wisdom

Divine Series

~ Extravagant Hope ~ Leave a comment

Good morning! If you haven’t checked out my 4 devotional books, The Divine Series, I invite you to click the link below ⬇️ and check them out.

Discover the God who meets you in every moment—compassionately, powerfully, and always with love.

The Divine Series by Melissa Giomi is a collection of devotionals inviting readers to slow down, breathe deeply, and encounter God in the midst of everyday life. Through poetry inspired by nature, engaging storytelling, and vivid imagery rooted in Scripture, each book offers a fresh way to discover His presence—in a rushed morning routine, a peaceful hike, a whispered prayer, or the chatter of a mountain stream.

Whether you’re overwhelmed by busyness, longing for peace, or simply seeking a deeper sense of connection, the Divine Series becomes a spiritual sanctuary—your invitation to be present and rediscover the beauty of a life lived with God.

This series guides you back to the truth that you are never alone. God is here in the whisper of the wind, the warm glow of a sunset, or the solace of hike in the Redwoods.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G2G2ZJSD

Majesty

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Not only is He our Creator filled with compassionate and kindness, He is All-powerful, Almighty, a Warrior, and King of Kings.

It’s good to remember He alone has ALL authority on Heaven and on Earth. No one can match Him! That’s our Jesus – the One who loves us more than we can fathom. Amen!

A Place to Pray

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1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT “Never stop praying.”

Isn’t this encouraging? God wants to hear from you! He knows we need Him. He understands that we struggle to give Him control and to trust Him with ourselves, especially those we love.

You are never too much, not enough, too loud, too quiet, too sensitive, too talkative, or too excitable. You are beautiful, worthy, enough, and He delights in you.

I hope you have a place to meet with Him. Somewhere that feels sacred, safe, and that just “fits” with how He made you.

For me, it’s in nature – soaking up His Presence in the woods, the wind, the beach, or a gorgeous mountain meadow. The timeless, ancient, mysteriousness of creation draws me to Him.

Where do you feel closest to God? He is patiently waiting there for you to just come and talk to Him.

Jars of Clay

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Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Pexels.com

The Potter is at His wheel. All around His workroom, heavenly beings wait in expectation of the Masterpiece. Some sing in Holy languages that interweave with His words of prophesy, purpose, and love. Their songs infuse the clay with unique gifts, peace, and immense value. An impartation of Himself. Holy. Supernatural. Mystery.

His workroom is sacred. Nothing enters without His permission. Each lump of clay is precious. The Potter knows the exact purpose, place, and circumstance for each vessel He creates, and not a thing is left out, forgotten, or rushed. The Triune Potter is intentional, specific, and perfect. Every jar created reflects the time, attention, and deep love He holds for it. His vision for each jar comes to life under His masterful hands, as the scars He knew He would bear for His creation brush up against me and you.

The roughness of His scars creates slight imperfections in the clay, which are intentional and beautiful to the Potter. He permits cracks and crevices, nooks and crannies that to human eyes are faults and defects. Not to Him. These cracks and broken spots allow others to get a glimpse of Him through us. We are permeated with Him; His breath, His love, and His peace; all the unique gifts that He placed in us. Through our chips and oddities, others who are searching for Him, who may have lost their way, or are traveling in the dark, will see His Light seeping out through our chinks and nooks as a beacon of hope and rest. Opportunities to allow Him to speak through us and offer compassion, acceptance, and peace to a weary fellow traveler. May others do this for us when we find ourselves lost and in need of Light and Hope. The beauty of a broken vessel.

Corinthians 4:7 NLT “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”

Peace, Be Still

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Photo Credit: Connor Scott McManus

“He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”

Jesus is right there with you in whatever storms are brewing on the horizon or that are already surrounding you.

Can you hear Him speaking to your heart even now? “Peace, be still.”

He will never leave you or forsake you. He stays. In the calm, in the peace, in the joy, and through the storms, the heartbreak, and chaos.

With a word, a glance, a brush of His robe the storm is stilled, fear is silenced, and worry is blanketed with His unending peace.

Whisper His name. He’s got you. Even the wind and waves obey Him.

Cup of Blessing

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I love the imagery in this verse .The Lord is my cup of blessing.

When I imagine a cup, I immediately think of my favorite coffee mug. It’s familiar, comforting, filled with something warm and soothing that makes me happy. It feels peaceful and safe.

Of course Jesus is SO much more than a mere coffee mug, but He is comforting, safe, and soothing. He delights in bringing joyful, happy, lovely things into our lives to help soothe and comfort us when life blindsides us, wounds us, and we walk in seasons that are overwhelming and so tiring.

Walking with Him and being in His presence is the true blessing. That He loves us enough to give us even more is an undeserved, yet beautiful kindness.

He guards all that is ours and draws a boundary around what He’s given us. Those we love are guarded, protected, and hemmed in. We can let go of the fear and exhaustion of trying to control and manipulate life and circumstances to keep our loved ones safe. He’s got them. They are safely tucked up into the folds of His robe. He knows what He’s doing. We can breathe out, let our shoulders settle, and allow the joys from His cup of blessing to pour over us – healing, delighting, and comforting.

Refuge

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Photo credit: Tom Fisk

I don’t know what you have on your plate today, but I do know that Jesus is right there with you.

He’s your stronghold, comforter, warrior, healer, provider, mender of broken hearts, and your best friend. He intimately knows every situation you are facing.

Just say His name. Ask for His presence and His help. He hears you. No need for long-winded, big-worded monologues. He’s with you and He’s already working things out, making things right, and putting people and things in their proper place.

If you can’t see it or feel it right now, that’s okay. I pray that hope and trust wrap you up tightly, speaking the exact words you need directly to your heart.

BOOK GIVEAWAY

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GIVEAWAY TIME!

Guess the number of gummy candies in the dish. Leave your guess in the comments on my FB author page ONLY.

Head over to my author page to see the pics!

https://www.facebook.com/MelissaGiomiauthor

The closest guess wins a signed book of your choice that I will mail to you.

Contest begins today, 4/8 – 4/11 8am PST.

Thread of Hope

~ Extravagant Hope ~ 3 Comments

Life is unpredictable. We go into each day not knowing what is waiting for us. Will that prayer finally be answered, will that hard conversation go the way we want it to, will this health issue be resolved, can we just get some peace, will our loved one be safe?

Right in the center of this unpredictability is Jesus. He’s good, steadfast, true, and omnipotent. He has everything concerning you well taken care of.

The chaos that swirls and looks for a way into our hearts is held at bay when we reach out and take His hand. Fear must bow, anxiety must quiet, control must release its vise grip.

The lovely, gentle, glimmering thread of Hope that binds us to Jesus is protected and cherished. It can’t be broken or snipped by the vagaries of life. It is our strong and holy connection to the heart of Jesus.

Hope trusts that He’s got you, will never leave you, is always with you. You can’t be snatched up.

The holy, sacred, mysterious thread of Hope is tethered in His power, compassion, and deep love which cannot be taken away.