Speak Up!

"A person finds joy in giving an apt reply - and how good is a timely word!"
Proverbs 15:23

 

Your life experiences speak of God's faithfulness and love, and He wants you to share what He has done for you with others. Someone out there may be struggling to take the next step toward God's love and plan for her life, and you can bring encouragement by sharing how God helped you through the tough times. In the process, your own faith will be strengthened. You have answers. Be bold and courageous. Speak up!

 

Dear Lord, help me to know when I need to share something from my life that may be able to help another. You have given me so much, I want to share that with others. In Your Name, Amen.

Everyday Joy

JOY FEAST

 

A group of chefs from the Food Network set out to complete what seems like an impossible task: feed 100 people with food that was destined for the garbage.

They expect only to find scraps but as they travel to markets and farms, what they discover is stunning.

Beautiful tomatoes with the slightest imperfections in their skins.

Gorgeous corn blown over by hurricane winds that no one will pick.

Eggs that are not quite the right size or shape.

In the end, they have abundance that turns into a joyful feast.

How can there be so much waste? is the question that lingers in their minds and those of the viewers too. Are we used to rejecting what’s good but not perfect?

After I change the channel, the questions still linger.

And I realize that I have done the same in my life.

I fear what I create isn’t adequate so I don’t offer it.

I think what someone else does is better so I cast aside my strengths.

Maybe you too?

But the reality is that God wants to feed hearts through who we are–just as we are.

Let’s dare to put our imperfections in his hands and let them have his way with them, with us.

It just may turn into an abundance of joy for more than we can even imagine.

Learning

"Let the wise listen and add to their learning."
Proverbs 1:5

Being a Christian is all about being a student in the things of God. What a wonderful blessing! Each day you are charged with getting to know your heavenly Father better and becoming more like Him. That will sometimes be painful as you discard old thought patterns and behaviors in favor of new ones, but it will always be productive, transforming you into the person God created you to be. Stay close to Him, listen, and learn all you can.

Dear Lord help me to continue to learn, continue to change, and continue to grow in the image of You. In Your Name, Amen.

Assurance

"God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge - a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete." 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

The last time you bought a house or a car or applied for a loan, were you preapproved? Good feeling, isn't it? In a real sense, you have been preapproved for God's kingdom. He's given you His Word and stamped you with His eternal pledge. You belong to Him. He is fully committed to helping you become all you were created to be. You can turn your back on Him - it's true. But He will never turn His back on you.

Dear Lord, thank You for the assurance that I am yours and I have a place in Your kingdom. In Your Name, Amen.

Unmerited Favor

"By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." 1 Corinthians 15:10

Grace is often defined as God's unmerited favor. It means that His love for us, His care, and His concern are all free gifts - we haven't earned them. What a wonderful thing to be loved and accepted - just because! In God's eyes you are already pretty enough, smart enough, good enough to receive His best. He loves you for who you are. He wants you to become all you were created to be, but your relationship with Him doesn't hinge on it. What a wonderful word grace is!

Dear Lord, thank you for grace. In Your Name, Amen.

Priorities

"Wisdom is best. So get wisdom. No matter what it costs, get understanding."
Proverbs 4:7
Honoring God lays the foundation for building a life of wisdom. If you want to be wise, arrange your calendar to include time for God. You might have to say no to something in order to say yes to that Bible study or quiet time praying and reading God's Word or meeting with a spiritual mentor or attending worship service or keeping a spiritual journal. Though it may cost you, rearranging your priorities will help you gain wisdom.

Dear Lord, give me the desire to spend time with You. Help me to find the time and spend it with You. I know it might not be easy for me to do, but I understand it is important and I want to be wise. Show me the opportunities You have for me and guide me to the one You would have me do. In Your Name, Amen.

I pray that you are finding time to spend with God each day. If you are . . . great!! If you haven't . . . you can do it!! If you are reading these daily devotions . . . you have already started. Now, add something more. You are ready . . . God wants more of you, and I promise if you give Him more, you will be blessed.

Indecision

"Preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck." Proverbs 3:21-22

You don't want to make the wrong decision, so you weigh the pros and cons in your mind over and over, spending sleepless nights wondering what to do. Now would be a good time to stop tossing and turning and put the matter in God's hands. Only He knows the outcome of all possible scenarios. Study His Word on the topic, bring to Him your best thinking on the matter, and open yourself to the guidance of His Spirit. Then make your decision with certainty and confidence.

Dear Lord, teach me to pray about the decision I need to make. I know I have a wise counselor in God's Word as well as in the Holy Spirit. Help me to learn to go there first and discover Your answer for me. In Your Name, Amen.

Understanding

"Wisdom cries out in the street . . . at the busiest corner she cries out . . . I will make my words known to you."
Proverbs 1:20-21,23

"It's clear as mud." You've probably heard this expression used when describing confusion about how to deal with life, others, or God. Yet God wants to make things clear. In the midst of your busy schedule, He shares insight through the Bible and in other more surprising places. He can use any songs, books, blogs, or movies to enlighten you. You don't have to stay confused indefinitely. Ask God for discernment, remain open to learning, and expect to receive.

Dear Lord, I am asking for discernment to remain open to what You want to tell me today. I am ready to receive what You want me to know. In Your Name, Amen.

Potential

"I have filled [you] with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts."
Exodus 31:3

Have you reached your full potential? If you're still breathing, you haven't! God has blessed you with a wide range of talents for you to tap throughout your life. Enrich every stage of your life by following your interests, broadening your knowledge, and developing your abilities. You will be surprised at the variety of God-given gifts you possess - and experience the sheer enjoyment of embracing your potential.

Dear Lord, show me where I am not using the potential my faith has given me. Help me to use my knowledge to introduce others to God's love. Help me use my abilities and use them to serve others. Help me use my Spirit - given potential to walk as an effective, exciting, and powerful woman of God. In Your Name, Amen.

"In God YOU have been enriched in every way - in all your speaking and in all your knowledge."
1 Corinthians 1:5

His Profound Love

"I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

Have you ever paused to contemplate God's unfathomable love for us? If we could climb to the top of the highest mountain, we couldn't out climb His love. If we plummeted to the depths, His love would meet us there. If our vision could expand to see beyond the stars, we would find His love waiting there for us. There is truly nothing to compare with the profound love of our Savior!

Dear Lord, thank You for the unconditional love You give to me. In Your Name, Amen.

Everyday Encouragement

What's Growing?

 

I stand in the grocery store line and tap my toe with impatience. The check out girl seems impossibly slow today and the woman in front insists on paying three different ways. As the minutes tick by I stare at the food on the conveyor belt.

 

Beautiful red apples.
Oranges that look like sunlight.
Peppers that started as seeds far away.

 

And I begin to think about time differently.

 

How much time would it have taken me to have this abundance a hundred years ago?
Months of work, cultivation, nurturing.

 

Now I roll my eyes after waiting for five minutes.

 

Why is that?

 

I realize it's because I'm used to production not growth.

 

Producing something is quick, easy.

 

Growth is intentional, done with care.

 

God isn't impatient like me.

 

He's committed to working the soil, watering, harvesting, going through the process, all in the right time. His plans are better than mine. Time is not an obstacle to him. Instead it's an opportunity for what's truly best to come forth in my life.

 

And in yours.

 

God is growing beautiful things in us, friends.

 

The longer it takes, the sweeter the reward will be.

 

Dear Lord, teach me to be patient in today's impatient world. Everything around me cries hurry up. Help me in today's fast paced world to just slow down and embrace the moments around me. I want to grow in You, but I need to slow down so that I can hear from You and do what You are wanting me to do in my life for You. In Your Name, Amen.

Priorities

"Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty."
Ecclesiastes 12:13

 

Knowing God gives you a new perspective on your work, family life, and friendships. You see these God-given blessings for what they are, and you want to tend to them mindfully and well. Like a broad umbrella, however, God stands over and above you and all He has given you. Never let anything in your life take priority over God, who shelters you with His continuing guidance, comfort,and care.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your shelter, Your guidance, Your comfort and Your care. Without You in my life I would fail terribly at work, family and friendships. In Your name, Amen.

Gratitude

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."
Psalm 107:1
Do you regularly count your blessings - the beauty and variety of wildflowers, the immensity of the evening sky, the power of the ocean's waves, the majestic heights of a mountain? Even when you forget to say thank you, God surrounds you with these things every day. Name three things in creation you take pleasure in and give thanks to God for each of them. Your God made them for you simply because He wanted you to enjoy them.


Father God, thank You for _______________________, _______________________, ______________________________. I am so grateful that you gave these to me. In Your Name, Amen.

Because of His Great Love

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved."
Ephesians 2:4-5

 

Sometimes we just don't feel like loving. We not only withhold love, but we punish others by not forgiving them for what they have done to us. This brings a rift in our relationships, and it isn't good for us. Love acts as a buffer. God extended mercy to us. Why? Because of His great love. We must love, even in the hard times, so that mercy and grace can follow.

 

Dear Lord, simply, help me to love those around me. The ones that I need to obviously love, the ones that I may forget to love, the ones I really don't want to love and even those I don't know. I want to love like You love. Show me how to do that. In Your Name, Amen.

Success

What Success Really Means

 

We try to measure it in numbers.

 

Define it with titles.

 

Step on the scale.

 

Climb up the ladder.

 

We chase it until we're exhausted.

 

Success.

 

What does it really mean?

 

I look through the Bible one day looking for an answer.

 

And I find, all the way through, it really comes back to one word.

 

Obedience.

 

Not results.

 

Not awards.

 

Not exceeding expectations.

 

Just obedience.

 

We are servants who bring our Master joy when we do what he asks.

 

No more, no less.

 

Success isn't as complicated as we make it.

 

And it's attainable. For all of us. Every day. Wherever we are.

 

Even this week.

 

Doesn't that make your heart feel freer?

 

Can I hear a Alleluia and a Woo-hoo!

Dear Lord, help me to just be obedient this today. Tomorrow. This week. In Your Name, Amen.

Crowned with Love

"Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion." Psalm 103:2-4

We take many things for granted in this life: our health, God's provision, our daily bread, the love of family members and friends, and much more. Oh, may we never forget to praise our loving God, who showers us with benefits. He forgives our sins. He redeems us from the pit. And He places a glittering crown of love and compassion on us, calling us His daughters and sons.

Dear Lord, help me to see the things You have provided for me in my life. I want to have a thankful heart. Thank You for giving me love, having compassion on me and calling me Your daughter. Thank You Father, Amen.

Rest

Take a Break

"Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved."
Isaiah 30:15

 

Some days you try everything you can think of to save yourself, but no matter how hard you try, you fail again and again. You fall on your face and embarrass yourself. You hurt people around you. You make mistakes, and nothing whatsoever seems to go right. When that happens, it's time to take a break. You need to stop trying so hard. Throw yourself in God's arms. Rest on His grace, knowing that He will save you.

 

Dear Lord, I know I keep trying to do things on my own, even though I don't know what I'm doing and I am exhausted. I know You are waiting quietly, ready to show me the way. I know I don't have to try so hard. You will lead me with quiet, gentle grace, carrying my burden for me. Help me to rest in You today. Show me what to do and what to let go of. In Your Name, Amen.