Depression Forums
Depression Related Forums => The Depression and Religion Forum => Christian => Topic started by: Pip on February 18, 2015, 11:08:44 PM
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Today's Verse
From the New Living Translation
"Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling. You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. You captured us in your net and laid the burden of slavery on our backs. Then you put a leader over us. We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance." ~ Psalm 66:9-12
Encouragement for Today
Our lives are in God's hands. He allows difficult things into our lives to test and purify us. If we trust in God through it all, even crying out to him for help, he will bring his abundance. Wherever you are in this process, remember that it is a process with a promised end: "a place of great abundance." Claim this today! ~ by Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
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Friday, January 16, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"'When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them. I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground. I will plant trees in the barren desert cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine. I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means that it is the LORD who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it.'" ~ Isaiah 41:17-20
Encouragement for Today
These verses depict desperation for the very thing that sustains life, the thing we can't do without for long water. Desperate circumstances often drive us to God. What does God do for us in our parched spiritual state? He comes in to "fill the desert with pools of water." Abundance and blessing are what God loves to give. He loves to do miracles especially miracles of provision for his people. Can you live today as if this were true? (It is!) ~ Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
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Thursday, February 12, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning." ~ Proverbs 17:16
Encouragement for Today
This verse speaks clearly and directly to parents of college aged children: Don't waste your money on your child if he or she does not have a heart for learning. But the broader principle is: You can't really help someone who does not want to be helped. Providing your good resources to someone who does not know how to use them wisely is wasteful and pointless. This principle can inform not only your parenting but your giving as well. The recipient must have the heart to use your resources wisely. ~ Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
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Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"This is what the LORD says:
'Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you. Blessed are all those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong. .... For this is what the LORD says: I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me. I will give them within the walls of my house a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear!'" - Isaiah 56:1-2, 4-5
Encouragement for Today
Refusing to work on the Sabbath is right in there with keeping from doing wrong. How easily we ignore this issue of not working on the Sabbath! What the Sabbath is really about is trusting God rather than our own efforts. We cease our own "work," recognizing there is a limit to what we can do on our own. This kind of trust is precious to God. It is demonstrated by keeping the Sabbath, and God eagerly rewards such an attitude. See what happens when you try not working and leaving all up to God one day a week. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Wednesday, April 01, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: 'I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts....
I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,' says the LORD, who heals them." - Isaiah 57:15, 18-19
Encouragement for Today
God lives in a high and holy place, yet, incredibly, he invites the humble and repentant to be there with him! And he refreshes those who repent with assurance that they are forgiven and welcomed. If there is anything you need to repent of today, do it now. Confess to God. Let him forgive and heal, comfort and strengthen you. Clearly he desires to! - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Thursday, June 18, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"This is what the LORD says: 'Don't let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!'" - Jeremiah 9:23-24
Encouragement for Today
What we "boast" of reveals where we stake our identity. Most people stake their identity on what they do best or on what they possess (verse 23). God says to base our identity on knowing him and understanding what he is like. What is he like?
He's a God who demonstrates unfailing love, and brings justice and righteousness to the earth. Not only that, God delights in these things. It gives him pleasure. As we know him, we share in his nature. We too gain pleasure from love, justice, and righteousness. Our identity is rooted in his nature, in his delight. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Tuesday, August 04, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful." - 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Encouragement for Today
Always remember that God is at work in you. We do our part, yes Paul tells us in the prior verses what that part is. But it's not a striving to earn Gods favor or achieve holiness on our own. It's a result of being in close connection with Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit. And holiness involves the whole person; body, mind and spirit become whole in Christ. God will make it happen, not you! Isn't that reassuring?
We can rest in this, as Paul urges elsewhere. This is the Good News that God does it, not us! - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Wednesday, August 05, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us." - 1 Thessalonians 5:8-9
Encouragement for Today
There is much in the Bible about how God will bring judgment and destruction on the world for turning its back on God. But we who believe will be spared. Our confidence in our salvation is our spiritual protection, along with faith and love. Let these truths and virtues protect and sustain you today. You are saved! God will never pour out his anger on you! He has already redirected it to Jesus. For you who trust this is so, he has only love and grace. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Thursday, August 13, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do." - 2 Thessalonians 1:11
Encouragement for Today
Note the source of power here: it's God, not us. Don't even attempt to be your own source of power. We have no power; we need to plug into the Source. When we do, he creates faith in us to prompt us to do certain things and then gives us the power to do it. What a free way to live! No "ought to's" but "want to's," because if it's of God, it will be born of faith, our relationship with him. God is the only one who can enable us to do anything, by his power. Never forget that! - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
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Tuesday, September 01, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all." - 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Encouragement for Today
We can experience peace no matter what happens because God himself gives us his own peace. God never worries, never has any problems, because he is good and in control of everything. As you trust in his control and character, you can share in the peace of God himself. If there is some area of your life where you don't experience peace, can you entrust that to God right now?
Picture yourself giving it to him to handle, right now. Envision him taking it from you, and handing something back instead: peace. His own peace, as a gift. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
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Wednesday, September 02, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"Don't let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don't help people live a life of faith in God. The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. We know that the law is good when used correctly. For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders." - 1 Timothy 1:4-5, 8-9
Encouragement for Today
What is God's law for?
It's to convict people of sin, to show what is right, to expose evil for what it is. God's law is not meant to be a yoke or a cause for pride. We're not meant to dissect it and argue endlessly over its fine points. When you read God's Word, let it be cause for you to cultivate a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith. That, and the love that grows from it, is the whole point, Paul says. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
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Wednesday, September 09, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,' says the LORD. 'I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.'" - Jeremiah 29:11-14
Encouragement for Today
God's plans are always for good, though sometimes we need to go through difficulties before his good plan is fully realized. A big part of his plan is for his people to know him. That is at the heart of all God's purposes. Do you believe God has a good plan for your future?
Are you earnestly seeking him?
If you are still "in captivity" somehow, seek God and believe he has a good plan. Seek him at every step, and wait patiently for his deliverance. Your fortunes will be restored! - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
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Thursday, September 24, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"'O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! You show unfailing love to thousands, but you also bring the consequences of one generation's sin upon the next. You are the great and powerful God, the LORD of Heaven's Armies. You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles. You see the conduct of all people, and you give them what they deserve.' .... "'I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?'" - Jeremiah 32:17-19, 27
Encouragement for Today
When Jeremiah prayed, he focused on who God is and what he has done, putting his recent actions buying the field into the perspective of God's dealings in the past. When you pray, do you do that?
First focus on God who he is and what he has done and then express your current reality in light of those things. Try it! And notice that when God answered Jeremiah, he mirrored part of Jeremiah's prayer, affirming that indeed nothing is too hard for him. Remember that especially! - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Friday, October 02, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 'Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.'" - 1 Timothy 4:7-8
Encouragement for Today
Be mindful of how you invest your time and energy. Some things are a waste of time (e.g., arguing over godless ideas). Some things are good but not best (physical exercise is good, spiritual training is best). As you plan your day, week, and life be aware of what is a waste, what is good, and what is best. Do all you can to eliminate the worthless and spend the bulk of your time on the "best." When it comes down to "good" or "best," choose "best." And "best" is always spiritual, because the source of most things is, in fact, spiritual. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"Some time later, the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.'" - Genesis 15:1
Encouragement for Today
God's promise to Abram here is twofold: protection and reward. Aren't these some of our deepest desires?
We long to be safe, secure, free from fear. We also long to be rewarded, to see good come from our actions. These are desires God wants to fulfill! If you desire these things, do not feel that you're unholy. God puts these basic desires in us so that he can fulfill them. But we must look to him alone as the source of our fulfillment. He took the initiative to act. We need to receive but only from him. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
Some time later, the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.' "But Abram replied, 'O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don't even have a son? Since you've given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.' "Then the LORD said to him, 'No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.'Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, 'Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That's how many descendants you will have!'" - Genesis 15:1-5
Encouragement for Today
Abram did not value God's vague promises because they paled in the light of what he truly wanted: a son. He felt close enough to God to actually argue with him. Note that God responded. Our relationship with God needs to be so intimate that, when we encounter a promise in Scripture that does not seem true for us, we can talk to God about our feelings. We have a God who does respond, perhaps with an even greater promise, as he does with Abram. Talk to God about everything, even your doubts and arguments. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Monday, December 07, 2015
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
'Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.' - Matthew 6:9-13
Encouragement for Today
This prayer can become the pattern for all prayer. First, the focus is on God who he is (our Father), where he is (in heaven, the perfect place). It's about his kingdom and his will, to be done on earth as it is in the perfect place. Once we have the proper focus, then we ask for material needs (which are legitimate), and also our spiritual needs (just as important). Our main spiritual needs are forgiveness and deliverance from temptation and evil. The template: God's agenda, our needs (physical and spiritual), and relationships with God and others. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Friday, April 29, 2016
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. 'Our money is gone!' they cried. 'But please give us food, or we will die before your very eyes!' "Joseph replied, 'Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.' So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food. In exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and donkeys, Joseph provided them with food for another year." - Genesis 47:15-17
Encouragement for Today
The people asked for a handout, but Joseph would not do that. There must be an exchange: if not of money, then something else of value. Even when the famine persisted and the people had nothing else to offer but their own bodies, Joseph accepted that, and they became slaves. He treated them fairly and well as slaves, but he still required an exchange. Do not give handouts; when people ask for something they need, require something else in exchange. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Friday, May 06, 2016
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, 'I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.' "The disciples replied, 'Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?' "Jesus asked, 'How much bread do you have?' "They replied, 'Seven loaves, and a few small fish.'" - Matthew 15:32-34
Encouragement for Today
Jesus wanted to feed the crowd. The disciples couldn't see how that was possible. They believed that what they had was not nearly enough. They were looking at their circumstances, logic, and past experience (the food they had would never feed that many). Jesus asked them to entrust to him what little they had. Jesus blows away the criteria of circumstances, logic, and past experiences. He can do miracles with any small thing we are willing to give to him. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Thursday, May 05, 2016
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"Then Jacob said to Joseph, 'I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children, too!'" - Genesis 48:11
Encouragement for Today
How many years had Jacob mourned losing Joseph?
Never in his wildest dreams did Jacob think he'd see Joseph, or any grandchildren by him, again. If only he had known what God had in store, he would have lived more peacefully. In what areas have you given up hope?
Take heart! Know that God is at work, and he can give you more than you can imagine. Trust that he is preparing something great for you, and trust your losses to him. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Thursday, May 26, 2016
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, 'Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?' "'Yes, he does,' Peter replied. Then he went into the house. "But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, 'What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?' "'They tax the people they have conquered,' Peter replied. "'Well, then,' Jesus said, 'the citizens are free! However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.'" - Matthew 17:24-27
Encouragement for Today
Jesus knows we have to live in this world of nitty-gritty, everyday realities such as paying taxes. He wants Peter to see that if one is part of the Kingdom of God, one is free and owes allegiance primarily to that Kingdom. We still must pay taxes, so God provides for that too. He provides through Peter's obedience and Peter's occupation in the world: fishing. Our earthly needs are provided for as we work at our occupations. As we do the work in obedience and with the perspective that we are primarily citizens of God's Kingdom, we experience true freedom. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the LORD said to Moses, 'Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.' So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the LORD swept them into the sea. Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived. But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. That is how the LORD rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses." - Exodus 14:26-31
Encouragement for Today
This amazing miracle was all the Lord's doing. The people just had to walk in the way God had prepared for them. He took care of everything else: creating the way in the first place by making the ground dry enough for the Israelites to walk on, then letting the waters rush back at just the right moment to destroy the Egyptians. God always does the bulk of the work. Our job is to walk in the way he has prepared. Do that, and let him take care of the rest. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Monday, July 25, 2016
Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!" - Exodus 14:21-22
Encouragement for Today
This event, in which God made a "pathway through the mighty waters a pathway no one knew was there" (Psalm 77:19), is one of the great historical events that God wants his people to always remember. It is a picture of what God can and does do for his people all the time: making a way where there was no way, so that it would be clear that it is God who is at work. Where in your life do you need God to "make a way where there is no way"?
Ask him for that; trust him for that. - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions
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Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Today's Verse Powered by the New Living Translation
"How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. - Psalm 119:103-105
Ingesting Scripture
Francis Bacon, known as the father of the scientific method, once wrote about the reading process: "Some books are to be tasted, others are to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested."
Being a religious man, Bacon was probably hearkening back to times when the metaphor of eating a book shows up in Scripture. For example, the prophet Jeremiah offered these beautiful thoughts about ingesting God's message: "When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven's Armies" (Jeremiah 15:16).
Bibliophagy, a real word that is used to describe the metaphor of eating books, depicts an earthy engagement with the words we read that is almost palpable in its effect. Eugene Peterson (in Eat This Book) points out that often our approach to Scripture is to use it for our own purposes knowledge or inspiration or direction. He exhorts us instead to "eat" it for God's purposes to metabolize it so that it changes us: "Christian reading is participatory reading, receiving the words in such a way that they become interior to our lives, the rhythms and images becoming practices of prayer, acts of obedience, ways of love." - Tricia McCary Rhodes
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Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Today's Verse Powered by the New Living Translation
"Help me understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds." - Psalm 119:27
Encouragement for Today
Choose to Linger
We are people who live in an age of perpetual motion, and we tend to wear busyness as a badge of honor. Philosopher and theologian David Wells suggests that "the affliction of distraction" is the greatest challenge of our age, and he goes on to ask, "How, then, can we receive from Scripture the truth God has for us if we cannot focus long enough, linger long enough, to receive that truth?"
Every Christ follower, by virtue of the Spirit who dwells within us, yearns for intimate communion with God. We are made for it. Prayerfully pressing into the Word that he has given us will not only transform our hearts and fulfill our souls but will also lead to more peaceful balance in all the parts of our lives. Wells so powerfully reminds us of this: "if we are convinced that we need, above all, to know God, to know who he is in his character, that will trump every competing interest. But we have to be utterly convinced. Without this ability to stop, to focus, to linger, to reflect, to analyze, to evaluate, we begin to lose touch with the God who has called us to know him."
The ability of which Wells speaks to stop, linger, focus, reflect, and so on, in order to know God may be harder to come by than it's ever been. - Tricia McCary Rhodes
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http://www.ibelieve.com/devotionals/girlfriends-in-god/girlfriends-in-god-january-6-2017.html (http://www.ibelieve.com/devotionals/girlfriends-in-god/girlfriends-in-god-january-6-2017.html)
January 6, 2017
Are You Living Christ’s Full Power?
Kelly Balarie
Today’s Truth
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27, NIV)
Friend to Friend
There I was. People zoomed left and right around me, within this glorious city, glowing with foreign sparkle. A huge cathedral stood like a mountain, towering over my small frame. I observed everything, the people, speaking a different language, the hustle and the bustle, moving around me. Would what I had in me be enough?
Would all that I contained inside me come out and matter?
I wasn't so sure. I'd spent years, learning, studying and practicing "Hola's" and "¿Cómo estás?" within the concrete walls of college, but here?
Here in this place where people seem to talk a mile a minute?
What would happen if I unleashed the power within me?
The idea scared me. But still, I spoke loud and proud. And what came about was a life changing realization: my words had the ability to move with power, effectiveness and life. God opened my eyes. Spanish was in me, but until this point, I never let it work through me. Christ is in me, but often I don't believe He'll work through me. “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).
There is power in realizing that the One in you, wants to work through you. The hope of glory, Jesus Christ, is not in us just to hang out. He is in us to be worked out into the world. Do I allow this?
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strengthHe exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms ... (Ephesians 1:18-20)
To think, I am empowered with the same strength that raised Jesus from the dead seems incomprehensible. It seems impossible. It seems impractical. Which is probably why I live incapacitated and ineffective. What if I really believed?
What if I truly believed God wants to pour out His powerful hope onto others with transformational impact?
What if I believed people might really see Christ through me?
What if I believed I could change the world, in profound ways, like Jesus Christ changed the world?
Consider this for a moment, if you don't think you can tackle something, you often don't try. What a waste. The same goes for faith, if you don't believe it, you'll often never see it. Today, let's see Christ within us and let Him flow into the world with the power He has already told us we're afforded.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, You have put “the hope of glory†in me. May I not be afraid of who You are. May I not be ashamed. May I not be fearful. Instead, may I be strong, confident and sure of Your strength. May I go into the world ready to shine Your light. Equip me and empower me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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http://www.ibelieve.com/devotionals/girlfriends-in-god/girlfriends-in-god-january-9-2017.html (http://www.ibelieve.com/devotionals/girlfriends-in-god/girlfriends-in-god-january-9-2017.html)
January 9, 2017
True Love
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:8, NIV).
Friend to Friend
A group of four-through eight-year-olds was asked: “What does love mean?â€
Their answers vary from the amusing to the profound. Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne, and they go out and smell each other. Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs. Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you. Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired. When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis, too. That’s love. When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you’re scared they won’t love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you they love you even more. Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Denzel Washington. Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day. Love cards, like Valentine’s cards, say stuff on them that we’d like to say ourselves, but we wouldn’t be caught dead saying. Yes, the response of these children is both precious and humorous. But the reality is that there is only one place where we can find true love in a personal relationship with God. God loves you. He created you. The words of Psalm 139 beautifully express the heart of God toward each one of us:
For You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be†(Psalm 139:13-16).
God’s love does so many big things in our lives. God’s love transforms the ugliness of life into a beautiful trophy of grace. Love covers the scars of sin. Love heals wounds and eases pain. Jesus was and is the living illustration and certain fulfillment of His Father’s love. The love of God is unconditional and unfailing and will stubbornly pursue us no matter where we go, no matter what we do or don’t do. God’s love satisfies the deepest longings of our soul, enables us to love ourselves, and frees us to love others. God’s love shows up in big ways but sometimes it is when God’s love shows up in little ways that He really gets to me. But the love of God always shows up! I am reminded that God is real that He is faithfully present, and that He really does care about every minute detail of my life. We stand on the threshold of a new year. Many of you are facing painful circumstances. Others are in a place you never thought you would be. The uncertainty of what lies ahead can be frightening unless you truly know and trust the One who holds every minute of this new year in His hands. God is for you and He is with you. Let His unfailing love surround and fill your heart with hope.
Let’s Pray
Thank You for loving me, God. Honestly, I don’t understand that kind of love; a love that sent Jesus Christ to the cross so that I can live. But today, I celebrate Your love. Father, please help me learn how to freely share that love with the people in my world.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.