Nurse Mel – A Live Worthy of His Call

Category: Devotionals

  • 🌊 Faith Beyond the Storm — Reflection on Matthew 14:25–32

    Being a Christian is not always a smooth sail, especially in this crucial hour when our Lord’s return draws near. The persecutions are real, and the spiritual attacks often feel heavier than we can bear. Yet, this is part of what every follower of Christ must endure before we enter the eternal glory of God.

    In Matthew 14:25–32, we read that while the disciples were battling fierce winds at sea, Jesus came to them — walking on the water. Terrified, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost. But immediately, Jesus said to them:

    “Take courage! It is I; don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27)

    What comforting words! Even in the midst of the storm, Jesus reminds us that His presence is greater than our fear.

    With faith, Peter took his first step onto the water when Jesus said, “Come.” None of the other disciples dared to move — but Peter trusted that as long as Jesus was there, he would be safe. As he walked, however, he noticed the fierce wind and waves surrounding him. Fear began to rise, and he started to sink. Yet, in his weakness, Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him, saying:

    “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

    How often this mirrors our own journey. Our faith sometimes depends on how our life is going. When everything is smooth, we easily praise God. But when things fall apart, we begin to worry, complain, or search for alternative answers.
    Did God ever promise us a life without problems once we accepted Him? No.
    But He did promise this — that in all situations, He will be with us and deliver us through them all.

    As it is written in Psalm 34:19:

    “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”

    So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ — when problems arise, fix your eyes on Jesus.
    I’m reminded of that moving scene from “The Chosen” when Jesus says to Peter, “Keep your eyes on Me! Keep your eyes on Me!” — a beautiful reminder that faith means keeping our focus on Christ, not on the chaos around us.

    When we face the mountain, when we walk through the storm, let us remember: He is there, watching, caring, and holding us even when He seems silent. His silence is not absence — it is intimacy. He is closer than we realize.

    Never lose faith, for God makes everything beautiful in His time.
    Let this be our prayer today:

    Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders,
    Let me walk upon the waters,
    Wherever You would call me.
    (Oceans — Hillsong United)

    https://youtu.be/hkuo0fGn7IE?si=lue9HVu_2TLzvGTu

  • The Cost of Disobedience

    1 Samuel 15:23

    “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
    Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

    Reflection on 1 Samuel 15

    It is terrifying to be rejected by God. For me, life without Him is like living without oxygen—eventually, you suffocate. I’ve experienced that emptiness before, and it truly felt like a living hell. There was no peace, no joy. Everything was unclear and directionless. I was alive, but not truly living. I’ve sworn to never allow myself to drift that far from God again.

    Saul’s story should prompt us to reflect deeply. Have we, like him, ever unknowingly gone against God’s will, thinking we were doing the right thing? Have we ever glorified ourselves instead of giving credit to God when we succeeded? Have we thanked Him enough for all that we have? Or have we, in our pride, rejected His word—thinking our own ideas were better?

    Let us be mindful. Let us not repeat Saul’s mistake. Let us stay close to God, with humble and obedient hearts.

  • When Pride Blinds Us

    Reflection on Judges 12:1-7

    ‘The Ephraimite forces were called out, and they crossed over to Zaphon. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in a town in Gileadut calling us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your head.” Jephthah answered, “I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn’t save me out of their hands. When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?” Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.” The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he replied, “No,” they said, “All right, say ‘Shibboleth.’ ” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time. Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in a town in Gilead.

    In Judges 12, instead of celebrating God’s victory over the Ammonites, the Ephraimites confronted Jephthah in anger. They accused him of going to battle without them. But Jephthah explained that he did call them for help, and more importantly, he reminded them that God was the one who gave the victory.

    Yet, even after hearing that the victory came from the Lord, the Ephraimites were still angry. Why? Perhaps it wasn’t about the battle at all. Perhaps it was about pride. They wanted recognition. They wanted to be seen as important, as part of the success story. So instead of giving glory to God, they insulted the Gileadites, calling them “renegades of Ephraim and Manasseh.”

    What could have been a time of thanksgiving turned into a tragic civil war, ending with 42,000 Ephraimites killed. All because of wounded pride.

    This story is a warning. Pride and jealousy can blind us to the truth, even when it’s right in front of us. And this still happens today—even in church. When someone else is being used by God, do we celebrate? Or do we feel offended for not being included? Do we encourage them—or quietly criticize?

    Let’s be careful. Pride opens a loophole for the enemy to bring division and destruction. But when we humble ourselves and give glory to God, we protect unity and reflect His love.

    Let’s choose to rejoice when others are lifted up—because every victory belongs to the Lord.