© 2021 Tracy Crump
God uses our life experiences to teach us many lessons. Why not share those lessons with others by turning them into devotions?
For example, I worked as an intensive care nurse and witnessed God perform miraculous healings. I also walked alongside friends and family during health crises and felt the Lord’s hand guiding us. Devotions based on those stories make up a book that offers comfort, encouragement, and peace to people facing a devastating diagnosis or battling chronic illness.
By finding a common denominator, you can target the audience who will benefit most from the wisdom you gained in God’s classroom.
You Are the Student
Starting with a snippet of earthly life engages the reader and paves the way for a glimpse of heaven. Don’t be afraid to write openly about what happened and how you felt about it—you’ll connect with the reader better if you do—but remember that the devotion is not about you. It’s about God and what He taught you through your situation.
God Is the Teacher
Ground the devotion in Scripture that leads the reader away from the story and toward God. Yes, I said away from the story. Though you may circle back to it at the end, this section belongs to God. Let Him use it “for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 KJV). It’s not up to us to instruct our readers, only provide the avenue for God to do so. He’s perfectly capable of taking our words and piercing the reader’s heart without our forcing the issue, thank you very much.
Assign the Homework
The final paragraph affords the perfect place for the reader to grow in understanding, to take what is taught and apply it to life. And isn’t that the goal of every teaching encounter? You may do this by tying Scripture back to your story and reiterating what you learned, issuing a challenge for the reader to take an action, or offering an opportunity to make a decision.
When God goes to the trouble of teaching us something, we can thank Him by turning His lessons into devotions that will focus others on Him for further instruction. After all, God is the Master Teacher.
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Former ICU nurse, Tracy Crump, delivers hope in Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness (CrossLink Publishing 2021). Her writing has appeared in Guideposts devotional books, The Upper Room, Focus on the Family, Woman’s World, Chicken Soup for the Soul® books, and many other publications. She is a freelance editor, proofreads for Farmers’ Almanac, and presents workshops through Write Life Workshops. Her course on writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul is one of Serious Writer’s top sellers. But her favorite job is “grandma” to four completely unspoiled grandchildren.
