"Searching for Strength"

DAY #73 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 NKJV

Searching for strength? I think we all can fit into that category. Where do we go to find that strength? In ourselves, in a protein drink, to the gym, or to the source of strength which is the Lord? God is the ultimate source of all that we need. He does give us certain talents, gifts and characteristics that help us get through each day, but we are to seek Him, so that we know we can do all things through Him who gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13) He gives us strength physically as well as spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

Nothing we can do that will be fulfilling will ever be done in our own strength. Each day we need to seek the Lord while He is here, call on Him while He is near. The quality of our lives here on earth depend on where our foundation and our source is. God is always there for us, because He is faithful. We on the other hand are not faithful. We stray, we sin and we try to do things on our own and in our own strength. By choice we are making bad decisions in our lives, and God cannot bless us as He desires. We need to tap into the STRENGTH of the King, and He can help us to do the impossible. Nothing is impossible with God, or to those that believe!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"He Persevered and so Must We"

DAY #18 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited." Proverbs 24:10 HCSB

WOW! What an eye-opener... doing nothing limits your strength... I had to read this verse in other translations and in the context of the chapter to really understand this verse. I really like it in the MESSAGE version... whoa! "If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the first place."

NIV: "If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!"
KJV: "If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small."
NLT: "If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small."

Wow! Jesus Himself persevered under all the trials He had to face for us. He is the perfect example for us to follow. How well do we handle crisis', pressures, times of trouble or adversity? Technically our strength is small anyway, as it is His strength that sustains us. I do not want to be seen as one who 'faltered, fainted, or failed', yet I really don't want to be seen as one who 'did nothing'. I do not want to limit my strength or the Father's strength in me. What about YOU? Have you spent a lot of time 'faltering, fainting or failing'? Well get back up, and pray for added strength and a renewal from the Father! He wants us all to be a part of the impossible. He wants us to showcase His strength, to show Him off to the world. Nothing exciting can be done in our own strength anyway. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

Sometimes however, we sit back and do nothing, and think God will do it if we just ask. All we need is faith after all. Well I was reading my 'card-making' magazine and in the back in the fun quotes section was a great quote (I used it as my facebook status this AM too) - "Faith can move mountains, but don't be surprised if God hands you a shovel." ~ Author Unknown. This statement is super true. We cannot just sit back and watch God be God and expect BIG miracles in our lives... we sometimes need to dig in and 'get a little dirty'. I still think back to the quote from 'Faith Like Potatoes' too... when I think about miracles and impossibilities. "Condition for a miracle is difficulty; condition for a GREAT miracle is impossibility!" (~Faith Like Potatoes 'Angus Buchan')

The verse above in the MESSAGE translation is still ringing in my ear... "If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the first place." There wasn't much to you in the first place? That's a hard hit... We need to persevere all the more in times of trouble and despair.

According to dictionary.com, the definition of 'PERSEVERANCE' is:
–noun

1. steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.
2. Theology . continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.

I would have to be led to say that perseverance itself is not a noun, yet is an ACTION verb. The 'steady persistance' sounds pretty active to me. So c'mon, get off your butt and get into action!! Persevere and Pray hard, and DO SOMETHING. Whether you fail the first time you try, or whether you get a great outcome, keep going! Try, try and try again. If you fall, get back up. If you falter, get your balance and keep going. If you faint, allow God to bring you back to your senses and strengthen you to KEEP GOING!

Just like yesterday's message (found here), if you are tired, weary, discouraged, disheartened or if you are one from today's message, that is faltering, fainting or failing... Look to God! Don't have that relationship with God... it's as simple as A,B,C to get on the right track! DO IT TODAY!

1. ADMIT you are a sinner. (Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God") Tell God that you are not perfect, that you are struggling, that you are a sinner. ('Cause yep, we all are.) You also have to repent of that sin... be sorry for it, and TRY not to do it again. (But when you do, 'cause yep we all are tempted to, just repent again.)



2. BELIEVE in your heart that God is real, and that He sent His Son to die for YOU. (His Son now does live again, as He was raised from the dead by His Father) Sin is only punishable by death... Jesus has come to make a way. (Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.") Don't be afraid to ask God if He is real, He wants you to seek Him from your heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to show you, and guide you into the truth. We all know, but do not truly understand the full meaning of John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life."


3. CONFESS your faith in Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. ("If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." Romans 10:9-10 NLT) Let God know that you want to change, you want Him to fill the voids or holes in your heart that you tried to fill yourself with things of the world. Some of you have tried drugs, alcohol, sex, work, etc to fill that void in your life... but it can only be filled by LOVE! The Love that the Father has for each one of us.


When God hears you pray this pray with your own words, from your own heart, He is blessed. The angels in Heaven rejoice when a sinner repents. "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent... In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15: 7 & 10) When you pray this prayer, and allow God to move by the power of His Holy Spirit, you will NEVER BE THE SAME! (Let me know if you've prayed this prayer... for the first time or for the 101st time... just send me a comment, I won't post it if you don't want me too. I'd love to pray alongside you. Even if you just write your name. Thanks!)


Press in, and press on!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

'His Strength'

DAY #12 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: Psalm 27:1 KJV ~ "The Lord is the strength of my life."

Is God the strength of your life, is He where you base your foundation? Is He your cornerstone, do you line up with His plumb line? We were actually just reminded of this fact at a Youth Conference I attended this past weekend. A plumb line is defined as;

'plumb line

n.
1. A line from which a weight is suspended to determine verticality or depth.
2. A line regarded as directed exactly toward the earth's center of gravity.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

It helps keep things straight and in balance. A cornerstone is the first stone you place on your foundation, so that all the other stones/bricks are put into place in the proper and straight place. Is your life balanced? Are you walking the 'straight & narrow'? The Bible says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV) Small is the gate, and narrow is the road that leads to life... have YOU found that road? 

If you keep in step with God EVERY day, then He can help lead & guide you towards the 'straight & narrow'. However, if you just give Him a few hours on a Sunday AM, or not even at all, just calling on Him when you are in troubs, then He cannot work fully in your life. He cannot give you the blessings that He has for you, and your life will not be fulfilled (as we spoke of in an earlier devotion here on Day #9). We need to reach out to Him, for His strength is what sustains us through each day (it is not truly our own). We might think we can do it on our own, yet it can only be BEST accomplished through the Lord who strengthens us. In Philippians 4:13, the Bible quotes, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

"God is as near as your next breath. He stands at the door of your heart and waits. Welcome him in and allow Him to rule. And then, accept the peace, and the strength, and the protection, and the abundance that only God can give." ('A Woman of Faith' Devotional. Day 12. ©2007 Freeman-Smith, LLC. Nashville, TN. 37202)

God is a gentleman after all, He doesn't force anyone to do anything. We have our own choice and free-will. He patiently waits for us to respond, and then when we welcome Him in and give Him control, our lives get flipped, turned upside-down. (not like the 'Fresh Prince' on TV, but the real Prince of Peace who can rule and reign in our hearts & lives.)

'So rejoice! You are giving Him whate He asks you to give Him -- the chance to show you what He can do.' ~Amy Carmichael

Remember... you must repent, and be sorry for your sins & iniquities (sins you did that you knew were wrong before you did them). It's as simple as A,B,C... Accept, Believe & Confess!

Be Blessed & be a Blessing!

 

Day 21: October 21st, 2009 - - James 1:2-4

“POINTS TO PONDER” – Day 21Written by M. HallPlease feel free to agree or disagree with points made, and feel free to comment if so desired.
If you would like, you could write your own thoughts on the verse of the day, and include that in your own comments below. Thank you and may you be blessed!! =)

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4 (The Message)

My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need. James 1:2-4 (NCV)

WOW… I am finally coming to realize that God has been using this very verse in my life for quite some time now, and I have finally gotten a hold of more of this revelation. I always knew the verse was there, and knew it was a good one to try to follow, and did try to have JOY in all circumstances, but never really thought much about the rest of this verse. I know in my own life, I love challenges. Some challenges do get frustrating, let me tell you, but for the most part I think life would be pretty boring without them. For those of you who don’t know me, I am an Early Childhood Educator, and I work with Preschoolers. These children range in age from 2½ to 5½ years old, and some of them can be very challenging. I am realizing now that this verse is a very important one in my life.

I usually am a very patient person, but when something has been tested over and over and over, my patience feels like it’s whittling away and I have to pray and seek God for more. I am trying to live out my life as open and ‘real’ as I can. I am not one person one place and another person somewhere else. I am ‘Me’ wherever I am. I am a very compassionate, and empathetic person, which helps me to ‘give people chances’ more often than some other personalities. Yet it also frustrates me, because I am also assertive, and don’t like when people seem to have to get their own way to be happy. I hate tantrums! (Who doesn’t?) LOL! My personality and characteristics do not match (according to textbooks and studies), as I can be very enthusiastic and outgoing, and extroverted, and assertive; yet I can also be very quiet, observant, introverted & passive. After doing many personality and character tests and quizzes, my two highest are opposites each other on the scales.
I always remember a statement from a VBS or March Break outreach that we did when I was in Youth regarding your character, and finding out who you really are; “If you want to know who you are, you must first know Jesus!” This statement is sooooooo true, and you do have to have that relationship to gain the whole revelation. I know that I am ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (Psalm 139:14), and that God created me to be who I am, with all my flaws, character traits, gifts, personality traits, talents, and more. He made ME like that for a purpose. I am beginning to understand that purpose more and more as I continue to seek Him and His will for my life, not my own.

I thank God for the increase in FAITH that I have, and the increase in PATIENCE that I have been given. I love the Lord with all my heart, and I am not afraid to tell you that, or to live my life according to that truth! If you walk each day of your life, transparent, in a ‘real’ way that shows your true colours, people will trust you more, and see the Light of Jesus that comes from the inside out. I pray that I can be an example to the little lives that are in my care each day at work, and also at church. I also pray that I can be an example to the adults I meet each day, and work with, play with, pray with, worship with, learn with, shop with, etc. I pray that YOU can live your life as ‘an open book’ as well, where people can see the ‘Light of Jesus’ shining in your heart too. (If you don’t have this ‘Light’… you can! If you do not know Jesus as your personal friend, brother, and Saviour then please do not hesitate any further. Take that step today - - It’s as simple as A.B.C., & it only takes a moment, to change your life forever. If you so desire, you can re-commit your life to Him as well too ~ it's never too late, while you are alive anyway.
A - - Admit to God you are a sinner, and repent and turn away from your sin
B - - Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and He gave His life for you and me
C- - Confess your faith in Jesus as your Saviour and your Lord forevermore

This simple prayer will change you from the inside out.
The verse today says, ‘then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need’. We will never ever truly be perfect, until we walk on those Heavenly streets, but we can be made perfect only through the power of the Holy Spirit. God will complete the good work that He started in you, and if that good work has challenges along the way, step up to those challenges remembering the verse, ‘I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13’. How many things can you do?? ALL things… Isn’t that an amazing truth all in itself? Do you have the FAITH to believe this? Do you have the PATIENCE and PERSEVERANCE to press on through the challenges that come your way? If so, God promises us that we ‘will have everything [we] need’. Amen and hallelujah! Amen means ‘so be it’ for those of you who may not know. Thank you Lord, for Your promises that will be fulfilled and completed.
God we put our trust in You, and lean not on our own understandings, and we acknowledge you, so that You may make our paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Prayer: Father God, we thank You again for Your Word, the living Word that we can put our full trust in. We thank you that we can put our full trust in You as well as your words and promises. All your promises are Yes, and Amen! Help us to accept all our flaws and traits, and to walk in the ones that You have called us to do. Help us step into the roles and traits that you have placed in our lives, and help us not to covet other’s personality traits and gifts. You have made us in Your image, and to fulfill Your purposes. Help us to set aside or throw away some of our own desires, to take up the desires of Your heart. Increase our faith, and our patience as we will walk through many trials and challenges. Help us continue to gain exciting revelations from Your Word, to teach us and equip us. Give us the words to use as we teach and equip others! Let Your anointing fall on us, as we seek Your will. We ask all these things in the name of JESUS, AMEN!
Be blessed, and be a blessing, and be filled with the JOY of the Lord as you face challenges of many kinds!