stop smoking
•   Take more time for relationships
•   Set goals

The list went on. The office was filled with laughter and the prospect of hope for change that a new year would bring. Yet Kathy knew, in a week or so, the chatter would turn to the broken resolutions and very few of the hoped for changes would become a reality. She wanted something more for her life.

That night Kathy picked up her Bible and read Psalm 25. It was full of hope and an expectation of change that only God could bring to her life. She read it through a couple of times and underlined some verses that seemed to jump off the page, bringing fresh hope to her heart.

“Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” Psalm 25:4&5

The second time she read it through it struck her… here was her New Year’s resolution!

This would be the prayer of her heart every day in this New Year. She grabbed a recipe card and wrote out the words, letting them soak into her soul. This was the change she wanted in her life… to keep her focus daily on the path God wanted her to walk in hope and in faith.

Take a little time over the next few days and read through Psalm 25 yourself. Consider reading it every day for a week and ask God to make the promise of hope come alive to your heart. Write verse 4 & 5 on a card or a sticky note and place it where you will see it regularly. Memorize it and let it soak into your soul and change your life.

Father God, Thank you for the promise of hope You bring to my heart and my life. I do lift up my soul and my life to You now. I want to trust in You more fully this year. Tune my ears to hear Your voice more clearly. Teach me Your path and guide me in Your truth. In these changing days I need to discern Your ways for me. Help me to put my hope in You, not just occasionally or when I am in a hard place, but every day all day long. Thank you that You are God, my Savior! I ask this in the strong name of Jesus, amen.

May God guide us as we face another challenging year!

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

Invited to the Manger

Devotionals — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 08:03:00 +0000

“For unto us a child is born …and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 & 7

The manger scene of Baby Jesus’ birth can seem so irrelevant today. Nice on a Christmas card, yes, but not really having any impact on our lives.

This verse from Isaiah can bring freshness to our souls as we ponder how the Baby Jesus actually does impact life today in a very relevant way.

Any need you have in the changing landscape of your personal mosaic can be answered by this Jesus. This Baby grew up to be our Savior. He rose from the grave and He offers life to us when we believe in Him.

If you need wisdom or strength, He will be your Counselor;
If you need a mountain moved, He is your Mighty God;
If you need comfort, forgiveness and gentle healing, He is your everlasting Father;
If your heart is anxious and troubled, He will bring Peace to you.

As you think of yourself standing by that manger bed, know that His birth was just the beginning of God reaching toward humankind … toward you.

Let your heart reach back with thankfulness and acceptance. Look at the manger scene with the fresh wonder of all He is to you. Every need, every change that you face can be encompassed by all He is…so much more than just a baby!

Invite Him into your changes today! Let joy fill your soul.

Heavenly Father, Fill my heart with the fresh wonder of what that first Christmas means for me… today. Thank you that any need I have can be encompassed by Jesus. Help me to lean on You to be my Wonderful Counselor, my Mighty God, my Everlasting Father and my Prince of Peace! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Stop for a moment right where you are and whisper a thank you in your heart to Jesus for stepping down from Heaven and coming as a baby. He positioned Himself to be available to you as your Wonderful Councillor, your Mighty God, your Everlasting Father and your Prince of Peace.

What need do you need to bring to Him today?

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

If you don’t Jesus and you would like to start a relationship with him, you can start by submitting your will to his. Below is a sample prayer. Prayer is talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart.

“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then you can pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

It’s Almost Christmas!

admin — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 08:06:21 +0000

In this final week of Advent, as we lead up to Christmas Day, how is your heart doing? Are you feeling at peace … or is pressure mounting in your home?

Take a moment to ponder the peace that the angels announced that first Christmas. “Peace on Earth, good will toward men”.

This morning I read a verse in Ephesians 2:14 that says “He Himself is our peace”.

That first Christmas God sent His Son, Jesus, in human baby form, to reach out in love to connect humans to Himself … and we celebrate His birth. The journey comes full circle when we come to Easter and observe the death of Jesus as He took the punishment upon Himself for mankind’s willful independence apart from God. We celebrate His resurrection as He rose again from that death and took His place with the Father … leaving those who believe in His birth and death and resurrection with the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit as the Divine comfort and power within to live as a testimony to His love and power.

“He Himself is our peace”. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh today with the Peace that is His presence in our lives, filling us with purpose, peace, and a passion for life!

Is His peace the piece you are missing this Christmas?

by Gail Rodgers
used by permission

What is the Advent Season About?

Devotionals — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 08:06:08 +0000

This week I saw a Star Wars Advent Calendar and it took me by surprise. It was simply a countdown to Christmas Day and so far removed from the original intent of the Advent season.

Advent means the coming of something extremely important and awaited!

At Christmas time we traditionally celebrant the Advent season, the season where we remember the birth of the long awaited Christ child, the Savior of the world.

Traditionally this season begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends on Christmas Day. Each Sunday a candle is lit to symbolize an aspect of this special event in Christian history.

As we prepare for Christmas by getting our presents and food and homes ready for the celebration of family and friends, we are wise to also pay attention to preparing our hearts for the celebration of all the Christ child brings to our hearts and lives.

The first candle is the candle of HOPE, which portrays the expectancy of the coming of the Savior to reconcile each one of us to God, no longer left to our own struggling ways.

The second candle is the candle of PEACE, which symbolizes the preparation of the heart in getting ready for the presence of the Christ. His presence in our hearts brings peace. Advent can be a time of reorienting the heart toward God and toward peace in the midst of the busy running and spending that tends to occupy the season with frenzy.

The third candle symbolizes JOY as Christ’s presence occupies our hearts with His hope and His peace bringing a fulfillment deep within. This joy goes far deeper and far beyond any surface happiness of the cultural party season.

The forth candle is the candle of LOVE that represents the unconditional, limitless love of God for each individual regardless of past or present circumstance. This love reaches to the depths to retrieve, restore, release, refresh and renew hearts that are weary and worn from going their own way apart from God. His love in us enables us to love others.

The fifth candle is the candle we light on Christmas Day and it symbolizes the CHRIST who is the go between, the conduit, the One who brings this Hope, this Peace, this Joy and this Love God offers into our hearts in a practical and daily way as we invite Him to forgive us and fill us and to simply “do life” with us through His power.

“For unto us a child is born, … and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Father God, Thank you that You reached out to connect with me through sending Jesus on that very first Christmas. I open my heart to Him in a fresh way this Advent season to fill me afresh with Your hope, peace, joy and love so that it overflows in my life with fresh meaning and purpose. I pray this in the powerful name of Your Son, Jesus, amen.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission