Devos with Davis: the end of a semester

It’s the final curtain, the last call, the end of yet another semester. This January, it seemed like the semester was going to last forever, but now it’s as if the ending has been expedited and it’s all happening much too fast. It felt like  just yesterday when everyone stuffed their belongings into their new dorm rooms and walked through the pristine doors of the new dining hall last August. 

In December, we all gathered around for the iconic Christmas tree lighting on the Academic Lawn, and the day after winter break, everyone slid down a snowy campus with homemade cardboard sleds. Now, the air is heavy-laden with nostalgia and pollen as students work on completing the last round of assignments for the semester. 

If anyone had told me where I would be this time last year, I would have laughed in disbelief. The Lord truly is extraordinary and makes what seems impossible become a beautiful reality. Just writing these very words for this column is a testimony in and of itself. 

Although I experienced an unexpected loss in my family and a myriad of hardships last semester, I can clearly see the Lord’s faithfulness throughout the course of those debilitating trials and struggles. As I have walked from one pathway to the next on this campus, I have come to realize how precious it is to walk and talk with the Lord with each step that I take forward. 

As I moved from one job to the next, this semester made for a busy and chaotic schedule. I have also been able to feel the Lord’s presence more closely because I have had to completely lean on him and trust that his strength will overcome my many weaknesses. 

Ephesians 3:14-16 says, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”  

As Paul explains in his letter to the church of Ephesus, the Lord uplifts and strengthens those who lean on him and completely surrender their burdens over to him. The key is to ground yourself in faith because ultimately, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that provides us with unwavering peace in the midst of a tumultuous storm. 

The apostle continues to say, “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith — that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19). 

The only way to effectively combat trials is to emulate the love of Christ to others. 

Despite the sorrow that I had endured, the Lord graciously guided me through each and every moment this year. He helped me to take hold of the blessings and opportunities that were set before me, and I am so thankful for his help. The largest obstacle that I had to surmount throughout each challenge was my own fear. 

I was the greatest hindrance and opposing force because I had unknowingly allowed my fear to take the driver’s seat. It was only when I had decided to no longer let my fear control my life that I was able to believe that the Lord would carry me through any obstacle. 

Jesus has overcome this world, and nothing will ever prove insurmountable for him. Remember to never let anything in this world stop you from pursuing the good that he has in store for you. 

Wherever you may find yourself in these next few weeks, don’t lose heart. Life may be full of uncertainties and constant transitions, but as long as you remember to say, “Lord, let your will be done” above everything in your life, you cannot go wrong.

It has been an absolute joy writing this column and sharing the simple lessons that the Lord has revealed to me during this semester. I pray that this column has at least provided a bit of encouragement, and I look forward to seeing what the Lord will do during this summer. 

“To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 1:25). 

May the Lord be with you wherever you go. Shalom.

Davis is the Editor-in-Chief for the Liberty Champion