Showing posts with label believe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label believe. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

How Do I Plan?

So that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. I Corinthians 2:5

Have you ever experienced the disappointment of carefully made plans? You really think that you thought through every situation only to find out that "it" just didn't end up the way you thought it would (or should).

Many of us just quit. It's so much easier to throw our hands up and say "I'm done! I tried!" and then not want to take on any more risks.  As an addict, or someone with a bad habit this is just not an option unless we want to return to our old habits or ways that were literally killing us.

We have a wonderful life and God has plans for us to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11). And that's the ticket. If we trust Him, and believe in Him, why do we feel so depressed that our plans failed? It's because we are relying on plans and not God's plans. We need to be patient as perhaps God's plans are going to move slower than we want them to. And we need to be listening. Sometimes God's plans are not the same as our plans.

Let God be in control and rest in that peace. Until then do some practical things to deal with your disappointment. Some ideas include praying to God and asking for discernment. Ask Him to help you figure out if indeed your plan is God's plan. Surround yourself with those who can encourage you during disappointing times (and be careful because many folks will take the "I told you so approach"), read scripture to find peace for the disappointments.  Take a break from the "plans". Do some physical exercise.

But no matter the approach - don't give up. God does have something planned.




Friday, March 31, 2017

Do You Believe in Miracles?

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

Today's devo was inspired by a message that I heard at church. My pastor asked us if we believe in miracles. Well, do you? Do you really believe in miracles, in things that we can't see or explain?  Do you believe in the resurrection of Christ? What about the Bible saying that if we believe in Him, we are a new creation?  Yup, these truly are miracles.

In today's society we have such a distrust of things that we can't see or prove. Goodness, science has come such an incredibly long way that everything has to be explained, right? Technology makes our lives better, right? Easier? And believing in the devil is, well so old-fashion and the devil has nothing to do with our world anymore because advances in science have made our lives so comfortable.

But this passage tells us that there are evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm just like there is evil battling right here on earth. The passage also says that our battles are not against the flesh and blood but against the devil's schemes.

Psalm 91 also tells us that evil exists and that spiritual evil is real. While the passage above tells us how to protect ourselves with the armor of God, I want you to consider my original question. Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe that if God wanted to, He could defy all laws of nature (that we have defined and made sense of with science) and perform a miracle?

I want you to consider that there is an evil battle going on - and in battle the participants are active. God is actively fighting evil. And He WILL win. We don't understand why it's not here  now, but perhaps because He is waiting for us to fully embrace Him. Perhaps we are the ones not ready?

But, if nothing is impossible for God, perhaps the evil in our lives, our own personal battles are waiting for us to partner up with God for a miracle to happen. Would it be so hard for Him to take away our addiction? Restore broken relationships? I don't think so. And so, I think it's wise for us to pray for that miracle to happen. God is actively working on our behalf and it's OK to ask. And while we are at it, let's pray for us to believe, and for him to take away our unbelief.



Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Let Your Love Be Selfless

Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  1 John 3:18

Love in action is more than simply doing good deeds, pure love is profound and unselfish and embraces the faithfulness and noble principals that enrich the heart and mind of a person. It is precious above all things.

Grace For Each Moment
March 22nd

 -- For those who are in the world of addictions, love is a complicated thing. Sometimes addicts think "I love this person because he can always get me my drugs" or a codependent might think "If I do this for my son or daughter they will see how much I love them and they will have to stop using drugs, right?"

Alas, sometimes true love is actually letting go. The author writes later in the devotion about how true love is about sacrifice and sorrow and shows itself as loyalty and faithfulness.  So perhaps true love IS about letting go and just waiting.  I've been on both sides of the fence of this journey and I know how complicated and twisted love is.  BUT, I also know that the love from Jesus is NOT complicated.  In fact, it's the one sure thing that kept me going. Seek the love of Jesus today.



Friday, March 10, 2017

Believe and Receive


Believe and Receive

I love the words of wisdom from Joyce Meyer. I hope you do too.  To read more about these devotions or her ministry please visit, http://www.joycemeyer.org/Articles/Devotional.aspx

by Joyce Meyer - posted March 04, 2013

Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn you. 
—Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV
There is only one thing you can do with a free gift, and that is receive it and be grateful. I urge you to take a step of faith right now and say out loud, “God loves me unconditionally, and I receive His love!” It took me a long time to fully accept His love. When you feel unlovable, it is hard to get it through your head and down into your heart that God loves you perfectly—even though you are not perfect and never will be as long as you are on the earth. You may have to say it a hundred times a day, like I did for months, before it finally sinks in, but when it does it will be the happiest day of your life. To know that you are loved by someone you can trust is the best and most comforting feeling in the world. God will not only love you that way, but He will also provide other people who will truly love you. When He does provide, be sure to remain thankful for those people. Having people who genuinely love you is one of the most precious gifts in the world.
God loves you! God loves you! God loves you! Believe it and receive it!
Lord, I declare Your everlasting love for me. You have drawn me with loving-kindness, and I believe and receive it. Amen.


From the book The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2011 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

March 10th
Joyce Meyer Ministries