The Truth Is: A Weekly Devotional for Your Family

By Dr. Jay and Sons

Bridge the gap between God’s Word and the journey called our lives with this devotional.

Each entry offers an opening Scripture and a narrative of meaning or purpose. The authors include an element called “truth is,” which highlights how each passage relates to everyday life.

Most of us do not adhere to or accept anything—unless we can envision ourselves in the situation. Explaining how passages from the Bible apply to our daily lives is what makes this book so powerful.

In exploring what it means to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ, the authors answer questions such as:

Why do so many ailments affect us on the path to eternal life?
What is forgiveness—and why is it so important?
How do our attitudes shape our outcomes?
How can we change ourselves and influence one person at a time?

Each weekly devotional ends with a list of verses and chapters for meditation, so you can apply what you’ve learned and move closer to the Lord.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664218642

Dr. Jay and Sons

Dr. Jay has been a college professor for more than twenty years. Professionally, she is a statistician and social science researcher at a faith-based institution. Her daily profession is as much a part of her faith walk as her personal, family life. In this book, she and her adult sons focus on faith in a weekly devotional format. They enjoy studying together in their home and virtually.

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Copyright © 2021 Dr. Jay And Sons.

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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-1863-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-1865-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-1864-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021900185

WestBow Press rev. date:  02/05/2021

Contents

Dedication

Preface

Week 1 Faith

Week 2 Ambiguity

Week 3 Closeness

Week 4 Friendships

Week 5 Greatest Accomplishment

Week 6 Cheating

Week 7 Who’s Yur Paul? Who’s Your Naomi?

Week 8 Service

Week 9 Prayer

Week 10 Complacency

Week 11 Redemption

Week 12 The Pursuit Of Perfection

Week 13 Bad Or Good Luck?

Week 14 Parenting

Week 15 Hearing Or Listening

Week 16 Honesty In All Things

Week 17 Forgive Me Again

Week 18 Fear

Week 19 Trust Involves A Lot

Week 20 The Posture Of Your Heart

Week 21 Forgive Them Again

Week 22 The Way You Lean

Week 23 Drama

Week 24 Is It Temporary or Permanent?

Week 25

Week 26 Death

Week 27 Doubt

Week 28 Peace Be With You

Week 29 Serendipity?

Week 30 Temptation

Week 31 Prayer And More Prayer

Week 32 In The Midst Of It All

Week 33 He Is All Of That

Week 34 A Question For Mom

Week 35 Friendships, Part 2

Week 36 Who Is The Child?

Week 37 Strength In Humility

Week 38 How Do I Spend My Soul?

Week 39 My Enemy’s Plans

Week 40 Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire

Week 41 Seven Is Completion, Eight Is Celebration

Week 42 Graduation

Week 43 Leadership

Week 44 We Are Often Not Ignorant

Week 45 Creativity

Week 46 Make God’s Will What I Want

Week 47 A Crack Can Yield Light

Week 48 Optimism

Week 49 Make A Casserole With Your Life’s Works

Week 50 Perseverance

Week 51 Hugging Them, But They Do Not Hug Back

Week 52 In Due Season

DEDICATION

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away (1 Corinthians 13:8 ESV). I would like to dedicate this verse to my parents and sons. However, I feel as though they continue to dedicate it to me. My parents have sacrificed so much for me. Not to mention that they do the absolute best they can to support and understand my unconventional personality. I am certainly not as outgoing or inviting as my siblings, but they have been there for me, nonetheless. My mother’s unwavering faith and love taught me my beginning faith. For that I do not have words to say thanks. When I have been sick or downtrodden, my father and mother have shown what faith and hope mean. Thank you, Mama and Daddy, for accepting the creation of Christ, called me and for all your love.

I pray that I have shown and delivered these things to my sons as well. I do know that their kindheartedness, humble spirits, and meekness define love for me each and every day. I am so thankful for the uniqueness of spirit of each of them, but mostly I am thankful for the Christian young men that they are. Thank you, B and G, for being smarter than me (it challenges me to do better), for taking my example of being prayerful and close to God even higher (it warms my soul to see you listen to, pray, and study the Word on your own), and for being a pillar of strength (Garret, you are strong in your convictions and intellect as I still aspire to be. And Bryant, you are strong in your compassion and knowledge in ways I can only pray to reach). Thank you for writing this with me, and always remember that God is with you, his hedge of protection surrounds you, and you are his forever!

To my siblings, nieces, nephews, and aunts, you inspire me. As you read the devotional, I hope you see little pieces of God’s voice in what we have written.

To my darling husband, thank you for your exceptional examples of hard work and for all your support and love. Without those things none of us can freely move forward. To my extended family and all who read this, I wish you the same support and love always!

To my grandfather, Willie James, thank you for being the perfect granddaddy! We have often talked of simpler times … more fishing, more gardening, more sitting in rocking chairs and sharing with those who will listen. Well, I just bought those rocking chairs. I just bought tomato slips, oregano, cilantro, rosemary, and pepper plants that I planted this season. I went fishing for the first time in several years this past weekend, and I am taking off two weeks for meditation and free time. I am blowing you a kiss right now, just like Erma Dean used to do me. I love you all!

PREFACE

My sons and I hope that you are able to use this devotional weekly as you study your Bible. Please place yourself in the parables found in the Bible stories as we hope you are able to find some meaning in our journey. Before and after each weekly entry, you will find Bible verses to read and study. Our prayer is that you can study these throughout the week with your family and continue to have the connection that my sons and I have over reading and studying together, sometimes even by phone or video conference. We find that, regardless of how we study, it is so enriching. Our prayer is that you always study the Word of God.

WEEK 1

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Faith

He said to them, "Because of your little faith.

For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like

a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this

mountain, Move from here to there, and it will

move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

—Matthew 17:20–21 (ESV)

This verse in Matthew is by far my most treasured verse. It offers a bit of hope to the weaknesses in all of us, I believe. My heart desires to always seek spiritual apprehension of what is prayed for, what is desired, what is promised by God without evidence of how he will provide. In reality, many of us operate on fumes and not the flame when it comes to having the confidence to rely on what we cannot see yet. We would much rather put faith in ourselves or our resources and abilities or those of others. For example, in my profession, my graduate students firmly believe that if they study enough, share notes, and bug the professor for insight, they will ace the exam. That is faith in action for them because their faith is in their techniques of preparation. We exhibit faith in those who fly us, inspect elevators, and prepare our food every day. The question is, Why do we place so much faith in those people but often so little faith in the One who made the elevators, planes, and food? I would say it’s because we understand the mechanics of the flying plane, or believe others in charge do. We have faith in a system of checks, balances, and inspections by elevator manufacturers and the health department alike. Faith is the providence of things hoped for with the desired evidence of things not seen, not the things we have evidence of in advance.

Christ is the evidence.

The Truth Is …

You should, truth in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV). I believe trust and faith go hand in hand. I trust in the Lord to provide. I trust in the Lord to sustain me. I trust in his Holy Word. Trust is that bridge to faith. I trust and believe he is always with me and will never leave me. Therefore, I can move forward with all things and through all things with the Lord. Faith is the essence of things hoped for, prayed for, and promised although not seen yet, yet realized that they will come to fruition.

Study: Proverbs 4–5; Romans 5; Ephesians 2:1–9; John 14:1–12; Hebrews 11; 1 John 5:1–5

WEEK 2

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Ambiguity

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit.

—Psalm 34:18 (ESV)

Ambiguity.

In all honesty, the term may even have a sense of foreignness, but rest assured, the feeling doesn’t. With ambiguity, there is a sense of mystery. But in Christian life, this feeling is not mysterious. It can make us ask God, Why me? or, Why him? Why did I get laid off from my dream job?