September 21, 2024

Waiting Here For You

September 23, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

If faith can move the mountains
Let the mountains move
We come with expectation
Waiting here for You
I’m waiting here for You

You’re the Lord of all creation
And still You know my heart
The Author of Salvation
You’ve loved me from the start

Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it’s You we adore
Singing Alleluia

You are everything You’ve promised
Your faithfulness is true
And we’re desperate for Your presence
All we need is You

Martin Smith and Sarah Bird
Songwriters: Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Martin Smith

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

This song sings of the proper heart-attitude of one who is waiting in expectation of God’s blessing.  It sings of quiet confidence in the Creator of the heavens and the earth…and His not being so big to not know the depths of each of our hearts.  It tells of desperately needing, yet expectantly waiting,  for God.  It speaks the praises of one who is convinced that God is present and faithful and loving.  It speaks the heart of one who loves and adores this great God.

As I’ve been listening again (and again) to this song, I’ve thought of some folks I know who are currently praying and waiting.  Their desires and expectations run quite the gamut as they wait…

  • as a loved one is dying, and expecting God to give them relief and comfort
  • for God’s provision in the area of their finances
  • for God’s blessing and healing of division in their marriage
  • for the safety and return of a loved one serving in the military overseas
  • to see God provide reconciliation amongst family members
  • on God’s timing to move their family cross-country
  • for miraculous healing from cancer
  • for the birth of their first child

Their needs are varied and their needs are great.  These are not small, inconsequential matters.  Yet each one remains convinced that God will provide and is waiting expectantly.  Their hope and trust is in Him.

My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him;
for my hope and expectation are from Him.
He only is my Rock and my Salvation;
He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved.
With God rests my salvation and my glory;
He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!
Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your hearts before Him.
God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah
Psalms 62:5-8

And we wait also for the <soon> return of our Lord to the earth to gather the saints.  This is a constant yearning and expectation of ours!  {Come quickly, Lord Jesus!}

…So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time,
not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28

Perhaps, there is something that you are waiting for God to do in your life. Just as Jesus will faithfully fulfil His promise to return to the Earth, He will also fulfill His promises for your life.  We always base our expectations and our hope on the Truth—God’s Holy Word.  God will bring every promise He has ever made to pass.  He is faithful.

Yes, in the path of Your judgments, O Lord, we wait [expectantly] for You;
our heartfelt desire is for Your name and for the remembrance of You.
Isaiah 26:8

Just as Isaiah encouraged the people of Israel, so the same Truth applies to our hearts as we endeavor to faithfully walk as we wait on the fulfillment of God’s promises.  Isaiah 40:28-31 says,

Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

I pray that you will have courage and strength as you wait upon the Lord for deliverance and for Him to fulfil His plans and purpose for your life.  No matter where you are today in your waiting for the Lord…if you have been waiting one day or one year…I pray you remain filled with expectation!  No matter how large and life-changing your need might be, or perhaps it is very small and intimate—known only to you and your heavenly Father, I pray that You are filled with expectation.  I pray that your expectation is focused solely on the goodness, the grace, the mercy, the lovingkindness of the Great I AM.  I pray that you sing HalleluJAH in worship-filled praise today as you wait…and that you will sing HALLELUJAH! when your expectation is fulfilled by His love and grace.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Waiting Here For You

July 13, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

If faith can move the mountains
Let the mountains move
We come with expectation
Waiting here for you, I’m waiting here for you

You’re the Lord of all creation
And still You know my heart
The Author of Salvation
You’ve loved us from the start

Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it’s You we adore
Singing Alleluia

You are everything You’ve promised
Your faithfulness is true
And we’re desperate for Your presence
All we need is You

Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it’s You we adore
Singing Alleluia
Singing Alleluia

Songwriters: Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Martin Smith

Performed by Martin Smith and Jesus Culture

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

This song sings of the proper heart-attitude of one who is waiting in expectation of God’s blessing. It sings of quiet confidence in the Creator of the heavens and the earth…and His not being so big to not know the depths of each of our hearts. It tells of desperately needing yet expectantly waiting for God. It speaks the praises of one who is convinced that God is present and faithful and loving.

As I’ve been listening again (and again) to this song, I’ve thought of some folks I know who are currently praying and waiting. Their desires and expectations run quite the gamut as they wait…

  • as a loved one is dying, and expecting God to give them relief and comfort
  • for God’s provision in the area of their finances
  • for God’s blessing and healing of division in their marriage
  • for the safety and return of a loved one serving in the military overseas
  • to see God provide reconciliation amongst family members
  • on God’s timing to move their family cross-country
  • for miraculous healing from cancer
  • for the birth of their first child

Their needs are varied and their needs are great.  These are not small, inconsequential matters.  Yet each one is waiting expectantly and remain convinced that God will provide. Their hope is in Him.

My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him;
for my hope and expectation are from Him.
He only is my Rock and my Salvation;
He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved.
With God rests my salvation and my glory;
He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!
Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your hearts before Him.
God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah
Psalms 62:5-8

And we wait also for the <soon> return of our Lord to the earth to gather the saints.  This is a constant yearning expectation of ours!  Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

…So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time,
not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28

Perhaps, there is something that you are waiting for God to do in your life. Just as Jesus will faithfully fulfil His promise to return to the Earth, He will also fulfill His promises for your life. We always base our expectations and our hope on the Truth—God’s Holy Word. God will bring every promise He has ever made to pass. He is faithful.

Yes, in the path of Your judgments, O Lord, we wait [expectantly] for You;
our heartfelt desire is for Your name and for the remembrance of You.
Isaiah 26:8

Just as Isaiah encouraged the people of Israel, so the same Truth applies to our hearts as we endeavor to faithfully walk as we wait on the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Isaiah 40:28-31 says,

Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

I pray for you that you will have courage and strength as you wait upon the Lord for deliverance and for Him to fulfil His plans and purpose for your life.  No matter where you are today in your waiting for the Lord…if you have been waiting one day or one year…I pray you are filled with expectation!  No matter how large and life-changing your need might be, or perhaps it is very small and intimate—known only to you and your heavenly Father, I pray that You are filled with expectation.  I pray that your expectation is focused solely on the goodness, the grace, the mercy, the lovingkindness of the Great I AM.  I pray that you sing HalleluJAH in worship-filled praise today as you wait…and that you will sing HALLELUJAH! when your expectation is fulfilled by His love and grace.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

CHRISTLife — FORTY: Embracing A Glorious Future

March 7, 2014 by

CLday40gloriousfuture

What an opportunity, privilege, and awakening we have experienced in the last 39 days of this study.  We have been made aware again, or perhaps for the first time, that God created us because He loves us.  He created us on purpose to have a relationship and fellowship with Him.  We didn’t come crawling out of some swampland.  We came out of His heart.

We discovered that the ideal mirror to look into is not our bathroom mirror but the mirror of God’s Word, which is His Truth and His Love.  It is the “reliable, unchangeable grounds for accepting ourselves.” (Ruth Myers)

How great is the 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

~~ * ~~

Yes, we each came into this study with images of ourselves influenced by our past; many of those were negative experiences, failures, and hurts.  But God chose this time, this study, and each of us to destroy those images and replace them with His image of us from His Word, transforming our minds to line up with His mind.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern  of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:2

~~ * ~~

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

~~ * ~~

But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:16

~~ * ~~

Through this study we have begun to recognize and accept God’s description of us, His followers.  We “have chosen the way of Truth” (Psalm 119:30, NKJV).  I flipped back through the book, CHRISTLife, and was blessed to read again what God calls us:

created, child of God, daughter, called, chosen, loved, saved, sanctified, desired, beloved’s, bride, quilt-free, blessed, clean, redeemed, forgiven, righteous, purified, justified, alive, alert, new, holy, victorious, obedient, Christ-like, delivered, united, fruitful, transformed, temple, priest(ess), filled, complete, receiver, empowered, strong, enlightened, belong, accepted, approved, friend, citizen, servant, worshiper, worthy, delighted in, favored, honored, royal, nurtured, satisfied, secure, treasured, competent, beautiful, bold, confident, overcomer, anointed, purposeful, witness…and more!

Wow!  After reading those I’m breaking out into a little song and dance—what about you!?  Those affirmations fill me with hope, and confidence for now and for my future. As Ruth Myers said, “In God’s unlimited view, He sees our increasing glory as His Spirit transforms us into finished works of art.”

…Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

~~ * ~~

Ladies, these “works of art” (us!) weren’t created to hang on some museum wall and gather dust.  We weren’t even created to walk this dusty earth forever.  Oh no, God has created us for purpose: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).  Our hope will be complete when we meet Jesus face to face (Isaiah 33:17).   Our future will be for all eternity, worshiping and serving in the presence of our King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 1:5-6).

Time after time in the Scriptures, God shares His desire and plan for us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.  Here are just a few passages for you to look up as you study today:

John 3:14-17, 17:2-3
Psalm 16:11
Romans 6:22-23
1 Timothy 6:12
Titus 1:2, 3:4-7
1 John 1:2, 2:25
Jude 1:21
Revelation 3:5

Ecclesiastes 3:11 even tells us that He has set eternity in the hearts of men, even though we can’t fathom everything He has done for us.  God loves us, God has chosen us, God planned from before time began for us to spend eternity with Him.  That desire is in His heart, and He placed it in our hearts—and Jesus went to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-4).

If you have given your heart to Jesus, then you have everything you need to spend a glorious future in the very presence of our Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  It’s time to embrace your true and deepest identity, for “God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).   “I AM Who God Says I Am!”

What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

~~ * ~~     ~~ * ~~     ~~ * ~~

Dear Lord, we have completed the study of this book, but I pray that we never stop studying from Your Book what You have to say to us and about us.  Thank You for loving us and choosing us to be Your children so that we can spend both here and in Heaven a glorious future with You.  I pray that You, the God of peace, will sanctify each lady in this study through and through.  May their whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.   The One who “…calls each of us is faithful, and He will do it”(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).  I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Esther – Chapter 6:12-14

October 10, 2013 by

Wk6_Fox_Esther

_______________________________________________

Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate.

Esther 6:12

How interesting that all that honor and fanfare didn’t seem to give Mordecai a big head.  He went back to his daily position and duties.  I believe he knew his true value came from his God, and not from men, and that’s all he needed.  What a difference humility and faith makes in a person’s life!

Then there was Haman.  Obviously, honor from the king fed his self-centered pride so it meant everything to him.  But the honor went to the “other guy!”  Esther 6:12b, “But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief,”  How frustrating, depressing, and embarrassing for Haman.  What could be more defeating than to have his plans for destruction completely reversed, and perhaps begin to fall on him!?

Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.

Proverbs 29:23

Esther 6:13 (NLT), “When Haman told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends what had happened, his wise advisers and his wife said, ‘Since Mordecai–this man who has humiliated you—is of Jewish birth, you will never succeed in your plans against him. It will be fatal to continue opposing him.’”  In his arrogance, Haman expected some sympathy from his wife and his “wise” friends but instead they foretold of his demise.  They told him two things which turned out to be prophetic.

The first was based on a fact: “Mordecai is a Jew, and because of that fact your plan will fail.” They were implying that the Jews’ God was watching over them, and He was more powerful than any human plan.

I found this very intriguing.  Here was the Jewish Nation defeated in war, their cities destroyed, and the people taken captive to serve in foreign lands.  In spite of those facts, the citizens who lived around the Jews recognized that God was with them.  They saw the resilience, strength, and confidence of the Jews that could only be explained in reference to their worship of and their trust in their God.

This raised questions in my own mind: Do others see the evidence of resilience, strength, and confidence in my life that demonstrates my faith that God is taking care of me?  Do I live a life of humility so that my life points others to my God?

What “great“ friends these guys were, and they weren’t finished with Haman yet!  They barely took a breath when they hit him with the second prophetic statement: “You, personally, will be ruined!”

Without a chance to think that through, a knock came at the door and Haman was escorted, as was the custom, to the second of Queen Esther’s banquets.  I imagine in light of what his friends had just told him, he had many conflicting thoughts as he went.  Would this be his chance to make more “brownie points” with the king and queen and receive more honor, or was doom lurking in the very shadows of the queen’s banquet hall?

Our author, Darlene Schacht says, “This entire chapter has a strong focus on the dangers of pride and the blessings of humility. It is further exemplified here as Mordecai is exalted and Haman is cut down.”  We talked last week in chapter five about pride and humility, and Tonya talked about the dangers of pride on Tuesday.  Oh my, here we are again today.  Over the years I’ve heard Bible teachers say that if God’s Word repeats something more than once God must consider it important enough for us to stop and reflect on it.  (Okay, Lord, I’m listening!)

Humility:  Mordecai is our example of humility.  He was meek, having a quiet, gentle spirit. He was more concerned about others than he was for his own welfare.  True humility is more than an outward act of service.  It is also an attitude that comes from the heart. Colossians 3:12, “Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

Pride: There are two kinds of pride.  We can take “pride” in a job well done; that is to be happy for the accomplishment.  We see the other kind of pride that the Bible refers to in Haman; pride in himself, giving himself all the credit.  Like humility, pride is an attitude of the heart.  We, too, can have this pride which convinces us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. This pride can be subtle. This pride is self-righteousness, not giving credit to God for the good in our lives and what we’ve accomplished, and that is sin.                 

I Corinthians 4:7, “For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?”

Darlene asks, “What are some of the ways you might protect your heart against pride?”  I’ll share a couple and then please add your thoughts as you share today:

  1. I remind myself regularly that any gifts and talents that I have, and the fruit of the Spirit, all come from God.
  2. I must recognize that whatever is good within me is only because of Jesus.
  3. Your turn!

I would like to use some of John Piper’s quote that Darlene shared with us as part of our prayer today.

*****

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, we are once again confronted with the sharp contrast between humility and pride, two very opposing forces in our own lives.  You want us to be clothed in humility, and to be alert to protect our heart against pride.  Holy Spirit, we can’t do this without You.  Please help us “to cultivate a joy in Christ, His wisdom, power, justice, and love that is more satisfying than the pleasures of human praise.  We pray that we will experience the miracle of self-forgetfulness in the admiration of Christ, and in love toward people.”  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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Esther – Chapter 5:9

October 3, 2013 by

Wk5_Fox_Esther

“Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet” (Esther 5:9a, NLT).  His seemingly ever- increasing power starting from his promotion (chapter 3:1 and 2) to King Xerxes giving him his signet ring and carte blanche to do what he wanted with this “certain people” (chapter 3:10 and 11) to this intimate banquet with the king and queen (here in chapter 5:4 and 5), was feeding Haman’s pride big time.  Not only that but Queen Esther had invited him to a second banquet! His hat didn’t fit his big head anymore, and his buttons were popping off his cloak from his puffed out chest as he walked out the king’s gate to go home for the night!  Can you hear his evil cackle?  Oh, I don’t like this guy!

“But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious” (Esther 5:9b).  We already know from Esther chapter 3, that Haman planned to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews.  Now, when he saw Mordecai sitting there so peacefully with no regard for him at all, Haman almost exploded on the inside with indescribable hatred.

Mordecai “stood” his ground by sitting when Haman walked by. Mordecai knew Who he had to ultimately answer to, and it wasn’t Haman.  Mordecai had full confidence in the Lord’s provision and protection.  Confidence in God and the humility of obedience and submission to Him gave Mordecai a calm and peaceful presence that was like acid eating away at Haman. (Compare the similarities when Jesus “stood His ground” in His last hours, Matthew 26-27.)

Haman was so full of himself that he couldn’t see that his pedestal of pride had no foundation. One day it would come crashing down around him.  As Matthew Henry’s Commentary would describe him: he is a self-admirer, a self-deceiver.  Doesn’t he sound like someone else we know? Isaiah 14:13-14, “For you (Satan) say to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne about God’s stars…and be like the Most High.’”  Satan’s plan is for the destruction of God’s creation.  His pride is so great and his rage against God is so consuming that he intends to kill and destroy (John 10:10) everyone he can.  But he has no foundation of truth.  He has built his plan on pride and hatred.  He and his plan will fall.  Isaiah 14:15, “Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.”

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18

Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.
Proverbs 18:12

Matthew Henry’s Commentary also says: “A slight affront, which a humble man would scarcely notice, will torment a proud man , even to madness, and will mar all his comforts.”  Haman was tormented by Mordecai’s affront, his intentional defiance.  I believe Satan is tormented by our affronts when we stand against him and his evil plan to destroy us and our families.

We have two life examples to look at here.  We have Haman who lived a very self-centered and prideful life.  He deceived himself and he deceived others, especially the king, for very selfish motives.  Then we have Mordecai, who was a humble man of faith and confidence. His motives were selfless as day after day he watched over and wisely advised Esther, even to the extent of sitting at the gate when “trouble” walked by.

Today we have the opportunity to check our motives for what we do and what we say.  If our motives are based on feeding our pride and obtaining power over a person or a situation, we are self-deceived and insecure.  If a small offense eats away at us, we will want to check our lives for underlying pride.   A life controlled by pride will lead us to “destruction,” as we read in Proverbs 16:18.

If our motives are directed by our faith in God, then we will live selfless lives of submission and service.  We will not be easily offended, and will forgive quickly.  We will stand in humble confidence and peace, even as we “sit by the gate” when trouble tries to destroy us.  (Ephesians 6:13.)  We will have an inner assurance that God will show Himself mighty to save.

The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy;
I (Jesus) have come that they (you and I) may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10

Who does your life look most like…Haman or Mordecai?  Is it one of pride, torment, insecurity, fear, and eventual destruction? Or is it one of humility, peace, confidence, faith, and life?  Today is your day to choose “life and have it to the full.”

*****

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, we come humbly to Your throne of grace today.  Even at this moment we are searching our innermost beings for areas of pride and deception.  Help us, Holy Spirit, to find them so we can repent and allow You to cleanse us.  We want our motives to be pure and selfless. Please help us to not be easily offended and to quickly forgive.  May each of us live a life of humility, peace, confidence, and faith.  Thank You for offering us life to the full!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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One Way to Stick to an Exercise Program #9 – Look at All of the Benefits

September 11, 2013 by

Has this ever happened to you?  After exercising consistently for a solid week, you step on the scale to discover there is no change in your weight. Or, you have lost your motivation because your weight is no longer an issue for you.  It is now easy to give up and quit.  It could be because you have been focusing on weight loss as the only benefit of exercise.  One way to stick to an exercise program is to look at all of the benefits you gain from exercise.

How to Stay Motivated

Attaining a certain weight, look, or size is only one benefit of exercise. To stay focused and motivated to stick to an exercise program, take some time to think and meditate on all of the things you will gain.  Here are just a few:

  • More energy for yourself, family, peers and co-workers
  • Higher self esteem and confidence in who you are as a woman
  • Less anxiety and stress
  • Decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, osteoporosis, and diabetes
  • Lower cholesterol
  • The ability to be a role model of health and fitness to those around you
  • Better sleep

What is Your Motivation?

Focusing on one benefit of exercise as the only motivation to continue can lead to giving up when it is not accomplished.  For example, you may not be motivated anymore to fit into a certain pair of jeans, but you are motivated to increase your energy level and decrease your stress. Last week, I talked about journaling after you exercise and suggested that you list several things you felt after your workout. When you are unmotivated, you can look back at your journal and remember all of the benefits.

Your motivation may change at different times in your life.  I must confess there was a time many years ago I was motivated to exercise only for the jeans.  Today, my motivation is to be healthy and strong for my family, REDUCE MY STRESS, and honor God.  If your motivation has not become clear to you, take a little time to determine what it is, but don’t give up.   Hold on to these scriptures:

Galatians 6:9:  And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

1 Corinthians 9:24:  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Take a few minutes to write down all of the benefits that motivate you to persevere.  When you have YOUR motivation, you will find you have one way you can stick to an exercise program.

In Good Health,

Crystal

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 7- “Pressure” (pages 115-117)

May 9, 2013 by

As Lisa tells us about her “doubtful moment” it brings me right back to one of my very own doubt-filled moments….

It had been several months after my very last therapy session.  I knew in my heart of hearts that I was healed, but as I stepped into my counselor’s office that day, the doubt that had been filling in my heart since the last time I was in that room followed me in.  Even with a beautiful sign from God’s heart to mine that I truly was healed and made new, I still somehow let doubt get in the way.  As I was explaining all of my doubts my dear counselor asked me a simple question, “What are the things that you know that you know that you know are true?”

I am safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

I am loved. (John 3:16)

These were the only thoughts that I was able to muster up, but somehow they proved to be just enough!

Each truth above comes from God’s Word.  Apart from Him we have nothing, we are nothing.  God’s Word is our source for confidence.  He is our Source for power and protection.  He is our all in all.  He is our portion forever and ever.  He is all we ever need and He has come to RESCUE YOU AND ME from doubt and all of the hardships of life!

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26

Knowing the truth is just not enough to keep the doubt away.  I have found that the more we “know” something, the more Satan tries to convince us that we don’t know anything at all.  Prior to this moment in counseling I had found the more confidence I had, the more doubt consumed me.  How does that even make sense?  It makes sense because my confidence used to come from the wrong source.  Think to yourself, do you find confidence from the shifting sands of circumstances or do you find confidence in our Mighty Rock?  It is still a struggle from time to time for me to let go of the false advertisements for confidence we find ourselves surrounded by in our world.  We think we know what we need—the best make-up, the finest clothing, the right man, the popular friends—the list goes on and on.  These false eye-catching traps just leave our hearts filled with doubt.  Truth be told, even the best this world has to offer will never give us the confidence that we can find in God alone.  Again, I know this is true because Scripture backs it up!

Proverbs 3:26 assures us, “…for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.”

We can have confidence in God because of His Word! When we fill our hearts with God’s truth, His confidence seeps into every crack and crevice of our soul!  God’s confidence in us will enable Satan’s lies to stay tucked under our feet as we press on in our journey with the Lord of our lives!

It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put His hand on you for something special.  When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn’t just words.  Something happened in you.  The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions.  (1 Thessalonians 1:5 MSG)   

Knowing God’s Word will not suffice in the spiritual battle at hand.  I know this personally. Since I have started this study, God has been using many hardships to show me just how true it is that knowing scripture is not enough, and we must be trained to use it.  God’s Word is our training manual.  Everything we need to know is found in His Word, not the lies of Satan.  Our sword must be filled with the truth—God’s truth—which has the power to strike down Satan’s consuming lies and doubts.  As a princess warrior in training, we cannot let doubt consume us.  We must empty ourselves into God so that He can consume us.

The more we know who God is, the more we have confidence from Him in who we are created to be.  No two princesses of the King are the same.  We are all created for a unique and important purpose.  It is time to wash away the doubt caused from past hurts or maybe current hurts and hold tight to God’s promises that will never shift.  It is time to call out to God…He promises to answer.  All we must do is empty the doubts that have been filling up our hearts at His feet.  When we seek God with our whole empty heart, He will fill our hearts with HIS blessings.  No more room for doubts, only His love.

When I left therapy that day, I was supposed to write what I knew on a rock, to remind me of the solid hope I have in God alone.  I never did find a rock big enough to write down all the truths God has reminded me of since that night as I spent some time seeking Him.  Spend some time today thinking about the truth that you know that you know that you know God is craving to fill your heart with.

(From Christi & Colleen Dent:  Here is your Rock, Diane!  We made this especially for YOU!)

Rock_Diane

Let’s all echo Lisa’s prayer for us on page 117:

Dear Heavenly Father,

May we, Your daughters, be one with Your heart and heaven’s purpose.  May our very lives be an intricately woven expression of all that You long for us to live, touch, see, hear, and have.  Make us one.  We submit to Your process.  Have Your way in the fiery forge and in the baptism of water.  Shape us into something so fierce and flexible that every facet of our lives would declare Your love and power to save.  In Jesus’s name, Amen!

Thank You Jesus!

________________

Day 4 of our Anniversary Celebration!

Well, have you enjoyed our week long celebration so far???  We sure have!  I can’t wait to tell you what our next giveaway is! Another exciting gift!!

How many of you struggle with taking care of your body physically?  If you are like me, you want to, but maybe you just don’t know how to get started!  You don’t know the first thing about eating healthy, or what exercises may be right for you, and so on!  Well, we want to bless one lucky winner with a ONE-HOUR SESSION with Wellness Coach / Fitness Designer Crystral Breaux!!

Breaux Announcement

I am so VERY EXCITED about this giveaway.  Crystal is new to Girlfriends Coffee Hour, but she is not new to wellness, fitness, or blogging!  She not only blogs for GCH, she blogs for CreatedWoman.org, as well.  She offers some amazing wellness tips and fitness advice in both blogs!  Beginning in June, Crystal will begin taking your personal questions and answering them on her blog right here on Girlfriends Coffee Hour!  No matter what your question is about (food, or fitness, etc.) she will address them on our At Home with GCH blog the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.

The question of “where do I start” is just one “comment” away!

All you have to do to enter this drawing is read today’s blog and then make a comment below in regards to what God spoke to you in today’s blog!  That’s it!

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE COMPLETED BY 8PM CST TONIGHT.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY PAGE, ON MAY 11th.
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A Daughter’s Worth: Week 11 / Day 5 – Be Confident of God’s Involvement

December 14, 2012 by

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart

         and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

  Proverbs 3:5-6

How many of you know that it is difficult to let go of certain things that concern us personally? To be honest with you, it use to be almost impossible for me to let go of anything that concerned me in any way. I use to feel like I was the only one who would be able to fix whatever needed fixing.

Well, I was busy with a process that involved the future of me and my immediate family. Although I prayed about this process and what needed to be done, I was all over the place. I did endless research; I read whatever was said about this process we were involved in. I worried whenever I submitted something, and I use to get agitated with my husband whenever he took too long completing some paperwork. Well, needless to say that we were not successful completing the process.

Things only started to fall in place once I surrendered everything, and I mean everything to God and admitted that I did not understand what is going on and need Him to direct my path.

What you have to understand is that God only wants what is best for His children. We might think that a certain person will make us happy, or if we can just get a particular outfit or whatever we are into at the moment; but God knows exactly what we need, and His plans for our lives are far more awesome than what we can ever imagine.

I was so inspired by the following scripture in the Amplified Bible. Hebrews 13:5

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for he [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [ Assuredly not!]

Oh my, what an  awesome assurance!!!!

Girls, I want to challenge you today to be confident of God’s involvement in your lives. Know that God has your best interest at heart.

Let’s Pray:

Father, thank You for each girl who will read this blog. Thank You that we don’t have to be worry about anything and that we can trust You with our every need. We admit today that we need You to guide us and be with us in all of our endeavors.   Amen.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Please email GCH_Decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information.

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A Daughter’s Worth Week 5/ Day 3: God Helps You Squash Jealousy

October 31, 2012 by

 

Jealousy is a really dangerous thing. God knew it was so dangerous that He included it in the Ten Commandments! Sadly, I think this is one of the most commonly broken commandments.

Jealousy is always a result of an ungrateful heart. When we are not thankful for what we have, who we are, what we can do, we begin to compare ourselves to others and wish to have what they have, be who they are, and do what they do.

In order to be thankful, you have to make the decision to recognize what the Lord has done in your life. He gave Jesus, His only Son for you! He loves you and wants a relationship with you. Remembering that and knowing the weight of that will make you thankful, for sure!

Some think jealousy is harmless. The problem with jealousy is that we are not only hoping to gain something, but we are hoping to take something from someone else. If you struggle with jealousy, I would encourage you to ask Jesus to change your heart toward the people you are jealous of. Ask Him to help you LOVE them, really love them. Mark 12:31- “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

I would also encourage you to start a list today of things you are thankful for. It can be anything from warm coffee to pink roses to flannel pajama pants, etc. Make an effort to see the good in life. Make the effort to thank Jesus for every good thing. “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” James 1:7

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, help me to be content and have joy for all the things you have so generously given to me. When I am struggling with wanting what I don’t have, Father, help me gain perspective and change my heart. I want to live every day with a grateful heart. Help me, Lord, because I know I can’t do it without You! I love you and  I thank you for this provision. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen <3
~Jordan

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For the A Daughter’s Worth Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website from clicking the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Our new study is A Daughter’s Worth! Please email megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information

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A Daughter’s Worth: Week 3 / Day 1 – You’re Beautiful

October 15, 2012 by

 

When reading the chapter titles in this study, my heart sank a little when I read “Embracing True Beauty”. That is something I struggled with BIG TIME for a majority of my life. I was interested what this week of the study would stir in my heart and yours. I cannot help but pray that as we tackle this week titled EMBRACING TRUE BEAUTY that we all come to find our beauty in God alone and to be confident of who we are in Him; BEAUTIFUL.

About three years ago, my sister sent me a text message that said, listen to Beautiful by Mercy Me, it reminds me so much of you, you have to hear it! When I saw that message I started to tear up. I did not understand how a song titled “Beautiful” could ever remind her of me. I thought I was the farthest thing from beautiful and I certainly did not think anyone else thought I was beautiful. I went home that same night she sent me the message and listened to Beautiful by Mercy Me. Listening to it brought me more tears, but the words also tugged so softly on my heart.

For all the lies you’ve held inside so long, they are nothing in the shadow of the cross.

That is my second favorite line in the whole song. What lies about who God created you to be do you believe? Do you actually believe you are beautiful? I believed I was ugly, unworthy, damaged, destroyed forever, and disgusting. Now all I see when I look at myself in the mirror is God’s beauty shining through. After all that truly is the most beautiful thing about each and every one of us. We have God’s beautiful spirit living inside of our hearts. The more we let HIS beauty that we have in our hearts overflow into the lives of everyone around us the more beautiful you become.

Think about it again, WHAT LIES ABOUT WHO GOD CREATED YOU TO BE DO YOU BELIEVE? Can you please write them down, and throw that paper away! They have no place in your life. It is time to embrace the beauty you have within! Psalm 139:14 says, I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Are you confident that this verse is true? Are you confident that you are wonderful and unique because you were made by a God who loves you so much? I struggle with the confidence from time to time, but thanks to this study bringing Isaiah 32:17 to my attention, I will now repeat what this verse says every time I start to lack confidence in my beauty. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

I so strongly believe that there is nothing more beautiful than a precious princess of the King being confident in the beauty that the Lord has brought to her life, embracing it, and sharing it with others. I hope that every time you look in the mirror, that you see God’s beauty shining through. I pray that when you do look in the mirror you take a minute to thank Him and praise Him for YOU.

I remember the day I sent my sister a message that said, Beautiful by Mercy Me is on and I thought of you, I remember when you told me to listen to that song and I thought I would never believe those words, I finally believe those words, thank you! It is my prayer that you finally believe my favorite line of that song; YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL!

Let’s Pray: Lord, I lift every single person who reads this up to you. I pray that you wipe away any negative image they have of themselves, and that you give them YOUR eyes to see the beauty that they possess. I thank you and praise you for creating us. We are all special because we are created uniquely in YOUR beauty. Thank you Lord, and help us to embrace the beauty you have given us! We love you so much, Amen.

Be Beautiful Today and Always! Much Love,

Diane

Listen to Beautiful by Mercy Me Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C2o0jHNRuU

For the A Daughter’s Worth Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website from clicking the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Our new study is A Daughter’s Worth! Please email megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information.

Filed Under: Teens Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,