Sometimes we just need to ask ourselves what has Jesus saved us from today? He’s everywhere. Rooting for you. Protecting you. Fulfilling promises. Do you trust in him? At times I believe we need to remember just how mighty he is. Dig into scripture to find out. Look around to see him working. He’s there.
“Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.” Romans 4:20-21 NLT
God is a God of life. God is a God forgiveness. God is a God of rescue.
We serve a God that keeps on saving. I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful God didn’t just save me once and move along. He keeps pursing us. He keeps saving us. Do you trust in him?
In this world full of tribulations, You have to know who you are. You have to know what God’s word says about you. You have to be so rooted in scripture you know regardless of how your world is around you, your faith will not waver.
“I praise you being I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
If you don’t know this today, know that you are redeemed. You are made new by Christ. Believe this today. You are walking in love because you are loved. Commit your life to Jesus. Who you used to be is not who you are.
God is a God of faithfulness. I hope you trust in him today.
This last week a friend and I went and saw Jesus Revolution. It’s such a great movie! I recommend watching if you haven’t already.
A quote from the movie really hit me.
“how can they believe in the one whom they’ve not heard?”
It really got me because I feel like we take for granted the opportunities we have to share the Gospel.
Everyday we go out. We go to the grocery store, the gas station, to work, school, to church. And if you don’t go out then you’re probably on social media at some point.
All of those things are chances to share God’s love.
Don’t miss this.
We are called to share the Gospel. To share what Jesus did for all of us.
And if you are living out the Word of God then you will want others to be able to experience God’s love too!
It should be a desire to share Jesus.
Go grow the Kingdom and share the love of Jesus.
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””
I don’t think I have ever felt a burden for the lost like I do right now!! My heart feels so heavy to think that there are people out there that have never accepted Jesus Christ in their hearts. There are people who will not spend eternity in heaven, but in hell. I don’t want to ever pass up an opportunity to help someone learn the truth and the love of Jesus Christ. Do you know that God expects us to stand in the gap for lost family, friends, nations, and etc.? The definition for standing in the gap is to expose oneself for the protection of something; to take the place of a fallen defender or supporter.
Ezekiel 22:30 says,” I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” In biblical times walls were built around the cities to protect them from enemies. When there was a breach in the wall, defenders would go to it and stand and protect it until it could be repaired, but in this case there was no one and it was destroyed. Verse 31… “ So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”How sad that God was searching and could not find one person to stand in the gap.
There are however several other instances in the bible where people did obey God by standing the gap. Psalm 106:23 says, “Therefore He said He would destroy them … had not Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach (gap) before Him, to turn away His wrath from destroying them.” In Acts 7:60 as Stephen is being stoned, accused of blasphemy, he cries out with a loud voice, “Lord do not charge them with this sin” and when he had said this he fell asleep.” In Romans 10:1 Paul prays for Israel’s salvation,”Brethren my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” One last example and the most important is Jesus Christ as He stood in the gap for us and all of our sins on the cross. Luke 23:34 Jesus said,”Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
I know times are different, but as I said before, God still expects us to stand in the gap. Our time on earth is running out! We don’t want to leave anyone behind. So what can we do? Most importantly we can start with praying for the lost. We can pray specific prayers for our family members,friends, people in our workplaces, and communities. We can also pray in a larger spectrum for people all over the world. Pray for the missionaries who are trying to reach them. Pray, pray, pray!!! God listens to our prayer and He desires for all to come to repentance and be saved, but He is a holy sovereign God and nothing can change that. It does require accepting Jesus Christ as God’s Son and believing He died on the cross to save us from our sins. We have to be ready to talk about the gospel to anyone we meet. We are servants of a true living God who expects us to spread His word. We should be shouting it wherever we go. Now, we will come across those who absolutely refuse to hear it. God just wants us to plant the seed and the Holy Spirit will do the rest. As we continue to pray for them He will work on their hearts and minds God uses us to open that door and then it is totally up to Him. Our goal is to love the lost just as much as our fellow christians. Love is the most important attribute that a christian can have.
God has placed us on earth for such a time as this and it is time we stand in the gap. He is giving us time,to pray, to seek His Will, and to be the servants He wants us to be, but time will run out for each and every person on this earth.God does not want to see anyone go to hell. Let’s do all we can to fill up our eternal home. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
The last 2 years have been a journey with the Holy Spirit on becoming content & grateful. I found myself in a very discontent & negative state of mind that came on by me not guarding my heart & mind.
I wasn’t truly grateful for anything. One night I had an encounter with Him & the desire to become so content & to only let gratitude come from my heart & mouth became so strong. I could feel the Holy Spirit saying, “You’re going to have to become violent in this approach to change your way of thinking.” In that moment I made a decision to only speak life & truly let gratitude flow from my life. It was then that true contentment began taking root.
“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with OVERFLOWING GRATITUDE. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ….”Philippians 4:6
The word overflowing means to be so full that the content goes over. It’s noticeable to those around you. It spills into your atmosphere.
How do we stay grateful?
“So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.” Philippians 4:7-8 TPT
The word grateful means feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful. One enemy of gratitude is comparison. If I compare my life to those around me instead of being grateful for the season & place I’m in, I’ll never be truly grateful or content.
Being grateful means I’m constantly in a heart posture of being thankful for EVERY glorious work of God.
“You can pass through his open gates with the password of praise. Come right into his presence with thanksgiving. Come bring your thank offering to him and affectionately bless his beautiful name!”Psalms 100:4 TPT
Have you ever struggled to enter in to His presence? Be thankful. We enter into His presence with OVERFLOWING GRATITUDE.
Gratefulness is the forerunner to contentment.
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”” Hebrews 13:5 ESV
”Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.” Philippians 4:11-12 NLT
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NLT
Contentment is a state of happiness & satisfaction.
“Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus. Never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 TPT
Feasting on joy brings contentment. When I’m choosing to be joyful & feasting on the joys of life, there’s a deep contentment that takes root within. Then even in difficult seasons I can still have joy because contentment is present. They go hand & hand.
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:2-4 NLT
When we’re content, we won’t rush seasons away, even hard ones. In 1 Thessalonians, the very next verse after it says be thankful, says “never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.”
A lack of gratitude puts out the fire of the Holy Spirit in my life, it actually restrains Him! When I operate in extreme gratitude, it welcomes the Holy Spirit to do what He wants in me & through me. THIS is the will of God in our lives. Knowing you’re operating in the perfect will of God & the Holy Spirit is present & free in your life, leads to the greatest contentment.
“I overflow with praise when I come before you, for the anointing of your presence satisfies me like nothing else. You are such a rich banquet of pleasure to my soul.” Psalms 63:5 TPT
Only Jesus truly satisfies. When I know that & I’m satisfied with Him & Him alone, deep gratitude & contentment takes root & flows out.
How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers, Psalm 1:1-3, CSB.
I have a group of friends whose company consistently uplifts me. We always have fun, but more importantly we are intentional about making our time meaningful. We talk about life and truly listen to one another. We make the most of our time so that we each walk away with a full heart. It’s as if each person is pouring from their own cup so generously that no cup is left empty in the end.
Of course, we have all experienced the opposite, when our time with someone is like an energy vacuum. and leaves us feeling deflated and discouraged. Worse than time with someone who unintentionally sucks the life out of us is time with someone who brings us into their orbit of deceit. These people can seem fun and our time with them seems enjoyable, until we realize they are pulling us into a place we never intended to be. These people are funny, but their jokes are at the expense of others. They have a good time doing hurtful things. They are the ‘bad crowd’ our mothers warned us to avoid but can seem so tempting to join. As the psalmist tells us in this passage, the short lived bloom of sinners and mockers will wither in time and rob our happiness.
Our location impacts whether we flourish or fade. God created us with a need to grow both roots and fruit. We need to be planted near nourishment, and have regular access to streams that will hydrate and not hijack. Delighting in God’s Word and spending time soaking it up will lead to lasting fruit. A tribe who is into soaking up and dishing out the love of Jesus will lead us to nourishment. We can certainly be friendly with and loving to people who are not planted in God’s Word, but we can’t put down roots with them and soak up their poison.
God’s Word will nourish us, and placing ourselves near his people gives us better access to that stream of spiritual nutrition and hydration. Where are you located right now? What are you soaking up and allowing to influence your heart and mind?
Prayer: God, you are the source of life. Thank you for sending friends to encourage me and point me to you. I am sorry for the times I participated in humor at the expense of others and conversations that were hurtful to your children. Help me to discern where I should be planted, and enable me to meditate on your Word often and fervently. Amen
And when I say a whopper, I’m not exaggerating. Things went wrong that I didn’t even know could go wrong. Let’s break it down:
▪️I had my first Celiac attack in over five years – and attack is putting it mildly.
▪️I received a new, rare medical diagnosis. Because I didn’t have enough of those. IYKYK
▪️At said appointment I found out my favorite doctor is leaving.
▪️And then a few things happened that I’m not going to talk about here. Rude, I know.
I had a decision to make: beat the week or let the week beat me. And just so you know, my daddy didn’t raise quitters.
And neither does Jesus.
He modeled that for us all throughout His life on earth. When times got tough He got tougher. How? He prayed. He called out to God. He dug down deep.
He kept His eyes on the prize. And that prize is His Kingdom.
Life’s gonna get hard. And just like Maverick said last week, it may even smack us in the face. But we gots to keep going.
We’ve got to keep going for Jesus.
So ladies, when it all comes crashing down on you – and at some point it will – call out to God. Dig deep. And don’t you dare take your eyes off of the prize.
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
What does a dusty, 1980’s owl figurine, a chipped, green plate, and a metal, leaf tray, and two hardback books have in common?
The young girl was here at the Thrift Store to do her 32 hrs. community service. (The store is owned by our church and uses its funds to provide a future Women’s Shelter). Me… It was the third Saturday of the month- my day to work the cash register. Barely out of high school and easy to talk to, she confessed that she had made lots of bad choices and learned her lesson. Instantly, God whispered to me, “I’ve sent her to you. Show her MY LOVE and Grace”.
I handed her a can of polish and a rag . As she dusted the bookshelves, she discovered a gently, used novel and asked if she could purchase it. When her credit card was placed in my hand, I sadly had to tell her, “Sorry, but credit card purchases have to be a minimum of five dollars”.
For just a few minutes, she shopped some more and carefully handed me a few more items. Then, something on the other side of the store caught her attention, so I secretly searched for one particular book for her, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Since she showed interest in reading and had admitted that from her “bad choices” she had “ learned her lesson”, I felt a deep burning desire to get that book in her hands TODAY!! And there it was! Just like I had hoped!!
The items totalled seven dollars. ( Without her knowing, I bought everything.) Joyfully, I gave her back her credit card without the receipt. I smiled BIG when she inquired about signing the credit card receipt and her confusion quickly turned into gratefulness. Her sweet words,, “Thank you, so much!” melted my heart. Then, I opened the Purpose Driven Life book and immediately pointed out the first and second chapters….God wanted her to know she has a purpose and also that she isn’t an accident!
So back to my question…”What does a dusty, 1980’s owl figurine, a chipped, green plate, a metal leaf tray, and two hardback books have in common?” They are all gifts! Just ordinary items that can remind her of God’s warmth, mercy, grace, and love shown to her today.
Maybe when she looks at these gifts, she will remember and come back to me. We can talk more about His plans and promises for her life!!
Whatever happens, I will sing His praises and meditate on this wonderful day!! Following HIS purpose for our life brings about unending joy and perfect peace! Our purpose is TO KNOW HIM and GLORIFY HIM!
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Have you ever fallen down really hard? Maybe your mom poured that liquid in a brown bottle on your scraped-up knee? Or maybe you stubbed your toe? Now, what does all of that have in common?
Pain.
All of those examples are about being hurt. I am a very injury prone person, so I know a thing or two about being hurt. But sometimes there is a greater hurt than physical pain. Whether it’s a breakup or maybe people at school or work are rude to you, eventually one day life is going to slap us all in the face.
11/13/19.
This was the day that changed my life forever. A quick little backstory: Going into my sophomore year of high school my best friend and I committed to training for basketball everyday, and that is exactly what we did. We worked out, we played pickup games, and we practiced our skills. We both made the varsity summer league team, and we both performed very well. We were both told that we would most likely make our school’s varsity team as well.
11/13/19 was a normal Wednesday at WHS. The only twist, it was the day we would find out who made the team. The athletics period came and Logan and I were working out. They called me in and told me I would just be a “practice player”. A practice player meant I didn’t get to play in the games, but I got to run suicides, do drills whenever they let me, and watch the team from the stands. I was shocked and couldn’t believe it. After the period I was sitting in class just thinking to myself, “I know I should be on this team. I’m a good player.”
All of a sudden, I was called out of that class to go home. Confused, I got in the car with my dad. His face was white as a ghost. We drove over to the elementary school where he told me to stay in this car because I would be driving it home. My baby sister got in the car, and she asked where we were going. As soon as she asked that I saw my mother and father walk out of the building. My mother was crying and my father was holding her. Maggie thankfully didn’t see that. I immediately went into big brother mode and drove to where she couldn’t see my mother crying. That hour drive home was the longest drive of my life. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what it was. On top of that I had to act like everything was ok because of Maggie being in the car. We finally arrived at the house and my dad broke the news. My sweet MiMi had passed away.
I was devastated. I had just seen my grandmother two weeks before. Thankfully, I got one of her amazing hugs and got to hear her say “Mavo” one last time.
In one day I was told I wasn’t good enough to make the team and my MiMi had passed away. I was angry with God, and I asked over and over,“How could you do this to me?”
One night I put my Bible up, and I moved my Bible app on my phone to where I could no longer see it. I still went to church, but I never paid attention. I stopped praying and reading my bible. I cut off connection with God. I stopped hanging out with my friends as much, and I pushed everyone I loved and cared about away. I remember there was one night I looked in the mirror and was disgusted. I had grown to hate myself, and I no longer believed in myself. I had officially hit rock bottom.
After my sophomore year I moved to Hardin-Jefferson, and I decided I was going to try out for the basketball team. On paper I didn’t stand a chance to make the team. HJ is a prestigious basketball program with multiple state championships, state ranked in 4A, and they make the playoffs every year. So if I couldn’t make the team at a smaller school how could I make it here? I tried out and not only did I make it, but I had the best season ever. None of it would have been possible without Coach Paul Sims. Coach Sims brought me out of the dark place I was in, and when he showed me that he believed in me and that he had confidence that I could produce at a high level for his basketball team, I started to believe in myself again. I started to love myself and life again. For Coach Sims I am forever grateful, but don’t ever call him Paul because he will make you run suicides for it.
While I did start to enjoy my life again I still had so much anger and hurt towards God. I also had no relationship with him. The summer going into my senior year I went to church camp, but I didn’t learn a thing. I just went to hang out with my friends. Then, on November 9, 2021 HJ was playing against my old school in basketball. With seven minutes to go in the game I finally got to check in. As I was walking on to the court I remember seeing the clock and seeing 7 minutes to go and thinking to myself, “Huh, MiMi was born on March 7th.” I brushed it off and started to focus on the game. I proceeded to have one of the best games I had ever played. On our last offensive possession I caught the ball at the top of the three point line and I shot and swished it. As soon as it went through I saw the clock and time froze for me. There was seven seconds left on the clock, again my MiMi was born on March 7th. Then I heard thirteen in my head. I realized that I had scored thirteen points, and I immediately thought back to 11/13/19. In my head I was thinking, “11/13/19. Holy cow! I scored thirteen points, thirteen, thirteen.” Then out of nowhere for the first time in two years I felt God’s presence. All of the pain, suffering, and anger it all just went away. It truly was the biggest weight lifted off of my chest and shoulders. Reality came back and a player for my former school shot. I grabbed the rebound as time expired, and for a split second as I held the ball I thought, “Thank you.” I was swarmed by my teammates. We were all jumping up and down and celebrating for the game we had just played. When we got back to the school I opened up my bible app for the first time in two years. I randomly selected a verse and it was Hebrews 13:8 which says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Fast forward to today I read my bible and I pray everyday, and my relationship with God is great!
I realized that God never abandoned me like I thought he did. The incredible thing is he never has, and he never will. I wish I knew that back then so I didn’t have to go through everything I went through alone. But now that I know what I know, I can help people realize that they don’t have to go through tough times alone. I am hoping that by people reading this they realize that no matter how big the problem is, whether it’s someone passing away, bills, relationships, or work God will never leave your side. He will help you get through it. God never abandoned me, and he never will abandon you!
I can do the things, but it doesn’t mean it’s comfortable.
“Great peace have those that love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”
Psalm 119:165 NIV
Oh, one of my favorite topics. Comfort vs. peace. It’s a real conversation I’ve had with multiple individuals just to get their take on it. Let’s be real, they are not the same thing.
& here’s why –
My husband and I have these conversations a lot. He teases me and says I’m the talker in our marriage. He says it’s very evident that it comes very natural for me to stand up and speak, or teach the Gospel to a group of people. Often times I share with him and others that’s actually the farthest thing from comfort for me. I experience the same nerves, sweaty palms, and all things just like many do. I would like to think over the years I have exceedingly grown to be more comfortable. Truth is, I haven’t. I’m not comfortable. Something I am though? I’m peaceful. I do have peace. That’s so much better. I have peace to move forward with a loving Father. Because of Him & the source of peace only he can supply me, I can take the next step to accomplish whatever I need to. I can do the things.
I have grown to learn comfortable is not where I want to go in life. Perhaps my “comfortable” moments was when I was doing the least for the Kingdom. That was scary.
Here’s what I need you to understand –
The difference between comfort and peace for me is simply this: Jesus gives me peace. Jesus is also a supply of comfort. Please understand that. Within Psalm 119 it also shares with us that His steadfast love has the ability to comfort us. In this moment though I’m talking about leaning on my own comfort. That doesn’t get me anywhere. I need him. We as people as we battle our human nature, need to realize we draw closer to the things that want us to be comfortable. He knows what you’re capable of. He knows the big, mighty things you can do for the kingdom. Trust me, that is not within your comfort. You can have peace from him to help you take that step. You get it? Because of the peace I experience within Christ, I am able to do what God has called me to do even when it’s uncomfortable. Just like Psalms tells us we cannot stumble if we allow his great peace to flood into our lives.
Remember this, be willing to go where you aren’t exactly comfortable. I assure you with our loving Father you will experience His peace there.
If we depend on us – we depend on our own feet – we will never be led to accomplish kingdom work. With His peace though, we can do the things. We can do the work. Even when it’s
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