Tag: God

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Make That Move

I love the story of Esther.  How an orphan and a captive can become a beloved Queen to a king of an empire makes me think anything is possible.  Her story is one of purpose – she was placed where she was because she needed to complete a life-saving task.  A task that saved her race from annihilation. 

Esther was comfortable being Queen when Haman, the second in command of the kingdom, decided that all Jews should be killed.  She didn’t want to rock the boat, but the man who raised her, Mordecai, reminded her of her purpose.  He reminded her that God had placed her there intentionally.  

She gathered herself, prayed, fasted and revealed that she too would die if Haman’s plan was successful.  The king, who was head over heels in love with her, sent Haman to the death he planned for Queen Esther’s people instead of them.

Because Esther stepped up and was bold enough to take on her purpose, God and His people won.  Esther isn’t the only person born on purpose and for a purpose.  So are you and I.  We may not be destined to rule a kingdom or save a nation of people, but God has put us here to do something important.

God has placed you where you are intentionally for a specific task tailored to you.  Don’t get so comfortable in your current situation that you don’t want to make a difference, don’t want to change. Be bold!!  Someone needs you to make that intentional move because you were born for such a time as this. 

“Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?””

‭‭Esther‬ ‭4:13-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Be blessed dear readers.

  

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Stand firm

The battle is set.  It’s time to take your fighting stance.  When you look around, you see that you are the only one standing.  Know that you are not the only one who experienced this.

A young man stepped up as the army of Israel cowered behind him.  Standing by himself in front of a giant from the enemy’s camp, he won the battle in one swift move. His name was David. (1 Samuel 17:41-54).

A young Jewish girl living in captivity risked her life to save her nation from annihilation.  She knows this weight is carried only on her shoulders.  If she doesn’t step up, her race could be wiped out.  So she reveals herself to her enemy and he ends up being the one taken out.  Her name was Esther (Esther 4:14-17).

A carpenter’s son, a nomad with 12 friends who travels Israel to share His word, is betrayed and abandoned by His friends because they are afraid of the fate He must face.  He faces it anyways.  In one painful death and one marvelous resurrection, He saves the world and gives us the gift of Grace and Eternal Life.  His name is Jesus (Matthew 28:55-56).

Their secret is that they never were alone, but God was with them the entire time.  Don’t ever think that you have to face anything truly by yourself.

With God, all things are possible.  Sometimes God wants to strip us from anything that might distract us from Him.  Have faith that God has it under control.   Stand firm in your stance and follow God to lead.  He will get you through it!  Just trust Him!

Be blessed, dear friends.  Don’t forget God has you!!

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Blessings

Friendship is so important in this life.  There is a reason God created more than just one human – because He knew we needed companionship.  As you walk through life with people, ensure that you are truly adding something positive to their life.  And ensure they are adding something positive to your life.  That is the purpose of friendship – to bless each other.

“Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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Under Cover


Beware of venturing off on your own.  It will leave you exposed and unprotected.  Remain in the place God has you even if you want to be somewhere else.
“The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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Give it over

I am an independent person. When I was a baby my aunt gave my mom the book How to Raise a Strong-Willed Child.  This is a true story.  I was that kind of kid.  I wasn’t mean, but I wanted my way & found ways to get it.  This can be a good trait to have in order to survive life, but it also can be a thorn in my side.

One of the hardest things I’ve learned as a Christian is that my way is not always the best way.  I must rely on God.  I’ve learned that the key to relying on Him is having a rich and fruitful prayer life.  Going to Him when I want to take care of something myself.  It is hard for me at times, I must admit.  But it is necessary.

I encourage you to try this the next time you want to take control of a situation.  Spend some time on your knees talking to & listening to Him.  Allow God to fight your battles and teach you how to handle situations His way.  You will see change in you & in those around you.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Be blessed, dear friends!

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The tie that binds us

The world is filled with so many different people.  Different races, genders, nationalities, socioeconomic statuses, and lifestyles.  Our differences make this life interesting.

There is a good chance that, any given day, you will meet several people as you “do life” that are very different than you.  They think differently, want different things, have a different history in this world.  If you tried to sit down and find something similar, it may take you a little while.  You know what I mean??  You ever met someone like that?  Someone you don’t agree with in almost anything?  Seems like you have nothing in common, right?

Here’s the deal, no matter how different you and I may be, there is always going to be one thing that we have in common: we are a broken sinner in need of a Savior.  We are battered, hurting, broken people desperately in need of being put back together.  It is in our brokenness that find our connections.

I will raise my hand and wave it around in order to signify that I am one of the worst people when it comes to making snap judgements about someone.  Believing that I am somehow better than another person because their poor choice in actions doesn’t mirror my poor choice in actions is no excuse.  The connecting factor is that brokenness.  It is the fact that we are all hurting people that act out that hurt in destructive ways.  No, not just some of us, all of us.  That is what sin does to us.

What if we all understood that?  If we all gave people a little grace because we would want grace if the tables were turned.  How different would this world be?  I am going to suspect that this world would be drastically different if that type of kindness was prevelant.

John 3:30 says: “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” If we allow God to shine through us (if we are born again Christians who have the Spirit of the Lord inside us), do you think it would be easier to show more kindness?  Yes, absolutely. When we allow God to heal our brokenness in the secret places of our heart, we can start to gain understanding.

Allow God to start working out your brokenness and maybe you will start to see the relationships in your life change.  Start looking at people as someone who is as broken as you are and allow empathy to grow.  Because we are all a work in progress.

“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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Count it all Joy

Life isn’t all great times.  I wish being a Christian meant all things worked out for me every time and all the things I wanted, I got.  It doesn’t work like that, though.  Life with Jesus has it’s ups, downs, and surprises.

My favorite verse of the Bible is James 1:2-4:

“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.”

Paradoxical?  Yes.  But that is a major theme in the Kingdom.  Things aren’t as they seem.

So, when you a friendship ends, you face rejection from a position you want, you have money problems, the person you thought was “the one” walks out, or your family is acting crazier than usual – don’t get discouraged or depressed.  This is quite possibly a test of your faith.  You are being set up to grow.

Like a plant being pruned, we must allow God to set us up to bloom.  That may be painful, but it will be worth it in the end.  Let your endurance grow so you can finish this race.

Be blessed, my friends.  God has a plan & a purpose for you!


Definition of endurance: the ability to do something difficult for a long time

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Love Defined

I know you’ve probably heard the Easter story.  But do you understand it?  Do you know that it is a love story between us and God?

RomComs are filled with men standing up for their ladies.  It is heroic and beautiful.  It makes some women swoon.  Somehow, in most cases, the couple live happily ever after no matter what the man had to endure.

The story of Easter is different.  It isn’t a love story between a man and woman, but between the God and His creation.  A story about the lengths and depths the one true God of the universe will go to have full access to His beloveds after they (we) turned their (our) backs on Him.

A man, Jesus, fully God, perfect in all His ways (John 1:1; 1 Peter 2:22) bore our sins on the cross even though He had no sin (2 Cor. 5:21).  That is unconditional, undeserved, mind-blowingly amazing love!  Take a moment to really absorb that fact – that a sinless God died for us (all of us) so that we may spend eternity with Him.  So that we might have eternal life (John 3:16).

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Remember that Easter isn’t about candy, bunnies, or outfits.  It is about the love God has for you.  Don’t let this season go by without truly understanding how loved you really are.

Be blessed, dear readers!

  

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Currency of the Kingdom

I wish I could tell you I am always good and never make a mistake.  I wish.  Reality is that I fail daily.  Yep, daily.  It’s terrible.  No matter how good I am, there is always some bad in me.

Part of being human is understanding the bad parts of ourselves.  Understanding that we will fail.  No matter how hard I try to deny that I do bad things (which I do too often), I will always have to eventually admit that there are parts of me that are awful.

Don’t get me wrong, this blog isn’t all about how awful we can be.  There are parts of me (and parts of you) that are amazing.  There are attributes to us that God put in us – that God loves about us, that make us incredible creatures.  We are God’s precious creation, one He is proud of.

But if we do not admit to ourselves and be brutally honest to ourselves and to God how awful we can be, then we cannot accomplish what we need to accomplish in this life. If we allow these sins, discretions, or mishaps to go on without working on them/correcting them – it can actually derail us.  I don’t want to walk through life allowing pride to defeat me.  What about you?

How do you and I defeat this foe called us?  We use humility.  We go to God and ask Him to not only forgive us, but to help us turn from our awful ways to become better people.  If we live our lives on a culture of humility, very few things can get is down.

Paradoxical?  Wouldn’t it be better if we were our own constant cheerleaders no matter what we do? In the world, maybe.  But in the Kingdom, putting others first and allowing yourself to learn from your mistakes so you can grow is vital.

Don’t let your failures and sins get you so down you can’t get up.  But don’t allow yourself to take those mistakes so lightly that you decide not to acknowledge them.  Repentance and humility are the best road!

“The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51:17‬ ‭NLT

Be blessed, dear readers!

 

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There is Purpose in the Scars

Have you ever dropped a glass and it shatter?  After it shatters, does it serve a purpose anymore?  No, not really.  It’s pretty much ruined.  My next step after it drops on the ground is sweeping up the mess and throwing it away.

When we sinned in Eden and ate from the fruit (and every time we sinned after that), we were like that glass hitting the floor – broken and shattered.  Our ability to serve the purpose we were put on this earth to do became questionable.  We could have easily been swept up and thrown out.  But God didn’t do that.  He decided that, even though we were broken, we were worth keeping around.

In fact, He sent His only Son to earth so that we might be saved and made whole again (John 3:16).  It would be the equivalent of us trying to glue the 1,000 tiny pieces of the glass that shattered on the floor.  That is a special kind of Love!

The rub is, though, no matter what we do, we would always see the glue marks on the glass we are trying to glue together.  Our glue marks are our scars.  These scars serve a purpose.  If we were made whole again, without those scars, how would we be able to be a walking testimony for our Lord?  It would be hard to show people where we once were if there was no evidence. Even Christ kept His scars so that others would understand what He endured.  (John 20:27)

Luke 14:27 declares that we must take up our Cross and follow Christ in order to be His disciple.  Part of that Cross is our bearing those scars.  It is turning from those ways and helping those who are walking in the valleys you once were walking in.  Part of the reason we need to remain marked up until we reach Heaven is because those scars share what our God can do.  It is for His glory.

Even though scars indicate that we have sinned, it also means that we have been put back together.  It means that what once were wounds are now healed.  Thus we are a walking testimony of the Grace of God.  Next time the enemy tries to shame you for a scar, for something God has forgiven you from, remind him that these scars are there to glorify God and show how great He is!  Have faith that God knows what he is doing.

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬

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