April 18, 2024

A Small Reminder for God

Many of you have gone on Spring Break or are anticipating taking a vacation this summer.  It is a time to refresh spirit, soul, and body.  Over the next couple of weeks, our faithful bloggers will be taking a ‘spring break’ from writing so that they can come back to us refreshed and freshly anointed.
However, Girlfriends’ Coffee Hour website won’t ‘go black’!  We will be revisiting some of our favorite blogs and daily devotions which have blessed us in the past.  We pray that each of you, our faithful friends and readers, will continue to start your day meditating on the devotionals and songblogs, and be encouraged and blessed.

Let’s give each of our bloggers a big round of applause, a hug,
and the rest they so deserve.  
God bless you, ladies!

SeekingHimLogo

Remember Your Word to Your servant for You have given me hope.
Psalm 119:49

When I read verses like this, I always wonder why the writer felt the need to tell God to remember.  If God said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…” then it’s safe to say that you should come to Him…and He will give you rest.  No reminder needed.

There is a certain level of uncertainty when it comes to God.  For example, two people can pray for healing; and yet one will live and one will die.  Why?  Only God knows. Surely, there is some type of order to the happenings of life.  After all, 1 Corinthians 14:33 says, “…For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”  Even with this being the case we don’t get to see the Big Picture all the time.

Perspective plays a huge role in our relationship with God.  He sees things we simply do not see and can not see.  We often have to ask Him to open our eyes to see what He sees.  And sometimes He sheds light on a situation.  But sometimes, we are told to wait.

Have you ever felt betrayed by God?  You went to Him for guidance, followed His directions to the best of your ability, and still got what seemed to be an unfavorable outcome?  I have.  And when I find myself in these situations I often take to reminding God of His promises.

Reminding God of His promises is beneficial to us, not to Him. Reminding God about His promises, reminds us of God’s Word and can bring up some very important issues:

  • Do I really believe this promise?
  • Do I trust God to fulfill this promise?
  • Is there something in my life that I need to address or hand over to God?
  • Is something hindering God’s progress in this situation?

I feel this is a very vital role in growing with God.  I have friends who can read the Bible and take God at His Word easily.  When they read that God will provide for them…they believe that God will provide for them.  When I read that God will provide for me…I ask questions.  I need to know to know how and when.  If I can’t come up with a solution in my mind, then it must be impossible.  I need details.  I have gotten better at simply taking God at His Word, but I often have to fight the urge to remind Him of the way things are “supposed” to be.

The Message Translation says,

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart;
Don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
He’s the one who will keep you on track.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, I pray that I never forget Your promises and that I never stop coming to You when I have questions or concerns.  Thank You for being faithful and answering my prayers.  Thank You for giving me knowledge and understanding.  Help me to doubt less, trust more, and follow relentlessly.  Give me the courage to stand for You, and humility to obey You.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

Provider

Psalm 4:1
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

When we are in distress, we call out to God.  We expect Him to answer us immediately.  As we walk through the pain and the anguish, we sometimes rant and rage at Him.  And that is okay. He is a big God. He can take whatever we can throw at Him.  As long as we are respectful, we can become angry.

And sometimes we have to become like children and trust God will answer our prayers.  When we were children, most of us did not have to worry about where our food was coming from, we did not have to worry about a place to sleep, because it was there.  Our parents provided everything we needed.  Not what we wanted…but what we needed.  That is what they are supposed to do.  That is what our heavenly Father does for us as well.

In the Bible it tells us of fathers who loved their sons.  It tells us those who have blindly trusted God.  It tells us of those who walked in faith what God would have them to do.  Scripture tells us of Abraham who left his father, took his wife and nephew, and moved away from all that he knew.  Just because God called to him.  But Abraham received a promise.  A promise to become a father of many.

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people
and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
Genesis 12:1-3

God, through Jesus His son, offers us a promise.  When we accept Jesus into our heart, and make Jesus Lord of our life, we have eternity.  We may not have an easy life, but a life of great reward, a life rich with God’s blessings.  This past month, I was given a task of putting together a program for our Hallelujah Hoedown at our church. It was a stretch for me, but I knew God had given me this opportunity to help me grow in my ability to lead and for me to become accountable.  I don’t have issues with delegating.  Nor do I have an issue with calling on those whom I know can do a job.  I just have to learn to lean on God more for everything…and I did.   He did not let me (or those who watched our performance this weekend) down.  We all had a wonderful time, performing and worshipping God and letting the little ones worship with us.  I think the adults had just a much fun as the children did!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

My prayer is for everyone to know Christ as Someone we can go to for our everyday needs and concerns.  God wants us to seek Him for our every need before we make little AND big decisions.  He wants us to do a heart check, to assure our thoughts align with His Word.

A Small Reminder for God

SeekingHimLogo
Remember Your Word to Your servant for You have given me hope.
Psalm 119:49

When I read verses like this, I always wonder why the writer felt the need to tell God to remember.  If God said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” then it’s safe to say that you should come to Him…and He will give you rest.  No reminder needed.

There is a certain level of uncertainty when it comes to God.  For example, two people can pray for healing; and yet one will live and one will die.  Why?  Only God knows. Surely, there is some type of order to the happenings of life.  After all, 1 Corinthians 14:33 says, “…For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”  Even with this being the case we don’t get to see the Big Picture all the time.

Perspective plays a huge role in our relationship with God.  He sees things we simply do not see and can not see.  We often have to ask Him to open our eyes to see what He sees.  And sometimes He sheds light on a situation.  But sometimes, we are told to wait.

Have you ever felt betrayed by God?  You went to Him for guidance, followed His directions to the best of your ability, and still got what seemed to be an unfavorable outcome?  I have.  And when I find myself in these situations I often take to reminding God of His promises.

Reminding God of His promises is beneficial to us, not to Him. Reminding God about His promises, reminds us of God’s Word and can bring up some very important issues:

  • Do I really believe this promise?
  • Do I trust God to fulfill this promise?
  • Is there something in my life that I need to address or hand over to God?
  • Is something hindering God’s progress in this situation?

I feel this is a very vital role in growing with God.  I have friends who can read the Bible and take God at His Word easily.  When they read that God will provide for them…they believe that God will provide for them.  When I read that God will provide for me…I ask questions . I need to know how and when.  If I can’t come up with a solution in my mind, then it must be impossible.  I need details.  I have gotten better at simply taking God at His Word, but I often have to fight the urge to remind Him of the way things are “supposed” to be.

The Message translation says,

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart;
Don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
He’s the one who will keep you on track.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, I pray that I never forget Your promises and that I never stop coming to You when I have questions or concerns. Thank You for being faithful and answering my prayers.  Thank You for giving me knowledge and understanding.  Help me to doubt less, trust more, and follow relentlessly.  Give me the courage to stand for You, and humility to obey You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Healing Begins

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

So you thought you had to keep this up
All the work that you do so we think that you’re good
And you can’t believe it’s not enough
All the walls you built up are just glass on the outside

So let ’em fall down
There’s freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We’re here now

This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you’re broken within
The light meets the dark, the light meets the dark

Afraid to let your secrets out
Everything that you hide can come crashing through the door now
But too scared to face all your fear
So you hide but you find that the shame won’t disappear

So let it fall down
There’s freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We’re here now, we’re here now

Sparks will fly as grace collides with the dark inside of us
So please don’t fight this coming light
Let this Blood come cover us
His Blood can cover us

Songwriters: Jason Ingram, Mike Donehey, Jeff Owen
Performed by Tenth Avenue North
* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

This song is about not trusting in your ‘works’ to get to Heaven and to be with Jesus.  Our faith in God and His power will get us to Him.  Believing that His Son Jesus was born of a virgin, lived 33 years on our earth without sin, became sin for us and then was crucified…all so that we might have a place in Heaven with God.  That is what we need to believe and share with others.  That is our purpose on the earth.

For those of us who are parents, we are to bring up our children with the fear of the Lord in their heart.  Although we may try to teach this, it is often best learned by example.  Just as a child learns about gravity from falling, or about what hot or cold feels like from experience.  There are some children who naturally trust and there are others who have to test it to see for themselves.  Which child are we, for we are all children of God?  I am the one who will sometimes test it to see, other times I will learn from seeing others’ mistakes to trust in what I see or what I hear.  Blessed are those who trust just from hearing and knowing.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.
Jeremiah 17:7

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

Father, help us to seek You first.  Help us to not become dependent on ourselves or in men.  Let the Holy Spirit direct us, when we ask, to those people whom You have empowered with Your wisdom.  There are those who have already walked  the path You have laid out focusing on You and only on You.  May we be those people—seeking Your will…not ours.  May we become the light in this barren, fear-filled land.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Those Days

SeekingHimLogo

 

Since You are my Rock and my Fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for You are my Refuge.
Into Your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
Psalms 31:3-5

Those days.  You’ve had those days—the ones where everything that could go wrong, does goes wrong.  You leave for a trip—get a flat tire, forget your debit card at home, the bank is closed for some secret holiday, get a call and it’s some sort of family emergency—and all you wanted was a nice relaxing day. Those days, or just those moments when things just aren’t working in your favor.

I’ve had those days and moments.  They used to rock my world and send me into a funk that felt like it would never end.  But, as I’ve progressed in my relationship with Christ, I have learned to lean on Him instead of freaking out.  God is our Refuge and if we go to Him, He will help us.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Prayer has definitely helped keep me sane and I believe that, the better my prayer life becomes, the more leveled I can be when things do not go as planned.

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
1 Corinthians 14:33

Another thing to keep in mind is that You can trust the Lord in those situations, because if anyone can bring order to them, it’s the God of order.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for being the God of order.  Thank You for giving me the opportunity to trust You in all situations.  You are amazing.  Amen.

Help Me Find It

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I don’t know where to go from here
It all used to seem so clear
I’m finding I can’t do this on my own

I don’t know where to go from here
As long as I know that You are near
I’m done fighting, I’m finally letting go

I will trust in You
You’ve never failed before
I will trust in You

If there’s a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can You help me find it?
Can You help me find it?

I’m giving You fear and You give faith
I giving You doubt, You give me grace
For every step I’ve never been alone

Even when it hurts You’ll have Your way
Even in the valley I will say
With every breath You’ve never let me go

I will wait for You
You’ve never failed before
I will wait for You

I lift my empty hands (come fill me up again)
Have Your way my King (I give my all to You)
I lift my eyes again (was blind but now I see)
‘Cause You are all I need

Sidewalk Prophets – David Frey / Ben McDonald / Jason Ingram

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

This is my ‘go to’ song—every time I find myself struggling with a decision, or wondering which path to take.  It is a reminder that God is in control (are you humming “God is in Control” by Twila Paris now?) and I need to seek His will instead of trying to solve the problem on my own.  Ephesians 1:17 (NLT) encourages us to ask “God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give <us> spiritual wisdom and insight so that <we> might grow in our knowledge of God.”  James 1:5 (NASB) states if we lack wisdom we are to “…ask of God, Who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given….”  God will help us find His will.

Often that requires patience.  I joke that I am not a very virtuous person because patience is not my strongsuit.  Pain, doubt and hurt make us want to rush ahead. We don’t like being in that valley.  But, many times, that is where we grow the most in our relationship with Christ.  He gives us faith and grace in those valleys. He never lets us go, He is always with us, as Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8 HCSB remind us:

Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them.
For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.
The Lord is the One who will go before you.
He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.
Do not be afraid or discouraged.

Sidewalk Prophets used the following Scriptures as a basis for this song:

  • Be still, and know that I am God; (the NASB version says “Cease striving”)

 Psalm 46:10a NIV

  • Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

Psalm 119:105 HCSB

  • 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.  In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP

I love the Amplified version of Proverbs 3:6— “HE will direct and make straight and PLAIN your paths.”  If only we are willing to wait.

This quote from Bishop T.D. Jakes is a good reminder of what can happen if we don’t wait:

“People who don’t understand God’s timing, don’t get His rhythm.  They birth things prematurely, threatening the very lives of their God-given dreams.”

Waiting can be scary.  But I am more terrified of making the wrong decision.  So I gladly sing:

“I will wait for You
You’ve never failed before
I will wait for You
If there’s a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can You help me find it?
Can You help me find it?”

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Thank You, Lord, that Your ways are not our own, that Your ways are higher, beyond our comprehension.  Thank You for directing our paths.  Teach us to wait for You…to seek Your wisdom and guidance instead of striving to resolve our issues on our own.  Your timing is perfect and You have such great plans for us.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen – it IS so!

Glorious Unfolding

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Lay your head down tonight
Take a rest from the fight
Don’t try to figure it out
Just listen to what I’m whispering to your heart
‘Cause I know this is not
Anything like you thought
The story of your life was gonna be
And it feels like the end has started closing in on you
But it’s just not true
There’s so much of the story that’s still yet to unfold

And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and SEE and you will be amazed
You’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding

God’s plan from the start
For this world and your heart
Has been to show His glory and His grace
Forever revealing the depth and the beauty of
His unfailing Love
And the story has only begun

We were made to run through fields of forever
Singing songs to our Savior and King
So let us remember this life we’re living
Is just the beginning of the beginning

Of this glorious unfolding
We will watch and SEE and we will be amazed
If we just keep on believing the story is so far from over
And hold on to every promise God has made to us
We’ll SEE the glorious unfolding

Just watch and SEE (unfolding)
This is just the beginning of the beginning (unfolding)

Singer/Songwriter – Steven Curtis Chapman

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

I need a rest tonight for sure and all the things going on in my life that I wish I could just skip.  Anyone with me?  As Christians and children of God, we aren’t immune from hard things.  But the neat thing is that God is in the middle of it all and His plan is perfect.  We just have to walk through with faith, knowing that it is all for His glory and all for our good.  The difference in the valleys now is I know He is with me and His grace is sufficient for everything in my life.  I’m at peace.

Steven Curtis Chapman wrote this song about life and how hard it can be.  But to have faith through it all that God is in control.  Sometimes we have an idea of what we think our life is going to be like, and sometimes it does feel like it is closing in on you but really it’s just the beginning.  God is writing your story and it is perfect.  We have to believe that what God has promised in His Word will come true and we will SEE one day that it was just the beginning.  And we will be amazed, I believe it and I believe in Him.

We were made for so much more than this world.  We are made to praise Him, and sing songs to Him, and just talk to Him. Isn’t it amazing that we don’t have to worry and stress about what will happen next because He already knows and He has got this under control.  And don’t forget that He loves you so much.  Just hang on for the “Glorious Unfolding.”

Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being constant and in control. Help us to rest in You and have faith that, no matter what we are going through right now, You are still writing our story.  And when we have doubts, lead us to Your Word for encouragement and truth.  We love You and we praise You for planning our lives before we were ever born.  One day we will see all this was for something, and for Your glory.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan: Trusting God {a prayer exercise}

GL header

Dear Megan,

Lately I have really been struggling with trusting God and I feel horrible about it. In my heart, I know what I need to do, but my mind is fighting me every step of the way. I don’t know if you can help, but I just don’t know where to begin.

~T

My dear T, we have all walked through these seasons and I am so happy you have reached out for help. In addition to being in the Word daily and having as much quiet time with the Lord as possible, I have found this prayer exercise to be very helpful in training my heart to work with my mind in letting go and trusting God with every single little thing. I pray this is a blessing to you.

Trusting God {a prayer exercise}

A five-minute exercise you can do anytime you need to.

Your heavenly Father promises relief from adversity for those

who honor him, have faith, and trust him.

A word from scripture:

Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright. Psalm 112:4 (NIV)

 ***

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18 (NLT)

Meditation Guidance:

 1. Tell your Heavenly Father that you are looking to Him for relief, like the dawn, to come. Talk about your faith and trust in Him. Speak of your doubts also. Use these scriptures to shape your prayer:

I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.

I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise.

In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived

by following your regulations.

Psalm 119:147-149 (NLT)

***

Desperate, I throw myself on you: you are my God! Psalm 31:14 (MSG)

***

To you, O Lord, I offer my prayer; in you, my God, I trust. Psalm 25:1-2a (GNT)

***

But even when I am afraid, I keep on trusting you. Psalm 56:3 (CEV)

***

Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are with me.

Psalm 23:4 (GNT)

2. Talk to your heavenly Father about the despair and darkness in your life. Cry out to God. Use these scriptures to help you:

O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.

Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you.

Psalm 5:1-2 (NLT)

***

Listen, God, I’m calling at the top of my lungs: “Be good to me! Answer me!”

Psalm 27:9 (MSG)

***

Hurry with your answer, God! I’m nearly at the end of my rope.

Don’t turn away; don’t ignore me!

Psalm 143:7 (MSG)

***

Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.

Psalm 13:3 (NIV)

 

3. As you wait for your heavenly Father to answer your prayer, meditate on these scriptures to strengthen you:

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 (NIV)

 ***

Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on him. Psalm 62:5 (CEV)

***

You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. You let me rest in fields of green grass.

You lead me to streams of peaceful water, and you refresh my life.

You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths.

Psalm 23:1-3 (CEV)

***

I can lie down and sleep soundly because you, Lord, will keep me safe.

Psalm 4:8 (CEV)

 ***

I know that I will live to see the Lord’s goodness in this present life.

Psalm 27:13 (GNT)

4. Repeat as often as needed and let each and every word in the Scriptures penetrate the depths of your soul. Breathe  in the truth of God’s Word and let satan’s lies tumble on out.

Your assignment: give one thing over to God today to trust Him with.  It can be as small or as big as you want it to be…just give it to Him.  Once you do, it is not yours anymore.  Do this exercise to keep that thing out of your imperfect hands and safely in the magnificent hands of our Lord and Savior!

Blessings,

Megan 🙂

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 11 / Day 3 – Be Prepared to Wait on God

Today’s blog post is brought to you by Jordan Spring.
My jaw dropped when I saw that this is my topic for the week… The Lord KNEW that I was the one who needed to write about waiting on Him! I say that because I have been in a season over the last two-ish years, a season in which I have had to wait on Him.
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart. Wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14
I have known since I was 13 that I loved leading worship, but it wasn’t until I was 17 that I decided I wanted to go to ministry school to pursue it. I started researching ministry schools and Bible colleges that offered classes for worship leading. Meanwhile, my family started struggling with our finances. I found a Bible college in Texas that I was really interested in, but nothing seemed to work out for me to go there.
So I was back at square one, after spending what was supposed to be the first semester of my freshman year at home, asking the Lord where HE wanted me to be. I spent an entire day on my face, praying and reading the Word. I really felt peace in my heart that He was going to reveal to me where I was supposed to go.
The next day a friend of mine texted me and told me about this ministry school in Birmingham, Alabama. I immediately looked it up on the computer and requested more information. I got a phone call the next morning from a lady on staff and when I tell you I KNEW right then that I was supposed to be there, I am not lying. I had a PEACE and an EXCITEMENT in my heart that I had not felt about the other school. I found out about the school in February and made plans to go to school in August.
I made steps toward leaving home, but because of our financial situation, I was very limited to what I could do. I also needed a car, which I knew my parents could not afford. I continued to trust the Lord, and I trusted that He would send me to school when He knew it was the right time. July came around and I just knew that it was not possible for me to go to school the following month.  Thank goodness I listened to the Lord! He blessed me in the CRAZIEST ways for being obedient to Him.
During this semester there have definitely been times when I have wanted so desperately to be in school, learning more about my calling. But I trusted the Lord. And I would have never DREAMED that He would have GIVEN me a car through a precious friend!!! And that might have never happened if I had gone to school this past August.
I am still waiting on the Lord’s timing for me to go to school. I thought that all I needed was a car in order for me to get there, but the Lord has really revealed to me that I need Him to say, “okay, GO!” So I am waiting again this semester, not because I am lacking anything, but because I know that this is not when I am supposed to be there. And I know that when I do get there, it will have been SO worth the wait because it will have God’s BLESSING and His hand will be ALL over it!!
Pray with me~
Lord, thank You for loving us enough to keep us in “waiting room” seasons, because You know what is best for us. You know when we are not ready, and You open doors when we are. I pray we never stop trusting You just because we can’t see a way out of the waiting room. You are so good.

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.