Awe-Inspiring God

"God dwells in His creation and is everywhere, indivisibly present in all His works. He is transcendent above all His works, even while He is immanent within them." A.W. Tozer

Who is like our God? Is there anything in all of creation that can compare to His glory? The psalms spend many verses trying to capture the beautiful essence of His presence, but even those immaculate stanzas cannot fully capture the wonder and greatness of our God. He is stronger than any of our enemies, more loving than the closest earthly family, and He is able to cleanse us from any sin we could conjure up. What did we do to deserve such an incredible Father? The answer is nothing...we don’t deserve Him. But God loves us so much that He wants to bless us, longs to free us, loves to hold us…not because we deserve it, but because we are His precious children. This week, meditate on the majesty that is our God, and praise His awesome name as you live each day in His grace.

“Praise the name of the Lord.
 For the Lord is high above the nations;
 his glory is higher than the heavens.

Who can be compared with the Lord our God,
who is enthroned on high?”

Psalm 113:3-5

Journey on!

Show Mercy

"Always forgive your enemies- nothing annoys them so much." Oscar Wilde

It's not always easy to forgive, especially in cases where the offender hasn't apologized. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:20 that showing compassion to your enemy is like "heaping burning coals on his head." This reference was to indicate that not only would the enemy feel a burning guilt over his actions, but he would possibly even repent. There was an ancient Egyptian ritual in which a guilty party had to carry a basin of heated coals on his head as a sign of repentance. I don't know if that is what Paul was referencing, but the idea is the same either way- when we show compassion and forgiveness, we honor God. We put our enemies to shame. And hopefully, through this act of mercy, the offender will be stirred to repentance. But even if this person who has wronged you does not ever make it right, apologize, treat you how you should be treated...by forgiving that person, you are allowing yourself to be free! Holding onto a grudge hurts you more than your enemy. Are there people in your life that you need to forgive? Pray about it and let God start working in your heart today.

"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:12-13

Journey on!

Power in Prayer

“But I say his reign of terror stops here. Stops now. He might keep coming, but he won’t have victory anymore. Because it all starts failing when we start praying.” - Priscilla Shirer

I love this powerful quote. In it, Shirer is referring to the hold that Satan has over our lives- a power he only gets to keep if we let him. She says that through the mighty power of prayer, the Lord works wonders and allows us to overcome our enemy. Are you feeling spiritually attacked this week? I find that it's when I am the most tired, busy, and frustrated that Satan tries to feed me messages like, "God doesn't care about you." Before those moments of weakness ever hit, I need to immerse myself in prayer. I need to pray daily that God will protect my heart, mind, and soul. And when those doubts creep in, or I am faced with temptation, I need to stop what I am doing and pray. If we truly believe that our God is above all things, that He loves us, and that He is with us, then we need to stay connected to Him through prayer! When we don't know what to do, He is our Rock. When we are going through tough times, He is our provision. Even when we stumble, He is our Salvation. Whatever you are going through this week, bring it to the One who holds it all in His hands.

"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16

Journey on!

Purpose in Your Story

“There is an appropriate way to use your story, not as an excuse but as a testimony to God's ability to free you from the past.” -Andy Stanley

Most of us have been hurt at some point in our past. We've faced incredibly difficult situations. Some of us choose to rise up from the ashes, while others allow their pasts to haunt them for many years. When life has dealt us a number of bad cards, it is easy to look for someone to blame. We might let anger, bitterness, and resentment permeate our lives.

Your story is important. Your hurts are valid. Your life matters deeply. And it's okay to take time to wrestle with difficult emotions and cry out to God. But don't let the rest of your life be strangled by your past! When we let our past dictate everything about our future, we miss out on the grace, peace and redemption that God has for us! By seeking ways to heal from our past and move forward, we become vessels of God's light to the world. We show others through our testimony that we have been in the darkness and come out of it shining! What things from your past still need to heal? What story can you share with others to give hope to those around you in similar situations? If you let God work in your life, your past becomes a story of overcoming, of strength, and of hope!

"Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul." Psalm 66:16

Journey on!

Don't Give Up

"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again." 2 Cor 1:8-10

When I read this letter Paul wrote, it reminds me that in the midst of all the stress I am facing, God is my strength! Sometimes the pressures of life seem too much, and I find myself thinking, "I can't do all of this!" But the fact is, I can do everything through the Lord..and when I fully rely on God, I recognize which things are most important and which things I need to take off of my plate. Just by laying it all down at His feet, I find peace, discernment, wisdom, and strength to move forward. Life doesn't feel so overwhelming when I rely on God instead of my own power. What can you lay at His feet today?

Journey on!

Waiting for Answers

"We must walk through God's process before we see His fulfilled promise." -Lysa Terkeurst

Sometimes when we want something so desperately, it can seem like God just isn't listening when our desires don't pan out. We wonder how He could ignore such deep, imploring prayers. We may even begin to question whether God cares at all. It is in these difficult waiting times that we must draw even closer to God. He loves us more than we could ever imagine, so if He is saying no to something, or not yet, then we need to trust in His wisdom. We don't know the big picture the way He does. He has a beautiful, perfect plan for us and we may think we know what that should look like, but it's often very different than we imagine. Bring God your frustrations, your sorrows and your fears. Let God draw you deeper into His presence and grow you through this waiting process. Believe in Him that His ways are higher than our ways, and that He only wants the best for His children. As we find a way to be patient with His process, we can begin to see the path towards His promise. Keep trusting, my friend. He knows exactly what you need.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Journey on!

Choose Compassion

"Compassion is not a virtue- it's a commitment. It's not something we have or don't have- it's something we choose to practice." Brene Brown

Some people have a natural awareness of others around them. They are always the first one to realize when someone is having a hard day, or the first to offer a helping hand.

It's easy to see people like that and think that we just aren't wired that way. Maybe it's not our first response to go out of our way to show compassion, so we let others do it who are "good" at it. But the truth is, we are all capable of compassion!

And how you show kindness and empathy doesn't have to look the same as the way someone else does it. God has gifted you with unique abilities and strengths. How can you use those qualities to be more compassionate to others around you this week? We ALL have the ability to show love, compassion and kindness.

Take time this week to intentionally practice these things. Commit to reaching out to others and see how much it blesses your life when you are a blessing to those around you.

"... show mercy and compassion to one another." Zechariah 7:9

Journey on!

Spiritual Longing

In life there is a perpetual longing for something more. We desire the things we
do not have- we anticipate the exciting things in our lives that are to come. Time
propels our bodies forward, but our spirits seem to have a forward-pull as well.
There is a natural and constant desire to fill ourselves with something that will
satisfy us in a more permanent way. Only the Lord our God can fill that hole in
our hearts! We need to fill ourselves with God’s Word and open up our hearts
to His Spirit. The longing in our souls is because we are here on earth and we
know that this is not where we belong; this is a place for us to seek and find
God so that we can one day be with Him in heaven! But we don’t have to wait to
be in His presence- our relationship with Him starts right now! Trust in Him and
let Him consume your life and you will see that all the earthly things cannot
compare to the satisfaction that comes from living this life with our loving,
awesome God!

Psalm 84:2 “My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and
flesh sing for joy to the living God.”

Journey on!

God's Love

“God never intended for us to look to others for the kind of love only He can give.” Lysa Terkeurst

Too many times we look to others to fill empty places in our hearts…places that only God can fill. Maybe you put unrealistic expectations on your spouse. Maybe you feel like your life will never be complete if you can’t find a girlfriend or boyfriend. Maybe you feel let down by friends. 

God created human relationships to be a blessing. It’s good to have people in your life who you love and who love you back. But when it comes to the deep, empty spaces in your heart and in your soul, it’s unfair to expect others to fill those voids. Only God can fill those spaces, heal your hurts, fill you with peace. Only God can forgive your sins, give you salvation, give you purpose. Only He can complete you, and when you allow Him to do so, it will make your relationships with others so much greater! 

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” Psalm 23:1 (NLT)

Journey on!

You, Lord

When I take a breath and wonder how I'm going to get through the day, it is You, Lord, who sustains me and fills me with hope. When work piles up and deadlines approach, it is You who gives me strength to persevere. When the world throws me curveballs and I can't see the solution, it is You who knows the future and You in whom I trust. Thank you my God for being all I need. I praise your Holy Name. 

"Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." Jeremiah 17:14

Journey on!

Pay Attention to Your Self-Talk

God has already given us peace of mind, but some of us are yet to experience it, because they continue to feed the wrong words to their subconscious mind. -Edmond Mbiaka

How many times do we beat ourselves up over things? We make a mistake, have an awkward encounter, or find ourselves in a stressful situation, and the first thing we want to do is bad-mouth ourselves. "That was so stupid! How could I be such an idiot?" In counseling, they call that negative self-talk. Over time, continual negative self-talk skews our perception of reality. Satan would love for us to believe that we are not worthy and stay focused on our faults. But God tells us that we are His beloved children! We are created in HIS image. No, we will never be perfect, but that is ok because He has redeemed us through the blood of Christ! God wants us to recognize our mistakes and work to do better next time, but He never told us to punish ourselves with our thoughts. That is not of God! If you are guilty of negative self-talk, take time this week to pay attention to the negative messages that are on repeat in your mind. Write each one down, and then recognize it as a false thought. Then write down a truth from God to replace that thought! You can use scriptures, or just simple phrases. For example, if one of yourregular thoughts is "I am so stupid!" you can replace that lie with "I made a mistake, but I am still God's child." If you think to yourself, "I will never measure up," you can replace that lie with "God has a purpose for my life, and I am worthy in His sight." This is what therapists call "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy." It's so important to stay focused on God's truth and love and not on these lies we tell ourselves. I hope this exercise helps you this week! 

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1

Journey on!

Strength in Vulnerability

In the beginning, people think vulnerability will make you weak, but it does the opposite. It shows you're strong enough to care.  -Victoria Pratt

Do you ever try to convince the world that you have it all together? Maybe you feel stressed out and frazzled but you answer the phone as if you are having the best day. Or you smile and tell your friends everything is great. We all want to appear like we have it all together, but the truth is, some of our most influential moments come when we are willing to step out from behind the mask. When we are willing to show others who we really are, and admit our struggles and failures, we have a greater chance of having a deeper relationship with people. We open ourselves to real, life-changing conversation and help others feel comfortable talking about their struggles, too! It can be hard to make ourselves vulnerable but when there are people in our lives we care about, it’s important to be humble and honest with them. When we do, we give others permission to be vulnerable, too, and we can shine Christ’s light into their lives in ways we couldn’t when we had our walls of pretend perfection up. Be more transparent and humble in your relationships this week!

"And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Journey on!

Embrace the Impossible

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” Chuck Swindoll

I’m a planner. I like to prepare for things far in advance and I like to know that all my bases are covered. Unfortunately for me, life doesn’t always play the game the way I want it to. I face unexpected situations, and feel completely unsure of how to handle them or how to move forward. If you find yourself facing the impossible today, remember that we are children of God. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Deut. 31:60). He has assured us that whatever we face, we are not alone, and that He will work all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Spend time immersed in His word through scriptures, and allow Him to guide you and help you through these circumstances. Ask Him to give you wisdom, discernment, and understanding. Look for ways that you can grow and allow Him to mold you through this situation. When we put our hope and trust in God, even in the most confusing or difficult times, we can weather any storm. God will take your impossible situation and make it new. He will provide in ways that you could not have expected. Lean into Him today.

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:26

Journey on!

Keep Growing

Whether you have grown up in church your entire life or have only been a Christian a short while, it is likely that at some point you will face spiritual ruts. These happen when you forget about connecting with God daily and get depleted. It happens to all of us- we get busy, or caught up in life, and forget to take time to pray and read God's word. Or we just feel comfortable where we are and don't look for ways to grow because we know growth can be difficult. But God has so much in store for our lives if we would stay connected to Him and pay attention to how He is growing us spiritually! And even though it can be hard sometimes, God blesses us so much when we run toward Him. What can you do this week to grow in wisdom and truth? 

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

Journey on!