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Don’t Give Up

November 20, 2013

Don’t give up. Believe the gospel. God is sovereignly orchestrating your life. Nothing done to you by human decision can ever be done apart from God’s will. Whatever others have meant for evil, He will use it for good.

Always remember this: Joseph carried his pain for over two decades until God revealed the liberating truth that nothing can happen to us by human decision apart from His knowledge and father-like concern. That’s what the Bible says. Not even one sparrow can fall to the ground apart from His will.

What have you been carrying around, and for how long? Whatever it is, God wants you to know that He is making you into part of His larger plan to redeem this world and bring glory to His name. That’s who you are.

Trust Him and wait for Him, and [ … ]

The Goodness of the Lord

November 19, 2013

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. –Psalm 27:13

Psalm 27:13 starts out "I believe…" That is the basis for faith. Faith is one of those things that defies description. To one who doesn’t believe, it seems irrational, maybe even foolish. But those who possess it know it’s the foundation of our lives. When faced with trials, I often find myself longing for Heaven, where no sadness or suffering can touch me or the ones I love. But even so, I believe God is HERE with me NOW and I will see Him work good in the most painful situation. That is faith. And it’s a beautiful thing.

Original Devotional by Kim Vogel Sawyer, Author of What Once Was Lost

Daily Reflection: How do you find strength through [ … ]

Longing for a Mary Heart

November 18, 2013

“Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. The thought intrigues you. Deep inside of you there is a hunger, a calling, to know and love God. To truly know Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Spirit. You’re not after more head knowledge—it’s heart-to-heart intimacy you long for.
Yet a part of you hangs back. Exhausted, you wonder how to find the strength or time. Nurturing your spiritual life seems like one more duty—one more thing to add to a life that is spilling over with responsibilities…

‘He’s up there somewhere,’ you say, swaying slightly as you peer upward, uncertain how to begin or if you even want to attempt the long, dizzy climb. But to do nothing means you will miss what your heart already knows: There is more to this Christian walk than you’ve experienced. And [ … ]

VIDEO: Christmas at the Farm with Ann Voskamp and Liz Curtis Higgs

November 15, 2013

Prepare your heart for the holy season to come with New York Times bestselling authors and Women of Faith speakers, Ann Voskamp and Liz Curtis Higgs. During their FREE special webcast, “Christmas at the Farm: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas,” Liz and Ann will be sharing soul-reviving family traditions, some easy yet wildly memorable recipes from the kitchen, and some practical ways for your own sane and sacred Christmas—some soul-nourishment, much warmth and a lot of laughter!

Kick the season off with what your soul really needs—Christmas like you’ve never quite experienced it before… and more like the Christmas you’ve always yearned for.

AnnVoskamp.com – or – LizCurtisHiggs.com

Memories Make Who You Are

November 15, 2013

I am more than my name, more than my occupation, more than my degrees, more than my dreams, more than my family. I am who I was. It’s my footprints, where I’ve been and what I’ve done, that reveal my soulprint. It’s my unique combination of memories that makes me who I am spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and motivationally. It’s also that unique combination of memories that enables me to worship God in a way that no one else can. Why? Because when we sing the classic hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” it’s more than generic praise for a static character
trait. God’s faithfulness is as unique as every moment of your life. Every memory is a testament to His dynamic faithfulness that is simultaneously the same and different for anyone and everyone else. So when our congregation sings that [ … ]

Letting vs Making

November 14, 2013

The potential pitfall for those of us who want to let our lives count comes when we shift gears from simply letting to frantically trying to make our lives count. Your life can count when you forget trying to make something happen and simply let your life be available to God.

Excerpted from Let Your Life Count by Donna Partow

Daily Reflection: What can you do to simply let your life be available to God?

Your Makeover

November 13, 2013

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
—2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

Makeovers have been all the rage on television lately. Whether it’s your face, figure, or fashion sense, there’s some so-called expert who promises a “new you.” Of course these external changes can’t change your heart, but that’s precisely what God promises to do.

In Christ, we’re told, anyone can become a whole new creation. Old habits, old attitudes, old allegiances get made over into a sparkling new life.

Excerpted from 99 Bible Promises for Tough Times by Randy Petersen

Daily Reflection: Have you asked God to “makeover” your heart?

Spiritual Stagnation

November 12, 2013

Saying no to God, no matter how small the task, is a sure way to suspend the growth process. Of course, rather than a straight-out no, some people simply procrastinate—which isn’t as abrupt but is equally defiant. Or some merely give lip service to obedience, affirming the rightness of what God requires, yet staying put. Others make excuses about how inadequate they are to obey what God is telling them. However it’s packaged, when you say no to God, you cease to mature spiritually.

Excerpted from Unlimiting God by Richard Blackaby

Daily Reflection: In what ways are you saying ‘no’ to the task God has for you?

God redeems our past experiences

November 7, 2013

Every past experience is preparation for some future opportunity. God doesn’t just redeem our souls. He also redeems our experiences. And not just the good ones. He redeems the bad ones too—especially the bad ones. How? By cultivating character, developing gifts, and teaching lessons that cannot be learned any other way. The most important lessons in life are rarely learned in a school classroom via secondhand knowledge. Relying on secondhand knowledge results in a vicarious life. You become an extra in your own story instead of taking the lead role. The expectations of others become your script. And you live off their experiences instead of creating your own. The most important lessons are learned in the classroom of life via firsthand experience. The tests are tough, but no curriculum is more effective. And the way you pass the test is [ … ]

Beautiful messes

November 6, 2013

Christians don’t like mess much, not in our world and especially not in ourselves or our churches. Somewhere along the line, we have embraced a picture of a Jesus who would turn us into perfect people unpolluted by the world or our own sin. But He didn’t. In Him we are new creations; in ourselves we are dump dwellers. Longing for our full redemption, we strive to please Him and groan in our fallenness and bask in His beauty. For whatever reason, Jesus didn’t choose to instantly sanitize the whole lot of us. We often think He did, though, so we spend a lot of time running around with mops and buckets, getting ready for a bunk inspection. In our kingdoms, we begin to believe that we can fix all our messes. In Jesus’ kingdom, He alone can start with [ … ]