Our God is truly amazing. He can change our whole attitude and mindset with a few words. You can go from irritated, rushed, anxious and frustrated to complete peace without a single change of perspective about your circumstances, surroundings or workload.
God gives us peace by dwelling in us. When we bring God into the situation he changes our perspective or view of our circumstances so that we see things in a different light. Sometimes he even tells us a solution we never would of thought of on our own.
Trust in him in all things to bring peace to your heart and soul. Because when you know who he has made you to be and what his promises are, you can stand on those promises.
Like Peter walking on water when Jesus told him to. Peter did the impossible he walked on water and during a storm no less. Something that seems impossible, but he did it because he was focused on Jesus. It wasn’t until he changed his focus to the storm around him that he began to sink.
When you feel overwhelmed and like there is no end in sight. Look to Jesus and let his peace fill you. Trust him to provide and guide you through anything.
During this busy holiday season take the time to enjoy moments. Watch your kids decorate the tree or play in the snow. Have family dinner with no distractions. Or read a verse of the Christmas story each night before bed.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:1-20
Look for moments to enjoy this season. Don’t just rush through to get to the next. Or you’ll miss the moments you can’t get back. What if the shepherds had been to busy. They would have missed Jesus. Slow down and look for the moments that matter.
Listening to the song Last Christmas by Wham reminds me that we as humans are fallible, we all make mistakes and disappointment each other.
But the one that we can always count on is God. He is love, joy, peace, patience, kind, good, faithful and gentle. He knows what we need and when; and he’s always ready to love us when we let him in.
We as humans have misrepresented him because we are not perfect and we make mistakes. So please don’t let people keep you from knowing him. Let him prove who he is to you himself.
Give him your big questions, he can handle it, but make sure you listen for the answers.
This Christmas give him a chance to share his love for you with you.
Watch this movie to help you learn how to hear God’s voice.
It’s easy to know someone and hold their mistakes against them. But what if that’s how God saw us. But he doesn’t.
When we accepted Jesus sacrifice. God wiped our slate clean. He doesn’t see our mistakes. He sees Jesus and who we can be if we let Jesus live through us. We need to look at people like God does.
God can teach us through everything. Like the story of “The Grinch.” Cindy-Lou Who saw potential in the Grinch for good and brought it out. Someone who everyone else had written off. She saw hope for change and growth. That’s how God sees everyone. He sees them as redeemed through Jesus or as having the potential to be redeemed.
God doesn’t look at us and say we are beyond hope. So why would we ever do that to someone else. We need to see people the way God does with the potential for a change of heart.
Nowhere here does it say we have to manufacture our own joy, peace and hope. Because it comes from trusting God. I don’t put my hope in myself because I will fail myself. I don’t find my peace from within. I find peace and hope in God and that gives me joy.
What a relief it is that we don’t have to find joy, hope or peace in ourselves but we can trust in the one that is bigger then us, stronger, kinder, more generous and loves us beyond our understanding. Our Heavenly Father. On our worst day and our best day, he will still always welcome us with a huge hug and a smile and provide all we need.
God always does what he says he will. But rarely is it how we would think he would or in the time that we think is best. Do you think that the people expected their savior to come as a baby. That he would grow up like them and wouldn’t start his ministry till he was thirty years old.
I’m sure most people thought he would come charging in on a cloud bold and strong, pushing all the kings and rulers out of the way and declaring his kingdom with thunder and lighting.
But God’s ways are not our ways.
He had a different plan. To show all of humanity love and compassion. To serve us and give us the opportunity to be made new in him.
What circumstance are you looking for God to move in? Are you only looking for him to do it as you expect, or in the timeline you prefer.
Stop looking for the answer and look for God instead. He’s there. You just have to look for him and trust him to do what he promises.
As the Christmas season begins. Remember the reason for the season. Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed with the shopping, decorating, gift giving and parties.
Instead keep your focus on Jesus. He is the reason for the season. Make him the focus of all you do.
If your shopping for gifts ask him what gift that person really needs and trust him to help you. Ask God to give you opportunities to share about him to the store clerk or the people in line with you. While decorating sing Christmas songs as worship songs.
With all the gift giving this season. Don’t forget the reason for the season, Jesus.
What gift could you give him?
You may think you have nothing to give. But like the little drummer boy you give what you can, you give your gifts, your talents, your time, your life. Everyone has a life to give. And he deserves it because he gave his.
Even if you think you have nothing to give, Jesus says otherwise. He created you, he gave you gifts and talents you may not even know exist.
When you follow God’s plan for your life he uses those gifts and talents for his glory.
God called me to ministry in 2008. And I didn’t start this devotional until 2018. He took me on a journey to teach me and grow and develop me into the woman that I am today. I am a very different person then I was when he first called me to ministry. Because he had to mold me into who he made me to be. And he’s still molding me.
That’s why I started this devotional blog to use the gifts he’s given me to help others see God in their everyday lives.
God can teach us through anything if we let him. I love all the claymation Christmas movies and ‘The Year without a Santa Clause’ (1974) was running through my head the other day. In the story two brothers are quarreling too much to be generous enough to help Mrs. Claus. So she turns to their mother ‘mother nature,’ and the two brothers decide to compromise and help Mrs. Clause.
The Christmas season can easily become about the hustle and bustle of parties and getting gifts for everyone. Worrying if this family member will get along with that family member. Worrying about having the funds to provide gifts for everyone.
But that’s not what this season is truly about. Its about celebrating the King of Kings. So when you start to get caught up in your own stuff. Ask Jesus how he would handle it. How would he promote peace between family. How would he provide to bless people with a gift. I would even suggest you ask him what he would like to gift them with. Jesus knows us all and loves us all. So focus on him and he’ll guide you to get it all done with his peace and his wisdom.
Looking for a gift that shares your faith in Jesus check out Seeing God Designs!
Do you think people knew who Jesus was as he grew up in front of them? Mary and Joseph knew and Mary’s cousin Elizabeth. But when did others notice that something was different about him?
Jesus choose to be born as a baby, to live as we live. He didn’t come to be worshiped and lifted up. He came to be a sacrifice for us.
He lived a normal life, he was born to normal people. He could of had whatever he wanted but he choose to be like the rest of us. He didn’t live an extravagant life or demand anything from anyone.
He came to serve, not be served. To show us love in his every word and action. He came to be an example of love.
Love is not about us but about how we care for and treat others. Jesus was never concerned about whether his needs would be met. His focus was always on the people around him. So why do we think being loved is about us? If we love others by being more concerned about them then ourselves our Heavenly Father will take care of all our needs and shower us with his love. Just as he did for Jesus!
“My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Mary rejoiced in her suffering. Yes she was blessed to carry the son of God but that didn’t come with welcome arms from her family, fiancé or community. Having a baby out of wedlock during her time period was punishable by being stoned to death or at the least being considered an outcast.
Mary knew all this could happen when she said yes to the angel. But she considered it a greater honor to carry Jesus inside her and took the risk of being ridiculed.
Her faith was why she was chosen.
Photo by Arteida MjESHTRI on Unsplash
We are all blessed with the opportunity to carry Jesus inside of us too because of his sacrifice. If Mary was willing to endure ridicule and being outcast and the possibility of being stoned. Why can’t we risk being made fun of for our faith.
God provides for what he call us to. Just like provided for Mary and Jesus. Trust him when he asks you to speak to someone and take a risk for Jesus. I bet you’ll be surprised at the outcome.
The humility of Jesus birth speaks volumes to his character. Jesus is the very creator he is the word that was spoken that created us. And he choose to be born in a glorified cave surrounded by animals, by his creation not by man made structure.
He came to do his fathers work not what we thought he should do. He came to bring peace, joy and gentleness. So that all may know him.
Read about him, really study his words and actions, not what man says about him but he said and did. Learn who he is.
Listening to O Holy Night, always helps me stop and focus on Jesus to feel the peace and calm that he brings to the atmosphere. To remember that Christmas is about him and bringing glory to our savior.
He changed everything that night when he choose to come down to earth not as a king, but as a baby, to humble himself and live a life of service to his people.
Jesus didn’t come down to be served but to serve. He came to restore relationship between us and Father God.
The Christmas Shoes song and movie inspire putting others before yourself. Just as Jesus did when he came here to save us. He put others before his needs and desires.
In this season of gift exchange, look for opportunities to bless others. Pray and ask God what each person needs. He knows each one of us and the desires of our hearts. Trust him to provide for what he asks you to give, even if you don’t know how. Or give to a stranger or someone you barely know, it could make all the difference in the world to them.
Like the Christmas shoes. Even if we don’t understand why. Simple bless others because Jesus blessed others.
What do we keep locked away in a cupboard? What is the one thing that we are holding back from God? Saying you can have everything, but this. This hurt or this pain I’m keeping it because it hurts too much to give it to you.
Because we are afraid of where it came from, why its there or what we’ll have to do to let it go.
Pain can control us if we let it.
But some pain is good, if we control it. Working out can be painful but it helps build muscle and burn fat. It makes us healthier and removes toxins from our bodies through sweat.
But if we say it hurts too much then we allow those same toxins in our bodies to sit and stay and pollute our bodies.
When we let old hurts and pains stay locked away we allow them to have control. But when we surrender them over to God and say we don’t want to live with that pain anymore we find freedom.
Isn’t freedom from pain better then keeping it locked inside us.
The pain of letting go is worth it if we truly want to be free.
Today is a great day to put that into practice. As you go about your plans today look at your surroundings, at the people you are with and find new things to be thankful for.
You may find that you appreciate things or others more then you have in the past. Ask God to reveal to you how he see your friends and family, or if your alone ask him to show you what he would like you to do today.
Thankfulness is about perspective so change your perspective and let the joy of Jesus fill you.
Thankfulness builds joy. Just saying the word brings a smile to my face. There is always something to be thankful for, the sun on your face, the song of a bird near by, the beauty of the trees turning.
Somewhere in some way in your life God is always looking to bless you, to share his love for you, with you.
Thankfulness is about perspective. We can choose to be miserable and focus on what we don’t have or we can choose to find joy regardless of our circumstances.
We all have had times of need and times of abundance, but its how we react that make the difference. We should be thankful in all things big or small blessings. Each day we wake up we can be thankful we have life. Each day is an opportunity to change our perspective.
As believers in Jesus its easy to look to heaven as the solution; to think that we just have to suffer till we get to heaven. But Jesus never intended for us to live this life alone.
Heaven can be here on earth now if we look for it. If we focus on Jesus. One of my favorite questions to ask God, that I first heard from Graham Cooke is “What do you want to be for me now?”
Heaven is free of pain and hurt yes, but its also full of worship. So we worship while we wait, we worship while we wait for the healing, we worship while we wait for the provision or the answer. Worship brings heaven to us and worship opens us up to letting God lead. Its in worship that we surrender all our worries and concerns.
So no matter what we are going through, worship through it. Give God the glory and ask him ‘what he wants to be for you now?’
A good marriage has to be worked at and fought for, it’s easy to take your spouse for granted because of the natural ease that brought you together in the first place.
Just because something is easy and comfortable, doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be cared for. The movie Fireproof is a great example of how going though the motions and taking advantage of a comfortable situation can result in collapse.
Marriage is a bond that makes the two, one. Your spouse is your other half and when you neglect them, it’s like not taking care of yourself.
I have to be honest, I don’t have a perfect marriage, and I don’t always put my husband first. But when I do, I never regret it. I have, regretted not putting him first and neglecting him.
A strong marriage has to be built and maintained. But it also has to have something that binds you together. God is that binder. Putting God at the center of your marriage draws you closer to Him and each other.
On my drive to work I see lots of people walking on the side of the street to go to the bus stop or kids going to school. I get cut off by people and stuck behind buses. I could and have let this is get to me and frustrate me.
Until I started doing drive by blessings. Every time when I see a pedestrian instead of being upset that I have to stop for them to use the cross walk. I pray for them.
And when I get cut off or have to stop because the person in front of me is turning into one of the many business driveways that I pass. I pray for them.
When I get stuck behind the bus, I pray for the passengers getting on or off.
It’s not about being holier then thou. It’s about a perspective change.
Instead of seeing people as an annoyance we can see them as God sees them. As his kids. He loves each and every person on the planet, so we should too.
Freedom from guilt and shame is amazing. We have all done something we regret in our lives or the word ‘sorry’ wouldn’t exist. We all have days where it feels like the world is ending either by choices we have made or choices others have made that affect us. But its when we dwell on those and let them consume us that we give it power over us.
Forgiveness is powerful; God’s forgiveness gives us freedom from the guilt and shame of all our mistakes and forgiving others takes away their power over us.
When you are forgiven its like a ton of bricks is lifted off your back, forgiving others gives us that same freedom.
Don’t let a simple choice keep you from lifting the load of unforgiveness from your back.
The deep intimacy we experience when surrounded by God’s presence can only be called holy. Holy by Jesus Culture perfectly describes how his presence can engulf us, how intoxicating it can be, to the point of never wanting to leave it.
I call it the ‘jello effect’
When his presence is so thick in the room you feel as if you suspended in jello.
Don’t you want to experience that? Don’t you want to know and be with a God that can melt all your cares away, who can give you such peace and joy that it feels as if it will never end.
That’s the God that I worship.
Yes, he is Holy!
And he invites us into his presence, to the place where our whole world changes because he is Holy.
All you have to do is open the door and let him into your life, and believe in Him.
Take a moment to listen to this song and open yourself up to God, take down all the barriers and just focus on him.
When we walk around with unforgiveness that anger and
bitterness spills onto everyone else in our lives. Because we haven’t dealt
with it, it just builds and builds until, it explodes on some unsuspecting
person that may have done the tiniest thing.
Acknowledging God’s existence is the first step toward forgiveness. Acknowledging that he does love us and it’s because he loves us that he gave us the free will to choose him or not. And it’s that free will that causes us to hurt each other.
Even those that choose him are not faultless. We all still make mistakes and no one is perfect except God.
Many people’s distrust of God is because others have misrepresented him. None of us are faultless. Only through knowing God ourselves can we really know who he his.
Don’t let others misrepresentation of him keep you from knowing a loving and trustworthy God that sacrificed his very life for you.
Seek to know God for yourself and let him show you who is he and the freedom that comes from his forgiveness.
Why do people want God to be dead? Because they don’t like him, they don’t agree with him, they think he doesn’t care about them or the people in their lives. It’s much easier to say someone is dead then to deal with the hurt they may have caused us. People say it all the time ‘your dead to me’ but saying it doesn’t make them any more dead then you or I.
Avoiding or ignoring someone does not make them not exist, but that avoidance can cause bitterness to grow in us that will affect those around us.
That’s why forgiveness is so powerful. forgiveness isn’t about saying what the other did was right, but about freeing ourselves from allowing that hurt to control us.
If we walk through life always mad and angry about what others have done to us. What kind of a life is that?
That’s why Jesus died AND rose back to life. So that he could pay the price for our mistakes so that we could be forgiven and we could forgive others.
It’s easy to get distracted by other peoples ministry. To say my ministry isn’t as big as theirs or I wish I could do that. But you don’t know where they started.
Every ministry starts small. No one immediately has a mega church or crusades to millions, no they started out small. Even Jesus started out small. He saw each person as valuable and stopped crowds, just to focus on one person. Like Zacchaeus, or the cripple lowered though the roof or the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus focus was always on the individual.
Ministry is about reaching people. So whether it be big or small if you have reached a person you have ministered.
So rejoice for others in their blessing to reach the multitude and know that they started just like you, by reaching one person at a time.
It’s easy to be envious of other’s ministries or success, but we are each called to our own ministry.
God made each of us unique and has called each of us to our own ministry. I can’t reach someone the same way you can and in the same respect; you can’t reach someone like I can. We are all special, all chosen by him and he has a calling for each of us. For some it’s to minister to thousands, for others it’s to reach the person no one notices. The point is we are each special and unique and we all met God in different ways. We are to be those different ways for other people.
We need to stop comparing ourselves to others and start seeking what God has special just for us.
What has he called you to? Who has he set on your heart? Seek him for how he wants you to reach the people he has given you a heart for and enjoy your unique calling.
Focusing on God and heaven may seem like your taking a break from reality. In some ways you are. Being in the presence of God can make you forget about everything else and just focus on him.
But it also helps us to change our perspective.
When we allow ourselves to get caught up in all the things in the world we can lose sight of God and what he has for us.
Focusing your mind on things above isn’t about being disconnected from reality its about changing reality.
Way maker, miracle worker Promise keeper, light in the darkness My God, that is who You are -Way Maker by Leeland
God keeps his promises and takes care of his people. His promises may not be fulfilled when and how we think they should. But he keeps his promises. He cares for our needs and the desires he has put in us. But in his timing and his way.
We are not meant to take care of and provide for ourselves. We are meant to trust God and follow his leading. So he can provide for us.
God shows us this is how Jesus lived his life and sacrificed it for us. Jesus put others before himself. And trusted his heavenly father to provide all he needed.
If even Jesus did not plan and provide for himself. Than why do we? We need to seek God in all things and everything and follow his plan. He will lead us to reach people we would have missed otherwise. He will daily show us how much he loves us by providing for our needs. And he will bless us with the things that bring joy to our life, if we just look for his blessings.
God has brought me through so many trails that I have lost count. The only times I have truly struggled was when I was trying to do it on my own. But when I stopped trying and started trusting, his provision came. God doesn’t want our hard work. He wants our hearts.
I can’t imagine a world with out the ability to have a personal relationship with him.
As the celebration of his birth approaches there are a million things running through my mind, a million uncertainties so many unknowns that should worry and scare me. But the one constant is Jesus and my trust in him.
I am beyond grateful that no matter what happens in life the he is always there for me. No matter what I know that he has me. He will take care of my every need, worry and concern.
How do I know this? Because he’s done it before countless times. And I know he will again.
So no matter your thoughts. Thank Jesus for who is he.
Because we can always find hope in him. Just like when its hard to see because the skies are grey and cloudy and the outlook looks bleak. But when the sun comes out and sheds light on things. We can see the beauty where we may have missed it before.
Jesus is the light of the world, look for him to change your perspective.
When it rains the clouds come first and the sky turns grey. The plants are shaded from the sun while they get much needed nourishment. The grey clouds stay even after it rains to shield the plants from being burned by the sun while the water is still on their leaves.
Tears are like this for us. They mostly come during the dark gloomy times. But they give us a much needed release of all the emotions that are pent up inside. As the tears flow out our emotion release with them and bring some much needed healing.
Tears are healing. Tears help us to acknowledge the hurt or pain we’ve gone through, they cleanse us and wash away what we’ve held inside. They are a release of fear, sadness, anger, worry and frustration. But if they are kept bottled up they turn into paranoya, anxiety, depression, rage and bitterness. Even Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. He knew he would raise him back to life, yet he still felt the loss. It’s the same with us when we lose someone it’s good to cry, to mourn their lose in this world but we must remember that we will see them in heaven. Or if we won’t we mourn that loss and let it be motivation to bring everyone else to heaven with us.
So cry, let it all out. But remember to not let it overcome you. The sun will come out and there are still people to reach.
Pain is something we all have in our lives. We have all been hurt and we all try to escape it. But avoiding, ignoring, overcompensating, deflecting and straight out running in the other direction regardless of what that is doesn’t remove the pain. It only distracts or numbs.
But what if instead of holding onto that pain we could be free from it.
Forgiveness is powerful and it frees us from pain.
Many see forgiveness as excusing the one who hurt us or saying it’s ok. But it’s not. Forgiving someone does that make what they did right. But it does free us from letting that pain control us.
Holding on to the pain of the past gives that pain power over us. We give it the power to influence our decisions. We let pain control our actions. Keeping us from things because we are afraid to face the pain.
Holding onto our pain instead of forgiving really controls us, not the other person.
But we can make the decision to stop letting that pain rule us and surrender it over to Jesus. He came to free us from our pain and free us from allowing unforgiveness to control us.
Stop letting your past determine your future and let go of the pain.
“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.'” Luke 23:34
This verse is Elizabeth who became pregnant in her old age. She was talking to, Mary the mother of Jesus, about her miraculous conception of Jesus.
This verse gives me strength because we have been trying to get pregnant since we got married in 2015. And even though we have not been blessed with a baby yet. I still trust God, I still love him and I still worship him. Because he is a good, loving God and I know that he has given me the dream to have children and he will bless me with them. But that doesn’t mean that I abandon him or just curl up in a ball and become bitter and angry because I don’t have what I want when I want it.
Instead I ask him ‘What he has for me right now?’ What do you want to teach me through this?’ ‘What do you want me to do in this time?’
In the six years from surrendering my life to Jesus and when I meet my husband. I wanted a husband but God used that time. He taught me to change, to become the woman I needed to be to be a good loving wife. He used me to invest in the lives of others. I could no have done all that I did and learned in those years if I was married. If I had we would of had a lot of issues, we would of fought a lot, hurt each other and I would not of had the time to invest in the others like I did during that time. God knew what he was doing.
Trust his timing. What constraints have you put on God? Are you holding yourself back because you think God can’t do it through you? What does God have for you right now in this moment? Ask him.
When we face times of stress or trials in life it’s easy to give up and give in to temptation for quick fixes that scratch an itch or satisfy for a moment but leave us feeling guilty and full of regret in the long term.
But because we know God loves us and he has a plan for us and that plan is way better then what might be right in front of us. We don’t take those quick fixes.
We trust that his plan is better. Because God is good and he provides. It seems counter cultural, but it’s the way he designed us. He has given each of us passions and skills. But they are meant to be used to share his love with others not for selfish gain or ambition. What has God blessed you with? Are you using it for his kingdom?
In the Desolation of Smog, Tauriel asks Legolas “When did we let evil become stronger than us?
We should be asking ourselves this when we let fear or worry hold us back from doing what God has asked us to do.
We get to choose what we let have power over us. If we choose to trust God we can do amazing things for him. We can reach people we never imaged and find strength, peace and joy that we didn’t know that we had.
In 2014 my small group leader was taking a team to Uganda for a missions trip and he asked the group if any of us wanted to go.
I had been on several mission trips to others countries before but honestly Africa was the only place that I never wanted to go.
As the night continued I felt an overwhelming sense that God wanted me to go on this trip. I kept ignoring it but after our group ended as I was talking with my co-worker James who had been to Uganda before. I couldn’t ignore the promoting I felt from God any longer. I decided to go.
The trip changed my life and perspective on so many things more than any other mission trip I had been on.
By allowing God to direct my steps he grew our relationship in leaps and bounds on that trip and I haven’t been the same since.
What fear are you letting keep you from doing what God has asked you to do?
Take a step of faith and don’t let fear rule your decisions.
Worry accomplishes nothing but wasting time, aging you and ruining your day. When has worry ever stopped a crisis or improved your perspective?
If God can cloth and feed and take care of his creation then. Why do we think he won’t take care of us? He created us didn’t he. So aren’t we his creation too?
I have never regretted trusting God, but I have regretted worrying about something. It never solves anything and makes me edgy and irritable to others. So why worry.
We need to give our concerns over to God and let him take care of them. And trust that he will provide all we need and more.
We often underestimate the impact of resting in Gods presence. When it’s what we need most.
When we are at our most desperate, when we feel lost or unsure. That’s when we need God most.
We don’t need to fix our problems before we go to him. Going to him is how we fix our problems.
Instead of dwelling and worrying. We should be dwelling in his presence and letting him show us his perspective that melts away the worry and anxiety. For nothing is too big for him to handle.
Speaking the name of Jesus out loud is powerful. It brings an emotional response from us. Some fear, some worry, some peace, some joy, his name invokes something inside us.
We each have a different response when we hear his name.
But we can only truly know him. And learn to love him and be loved by him. If we develop a relationship with him.
I can tell you all day about how amazing he is, that he’s completely changed my life. I can tell you how hearing his name brings so much peace and joy to my heart that it can be overwhelming at times.
But you can never truly know him, until you know him yourself.
“All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us.” -Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
We all have moments and times in our lives that we wish hadn’t happened. But we can’t change the past. However we can choose how we react to it and what we do with what we have.
Its easy to say I’ve always been like this or you don’t know what I’ve been through. You’re right. I don’t but God does. And he’s the one that can heal all our wounds.
When we let our past dictate our future. We let our past have all the power. But when we choose to let God heal us from our past. We choose to no longer let it affect us. Instead we can look to the future that God has planed for us.
“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ -Jeremiah 29:10-14
Just because God doesn’t do what you want, when you and how you want. Does not mean he is not there for you.
God’s timing is better then ours.
If my husband and I had met sooner, before we each learned how to be in a healthy relationship, how to love and that God is the one who fulfills us, not the other person. We would have caused each other so much pain.
In the same respect as much as we have wanted kids over the past decade and have not been blessed with them yet. We know that having kids is God’s plan for them not ours. They will be a blessing for more than just us and his has a reason for his timing.
God’s timing is perfect.
He knows what we need, when we need it and when what we want would hurt us more then help us.
I asked God for a husband for seven years, but I wasn’t ready. My heart may have longed for the relationship of marriage, but it was for selfish reasons. And selfishness is never good for marriage.
It wasn’t until I surrendered my desire for spouse to God and asked him to pick my husband, that my husband came into my life. I never would of picked him on my own, but God knew what I needed and I couldn’t have asked for a better husband.
Trust God in his timing and ask him what he wants for you right now, instead of what you want.
Limiting you perspective to what you know and not being willing to believe or even conceive of something outside your current knowledge, limits your ability to grow.
Just because we don’t have what we asked God for right now. Doesn’t mean God’s not giving it to us.
There is so much to be thankful for in this life. There are the basic needs. Food to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear, bed to sleep in and a home to keep us protected. But God provides so much more than these. He loves to bring joy into our lives even in the little things. Blessing us with our favorite beverage, a smile from a loved one, the warm sun on our face and so much more if we just appreciate him and what he’s already blessed us with.
If we focus on what we don’t have. We will miss all that God has for us each day.
His timing is perfect. He knows what we need and when we need it. Trusting his timing can be hard if we focus on what we don’t have. But if we focus on what he is doing in our life right now. What we are waiting for won’t take as long as we think it will.
It’s so easy to get caught up in our thoughts. To become overwhelmed and insecure when we turn to our own opinion of ourselves or others opinions of us.
But the only opinion that should matter is Jesus. What he says is what matters.
He says we are loved, we matter, we belong.
If we depend on getting our value from others we will always feel like we are not enough. But Jesus says we’re priceless.
He paid everything for us, because he loves us.
It doesn’t matter what anyone else says about us. What matters is what Jesus says and he says we are loved.
Take a moment and refocus your thoughts as you listen to this song. Let the words speak to you and let Jesus remind you of who he made you to be.
Hearing God is something so many of us are looking for in our lives. What is he saying? Am I really hearing him? What does he sound like? How do I know when or if I’m hearing him?
A few pastor friends of mine produced a great documentary with real life testimony on how people hear God, how to know if it is him and if someone else is really hearing him.
We are all capable of hearing God if we listen, but we need to know what we are listing for.
God speaks in so many ways, through images, nature, others, audible, a still small voice within us, through emotions, feelings, impressions and so many other ways.
He is the creator of the universe and we cannot box him into just one way of speaking, we each hear him in different ways, but one thing is always the same the heart of his expression to us is always love.
God is love and he can never not be loving.
Test what you hear him saying against the bible. Talk to other believers and be willing to be wrong. But know that no matter what he will always be speaking in love.
*The Voice of God documentary is powerful and there is also an Activation Manuel check them both out here.
God’s peace is not something you earn, but a gift he freely gives.
Jesus is always looking to bless us, to shower His love on us. We are the ones who hold Him back, by trying to keep control of our lives.
His blessings are peace of mind, peace in our heart and peace in our soul. By finding our confidence and identity in Him. He teaches us to be without fear or worry.
When you know who you are in Jesus, nothing can shake that and no one can take it.
I heard a Pastor say once “unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”
When we hold on to unforgiveness it grows into bitterness and resentment. We think we are hurting the other person because they hurt us, but most of the time the other person doesn’t even know they hurt us.
By holding onto it we just hurt ourselves more.
But by choosing to forgive we extend the same gift God gave us to them. It’s His grace not our ours and who are we to withhold His grace from someone.
Forgiveness is freeing.
Remember how you felt when you accepted Gods forgiveness, it’s the same when we forgive others.
So why would you choose to hold yourself back from that freedom?
Worship crosses all boundaries, language and cultural. We all have the capacity to worship God.
It doesn’t matter if we know the words to a song, if we like the style of the music, if we’re rich or poor, what we look like or where we grew up. We all can worship.
Worship is about putting God first in our hearts. It’s about surrendering to Him and giving Him the glory.
It doesn’t matter where we are or who we’re with we can worship God anywhere anytime, with anyone anywhere in the world. Because we are all His children and He loves each of us.
We worship Him because of His who He is, not what He’s done for us. Just as He loves us not for what we’ve done but who we are to Him. His beloved creation.
Rehearsing our mistakes over and over again in our head allows guilt and shame to have control over us. Even rehearsing the wrong doings of others against us gives them power over us. When we allow these things to dictate our decisions we give them control over us.
But when we surrender them over to Jesus and accept His forgiveness for us and for them, we find freedom.
When we die to ourselves and allow God to live through us. His love and his grave cover our mistakes so that we can be free of guilt and shame, because we are dead and the dead can’t be offended, guilty or ashamed.
Instead we can rejoice in the freedom, joy and peace of God’s grace.
Surrender over to God whatever is holding you back, whatever stops you from being who God made you to be.
Warnings are there for a reason. They keep us away from danger and help us to go the right direction.
In ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ Aslan warns Mr. Tumnus that he is going the wrong direction by following the orders of The White Witch. Mr. Tumnus had never meet a human before and didn’t know what they were like or if they were safe. But he did know the source of the request to kidnap Lucy.
When we are completely unaware about something we need to look at the source for the answer.
Mr. Tumnus knew the witch was not good and he knew that Aslan was nothing but good, even though he had not meet him yet. Mr. Tumnus knew that Aslan was good.
When we are unsure of things in life, we must look to the source for guidance. The Holy Spirit is that for us. He knows what is good for us and what is not. He keeps us safe from harm and looks to do nothing other than bring us closer to God.
In this world where new things arise everyday. Trust the Holy Spirit’s guidance and he will lead you to the feet of Jesus.
