Devotions

We hope the devotional is a spiritual support to you. As you hear each devotion, we pray you will hear His voice speaking and encouraging you.

Note from Katelyn’s Fund Founder about devotional:

Release. Redemption. Restoration.

As I was thinking and praying about this devotional coming together, it seems these three words continued to flood over my thoughts and prayers. God is so good and so sovereign but at times it is hard for us to see and fully comprehend His plans. We struggle and wrestle with our own plans and ideas and it is so very hard to give things truly over to Him. The breath and vision of Katelyn’s Fund began out of release back to Him, not full understanding His plan, yet surrendering it. We moved forward still in His goodness, trusting that He withholds no good from those who trust in Him.

After Katelyn died, and honestly many times since, we have needed to continue to release back to Him – trusting that He has all things in His hand and knows further ahead than what we do. We relinquish our own control and say “yes” to His, even when it is so very hard. Katelyn’s Fund began in deep sorrow in 2005 and God is bringing much beauty from ashes – we praise Him for His continued mercy and pursuing of our hearts.

It seems after we release things to Him–whether it be our faith walk, our own desires, great loss, a child’s behaviors, or whatever it is–that is when He steps in to redeem us. He understands and knows our deepest hurts and struggles, as well as our greatest desires and needs, and He is more than able to fill these in with the great comforter, the Holy Spirit. He is able to do much more than we could hope or imagine. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20. I have read and discussed this verse so many times and it seems most often people use this in a visionary sense, which I fully agree with, but I think it goes so far beyond just what plans lie ahead – I think it is a promise of much redemption that is yet to come and is being offered.

If we think of 147 million orphans–how to react to this, how to respond to the depth of despair that many children have and are encountering, and how deeply wounded those He loves are effected – it seems the claim and promise of redemption is so desperately needed–almost palpable. I am so grateful that He offers redemption in so many personal and victorious ways and this is offered to anyone who releases their life for His.

After coming to the point of releasing to Him, then seeing and experiencing the need for great redemption, He continues to be faithful with restoration and renewal. I love how His word tells us that “all things old are forgotten and are new in Him.” New in Him. New creation. Isn’t that powerful? Knowing that He can take something so broken, and not only redeem it and make it His own, but He will restore it, and bring glory from the things that were so piercingly painful.

I think God not only whispered this to me in our own personal journey with the loss of Katelyn and birth of Katelyn’s Fund, but also speaks to us in the children and families He puts before us. We have been able to witness firsthand the process of releasing, redeeming, and much restoration. Many have prayed and wrestled with moving forward with adopting – then released it to Him. Some have needed to continue to release things to Him when things were not all that they dreamed or planned. He has worked in transformational ways and offered much redemption to so many families and children. He is bringing restoration to relationships in many ways. He is restoring broken hearts and is restoring and rebuilding His kingdom. In that I take great delight, stand in awe of Him, and cling to the promises He puts forth. His character shows that He is the God of second chances, the God that loves to remake, and loves to shower His goodness on those that might feel like they need it the most.

We pray that this devotional is a great blessing to you. We pray He uses each one, to not only encourage you, but to challenge and equip you for all He has in store for you. Whether you are praising Him for His great plans or questioning what He is asking, I affirm to you that He loves you deeply, and He knows the desires of your heart. He will continue to passionately pursue you, He will give you His arms of mercy and redeem things that seem so very difficult. He will bring restoration in ways only He is able. We praise Him for the ways He took a little orphan girl, named Katelyn, brought her full restoration with Him, and is bringing much redemption and restoration to other children because of release of her to Himself.

We love each of you deeply and will continue to walk beside you, praying for you as brothers and sisters in Him. We know that some days might be difficult but we also know that He is a faithful God and does not call us to things that go beyond what He can help us walk through. We have been blessed by you and we are honored to share in your journeys. We pray that He will shower you with His mercy, shine His face right upon you, and that you will be covered with His grace all around you. I love the promise in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work”.

Continue to press forward in His name, seeking and running after His heart, and truly trusting that He will bring great joy, sometimes even in the midst of great redemption.

In Him,

Sheila De Jong

Founder of Katelyn’s Fund Orphan Ministry