Tag: devotional

Be Still Series: Saying No

We need to get better at saying, “No”.  There, I said it!  I know, I know…we don’t want to let people down. We want to be reliable.  We want to come across as if we can do it all.  We want to help and not be helped.  I get it.  Here’s the thing: we can still be reliable, help and be helped all while also saying, “No,” when that response is what God would want for us.

Be wary of putting helping and declining at odds with one another: choosing between the two does not have to be an either/or decision. It can, and should, be a both/and dichotomy whereby one furthers the other: saying “no” to pave the way for something better and having the ability to better serve because something else was turned down.

When discerning what is aligned with God’s will for your life there are three main resources at your disposal: scripture, prayer and other believers.

We can’t do it all.  We weren’t meant to.  What if our saying, “No,” allows for someone else to say, “Yes?” Why would we allow ourselves to get burnt out over doing all the things when we could really excel in fewer areas that really highlight our gifts from God? A key component to being still is only taking on what God intends for us to take on.

Remember, just because we could doesn’t mean we should.

If turning down opportunities to serve (in the church or out of it) sounds like it could be challenging, take some time to practice.  Yep! Practice saying, “No.”  There’s two main approaches here: 

  1. Start with something small so you can build up some resistance, or
  2. Just go all in and decline a larger commitment.  Consequently, in turn, all other rejections may seem like a piece of cake. 

If this is something you really want to delve more into, I recommend the Cloud & Townsend book, Boundaries.  Part three, Developing Healthy Boundaries, might be especially useful for you. 

Here is an analogy from a Christian counselor I once saw.  It goes something like this:

A juggler, even the best in the world, can only juggle so many balls at the same time.  Even if every ball up in the air is “good”, there is still only so much that can be suspended midair at any given time.  Be intentional about what you pick up and allow to be juggled by you. 

My insightful therapist, a much wiser human than I

Pray:

Father God, my desire to help others and do for my family is a double edged sword at times. Sometimes I have nothing left to give, and yet that still doesn’t stop me from taking on more commitments. I’ve already proven to you and others that I could do these things, but help me focus on what I should do. Give me the strength and discernment needed to respectfully decline the next opportunity that is not aligned with your will for me. I know that such a task will be done even better by someone who is truly called to play that role. Allow me to only commit to those activities which make the best use of the precious gifts you have graciously given to me.

In Jesus’ Holy & Precious Name, Amen.

Be Still Series: Living it Out

Yesterday was Christmas, as I am writing this, and we had a relaxing day, just the five us us at home. Yet, so much goes into the day ahead of time, I can’t help but feel that a good, soulful rest is in order.

In this brief season between Christmas and New Year’s I’m going to follow my own advice. How hypocritical would it be if I wrote about being still if I did not also live it out?! Thank you for extending some grace while I, myself, rest and re-focus this week!

Although I am leaving you with very little content today, in many ways it’s all that you need: God’s own Words. Here are some verses to pray over which reinforce the biblical imperative to be still:

Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Exodus 14:14

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:7

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.

Psalm 23:1-2

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.

Hebrews 4:9-10

Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!

1 Samuel 12:16

The Lord continues to do remarkable things, just as He did in the time of Samuel. Awe-inspiring works in those around us and in you. Follow me this week in being still and let’s see what divine works we can notice! What may He change or soften in us?!

As as a closing devotional, here is a Jesus Calling reading from this week which seems to be especially relevant to the Be Still Series:

I AM PREPARING YOU for what is on the road ahead…Take time to be still in My Presence so that I can strengthen you. The busier you become, the more you need this time apart with Me. So many people… live and work in their own strength–until that becomes depleted. Then they either cry out to Me for help or turn away in bitterness.

How Much better it is to walk close to Me, depending on My strength and trusting Me in every situation. If you live in this way… Your unhurried pace of living will stand out… Some people may deem you lazy, but many more will be blessed by your peacefulness. Walk in the Light with Me, and you will reflect Me to the watching world.

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, December 27

Be Still Series: Emptying our Plates

In a short video for my first post, I mentioned how I didn’t want to start this blog unless I knew that God willed me to write it.  Over the years I learned that one of the biggest contributors to burnout is piling responsibilities on top of responsibilities, without ever consulting if said commitments were actually willed by God to be a part of my life at that time.  Of course, we will experience burnout if we fill up our time with things that were never meant to be there to begin with!

Therefore, today’s post in the Be Still Series will focus on shifting away from being overcommitted. If you didn’t check out the first post in the series from last week, please be sure to do that!

Here’s a gentle warning: even commitments which are “for God” or which are “good” and “healthy” are generally not worth the trouble if they are not aligned with God’s will for our lives at that point.  That means praying through some hard choices.  It also means possibly foregoing what is good for what is best. 

If you struggle with being overcommitted and a general lack of stillness, there could be a number of contributing factors.  Maybe there is a value system which does not prioritize time and resources they way God would prefer? Maybe there is apprehension around saying, “No.”. The possibilities are endless, none are mutually exclusive, and I have been guilty of most!  Regardless of why you are overextended, today, I’m going to offer two pieces of advice on how to reduce your current commitments:

1st Piece of Advice

Make a list of everything on your plate right now.  What can you outsource (i.e., shoppers at the grocery store or pick up options)?  What can a spouse or significant other do or be taught to do?  An older child?  What can you do away with all together? What needs to be put on hold for a period of time? Sometimes seeing things on paper can help make sense of what stays and what goes.  Of course, pray on it!

2nd Piece of Advice

If you are really struggling (or even if you are not), consider clearing as much as possible from your schedule. This may sound like a silly or extreme idea, but I LOVE doing this each winter.  We live in the Poconos and although I love looking at the snow, I don’t necessarily love being in it.  It also gets dark very early in the winter…very, very early. 

Needless to say, winter in the Poconos really lends itself very well to a homebody seeking to lessen their load.  Also, with all the hustle and bustle of beginning a new school year finally far enough behind us, it really is an opportune time to deliberately press pause on activities. 

Maybe those expensive gymnastic lessons lose some appeal after taking a break from them?  Maybe that ministry you are serving in will be able to open the door for someone else to come in and serve in your absence? Only move toward reintroducing or introducing a commitment once you are certain it is meant to be there. More on this in a future post!

Now, as I’ve mentioned in other posts, I will never offer advice that I don’t follow myself or that is not a product of my own experience.  Here is one example of how God worked through my commitments, or lack thereof, a few months ago. 

As some of you may know from reading other blog entries, I am in school for my doctorate.  This Fall I was originally signed up to take 3 courses.  The more I prayed about it, the more I realized that committing to three courses in one semester was more of me imposing a vigorous workload on myself as opposed to God leading me there. 

Ultimately, just before the semester started, I dropped all but one course which was especially compelling.  I told God I didn’t know why I was led to do less, but my time was His with the “new-found” time that I was able to create margin for.  Within a few days I had an informal discussion with my pastor about possibly serving through writing.  This was his idea, but the more I prayed on it, the most convicted I was that he was right.  Within a few more days I began planning for Living Simply With God.  None of that would have ever happened with the pressure of 9 credits weighing on me! 

Our stories will look different, but there will be a common dominator between you and I:  we will both be able to accomplish infinitely more for those entrusted to our care and for the kingdom if we surrender to God’s will for our lives.  Sometimes less is more!

Don’t get me wrong, I can still overcommit, but I am getting better about consulting with God while I decide what to take on. 

Now that we have reviewed some ways to think about and actually create more time in our busy schedules, we will spend the next posts delving into some ideas around how to keep our schedules manageable.  Without that, we will be back to square one in no time.

Pray:

Father God, in your infinite wisdom, help me to discern which responsibilities are really mine and mine alone.  I feel comfortable when I am in control so I don’t delegate as often as I should, but I know this is not your desire for me.  It can’t be!  Trusting you is more than enough. When I feel led to transition out of participating in an activity in some capacity, I will trust that you know what is best for me and the others around me.  I will humbly follow where you lead.

In Jesus’ Holy & Precious Name,

Amen

Be Still Series: An Introduction

 “Come rest your eyes on the King…Jesus our Heavenly King.”  These lyrics are filling my church’s sanctuary right now. Lights are dimmed, but the glow of Christmas Trees fills the front of this sacred space. The Chosen’s Christmas Special, The Messengers, is livestreaming for those who are yearning to focus on the true meaning of the season, and I’m sitting back by the sound board, putting the finishing touches on this week’s post. 

Today’s post will be the first in the Be Still series, a series which will take us into the New Year.  Fitting that as I begin to wrap up the first installment of the series I should be listening to “Come rest your eyes on the King…Jesus our Heavenly King.”  Don’t you think?  I love how God works like that. 

Over recent weeks I have had different versions of the same conversation with various friends.  These conversations are what prompted me to address the topics we are covering over the next few weeks together. “I just don’t know how to say, ‘No’,” said one.  “I am completely depleted,” said another.  As recently as this morning, I was rushing to not one but two gas stations before church because the first station was just like my car: practically out of gas and waiting to get more. 

Why do we let ourselves run so ragged? It’s clearly not God’s intention for us.  He could never want this lifestyle of perpetual exhaustion and restlessness for us, His children whom He delights so much in.  In fact, we know from David that our Almighty Father desires the complete opposite for us:

Be Still and Know I am God. 

Psalm 46:10a

Be Still. This is not just a mere suggestion. It’s an imperative straight from the Lord, calling upon us to take up stillness as a part of our very being. This is more than acting still or desiring to be still, or thinking about being still.  It’s actually a state of being.  A state of being still. But how to we get there?

I don’t pretend to know all the answers, or even a fraction of the answers.  However, I do know what it is like to experience burnout and have nothing left for the people I should have the most for. I know what it’s like just going through the motions, too worn and defeated to even know I was worn and defeated.    

I know what it’s like to try and remedy this imbalance on my own.

Once I got clued in that my body was keeping the score, I knew some changes were in order.  I read the books.  I did the things (think yoga, breathwork, and other practices).  None of these are bad things! In many ways, they are quite helpful, especially when they promote self-healing. However, they won’t sustain us, and they shouldn’t be done apart from a larger framework defined and ordained by God.

I also do not pretend to live the most balanced life at all times. Nonetheless, by the grace of God, I also know what it’s like to surrender a worn-out body and mind to Him. This allowed Him, not I, to re-prioritize how I spend my time and who I spend it with. 

The Lord had a great deal of heart work to do within me (and he still does). That is not something anyone but God can do for you, and will only come from abiding in Him. That said, I also learned a lot along the path toward balanced living where the Lord is prioritized above all else. When doing so, believe it or not, I still had more than enough time and energy for anything which followed Him.

Over the next few weeks, as we turn our hearts and minds to the miraculous yet simple coming of our King incarnate, let us also seek out simplicity.  We will explore priorities, commitments and boundaries so that we may be obedient in Being Still.    In doing so we will be set free from what we were never intended to take on to begin with. Is there a bolder way to enter the new year than declaring that our time and priorities are His?  Don’t be fooled!  There’s boldness in the obedience and stillness. 

Pray:

Father God, Help me to slow down.  I am tired of doing things my own way.  Literally tired. Mentally tired.  Spiritually tired. At times, I have nothing left for my family, myself or you.  I know there must be another way. I know you desire me to be still.  Can you help me with that, please?  You are far wiser than I, and I seek to do your will! 

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen.

              

7 Truths for Enduring Unrelenting Trials

Have you ever felt so hopeless in a situation that you wondered when or if relief would ever come?

I’d like to share about a time when I fell to my knees in despair and wept out for the redeeming power of God’s hand.  God gave me the very words to cry out to Him with, tenderly received my anguished plea, and responded with more grace than I could have ever fathomed. 

My prayer was prompted by a biblical narrative found in Daniel: 3.  The general gist of the story goes like this:  Three men refused to bow down and worship a king.  The king was none too happy about this public display of defiance.  As such, the three men were to be thrown into a fiery furnace as punishment.  They declared that their God was powerful enough to save them from the fire, but even if He didn’t, they still would not worship the king since their God alone was good and worthy of their praise. 

Several years ago, within a very short timeframe, I kept on hearing this story again and again. Sometimes it popped up in my morning devotions.  Other times it was mentioned in a podcast or sermon.  There was even a graphic tee with the words “Even If” printed across the front that kept on popping up in my facebook newsfeed.

Concurrently, during this same season, I was feeling utterly defeated. I was playing a hand I had never asked to be dealt, and I just wanted to fold. I felt even less than hopeless. Days were like dark nights, and both felt too long.  Nonetheless, I clung to my Bible like never before. 

What was God trying to tell me? Clearly, the Holy Spirit was trying to get my attention by emphasizing the same message so repeatedly.  There was a link between my struggle and these few verses, but what was it? 

In sheer despondency, long after the kids went to bed one night, I collapsed to my knees next to our fireplace. The fire set the dark living room aglow with its dancing flames. Yet again, I was reminded of the fiery furnace. I implored God to reveal whatever was in this story that I needed to understand.

Immediately, the clarity I sought after came. The words I needed to pray also came all at once, and I fervently meant every one of them.  I professed three intermingling ideas that miraculous night:

  • I trusted Him with my situation and how it would unfold, even though it was likely going to get even worse before it got better, and I had no idea what any of that meant for my family.
  • If it was God’s will to change my circumstances, I would need His strength to endure the trial that would be my testimony.
  • God alone had the power to change the circumstances AND He would still be worthy of my praise, even if the redeeming work I was so anxious for didn’t actually happen on this side of heaven.

Even if.  Three syllables.  Two words written two thousand years ago, and just as relevant today as they were back then. 

I now know that on that very night he was already putting events into motion which would ultimately lead to that prayer being  answered less than a month later. It did get worse before it got better, and I did receive the strength I prayed for to get through it.   

Although that was one of my last prayers in that season of life, it was not my by any means first. I prayed to be delivered from the turmoil I was in HUNDREDS of times and over several years leading up to that point.     

Here are 7 Lessons from during this time of suffering, waiting and redemption:

1

The prayers up until my “Even If” prayer were not wasted.  Each whispered request cultivated an ongoing relationship with God, turning to Him every single time the thorn in my side was too much to withstand.

2

I would have been unable to grasp the severity of His awesome power and my ultimate dependence on Him if the first feeble attempts at praying my reality away were immediately answered.

3

He alone has the sovereign power to save. Even if He does not do so, we must recognize that our understanding of any given situation is affected by a bounded rationality of what we perceive to be possible.

4

He is working all things together in ways we can’t even begin to grasp. His character is consistently good through all of it. He alone is worthy of praise, even if petitions may seem to go unanswered.  

5

We never know when the offered prayer will be the last one needed of its kind.  Until then, we are being refined and investing in a relationship with our God. Such time is never wasted!

6

Any trial is only temporary.  The battle has already been won on the cross.  God doesn’t have to win again.  The evils of this world have been defeated.  We can know that whether on this side of heaven or not, one day we will have neither pain nor suffering. 

7

We are not alone.  Not on nights we pray on our knees and not the hundreds of times we prayed before that.  There is another in the fire, right there with us the entire time.

Pray:

Father God, There is nowhere else I’d rather be than in your protective care, in the middle of your will.  Thank you for knowing what’s on my heart when I’m too exhausted to even speak the words. Even if you do not remove the burdens of the day, I still love you and praise you because of who you are.  Let me have patience as I wait for deliverance in your perfect timing.

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen.

How Can Scripture Relate to Us Right Now? Part 2

Photo courtesy of Jacqui Cole

Last week we discovered that God fills what He creates. If you didn’t get a chance to read that yet, go ahead and do that now.

Now that you’ve read part 1, let’s take this notion one step further.  On the last day of creating, God made humans. What can that mean for us? 

Well, although people filled what was created on day 3, if the same logic is applied then we can see that God intends to fill us, too! After all, He fills what He creates! 

I don’t know about you, but it baffles my mind how the creator of the entire macro-level cosmos also has a divine plan to fill the micro-level individual! What lesson has greater bearing on our lives today than knowing that God desires to fill us?! To make us whole!?  

It doesn’t matter how deflated we feel or how far from grace we think we’ve fallen. Neither a void too vast nor a transgression too unforgiveable exists beyond the healing hands of our God. He can work through any person or situation! Remember, He was the one who called an entire universe into existence simply by saying it should be so.

Of course, it will take the entire rest of the Old Testament, and through the gospels and beyond in the New Testament, to find out exactly how God’s plan to fill and restore us to Himself is realized, but isn’t that amazing?!  His plan for us was conceived with the rest of creation! If there is any area in your life which needs to be forgiven or restored, go to Him. He created you to fill you. Let God be God. He’s pretty good at it!

There are so many more lessons in the Creation Account, but to start with the idea of creating and filling is pretty basic, isn’t it? As elementary as it is,  perhaps this traditionally common Bible story has now taken on new significance for you?  The more time you invest in the Word, in a translation you are comfortable with, the easier it will be to connect high-level dots and minor details all the same.  You will begin to see old stories anew. Chapters which were once possibly too overwhelming to make sense of will become like old friends when you visit the verses contained within them again and again.

The next part of Genesis goes into the story of Adam and Eve. Go ahead and read it in Chapter 2, but before you do ask that the Holy Spirit reveal something that you never noticed before.  Once you notice, pray again that the Spirit may reveal how that recognition may hold some relevance in your life, right now. You may be surprised with what else you can glean from Scriptures once you call upon the Spirit and ask for help as you read.

Pray:

Father God,

Thank you for meeting each one of us exactly where we are at in our walk with you. I’m so grateful that you also provide a helper in the Holy Spirit so that your people can understand the truths contained in your Word. Help me to remember to call on the Spirit for clarity next time I open the Bible. Let what I learn take root in my heart and affect my actions so that others may be drawn closer to you as well.

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen

How Can Scripture Relate to Us Right Now? Part 1

Photo courtesy of Jacqui Cole

I’m wondering if either of these thoughts have ever crossed your mind?

  • How can the Bible have any bearing on my life right now?
  • Parts of the Bible seem so hard to understand!

Me, too! I’ve thoughts like those before.

If you’re new to exploring your faith, I adamantly believe that you are precisely where you are meant to be in your spiritual walk with God! I also firmly maintain that the best place to get to know Him better is in His Word as revealed to us in the Bible, so you are in a great position to take your next step in cultivating a relationship with Him!

On the other hand, even if you’ve read the Bible cover-to-cover and are more seasoned in your faith, you’re also in the right spot! You know that intricately complex movie that you watch again and again, yet notice something new every time?  The Bible is the same way.  

The Holy Spirit speaks to us through its pages. We can read the same verse hundreds of times and glean something new each and every time.  Read a commentary by a great theologian or two? Even more is revealed.  Read in an entirely different season of life? Verses previously skimmed over can morph into wisdom-rich lifelines. 

For me, the Creation Account in Genesis is like this. It’s one of those stories that many are familiar with: believer, agnostic, or otherwise.  Its multi-faceted layers appear to hint at no end in sight.  Just for reference, here’s a summary of my exposure to Genesis over the years:

  • An illustrated children’s bible showing Adam and Eve covered in leaves
  • Memorizing the days of creation for a religion test every year in grade school, only to forget by the time I had to memorize the 10 Commandments
  • As part of a Literature class on great books, along with the Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost, and The Odyssey as an English Major
  • As a Philosophy and World Religion Major delving into Judeo-Christian traditions
  • As a new believer, every time I started a Bible-in-a-Year plan, with the sincerest of intentions to “finish this time”
  • As I read references to it in books related to God’s design for marriage while I was struggling in my own
  • As I read references to it in books related to the need to create a margin for sabbath as I wrestled with burnout

You get the idea.  Lots of surface-to-moderate level exposure throughout different seasons of life. Nonetheless, this past year, it was as though I read Genesis for the VERY FIRST TIME!  Here’s what I learned: Order in terms of what was created when may not seem like a huge deal, but it really is extraordinarily important! As it turns out, among other reasons, God’s character, forethought, and intentions are revealed in the established order of Creation. 

The lesson in a nutshell? What God Creates, He Fills. I don’t know about you, but the older I get the more I appreciate easily absorbable information which can be recalled with little-to-no effort. For information to be useful to me it needs to be able to come out of my brain as easily as it can take up residence in my brain. It’s even better when this info is based in the grounding truths of God! What God Creates, He Fills is a neat and tidy message I can get behind!

Now, let’s see what I mean. Grab your Bible or click here to read the Creation Account in Genesis 1. 

Notice that what God created during the first three days of creation, He proceeded to fill, in the same order, over the next three days.  So, what He created on days 1, 2 and 3, He filled on days 4, 5 and 6, respectively. For example, God made light and dark on day 1, and He filled those empty spaces with the sun, moons and stars on day 4.

Here’s a graphic for all the visual learners out there!

Image from: http://Image from: https://spreadingthefame.com/2020/01/16/order-of-creation/

What He creates, He fills!  Isn’t that amazing?!  Go ahead, and read the creation account again, but this time specifically focus on the create/fill correlations.

Next week we will delve into this teaching a bit more and find out what truth it can hold for us!

Pray:

Father God, thank you for revealing yourself in Scriptures. Trends, culture, and relationships shift over time. It can can be challenging to know fact from fiction, especially when the fiction is delivered by people with good intentions using seemingly harmless words. But, with the help of your Spirit, I am learning that the only real truth is what you chose to reveal in Scriptures. What a gift! By turning to your Word, I can how I ought to act in any situation. Do you know what else is incredible? That while your Word reveals new insights time and time again, it also remains absolutely unchanging. I know it is always true no matter when I turn to it for guidance or comfort. Thank you! Continue to open my eyes and soften my heart as I seek out the wisdom contained in your Word.

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen

Praying the Lesser Known Names of God

What if I told you I hold a title of “Lady” based on owning a small plot of land on the other side of the pond? It’s true! My husband purchased a very tiny land parcel in Dunfermline, Scotland as my birthday gift this year, compete with a printed proclamation of “elevated” social status and all. A title tells you something about the person bearing it’s name. Here are some more examples.

Although my name is Helen, that’s not what everyone calls me.  My kids call me, “Mama.”  My only sister’s daughter, my niece, calls me “Aunt Ellie”. My mom used to call me “Helen Jean” when she really wanted to get my attention. My email signature for work has some initials after my name, indicating my level of education and area of expertise.  Each of these names, or additions to my name, tell you something about me. Some attribute. What are some of the names or titles people call you? What do those words tell others about you?

Did you know God has different names to reflect His attributes as well?  Usually when I pray, I start out with “Father God…” or “Lord God…”, but He has so many more names, especially when you look at the original language they were written in! These names provide so much more dimension than the name “God” or “Lord” alone. We can call on these names when we want to humbly worship or petition Him in ways that correspond to various aspects of His character. 

Abba is an endearing term that means “Father” similar to what a young child might say to their own father when they want him to know how special he is.  Here’s a few more:

Adonai = “Lord” (Exodus 4:10-12)

El Shaddai = “God Almighty” or “God the All-Sufficient One” (Genesis 17:2-3)

Yahweh-jireh = “Yahweh will provide” (Genesis 22:11-14).

Yahweh-raah = “Yahweh My Shepherd” (Psalms 23:1)

Yahweh–nissi = “Yahweh My Banner” (Exodus 17:16)

Yahweh-rapha = “Yahweh who heals” (Exodus 15:26)

Isn’t that amazing!?  Which attribute do you need to call out to today?  Which one do you need to speak over a loved one?  Which one do you feel led to praise Him for?  The names for God go on and on in the Bible.  We would be hard pressed to find a need that would not coincide with one of His very many Names.  He is quite literally all-encompassing. Our every need can be met in and through Him, and He wants to meet those needs.  We simply have to call out to Him by name and ask.

Pray:

Yahweh-Jireh, you alone are my provider! Nothing of this world can fill voids in my life that only you can fulfill. If there is any place in my life where I am lacking then what I yearn for in those areas is not really a need at all. I trust you to meet my every need as I need it! Thank you for that! I am so grateful that I can call on you by name and that you know me by mine. You have an entire universe hanging in the balance, and yet you care about me and our relationship with one another. That truly leaves me speechless! Today, I do not even want to ask you for anything at all. I just want to praise you for being you and for your ultimate provision found in the resurrection and ascension of your son.

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen

To add to the conversation about calling on the names of God, here is a song our home church loves to sing during worship on Sundays. Now that we know that Jireh means “provider” see how much more meaning the words can hold and enjoy!!

How to Overcome Negative Emotions

Despite currently communicating my thoughts in writing and for anyone to see, I used to be much more guarded.  I would only share if among my closest friends. Also, any number of other criteria needed to be checked off my self-created mental list of what would deem a situation safe enough to discuss what was on my heart. You may be thinking this girl has some trust issues.  You wouldn’t be wrong. God’s working on that, too, dear reader, but as I was saying…

I attended a women’s retreat and was placed in a small group with only two other individuals: one of my best friends and the retreat’s guest speaker, a woman who had gone to seminary with our pastor. In other words, all boxes in aforementioned mental checklist were checked to the Nth degree, and my brain told my heart it was safe enough to share (or did my heart tell my brain?). Leave it to God to create such a space at such a time when those listening could not only be trusted but offer life-changing counsel as well.  

Once in that safe little bubble, I shared that I had been feeling guilty about the life I used to lead and was trying to grow away from. I had been feeling guilty over all the time I wasted away. I even felt guilty for feeling guilty.  I knew better! Needless to say, I­­ was guilt-ridden about all the things, and I had dared not tell another soul about all this pent up guilt until then. 

How could I genuinely lead the life I was being called to live if I had such a negative thought pattern holding me captive to my past?

In typical pastor fashion, the guest speaker in my very small group tried to coax a solution out of me as opposed to just telling me what my issue was. I totally fell for it.  She asked where my guilt came from.  Not quite picking up what she was putting down, I guessed the source of my guilt was a nun who had taught me in Catholic school. Spoiler alert: that wasn’t it. 

She gently pushed a little more. “God doesn’t want you to feel this guilt. If it doesn’t come from God, where does it come from?”  Just like that, literal dots were being literally connected by literal lines all over the place…figuratively speaking…and I responded by blurting out, “It comes from Satan?!?!”

She knowingly smiled and explained how if something comes from the enemy it cannot come from God. She prompted me to call the guilt out by name and declare that it would not have a place in my life any longer. That was easy! If it wasn’t from God, and I knew it wasn’t (knowing is the hard part, sometimes), then I surely didn’t want any part of it!

I declared, “Guilt, you no longer have a hold on me.”  And guess what?  It didn’t.  From that moment on, I have been liberated to peacefully and simultaneously co-exist with the knowledge of who I once was and who God continually calls me to be. 

Bonus: You can apply the latter practice to anything at all which is not from Him: call it by name and declare its hold on you defeated. Once the emotion or fallacy from the enemy is recognized, called out and conquered, replace it with this truth:

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Pray: 

Father God, thank you for orchestrating moments in my life which can only be composed by your loving hands.  Thank you for the people you put in my path, whether for a lifetime, a season, or just a few hours.  Thank you for the ability to get to know you better through your Word and through fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  It is in knowing you better that I can better know your voice and discern it from the enemy’s.  If something is not aligned with your will for my life, please awaken me to what that could be and remove whatever may be getting in my way. 

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen.

How to be Intentional About Seeking Blessings Out

Can you imagine how refreshing it could be to pick up your phone and use it for something other than responding to text alerts, email notifications, and the pings of an app? To allow that device in your hand to contribute to your actual, overall well being as opposed to distracting you from the life unfolding all around it? It can be done!

A few years ago, especially in times of distress, I started writing down any blessings I noticed around me.  Sometimes, I would plot out these new-found treasures within the fresh, crisp pages of a newly purchased journal. However, more recently, for about the last 3 years or so, I’ve opted for the convenience of an app (just like what you might keep your grocery list or to-do list in).

Our device of choice can actually be our blessing if we use it in the right ways. The beauty of using an app as a “Blessing Tracker” is two-fold in its tremendous simplicity and accessibility. It just so happens to be perfect for jotting down the activities of a God who can literally make His move in any place, at any time, and through any person or situation.

Originally, these lists served as a tangible proof of an intangible faith. The documented eyewitness accounts reinforced the notion that if God provided once before He could and would again.  Over time, these singular, bulleted testimonies could also be reviewed as a more concerted assemblage pointing to a larger tale being told. Isolated instances transformed into a cohesive, exquisite validation of an interwoven thread, revealing His sovereign hand at work throughout my life.

Eventually, the proclivity to remember blessings was enhanced by belief: a belief that beyond a shadow of a doubt our God is absolutely good, loyal to His promises, protective and restorative.  He was and is a deliverer who can use any circumstance for His glory.  I no longer need to remember the lists living in my phone as frequently as I did several years ago. Instead, there is a present and profound trust living inside of me.

The lists grow exponentially when I’m intentional about seeking His blessings out, especially when I’m still enough to notice. How else could I end up with a list of “Quarantine Blessings” showcasing 54 examples of His presence revealed in perfect timings and more-than-sufficient provisions during the beginning of 2020?…or another list of 76 blessings during the time immediately preceding, during, and after my mom’s unexpected passing in 2019? 

The blessings will yield blessings! They bless at the time of bestowing and yet again upon remembrance. If you share those testimonies, they have the potential to bless even still. Try keeping a list of your own! What can you notice today? Tomorrow? How will you choose track them? An App? A voice-recorded text? Do you have another idea? Drop it in the comments. I’d LOVE to hear about it, and I’m sure others will as well!

As I close this week’s post, let’s keep this key verse in mind:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

Pray:

Father God, thank you for all the ways you have provided for me in the past.  I know you are still at work today, even if I am too busy to notice.  I apologize for not noticing enough and for not praising you enough.   Open my eyes so that I may better see my circumstances as reflections of your handiwork. Help me to better notice the blessings that are all around me. Please help me to remember that anything good in my life is a gift from you.

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen