“Accept the presence of thorns, but let the rose inspire you.” – Steve Pavlina – Self-Help Author – Speaker
FROM OBSTACLE TO INSTRUMENT
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
Our Open Doors colleague, Ron Boyd-MacMillan, shares the following insight from his teaching, “Why I Need to Encounter the Persecuted Church.”
The persecuted church teaches us that everyone is either an agent of God’s will, or an instrument of God’s will. Everyone in this world has only two choices: they can choose to do God’s will by co-operating with God, or they can choose to defy God and do his will unknowingly.
“Remember, our God is so great even the persecutors serve him,” said a Chinese pastor wryly. He was referring to arch-persecutor of the Chinese church, Mao Tse Tung, who launched the fiercest anti-Christian campaign of the 20th century in the 1960’s. Called the “Cultural Revolution,” he swept away all churches, burned all Bibles, and imprisoned all the pastors.
Yet all he succeeded in doing was pushing the church deep underground, where it became embedded in the family structure and Chinese culture in a way 300 years of evangelism had failed to accomplish. From this fire emerged the world’s largest revival – where the church grew from 1 million in 1950 to over 80 million today.
“We say,” smiled the pastor, “that thanks to Mao – who thought he was annihilating the church – we have the greatest revival. He thought he was killing the church, but all the while he was doing pre-evangelism. God had the last laugh. Glory be to God – He always gets his will done.”
This truth is also showing up in India. Since 1997 violence against Christians has increased greatly as a result of the election of Hindu extremists. Yet the effect of the extremism has been to drive thousands of low caste Hindus into the church. The more Hindu extremists persecute Christians, the more moderate Hindus are drawn into the church.
It is a glorious truth the persecuted awaken us to. Everyone ends up furthering the will of God! Even those who put obstacles in the way of the church serve God, because God just turns the obstacle into an instrument. This means that we must not despair when we think conditions for the flourishing of our Christian lives or our churches are less than perfect. Take your worst enemy or the one feature of your life, society or church that causes you most despair, then put your mind into gear and think – how would God work his will through this obstacle?
Are you childless? Maybe God is using that to give you a greater ministry, impossible with the responsibility of family? Are you powerless? Maybe God wants to show his glory and make you marvel? We may not get an answer, but it is a thrill to try, because we know everyone is either a willing agent or an unwitting instrument of the will of God.
He’s too great, and he loves the world too much, for it to be any other way! God takes the obstacle, and makes it the instrument!
RESPONSE: Today I will be an agent to accomplish God’s will realizing He can make me an instrument.
PRAYER: Lord, make me an instrument of Your will and work as I choose to cooperate with You.
 | The First Step to Smiling Without Fear KATY MCCOWN Lee en español |
“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.” Proverbs 31:10 (NIV)
It’s as though the worn-out piece of wood can tell the future. Years of use have literally left their mark on the old stick, and each time it appears, anticipation swirls in the hearts of my little people.
During the days of my husband Luke’s youth, as he and his siblings grew in age and size, Luke’s mom used a wooden board as a measuring stick. Year after year, Luke and his brothers and sister would scoot their heels all the way to the wall, stretch their necks and wait anxiously to see the new line that marked how much they had grown.
Now, decades later, my children like to measure themselves on this same old piece of wood. Mostly because my husband and his brothers now stand over 6 feet tall … and possibly because two of them played more than 10 years of professional football. So when my boys scoot their heels all the way to the wall and stretch their necks, they wait anxiously to find out if their line today matches the line of their daddy or uncles all those years ago. Because if it does, then their dreams of being tall or perhaps even of being a professional athlete seem more likely to come true.
We all have a tool by which we measure ourselves — that one person or thing that makes us believe what we’ve done, how we look or how we live is a success or a failure. But today’s key verse shows us another place to find our value.
Proverbs 31 introduces us to a woman who smiles at the future without fear. (Proverbs 31:25) The very first verse about this woman begins with value.
I don’t willingly bring up grade school math class, but for a minute, let’s go back there. Do you remember the “greater than” and “less than” symbols (> and <)? They are used for comparing numbers and expressions. They show when something is more than or less than something else. For example, 10 is more than 2, so we write 10 > 2. Whew! Glad that’s over.
Proverbs 31:10 also makes a comparison: “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.” Did you catch the comparison? Based on our math lesson, it’s saying, her worth > rubies. It actually says her worth is far more than rubies, but I don’t think we have a sign for that.
While this comparison may have been shaped by a mother seeking to guide her son, the life of Jesus answers any questions we have about our value to God.
By faith in Jesus, God extends to us the right to freely receive His grace and become coheirs to His Kingdom. (Titus 3:7) Because of Christ, your value does not have to be defined by your place on the corporate ladder, the number of likes on your social media posts or the cleanliness of your kitchen counter.
When we look around at anyone or anything else to determine whether we measure up, we will live exhausted, confused and afraid — constantly adjusting our efforts to match what we see around us and hoping we don’t take a wrong turn that proves disastrous.
But when we truly believe that Jesus has defeated death and sin once and for all, we can trade the chains of performance-based acceptance for the free gift of God’s grace … and take the first step to smiling without fear of the future.Dear God, I’m tired of trying to measure up and keep up with the ever-changing value system of the world. Help me understand Your grace in a new way today.In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY: Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (ESV)
Matthew 6:25a, 26, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life … Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (ESV)
RELATED RESOURCES: Katy McCown’s new Bible study, She Smiles Without Fear: Proverbs 31 for Every Woman, walks you through a step-by-step process to help you look forward to the future with joy. Preorder your copy now, and start reading Day 1 of the study immediately!
CONNECT: Katy would love to give you 7 Prayers to Help You Smile Without Fear. Stop by her website today to receive this free resource.
REFLECT AND RESPOND: In what ways do you compare yourself with others?
What is one thing you can do today to turn your attention away from the measuring sticks of the world and focus on God’s grace to you and love for you? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2020 by Katy McCown. All rights reserved.Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 31892
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Promise #352
Promise #352:
If you pray to Me in secret, I will reward you openly.
Matthew 6:6 (WEB)
But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Jesus taught His disciples to pray a very special prayer beginning in Matthew 6:9 that we call the Lord’s Prayer. Many people know this very popular Christian prayer off by heart as I am sure that it is the most recited prayer of all time. Jesus is very clear who we are to direct this prayer to… Our Father who art in heaven.
Just before Jesus gives His instruction on what to pray, He tells them how to pray. He tells His disciples to find a quiet spot away from the hustle and bustle of life and just spend some quality time with their Heavenly Dad.
In today’s promise, Jesus tells us that if we develop a secret, intimate prayer life with our Father, then God will reward us openly. I believe that our Father absolutely loves it when His kids come to Him when we are the only ones who know about it!
TRUSTING GOD DAY BY DAY
Hold Your Peace
“The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.” — Exodus 14:14
A few weeks ago, I preached on patience and being thankful no matter what your circumstances. I had done three major conferences in six weeks in addition to fulfilling several other commitments, and that Saturday-morning session was the last of that string of commitments. I was really looking forward to getting home early that day, eating a good meal, having Dave take me shopping for a while, taking a hot bath at home, eating ice cream, and watching a good movie. You can see I was prepared to reward myself for my hard work. I had a good plan for myself!
We got on the plane to return home, and the flight was scheduled to be only thirty-five minutes. I was so thrilled … and then something went wrong. The airplane door wouldn’t shut properly so we sat for almost an hour and a half while airline maintenance worked on the door. There was talk of not being able to fly out that day and perhaps renting cars and driving home.
I cannot tell you how hard it was for me to be patient. Just keeping my mouth shut was a huge accomplishment. I had preached on patience, and now I was being tested.
I realize we may not always feel patient, but we can still discipline ourselves to react patiently. I can’t do anything about how I feel sometimes, but I can control how I behave, and so can you. I can assure you that I did not feel patient sitting on that runway, but I kept praying silently. Oh, God, please help me stay calm so I am not a poor witness after what I just finished preaching.
God helped me; and while things don’t always turn out the way I want them to in those situations, in that case we ended up getting home in plenty of time for me to still do all the things I had planned.
Trust In Him — When you find yourself in difficult or inconvenient situations, make an effort to hold your peace and trust God to help you act with godly character.
The Wonder of God’s Plan
by: Shanna Noel
The Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. (LUKE 2:26)
Do you see and understand when God is working in your life? The story of Simeon, a godly man who saw the baby Jesus in the Jerusalem temple, is told in Luke 2:25–35. God had told Simeon that he wouldn’t die until he saw the Lord’s Christ. Simeon was focused on that promise. He waited and watched for Israel’s Savior.
Then one day, God told Simeon to go into the temple courtyard. Here’s the amazing thing: Simeon recognized that the baby Jesus was the promised Savior!
Jesus was just a baby, not an adult warrior or a politician. Jesus wasn’t doing miracles or preaching. And yet Simeon recognized that this baby was God’s answer to many prayers.
How often do you recognize what God is doing in your life? It’s hard to see things with God’s eyes. Perhaps you’ve been sick. Or maybe a loved one has died. Is that God’s plan?
During the hard times, it’s difficult to have faith that God is still in control. Simeon stands out as a man of faith. Hebrews 11:1 says it this way, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being sure of what we do not see.” The rest of Hebrews chapter 11 talks about people having faith in God during good times and hard times.
We need eyes to see what God has already done for us. And then we should join Simeon in praising God because “my eyes have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:30).
Prayer:
Father, give me eyes to see how You move through my life. I want to praise You for __________. (Fill in the blank with a specific thing He’s done in your life!)
This is an excerpt from The Wonder of Christmas by Shanna Noel – a devotional book now available on DaySpring.com. Learn more about this book, or shop other books & devotionals from DaySpring.
A Prayer for Grieving at Christmas
A Prayer for Grieving at Christmas
By: Dena Johnson
“The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10 NASB
I’ve spent the last eight months doing everything I can to keep my faith strong, to trust God. But this week, I am losing the battle. I am collapsing under the weight of this year.
The last few days, I find myself simply falling apart. I can’t hold back the tears another moment. I can’t put a smile on my face and pretend I am doing just fine. I can’t hold in the grief that is filling every inch of my being.
Perhaps you understand. Perhaps you too feel as if this year has been a nightmare, destroying your peace and security. Perhaps you feel as if your very life is crumbling, collapsing. Perhaps you can no longer hold in the tears, no longer pretend everything is just fine.
If you are consumed by grief this Christmas, you are not alone. Can we just take a moment to pray?
Lord Jesus,
I am so overwhelmed. My heart is heavy, burdened. The losses this year are crushing me, overcoming my peace and joy. I know you tell us you are close to the brokenhearted, but I don’t feel you. I feel lost, hopeless, abandoned.
I know this is a season, a season that has a beginning and an end. But right now it feels like it will never end. I need hope, hope to believe you will truly restore me, strengthen me. I need hope to believe you will one day have me put together and on my feet for good. I need a vision of the future you have for me, a future of hope and blessings from you.
It’s so easy to become distracted, to focus on the many losses I have experienced. Forgive me. Help me to put my thoughts, my attention on you. Help me cling to you, to your word, to your promises. Help me be fixed on you because I know it’s the only way to enjoy your perfect peace.
As I walk through this holiday season, give me a fresh glimpse of who You are. Help me remember the suffering You experienced as You watched your Son on the cross, a gift given just for me. Help me remember with joy and wonder the amazing gifts we have simply because you gave, a precious baby born that Christmas morning. Help me focus my heart and mind on Immanuel, God with me.
You are my hope, my only hope, for Christmas and every day on this earth. May I always carry your hope with me.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
https://www.lifeaudio.com/embed/884
Editor’s Note: This devotional was taken from Dena Johnson’s A Prayer for Grieving at Christmas. You can read the piece in full here.
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10 Ways God Speaks to Us Today
Meg Bucher
Writer and Author
Though we aren’t likely to hear the audible voice of God through a burning bush as Moses did, or in the midst of a dream as Joseph experienced, the One who spoke the earth and the heavens into existence still speaks to us today. When we seek to understand the character of our Creator, our lives will begin to reveal His protective hand.
A foundational relationship with our Father in heaven can be established because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. With His death, the temple curtain was torn, and we were all granted access to the One True God. In the think of life’s unfairness, He stands by our side. Through our mistakes and missteps, His back never turns on us. In our triumphs, He awaits the first high-five of praise. We don’t have to fix or become better versions of ourselves to start hearing from God. He loves each of us for who we are, right now. Though some of the ways He speaks to us today are incomprehensible, here are ten that we can trust expectantly.
Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/erikreis
1. Prayer
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Answered prayers riddle the Old and New Testament, serving as proof that our God not only hears our prayers as He says, but answers them according to His will. “Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help” (Psalm 86:1). The psalmist was focused on the sovereignty of God, rather than the woes of the one praying for help (New Bible Commentary). We can pray with the same confidence, knowing that God has already gone before us.
“I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me” (Psalm 86:7). This was most likely written by David, whe knew from such feats as taking down Goliath and outrunning King Saul, that he could unwaveringly trust God. Even when his direct requests were not expectantly met, “teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth!” he pleaded (Psalm 86:11). David knew that God’s will was better than anything he could conjure up or imagine for his own life. He reminded Himself of God’s character, saying, “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15). Though life’s road is long and will continue to wind, He speaks into our lives through His promise to hear and answer our prayers according to His will.
Photo credit: ©Thinkstock
2. Scripture
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It’s through Jesus, the Word made flesh, that God speaks to us through Scripture. We can be assured that when we read the Word of God, His breath is upon us. The Holy Spirit that resides within us when we accept Christ as our Savior translates and interprets, helping us in our daily study and prayerful application of the Word to our lives.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant to God may be throughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). “God-breathed” is often translated as “inspired” which doesn’t give credit to the gravity of the true definition of the Greek word that was penned in it’s place.
“God-breathed,” the Greek word theopnuestos, is ‘formed from theo (the root form of the word ‘God’) and pneustos (from a Greek root having to do with breathing.)’ The NIV Application Commentary The VOICE version paraphrases Paul’s words: “All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right so that God’s people may be up to the task ahead and have all they need to accomplish every good work.”
Photo credit: Unsplash
3. Holy Spirit
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On the road to Emmaus shortly after His resurrection, Jesus explains to two travelers, “what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself” (Luke 24: Luke 25-27). Jesus went through the Old Testament Scriptures and explained His place in all of it. Through the fulfilled prophesies, they both admitted, “our hearts were burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened up the Scriptures to us” (Luke 24:32). The Word, Himself, holds the power to reveal His Truth to our hearts. Through Jesus Himself, and His residence in our hearts, we begin to see Him throughout the entire Bible—not just beginning with His birth in Bethlehem.
When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, “he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). He then promised them, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised” (Luke 24:49). Jesus was referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit, fulfilled in Acts 2:4, “All the people present are filled with the Holy Spirit and begin speaking languages they’ve never spoken, as the Spirit empowers them.” God speaks to us, today, through His Holy Spirit. That’s why we can study a passage of Scripture multiple times, through different stages of our lives, and be ministered to from different angles by it.
Photo credit: ©Thinkstock
4. Jesus
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The Apostle John penned Jesus’ words, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Then, now, and for all time, God speaks His message of love for us to and through His Son. Before ascending to heaven after His resurrection, Jesus assured His disciples, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus came to break down the barrier that the fall of sin had erected between God and His most precious creation … us. This life is promised to be hard. “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14). But we’re never asked to walk through it alone.
No one can relate to the hardships of life more so than Jesus. He, who had all power and authority to come down off of that cross, died on it for us. He was mocked, ridiculed, betrayed, physically beaten, and burdened in sorrow to the point of blood-stained tears in His desperate prayer to the Father to make any other way than the cross. Jesus came to earth out of compassion for us, to understand the temptation of humanity and face it head on, conquering it for us with a strength only He holds. “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/Hemera Technologies
5. Church
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There are many ways to go to church other than physically walking through a set of doors and shaking hands with actual people. In a virtualdriven world, many hear of Christ for the first time through media, but the importance of taking our faith out into a living and breathing body of Christ is crucial. Hebrews urges that we “not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). God speaks to us today, through His church.
We must challenge ourselves to leave our devices and dive into God’s mission for the church. There are lives that need our personal touch, our in-person hugs, and our shared laughter and tears. The family that forms in a healthy church body equips and consoles us in a hard world with a difficult mission to spread the gospel. When we show up, we give ourselves the opportunity for Him to show us who He made us to be. There’s a reason it’s easier to swipe ‘yes’ than it is to fight traffic and schedules and let God use our lives. “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). We’ll never know what part we’re to play if we don’t physically show up to listen.
Photo credit: ©Thinkstock
6. People
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God speaks truth into our lives through His good and faithful servants. We are surrounded by others to help us live out God’s calling in our lives, weather the storms that inevitably surround, and share in the joy that breaks through it all. God reveals our weaknesses through others, if we will allow our hearts to be humble enough to hear constructive criticism. One of the best sermons I have ever heard highlighted the fact that when we find ourselves applying a sermon to someone else, God is convicting our own hearts! Often we recognize fault in others because we, ourselves, struggle with it, too.
There’s no way that a God who loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us wants us to feel alone and abandoned in the world when we are suffering through a time of trial. I sometimes joke that I am a product of someone else’s prayer. Acts 2:42-47 tell of the first disciples, and how excited they were to meet together and share all that they had learned from Jesus. “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles” (Acts 2:42-43).
Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/Brand X Pictures
7. Creation
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We recently drove through a Northern town after a fresh foot of snow fell from a stalled out lake-effect band of snow. I stared out the car windows in awe of what God is capable of. Through the tall trees and over snow-covered roads, it’s like He didn’t miss a branch. “It’s like this was just for us!” my husband commented. I have known God long enough to know that nothing is impossible for Him.
It doesn’t take a sea full of powder-covered pine trees to reveal the majestic awe of God’s creative hand. Any calm body of water holds a magical mirroring effect at sunrise or sunset, and every one of those is different. Brush strokes across the sky and birds coming and going in perfect time all fall under the sovereign control of our mighty God. He speaks to us through His creation. As miraculous as the nature that surrounds this beautiful earth and the stars beyond are, each life is more precious to God than all of it. Imagine the feeling we get when we revel in an amazing sunrise over the water, or century-old forest full of trees that stretch towards shreds of blue sky … He loves us immeasurably more. Nature reminds us of who He is, who we are, and His love for us.
Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/RyanTangPhoto
8. Talents
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God speaks to us through our gifts and talents. The strengths that we all possess are part of the designed purpose for our lives. Running down a country road in the bitter cold is not everyone’s idea of bliss, but it is for the distance runner gifted with the strength and ability to stride for miles on end. What seems grueling to some is glorious to others. We all have purpose laid within us that comes alive as we learn how to use it. No talent exalts itself without hard work and patient perseverance. God’s talents are perfected as we seek His purpose for them. We can be successful without following His lead, but not in the way that brings true peace to our lives.
The faithful way that we serve and honor Him in the simple tasks and the unfathomable achievements in our lives gives glory to the One who cheers us on. The mom that decides to stay home, and the mom that continues her career can both know the joy of God’s purpose in their lives when they are following after His will over their own.
Photo credit: Unsplash
9. Worship
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God speaks to us through worship, through which we welcome His presence. It happens when we sing, through the quiet way we stand in awe at the end of the pier each day, and the overwhelming blessing we feel as we hug our children. On our knees, hands lifted high, we can feel Him with us. 1 Peter 3:15 states, “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” Well, hope is hard to explain sometimes, isn’t it? Worship helps us communicate our expression.
Witness to the worship in our lives is a way for others to see where the root of our joy lies. Worship is a testament to the Author of our souls, that we not only acknowledge His presence, but know unequivocally that our hope lies with Him, alone. The prophet Isaiah’s words show up in the gospel of Matthew to assure us that “his name will be the hope of all the world” (Matthew 12:21; Isaiah 42:1-4).
Photo credit: Unsplash
10. Social Media
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God is not surprised by social media, nor is it beyond His power to cut through the surrounding negativity it can exude to reach lives and hearts. The online church movement should in no way seek to replace the physical church, but many of the surf-able outlets in existence to spread the Gospel are well-meaning in utilizing one more way to launch God’s truth out to as many ears that can hear it.
Social media feeds can be flooded with Biblical inspiration and encouragement to combat aired-out drama and negative agendas. Conversations can be started rather than side-shutting arguments. Just as people in real life can expose our weakness and encourage our accomplishments, social media allows us to reach out even farther into the world than physically possible. God speaks to us through social media, today. Where the people are, He is. And people are in the thick of social media. It’s an honorable war that Christians should not pull out of, or lose sight of the responsibility we have as witnesses to Jesus, over all else, on those channels of communication.
Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/Rawpixel
Meg encourages others to seek Him first through her life as a stay-at-home mom, career as a freelance writer, teaching Emoti-moms Weekly Bible Study, and leading the kids worship teams at her local church. She resides in a small, Northern lake town with her husband of ten years, two daughters, and their Golden-doodle. Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ on her blog, http://sunnyand80.org.
6 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Rid of Holiday Stress
Cindi McMenamin
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
Are you dreading the upcoming holidays? Do you find you’re stressed out by all there is to do and all the money you have to spend, and all the food that you’ll have a chance to eat?
What about the fact that people always get sick around the holidays and the chances of getting Coronavirus are especially high right now?
It’s proven that people are more stressed out at Christmas time than at any other time of the year. But not only is December supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but it can also be your healthiest time of the year if you get rid of the stress that tends to overtake you.
Instead of focusing on your finances, your full schedule, or the expectations of others, try these 6 things to get rid of holiday stress altogether.
1. Toss the Expectations
Did you know that stress often occurs because we’re trying to do it all at a pace that’s unreasonable? But why do we try to do it all?
Perfection is not attainable. Neither is your expectation of “the perfect Christmas,” whatever that is.
Christmas is not about a performance. It is about an observance–remembering and celebrating God’s gift to us of a Savior and commemorating that gift by giving to others. A perfect Christmas is an undistracted time of remembering what matters most.
So, forget all the “added attachments” that serve as distractions. Your kids don’t need every toy on their list. Your home doesn’t have to be the most beautiful on the block. Your relatives might not have you and your family around as much (if at all) this year, but that’s reality.
And as soon as you accept it and lower the expectations you have placed on yourself (or allowed others to place on you), the happier–and healthier –you will be.
2. Take a Breather
This is a great time of the year to slow down. It’s also the most difficult time of the year to slow your pace. But, rather than thinking of all you have to do this season, rebel against the fast track and determine to do it differently–or minimally–and you just may slow down long enough to remember why (if there is a reason) everything needs to get done.
Christmas was never meant to be a time of busyness, stress, long lines, and running around like crazy to check everything off your list. Rather, it is a time to slow down and reflect on ways to bring “peace and goodwill” toward men.
The Bible instructs us in Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” That verse, in context, was a reminder to God’s people that in the true knowledge of God and His deliverance there is peace, in contrast to the troubled nations that didn’t know God or His deliverance.
If you and I know God–and His deliverance through His Son, Jesus–we can know peace in a way that the rest of the world can’t imagine. In the New American Standard Bible, Psalm 46:10 reads, “Stop striving and know that I am God.”
Can you stop striving to do all you think you must do and remember that simply knowing God (and His Son whom He sent for you) amounts to peace and rest? To rest is to trust Him in all things.
And to trust Him in all things is to rest.
3. Trust God for Your Emotional Support
It’s natural for us at this time of year to rely on people around us to notice when we’re overwhelmed, offer a helping hand, or just lend some encouragement and support. The problem is, at this time of year, everyone else around you is often just as busy as you are.
These are the times to go to God in prayer and pour out your heart before Him. Scripture says God understands our thoughts from afar (Psalm 139:2); He is a refuge for us when we need to pour out our hearts to Him (Psalm 62:8); and there is nowhere we can go (physically or emotionally) where He is not right there with us (Psalm 139:7-12).
When we look to others to understand what we’re going through, we are often disappointed. When we depend on others for emotional support, or a kind word to keep us going, we tend to feel let down. And that can lead to our placing burdens on others that they can’t possibly meet, as well.
Yet God, your Maker and Sustainer, knows and understands what you’re feeling. Go to Him in prayer. Talk to Him about how you feel. Rely on Him for what you need.
And be refreshed knowing He hears, He cares, and He understands.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Kerkez
4. Treat Yourself to Time in God’s Word
I am convinced that if I don’t go to God’s Word first in the morning, I won’t get anything done. I have, especially during this time of year, that Scripture can be a spiritual source of energy to get me through the day.
2nd Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed…” Reading it is like getting a “breath of fresh air” from the Living God–a “second wind” to get you through your day!
Try it. Start in the Psalms and see if God doesn’t breathe His life and rest into your day that calms your heart and soul. Spending time with God in His Word is one way of treating yourself to personal rejuvenation time–just you and God and His ability to pour calm into your life. (It’s also a lot less costly than a massage).
5. Tell Others How Grateful You Are
Do you realize that our attitude directly affects our altitude? In other words, how grateful you are, how peaceful you are, how much you choose to focus on the positive, determines how high or how low you will feel.
Stress brings us down. But being grateful for what we have and maintaining a healthy heart of thankfulness and cheer will energize us–and others.
While it’s natural for the human spirit to complain when feeling stressed or pressured, try choosing to be thankful in all things (1Thessalonians 5:18). By telling someone what you are truly thankful for (even if it’s not something pleasant) you can change your mood and entire outlook on life.
In Psalm 42, the Psalmist told himself “Put your hope in God.” When you tell yourself–and others–where your hope is, what you’re thankful for, and why you can still wear a smile this time of year, you’ll begin to believe it.
6. Turn Your Focus Toward What Matters Most
When we remember who and what is most important in life it can keep us from stressing out. We were made to love God and enjoy Him forever.
Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-39 that the greatest commandment was to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and love our neighbors as ourselves. (Our closest neighbors, by the way, are those we live with, work with, and share life with.) That means that all you think you have to do, and all the money you feel you have to spend, pale in comparisontothe people right in front of you.
As you start to stress, ask yourself what is most important–the project or the person you’re neglecting in order to get it done? The perfectly-decorated house or your children–or grandchildren–who want you to play with them? The amount of money you spend on someone, or the time you’re willing to spend with them?
In your busyness this Christmas, don’t neglect the One this season is all about. And don’t neglect the loved ones He has given you to share your life with. As you prioritize people over productivity, you’ll find it’s easier to let some other things go.
Ask God for a way to give to each person who means the world to you. And to others who might not mean anything to anyone. As you do, you will be giving God the greatest gift He could receive… your desire to be less stressed and more like His Son.
Photo Credit: ©Juliana Malta/Unsplash
Cindi McMenamin is a pastor’s wife, mom, Bible teacher, and national speaker who helps women and couples strengthen their relationships with God and others. She is the author of 17 books including her best-selling When Women Walk Alone(nearly 150,000 copies sold), When a Woman Overcomes Life’s Hurts, When God Sees Your Tears, and When Couples Walk Together: 31 Days to a Closer Connection, which she co-authored with her husband, Hugh. For more on her speaking ministry, coaching services for writers, or books and resources to help you grow in your relationship with God, your marriage or your parenting, see her website: www.StrengthForTheSoul.com.
10 Scriptures to Read When You Don’t Know Who You Are
Alisha Headley
iBelieve Contributing Writer
I’ve always admired those who are confident in who they are as it took me years to obtain this same confidence. Those that know themselves are confident in what they stand for. They know all their likes and dislikes, what they are passionate about, and what sets them apart. They know and believe what God says about them to be truth.
But perhaps you are more like the rest of us who often feel more tossed and swayed with the wind of others’ opinions, views, or things they’ve said about you. You may feel more like a by-product of who they say you are versus who God says you are.
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “is my security and who I am built on God’s point of view or the world’s?”
Matthew 7:24-28 teaches us that those who build their lives on God’s words are like “a man who builds his house on a rock, and when the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:25). The scripture goes on to say in Matthew 7:26-27, that it is the “foolish man who is the one who builds his house on the sand, and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
We need to ask ourselves if we are basing who we are on the solid rock of God’s word in Scripture or on the sinking sands of the world. Because as Scripture states, “great is the fall” for those who build their lives on the sand. If we don’t believe who we are in Christ and what He says about us, then it’s easy for us to make decisions on shaky ground, not secure.
When we don’t truly know who we are, we make decisions and live our lives on lies about who society says we are versus on the truth of God’s word. Let’s begin to walk in the truth of who we really are instead of the lies that keep us in the sinking sand.
Here are 10 scriptures to read when you don’t know who you are:
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/sam thomas
1. You Are Chosen
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“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you should go and bear fruit…” (John 15:16)
God chose us from the beginning. He chose us knowing we would fail him time and time again. He chose us knowing we would doubt Him, and at times choose others over Him. He appointed us to go and bear His fruit knowing that we were sinners. He will never stop choosing us even when we don’t always choose Him first for we are chosen by Him. The world will reject you and judge you, but God chooses you over and over again.
2. You Are Loved beyond Measure
“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.” (Ephesians 3:18)
God’s love for you is immeasurable. It’s unfathomable, infinite, completely limitless. God’s love for us is greater than our greatest sin. The world may love you temporarily or for what you have to offer in that moment. It may love you for a season and forget you the next, but God’s love is never-ending.
Photo Credit: © Hassan/OUAJBIR
3. You Are Forgiven
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“as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)
No sin is too great, no life too far gone, for God to not forgive it. What a beautiful promise that no matter what we have done in this life, God’s forgiveness covers it all. He remembers it no more. We are to repent and ask for the forgiveness He freely offers. God is so gracious and loves us so much to forgive all our sins. The world will hold things against you, wanting you to feel shame and guilt, but God covers you in His forgiveness, removing it all.
4. You Are One of a Kind
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139)
God intentionally and purposefully created you to be only you. Every last thread was by His design, making you totally unique. There is no other you as you are one of a kind. The world will tell you that there is no room for you, and tell you that there are other people who are better than you, while God tells you, that you are one of a kind.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Tom Merton
5. You Are Treasured and Set Apart
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“You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and He has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.” (Deuteronomy 14:2)
You are a treasure in God’s eyes. He set you apart to be a light to others who do not yet know Him. He calls you special. Which means He cherishes you; He adores you, and He views you as His most treasured prize. The world will try to tell you that there is nothing special about you, and God doesn’t see you as any different than them, but God sees you His priceless treasure.
6. You Are a Part of God’s Inheritance
“In Him, also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according the counsel of His will.” (Ephesians 1:11)
We are given an inheritance from God Himself. We are adopted into God’s royal family with all the rights, privileges, and inheritance of natural-born children. We are heirs to participate in the glory of Christ. How beautiful to know we are adopted into the most royal eternal family that exists. Let’s begin to walk in such royalty knowing that we are in our purpose if we walk according to His will for our lives. The world will try to tell you that you are nobody, but God sees you as someone who is part of His royal family.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Den Kuvaiev
7. You Are a Blood-Bought Daughter
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“Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God.” (1 John 3:1)
Hear me when I say this: God sent His very own son who left the perfection of heaven to come to a sin-filled world in flesh to die a brutal death on a cross. Christ came to die for our sins so that we can spend eternity with Him as His children. He loves us so much that He bought us at a high price through the death and blood of Jesus. While the world will love us temporarily, we are forever a child bought at a high price.
8. You Are Not Your Past – You Are Made New
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
You are not your past. In fact, in Christ, you are made new. You are a brand-new creation to Him when you decide to commit your life to Him, repenting of your past. We will still sin in this world because we live in a fallen world, but sin is no longer your master. When we gave our lives to the Lord, we died to sin and are now alive and new in Christ. You are finally free from the slavery of sin and death. The world will tell you that you are labeled by your past, but God will tell you that you are made new in Him.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/digitalskillet
9. You Are a Masterpiece
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“For we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, so we can do the things He planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10)
When an artists calls a work of art his masterpiece, he is proclaiming how every ounce of his skill and attention and heart has been poured into the creation. In the same way, just as God intentionally made you by design, with every stroke on purpose, you are His very own personal and final masterpiece. We were created in Him, by Him, so that we can accomplish all that He has planned for us. The world will tell you that you are just another person and are not created by design or purpose. But God’s truth says He sees you are His very own masterpiece.
10. You Are Enough because He Is
“And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM…” (Exodus 3:14)
God asked Moses to lead His people out of Egyptian bondage. Moses told God he was the wrong man for the job. He believed the lie that he wasn’t brave enough, strong enough, smart enough, eloquent enough, charismatic enough, or confident enough to do the job God was asking him to do. Those areas where we are not enough, God says it’s ok, because “I AM.” The world will tell you that you are not skinny enough, smart enough, or good enough… but God says, you are enough because He is.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Hero Images
Alisha Headley is a writer + speaker who has a desire to meet the everyday woman in her everyday life with biblical truth. Stepping into her true calling, she left the corporate world behind as a former-financial VP to love on her family as a stay-at-home wifey + dog mama, while also being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Healing from a chapter of life consumed with lies she once believed about herself, she is inspired to point women to Christ to experience the freedom + power to overcome those lies with the truth written in God’s word. In her free time, Alisha enjoys road trips around the country, working out so she can eat her favorite foods, and creatively styling her outfits with a craft for fashion. Alisha is a proud wifey and dog mama living in Scottsdale, Arizona.
You can follow her blog by visiting her website or connect with her on facebook + instagram.
all eyes on Jesus
This Christmas, be His star. — Anne Graham Lotz, Fixing My Eyes on Jesus
All Eyes on Jesus
by Anne Graham Lotz, from Fixing My Eyes on Jesus
Look at the Star
They went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed— Matthew 2:9-10
Look at the Star
They went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed— Matthew 2:9-10
Our senses are bombarded 24/7 by sounds and sights, especially during the Christmas season. Marketing companies compete, all trying to get our attention. They spend millions for what they’re selling and promoting, not to mention holiday parties, church programs, and school plays.
I wonder what I would have used to get the world to look at a tiny baby in a manger. How would I have drawn attention to an obscure stable behind some inn in an obscure Judean town?
When God wanted to get the attention of the nations of the world, He used a star. When the Magi came from the east to Jerusalem, they asked,
Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him. — Matthew 2:2
This Christmas, be His star! Ask God to use you to draw the attention of others to the Baby in the manger.
The Only Way
This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. — 1 John 4:9
Do you think there is more than one way to God? Have you bought into popular opinion that seems to think you can pick and choose your religion — even make one up to suit yourself ? If this is the way you’re thinking, heed the words in 1 Timothy 2:5:
There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
The politically correct say Jesus was a good man, a well-meaning prophet, even a revolutionary! But the Bible says He is the only Mediator between God and man:
There is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved. — Acts 4:12
Jesus Himself said,
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. — John 14:6
Don’t allow political correctness to rob you of a relationship with the one true God. This Christmas season give God a gift He wants. Tell someone how to come to Him… through Jesus.
Excerpted with permission from Fixing My Eyes on Jesus by Anne Graham Lotz, copyright Anne Graham Lotz.
. . . .
Your Turn
There’s no better time to share your faith in Jesus Christ, to be a star for Him than today. The story of His birth is everywhere you go — decorations at the mall, lights in trees and on houses. You can’t miss Him! What better time to talk about Him with someone who hasn’t met Him yet? Who will you introduce to Jesus? Come tell us on our blog. We want to know! ~ Devotionals Daily
The Stem of Jesse: Advent Part 3
RevelationMedia
The Stem of Jesse
Advent Part 3
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
Surely, you can recall as a child counting down the days until Christmas, the anticipation of opening gifts that you had been waiting for all year, and the special time spent with family around the tree.
That anticipation can turn into anxiety if we lose sight of the true gift of Christmas, and allow ourselves to be pulled down by the pressure of preparing for the big day. Likely, this year preparations will be different, with gathering restrictions in place because of COVID-19, and many people spending the holidays with only immediate family, or alone. These changes can also cause anxiety and worry.
This year, as we count down the days until Christmas, what if, instead of focusing on all the things that cause stress about the holiday, we have hope in anticipation of the Savior born in a manger?
Yes, He was born more than 2,000 years ago. So, how do we still find hope in the story of what took place in Bethlehem all those years ago?
At the time Isaiah wrote his prophesy about the coming Savior, the people of Israel were waiting for a king—the Messiah—to emerge and sit on the throne of David. Judgment was upon Judah, and the nation had barely survived.
Just when the lineage of Jesse and his son, David, seemed all but gone—cut down like the trees of Israel—this passage in Isaiah indicates that the Savior was yet to come out of a small shoot from the stump of Jesse
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.”
—Isaiah 11:1 [ESV]
And for the people of Israel, where no hope seemed to be found, God used the smallest of beginnings to sprout up a lineage that led to the birth of our Savior Jesus.
Families often use a Jesse Tree instead of an Advent calendar to retell the stories of the Bible leading up to Jesus’s birth and remind them of the promises of God. The whole history of God’s people points to the coming Christ. Just like the Israelites, our hearts sing: “O come, O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny.”
Returning our focus to the king that entered the world with humble beginnings gives us an anticipation for what is yet to come. It reminds us that in the midst of darkness and valleys there is hope.
So, as we celebrate, even with all of the changes and worries that go along with living through this particular point in history, we can trust in the amazing truth that God fulfilled His promise to send Jesus, and He will fulfill His promise that Jesus will come again.
The Son of God came to Earth in the flesh, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and was raised from the dead to give us hope—not just for an eternal future with Him—but for our lives here and now. His promises are true, and we can have confidence that the Lord will be with us in the difficulties of life.
Scene from iBIBLE with Noah in front of the ark that God instructed him to build.
iBIBLE will be the first visual interpretation of God’s Divine narrative—the story that reveals God’s sovereignty played out from Genesis to Revelation. This story tells us who we are and why we’re here, and shows us our need for a Redeemer.
With the potential to reach people speaking the 7,000+ living languages of the world with a visual interactive Bible, reaching the ends of the earth with God’s Divine narrative is more possible now than it ever has been. iBIBLE will be completely free to all people, and is fully funded by the support of individuals and families that believe in our mission.
If you’d like to join our team, click the link below to find out more about iBIBLE.
Daily Devotion
Light
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden” – Matthew 5:14
Dear Lord, what a privilege to be Your light! May I shine brightly and point others to Your saving grace. Amen
Dose of Devotion 