Soul Searching

The above phrase can sound so...generally spiritual; even self-obsessive, to be blunt. And fairly speaking, the phrase might fall under both of those categories--if used in the wrong sense.

Let's face it--if we are talking about "looking within" for answers, I do not want to hang around those parts of my heart for long! My heart misleads me every day, and within myself I find a messy sinner being made more holy by a gracious God. It is Him who is any good, who wills and works for His good pleasure, within us all.

However, if "soul searching" refers to a desire for the Lord to unveil our hearts, expose our sin, teach us His truth and lead us onward to righteousness, then it is absolutely a beneficial (and necessary) discipline!

Beginning a brand new calendar year gives the Christian a wonderful opportunity to soul search, to inquire of the Lord God, "How is my walk in holiness going? What have You taught me this past year? Where and how can I grow?" To pass up this chance would be like passing on a one-year review given by your boss, intended to encourage, convict and cause growth for the better.

The major difference is that you will not worship your boss forever unto eternity. You will worship the King of Kings, who reigns and sustains and gives more grace. And He longs to be your help, your searching light, your counselor, your teacher and your friend.

Why growth? A Christian without growth is like a millionaire who buries all his riches away in the sand. The eternal riches believers have been gifted in Christ are meant to be appropriated! They are not simply "nice thoughts" or "somedays," just like the millionaire's money is not just a "nice thought". The fullness of life given to a believer is living and active because Christ overcame death on the cross! He rose to new life, and then sent His Spirit to dwell in believers. Life in Christ begs for growth and change because He is at work within us, promising never to leave or forsake us, until our growth in holiness is complete.

I love what Paul Tripp says about growth and grace:

"The little moments of life are profoundly important precisely because they are the little moments we live in and that form us. This is where I think “Big Drama Christianity” gets us into trouble. It can cause us to devalue the significance of the little moments of life and the “small-change” grace that meets us there. And because we devalue the little moments where we live, we don’t tend to notice the sin that gets exposed there. We fail to seek the grace that is offered to us."

So what might "soul searching" look like for the Christian concerned with growing in Christ? J.C. Ryle wrote an immensely helpful article called "Growth in Grace"; he gives the following as marks of the Christian growing in grace:

Increased HUMILITY: "The man whose soul is growing, feels his own sinfulness and unworthiness every year."

Increased FAITH and LOVE towards Jesus: "The man whose soul is growing, finds more in Christ to rest upon every year, and rejoices more that he has such a Savior."

Increased HOLINESS of life and conduct: "The man whose soul is growing, gets more dominion over sin, the world and the devil every year...He is not content with old attainments and former grace. He forgets the things that are behind, and reaches forth unto those things, which are before, making "Higher!" "Upward!" "Forward!" "Onward!" his continual motto (Philippians 3:13)."

Increased SPIRITUALITY of taste and mind: "The man whose soul is growing, takes more interest in spiritual things every year. He does not neglect his duty in the world...Spiritual companions, spiritual occupations, spiritual conversation — are of ever-increasing value to him."

Increase in LOVE towards others: "The man whose soul is growing, is more full of love every year...A growing soul will try to put the best construction on other people's conduct, and to believe all things and hope all things, even to the end."

Increased ZEAL in doing good to souls: "The man who is really growing, will take greater interest in the salvation of sinners every year...He will just work on, whatever the result may be — giving, praying, speaking, visiting, according to his position — and count his work its own reward."

[I encourage you to read the entirety of the article here--so wonderful! Thanks to Monergism.com for the excellent resource library.]

May David's prayer in Psalm 139 gives us a marvelous template for the start of 2014:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there is any grievous way within me,
And lead me in the way everlasting!"
Amen.

In which of the above marks have you seen growth? Which of the above can you ask the Lord to specifically grow you in this year?

["Growth in Grace" is an excerpt taken from "Holiness!" by J.C. Ryle; content courtesy of www.gracegems.org]

About the Author :

Kristen Leigh Evensen is a writer, blogger and singer/songwriter. She writes on faith, identity and Scripture at The Identity Project. Her articles and blog also appear on iBelieve.com. Her desire is to see women transformed by the Gospel! Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Connect with her on :

Keep Calm and Say 'I Do'

You know, not everything comes at you like a brick wall when you’re talking about the things God reveals to you – but sometimes, things just do.

For a while now (like months), I’ve been trying to accept into my heart what it really means to be the bride of Christ… but let me back up a few steps first. It’s been a bit of a struggle for me at times, in relationships with men because I’ve always dreamed in absolutes; I wouldn’t pursue a relationship if I didn’t see it potentially making it for the long run. Marriage has almost always been on my mind, even since childhood. Some of the first toys I ever remember absolutely loving to play with were a bride and groom Barbie and Ken doll. And it’s never been just the wedding (although I’m pretty obsessed with all that is wedding, too). I loved the idea of a MARRIAGE: two people so in love they dedicate their lives to one another, to have and to hold until death separates them. What can I say? I’m a bit of a romantic.

This has caused me some trouble in the past, because I’ve held onto relationships I should have probably run from a long time ago. Sometimes, I’m left very discontent with current circumstances because I’m too busy dreaming about the future. My last relationship almost drove me half-crazy because I felt marriage was being held over my head at times, as a tool to get me to “behave” a certain way. Needless to say, it’s a very strong desire of mine to eventually be called someone’s bride.

A few months ago, my pastor preached a message in which he was really pushing this idea that we are not just the body of Christ, but we are His bride. The illustration was beautiful: when Christ said, “It is finished,” it was like He was saying, “I do.” That was the wedding; and this life we live where we work hard at a relationship with Him and put forth the effort to please Him and glorify Him – is our marriage to Him. Even now, just writing it really softens my heart and I can feel that warm-fuzzy, lovey-dovey feeling for my Savior. God says in 2 Corinthians 11:2, that He promised us to one husband, and that husband is Christ. It was really powerful for me because it spoke so much truth and it was aimed directly at my hearts greatest longing.

After that message, God hatched this thought in my head and I’ve had a bit of a hard time really letting it penetrate my heart. I’ve accepted it in my mind and I know the truth, but living it out is sometimes more difficult than just believing it’s true; and honestly, I think I misunderstood it. Since then, I’ve been asking and praying to God to, for lack of a better explanation, allow me to forget that desire for an earthly husband so that I could focus on Him more…

And then this happened: I was at the young adult contemporary service my church group is running (Rock Square) and my pastor read an excerpt from a book called A Kingdom Called Desire by Rick McKinley. It said,

“What do you really desire? What do you really want? …Jesus is interested in your answer because Jesus is interested in becoming what you really want.”

It all fell into place and I felt the furious way my Savior, my God loves me just wash over my heart. It’s been more than a few months since I heard it and I’m still overwhelmed; it’s still sinking in. It’s like the David Crowder song, How He Loves. My heart is just turning violently inside of my chest while I think about the way He loves me.

It just still blows my mind that this is the way my Savior loves me, this is the way He loves us all.

If your hunger is for success, He wants to be that success.

If your desire is for wealth, He wants to be your treasure.

If your desire is for food, He wants to be that nourishment.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you want, His greatest desire is to become that for you.

Who else in this world loves you that way? Because sure, you’re father or earthly husband may lay down his life for you, but who else do you know wants to BECOME what it is that you want? Not to replace your want necessarily, but to find a way to provide that way for you through Himself.

Jesus Christ is incredible and His love is unimaginable.

I encourage you to search your heart. If your desire is like mine, for a man to love you and commit to you, then I challenge you: take a deep breath and say “I do” to the man who committed Himself to you over 2,000 years ago.

If it’s for something else, tell Him what it is and watch Him become it.

About the Author :

Samantha Grey is a story-teller by nature, currently navigating marriage, motherhood, and ministry. She is an avid coffee drinker and writes… a lot. Samantha loves Jesus, being an artist, and sharing love and truth through her ministry, the be.you.ty project, for which she is the founder and photographer. She also sings and wears leggings without shame because the life Jesus died for is a joyfully abundant one.

Connect with her on :

Chase God

I woke up this morning and the first visual that was present in my mind was the ChaseGodtv symbol. If you do not know about ChaseGodtv, it is an awesome ministry that was started by a brother named Joseph Solomon. There is so much to his ministry but in a nutshell, his music, webisodes, poetry, and more, share struggles and experiences that we often deal with as believers. I have never met or seen him perform live, but I and many of my friends, have definitely been inspired, in so many ways, by the work that Christ is doing in his life; all through the Internet.

As I was saying before, I woke up with this symbol on my mind, and it showed up in the form of an instagram notification that said, chasegodtv started following you. At this moment, I jumped up to look at my phone and check my instagram notifications only to find that the image I saw in my mind was not real. I said to God, "What's up with that Lord?" Why did I see this chaseGodtv notification and symbol? In that moment, God said to me in a very sweet and subtle way, "I am following you, but you are not chasing after me." All I could do was laugh.

The Lord also shared with me that he knew that this would get my attention, because he knew how much I loved the ChaseGodtv ministry. When He said this, it only emphasized what that ministry and our walk with Christ is all about. We are not supposed to just be followers of a ministry but followers of Christ. Chasing after Him daily.

It is hard enough when there are instances where you feel that you do not fit in. Sometimes, there is not a place for you in your own day, let alone God. We have countless activities going on, and so many demands and agendas to fulfill. We get lost trying to identify ourselves in our daily schedules instead of in the one who created us.

I have been guilty of this, especially when I get overwhelmed. In those moments, I am not looking to God; I am looking for what I can achieve throughout the day to be my guide.

I am looking forward to seeing how much I get done to measure who I am as a person. When we do this, we lose sight of God. It is the feeling that you are standing still to gather your focus, but things continue to move around you in a blur. There is no clarity that would give you a clear point of where to start.

Sometimes I have such a hard time aligning myself with God because I am not looking to him for guidance, I am looking to myself. Why not look to God, the one who has the manual with all the instructions.

I think sometimes we want to be our own saviors.

We want him to follow us along while we make our mistakes and fix them, but we do not want to chase after him so that the problem is not just fixed but there is a change in character.

My pastor shared this, " Quite often we call upon God to ease our pain without wanting him to change our character."

The book of James says, "But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:22-25 NLT)

It is hard being a follower if you are not a true believer. If you are not a believer, what you see and hear leaves you when you walk away; just like the scripture above shares. We forget who are in the face of adversity and life's circumstances when we do not know who and whose we are.

I am reminded today that I am first a child of God, chasing after him daily and then a follower of a ministry; because I chase after God, I can after that be blessed by the purpose of a ministry, such as chasegodtv.

About the Author :

Francine E. Ott is truly thankful to have a relationship with God and is seeking Him daily for guidance and any opportunities to walk closer with Him in truth and love. Francine is a choreographer/dancer, teacher, and soon to be counselor who has a heart to see God's transforming power, renew, restore, and heal the minds, souls, and bodies of people's lives.

Connect with her on :

Vanity

I just finished a thirty day fast from all things beauty related. No makeup, no heat styling for my hair, no nail polish, just me without the mask I held so tightly over my skin for twenty years. It was thirty days filled with insecurity, dread, doubt, discontent and lots and lots of pouting and snarling. But through it, out of it, there came something so much bigger than all of those things. JOY.

I was putting on my makeup one Friday morning while my three year old watched in amazement and God pressed on my heart that it was time to take a break from my vanity. I can not tell you how many hours I have spent over the years primping in front of a mirror and slathering on layer upon layer of war paint to cover the imperfections that made me feel I wasn't measuring up to our world's definition of pretty. I continued putting on my face, trying to ignore that voice that I had heard clear as day. "But I don't want to!" And that was when I knew even more clearly that it had to happen.

I wore my mask the rest of that day, and then upon waking the next morning, I packed up all the makeup in my bathroom and purse and gave them to my husband to hide from me. All was good and fine until we had to leave the house that evening. I was going to have to step out in public with every bit of my blemished skin and frizzy hair and own it like I wasn't filled with despair!

The calling that God put on me in this time was to refocus my eyes and heart on how He defined me; what my beauty meant as a daughter of the Most High.

I struggled through the first few days of the fast, pouting and snarling every time I would pass my reflection. I knew this wasn't the way He wanted me to be, and through each day I would find new scriptures to focus on instead of my selfishness.

Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

He made me! He made you! He made us! He created us and breathed mightily into our lungs and said we are good. He said we are beautiful. He said we are perfectly imperfect, just the way he wants us!

I floated along on these promises for a few days until the enemy tempted me. He saw the progress and he aimed to diminish it. I was searching for something under my bathroom sink (AKA the deep unknown) and I found a bag of makeup that I had overlooked when packing it all up for my husband to hide. For that split second, I thought about how easy it would be to throw on the tiniest bit of concealer, or mascara, or

blush, and how no one would even notice the difference but it would make me feel so much better about myself. And then a second later I recognized what was happening.

Satan is a liar!

From that moment on, I knew that the vanity break challenge was God ordained, and though I wasn't crazy about my appearance through it, The Lord showed me each day the importance of listening to His voice above all others. It was difficult, the hardest fast I've ever done, but I gained a sense of Joy and Confidence that can only be found in Him.

After the thirty days ended, I didn't feel the need to cover up everything the way I once did, and it has forever changed the way that I feel about myself. In no way will I ever be perfect, but through Christ in me I will always be enough for Him.

Song of Songs 4:7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.

1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

Connect with her on :

When Will Enough Be Enough?

There are thousands of images that flood our sight each day. Images that hope to either distract us, dampen our spirits, or steal our joy. We get sucked into a tidal wave that seems so amazingly beautiful from afar, but realize once within its mighty grasp it takes much effort to become free. So, we reach out to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, & Reality television to find something solid to hold onto, and in that vain attempt we find ourselves in a deep sea of comparison.

Thomas Edison penned the phrase; “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Comparison not only robs us of joy, but it also tries to steal our confidence, worth, and everything else that our Savior died to implant within us.

The enemy is persistent. He takes our insecurities and wraps them around his finger. We become a marionette, controlled by the ultimate manipulator. With every jerk of his wrist, we become trapped into a downward cycle that seeks to consume every part of us. He starts with our thoughts and begins to whisper to us we aren’t good enough, we aren’t as pretty as the next woman, and our skills & abilities are sub par. All of which begin to sink deeper into us, slowly crippling us.

When will enough be enough? When will we tire of being drug into the mud, and having our confidence ripped at the seams? When will we get fed up with allowing the enemy to have his way with us, subliminally placing us in front of others to distort our true reflection?

Let today be that day where enough is enough. We have gifts that need opening, and voices that need to be heard to advance the kingdom. But this cannot happen if we continue to passively allow the devil to speak lies into us. Ultimately extinguishing the light designed to radiate from us. So ladies we must fight; this is WAR!

After years of allowing the devil to speak into my life, I admit it’s hard to “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:5). However, the battles that confront you and I aren’t meant to be fought alone. Ephesians 6:10 explain that we must be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. God is here to help us walk through every flaming dart that the enemy sends our way. His Word is meant to protect us and can be used as an instruction manual; giving us direction on how to “stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

Ladies we must get fed up with allowing the devil to wreck havoc in our life. Let us begin to:

1. Pray for the strength of God to cover every area of weakness in our lives.

2. Search for scriptures we can mediate on and will destroy the devil’s attempt to lead us astray.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

“… I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine.” (Ezekiel 16:8)

“You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” (Isaiah 62: 3)

3. Surround ourselves with other women who will encourage us spiritually.

4. Grow in mature in the word so we wont be tossed to and fro by the waves. (Ephesians 4:14)

Carry the word in your heart ladies. No one’s beauty, skills, or abilities can disqualify us from this journey. Let us continue to walk this journey, but with a renewed mindset that shouts, “we are enough”.

About the Author :

Chanale Propst is a woman of God who is truly enjoying every step in her walk with God. Her aim in life is to put God first, and to remove any distractions that will prevent her from doing this. She is in love with Christ, and desperately wants women to experience this love as well. By unfolding her wings and soaring to Christ, Chanale hopes to encourage and inspire women on their journey.

Connect with her on :

When You Can't

I’ve noticed as I get wiser (aka older) my resolutions every New Year get a bit more realistic (aka non existent). In past years, I’ve learned great intentions don’t usually equal great results. I’ve tried dabbling with a wide array of self improvement goals in year’s past-- lose weight, think of others more then myself, pray harder, love without conditions, forgive freely, be more organized-- the list could go on. I tried, I really, really did. But to be honest I haven’t succeeded with too many of these lofty goals.

I have failed so often at these so-called resolutions that, like many people, I don’t even make them any more. Admittedly, I use the “New Year motivation” to accomplish a few necessary projects, but, rarely do I make goals for any lasting changes.

During my morning quiet time as I read the story of the centurion in Matthew Chapter 8, the Lord revealed something to my heart that was quite surprising. Stunned, I sat there-- reflecting for a few moments on the audacious faith of this soldier.

When did I stop believing GOD is capable?

Don’t get me wrong. I believe the Bible, the miracles of the Old Testament, the truth of God’s character, the bold and passionate love of Jesus-- the things I understand and even those I cannot-- all of it. Yet, I often dumb down God’s power in my life.

In Matthew Chapter 8:5-13, the centurion (roman soldier) asks Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant. Jesus offers to come to His house to heal his servant and the centurion declines because he knows he is unworthy. The centurion then goes on to tell Jesus that he believes all Jesus needs to do is speak the healing and it will happen. The soldier’s response to Jesus’ offers to come touch his servant is quite shocking. The centurion’s response is evidence that not only does he believe Jesus can heal him-- but he also believes his servant can be healed from a distance without any physical contact. Healed-- with just a word. What an ambitious faith!

The truth I must settle in my heart is that God’s ability to do anything exceeds my ability to ask for anything.

In Matthew Henry’s commentary he states, “Observe his faith. The more humility, the more faith, the more faith, the more diffident (un-confident) we are of ourselves and the stronger we will be in our confidence in Jesus Christ.”

Our God isn’t restrained within the realm of probability or even possibility. He can do anything, not just anything, but more of “anything” then we can even possibly imagine. (Ephesians 3:20). Immeasurably more. You can’t wrap your head around God’s ability--don’t try to.

I hope this story encourages you as it has me to live with a bold faith this year. May you know that He is more than capable! What you can’t do it in your most fervent efforts; He can without even breaking a sweat. God isn’t surprised by your needs and requests. He loves His children compassionately and rewards those who express reckless faith in His ability. As God’s children, you and I are far more than “works in progress.” We are masterpieces progressing in this walk of faith by the power and grace of an all-powerful God. Rely daily on the only One who CAN do what we CAN’T.

About the Author :

Christina Stolaas is a 30 year old who is addicted to Jesus, Coffee, and Running. She's a mom to four energetic kids who she adores, and wife to one wonderful husband of almost 10 years. Christina is a sunday school teacher to youth, is actively involved in womens ministry and uses her gift of writing wherever God opens the doors! She is passionate about seeing God redeem our mess into a message of hope to others.

Connect with her on :

Getting Rid of the Proverbs 31 Complex

Realizing how precious you are to God despite your shortcomings, is one of the most freeing revelations.

Being a Christian means living in deliverance as God continually strips us of what is not from Him. His Word says that only whom Christ sets free is free indeed. Before getting saved, some people struggle with drug addiction, alcohol addiction – I struggled with perfection complexes.

I have always had a problem with comparing myself to others. I am sure any woman can relate to that – it’s kind of what we do as females. When I got saved, it was a long – and sometimes torturous – process of God making me whole. It is still continuing today. I convinced myself that I was free, but I soon started comparing myself to women in the Bible. I would ask myself, “Why can’t I be like Ruth?” or “Why can’t I be perfect like the Proverbs 31 Woman?”. Sure, it was a different standard that I was holding myself to, but very much the same thing as comparing myself to the standards of the world. The only difference, was that now I was doing it in the Kingdom. Proverbs 31 was the new standard; but I was subconsciously convincing myself that I wasn’t good enough to be like her. She was so perfect – I was exactly the opposite.

I soon learned that my insecurity issues were all a direct result of my decisions. I made a choice to let it affect me, to let it change me, to doubt myself. To believe the lies that the enemy told me. I realized that too often I blamed the enemy, but that he wasn’t as powerful as I made him to be. All he can do is put suggestions in my head, and I can either accept it or decline it. I couldn’t be who I was because I believed I wasn’t good enough for anyone to be like me. I didn’t see myself through God’s eyes. I was so inclined to what people expected; measuring different standards and trying to please everyone. I was in bondage – inside of the Kingdom.

When a woman is truly free in Christ, she is free from the bondage of people-pleasing. She is free from the bondage of perfection and unrealistic expectations placed upon her either by others or by herself. She isn’t striving to be perfect in everyone’s eyes, she is striving to please her Saviour. There’s a freedom that comes with knowing who you truly are in Christ. No longer do you wish to look or be like someone else because you are too secure in Jesus. You realize that you are so precious in God’s sight that no supermodel, no artificial standards of this world – or even the Proverbs 31 Woman – can compare to you. Now I know this precious truth, and today, I believe that God wants you to know it as well.

My dear sister, we don’t need to be insecure. Being in Christ comes with a guarantee of complete freedom, but we have to make the choice to accept it. Today, make a decision to be free. Choose to stop comparing yourself to what everyone else says and start listening to the voice of your Saviour alone. Let go of what you think is supposed to be, and allow God to change you through the Holy Spirit instead of your efforts. Continue to remind yourself of how valuable you are because of what Jesus did for you on the Cross; and continually thank Him for that. If you need to, stand in the mirror every morning and tell yourself, “I love the way God made me.” It might not register immediately, but sooner or later it will start resonating your spirit. Speak freedom over yourself.

Nothing can take away who you are and how valuable you are, but you can steal from yourself by constantly comparing yourself to others. “Others” being people you see on TV, or even the Proverbs 31 Woman. 

Realize today that you are loved beyond all measure.

About the Author :

Danelle Vingtas is the Founder of South African based young women’s ministry, Proverbs 31 Sisterhood. Through her testimony she is determined to show the love of Jesus to the young women of this generation.

Daddy's Girl

Every little girl wants to know that her daddy loves her and that he's proud of her. There's something so very special about the daddy and daughter relationship. The bond is incomparable. There's no other like it in the entire world. A daughter feels safe with her dad. Simply knowing he's there brings a sense of comfort that no one else's presence can. Daddies build confidence and encourage self-esteem. A dad can make his little girl feel like there's nothing she can't do. Dads are awesome!

Well, if an earthly father can evoke such feelings, what about our heavenly Father God?

So many women question the love God has for them. Instead of seeing Him as a loving Father, they see Him as a distant, condemning being. Someone whose love they have to earn. They constantly wrestle with thoughts that cause them to feel undeserving of His love. They don't feel good enough. They don't feel like they are doing enough to earn it. Their minds are bombarded with thoughts like, " I don't know how to please God." "I don't feel close to God." It's absolutely hard for some to even fathom the idea that such an amazing, holy and awesome God could love and accept them.

Please know that thoughts of that nature are to keep you from resting in the peace that God has already ordained for you as His daughter. Those thoughts keep you from just basking in the love He desires to lavish on you and the love He wants you to simply receive and enjoy.

Do you know that God, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth actually longs for fellowship and intimacy with you? Your Father absolutely adores you.

Nothing or no one, not even yourself, can separate you from His love.

Look at the following scriptures from the 8th chapter of Romans;

(35)Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (Romans 8:35 NLT)

(38)And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. (39)No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 NLT)

Don't question and doubt His love because of personal tests and trials. He loves you. The very powers of hell itself, can not separate you from his love.

So, as a daughter of The Most High God, relax and release yourself to Him. Rest in His arms. There's no pressure to be perfect. He loves you. No pressure to perform. All He wants and desires is you and your heart.

You must know that you are safe with your Father God. You are His daughter, and yes, you can trust Him with your heart, and your desires.

You can even trust Him with your weaknesses and your past. All that you are, you can completely release to Him and relish in His love.

He has ordained a purpose for your life that He has thoroughly equipped you to fulfill. He's extremely proud of you. You are the apple of His eye. Please embrace this truth. You are His beloved. Your Father is right there with you, this very moment, cheering you on. Smiling and rejoicing over you every day of your life. You are His daughter. His precious one.

Prayer: Father, I release my insecurities and doubts to You. Help me to fully receive and bask in the love you have for me. Teach me this very day, how to walk in and Your love.

About the Author :

Pastor Pamela Bell is a passionate, lover of God, who desires to see God's people walk in the knowledge of who they are in Christ. She resides in Mobile, AL and serves as an Elder at her church, Gulf Coast Christian Center. Pastor Pamela enjoys reading, spending time with friends and all things chocolate.

Connect with her on :

Are You Abiding in the Vine?

A church in my area does morning worship every day from 6:30 AM to 7:30 AM. I don’t go very often because – let’s face it – I’m a senior in college, which basically equates to “not a morning person.” When I do go, though, I never regret it. That was the case this past Thursday. I got up at 5:30 AM and joined three friends, all of us holding mugs of coffee, in making the half-hour drive out to the church. Morning worship is a great way to start your day with Jesus. Usually when I go, I spend time praying, singing along to the songs I know, and reading my Bible. Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s word is living and active. I’ve found that to be very true; I get something new each time even out of passages that I’ve read over and over. This Thursday, I asked God to show me something he wanted me to learn, and I ended up learning more about a passage that I thought I already knew backward and forward: John 15.

John 15 is one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. It starts out with a word picture that I absolutely love. Jesus says that he is the vine, and we are the branches. There are two parts to the analogy he draws: pruning and bearing. We go through seasons of both in our lives, and they’re both important for us to be spiritually happy and healthy. So let’s take a look at what each of those things entails and how we are meant to respond to them.

In John 15:1-2, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my father is the vinedresser. Every branch that is in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (ESV). I don’t know very much about gardening, so I had to look up what the purpose of pruning is. Pruning is when old or excess branches are cut away in order to make room for more fruit. A grapevine with too many branches would have an excess amount of grapes and not be able to make them very ripe because it wouldn’t have enough nutrients to go around. In order for the vine to produce the maximum amount of ripe, good fruit, it has to be pruned. The same thing must happen with us.

One thing I’ve learned is that when I try to do too much, nothing really gets done well. I am a “doer” and always have been. It’s hard for me to say no, and I can be something of a control freak. I always think I can do a job better than anyone else, so I take on extra responsibilities to make sure that things get done “the right way” (MY way) the first time. But when I take on so many things, I get overwhelmed and either give up or finish halfheartedly and with minimum effort. When we take on too many things – have too many branches – we have to be pruned. Sometimes God will take something away from us in order to prune us. It might hurt. Cutting off branches that have the potential to be fruitful isn’t an easy process. It’s hard to let go of things that we think we can still make work. If we want to produce the maximum amount of ripe fruit, though, we have to let God do it. Maybe God is asking you to hand over to someone else a ministry that is very close to your heart. He’s done that with me, and it did hurt. It was hard. But in the end, we have to realize that there are lots of good things out there, but not all of them are good for us specifically to be doing. Sometimes you have to hand the reins to someone else and focus your energy on the tasks that God has set apart specifically for you to do.

Vinedressers also prune away old branches. A branch that is two years old or older isn’t fruitful. It’s great to keep in mind and learn from our past experiences with God, but we need to have fresh ones, too. An experience you had with the Lord ten years ago is probably not enough to sustain you with him today. He wants you to have new experiences. He wants to keep showing you more about who he is and keep supplying you with strength. If you water a plant once and then don’t do it again for six months because you already watered it once, you wouldn’t expect it to live. So how do you expect yourself to thrive if you don’t keep coming back to the source of strength, the living water? We have to keep our relationships with God fresh and not allow them to be stagnant.

The second part of the analogy Jesus draws in John 15 is bearing fruit. In verse 5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is who bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing” (ESV). This is the part that amazes me. Think about this: Jesus has good works set apart for you to do (Ephesians 2:10). He has things in mind specifically for you. You are an important part of his plan! But he doesn’t expect you to go it alone or accomplish these things in your own strength. You have to abide in him first. Imagine you’re walking by a grapevine. You see that the vine has some branches growing from it, but there are also some branches that are lying on the ground. Which branches are you going to expect to start growing grapes? Just like you wouldn’t expect the branches that were lying dead on the ground to start producing fruit, you can’t expect yourself to produce fruit if you’re not in the vine. We have to draw our strength entirely from Jesus if we want to bear good fruit.

I think this word picture is so beautiful. It’s such a great reminder that we have to keep it fresh with God. We have to allow him to either give to or take away from us depending on what’s in our best interest without pouting or fighting him. We’re also expected to bear fruit, but we don’t have to strain to do it ourselves; he is the source of the fruit and helps us to bear it. So how do we abide in the vine? The word “abide” means to dwell or stay in a certain place. In other words, we simply need to stay in close connection with Jesus. We draw our strength from Jesus in our quiet time with him, then we pour that strength out in his service, then we do it all over and over again. That’s what we need to be doing in order to abide.

I would encourage you to keep the word “abide” in mind as you go through your day-to-day life. Remember that Jesus is the source of your strength, and nothing that comes your way is too hard for his strength to handle. He thought up all sorts of great things specifically for you to do. Imagine that! When God was thinking up good deeds, he set aside some with your name on them. Isn’t that amazing? He wants to help you accomplish the things that he’s put on your heart. Keep abiding in the vine, and you will bear much fruit. You might get pruned sometimes, but it’s always for the best (Hebrews 12:11). I want to leave you with my very favorite verse in this passage, John 15:9: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (ESV). Live in the knowledge of how loved you are by God. Abide in the vine.

About the Author :

Hannah Bryant is a worship-leading, cat-loving, pizza-eating redhead who doesn't take much seriously apart from her relationship with Jesus. She is currently finishing up her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education at Southern Oregon University. You can finder her blogging at Redwood Seed, her personal blog. redwoodseed.wordpress.com.

Connect with her on :

Letting Go of the Rope

Complete terror overcame me at the sound of this instruction. Suspended over a high cliff in the Colorado Mountains, I was about to test the intensity of one of my greatest fears. Whether or not my disdain of heights would be conquered was beyond what I could see at that moment. I just knew I had nowhere to go but down.

Being told to let go, whether in the sport of repelling or in the context of faith, is never an easy feat.

As Christians, we talk about "letting go" often throughout our faith journeys. Faith in itself is all about submission and surrender: "for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). Though Jesus Christ, the glory of the one and only Father, walked among men thousands of year ago, we Christians today have not physically seen Him. We walk by faith, learning to love Him more each day as we release our very lives into His ruling, gracious hands.

I contend, however, that most of us do not really understand what letting go means. I think our willingness to fully entrust our lives to Christ comes with...terms. And if not terms, then resistance in one form or another.

Because if we are honest with ourselves, with our hearts, we know that we are not yet perfect. There is much work to be done to conform us totally to Christ-likeness; to transform our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh; to bring us to a full understanding that our lives are ultimately not about us, but about the glory of the Son of God (Romans 14:7-9).

I have a problem with this, if I am honest. Well, my sinful nature has a problem with this, to be precise. My new nature in Christ, the "new self" I have been given in Jesus, is fully on-board with it! But because I am not yet perfect, because my sinful nature still rears its ugly head, there is a part of me that resists letting go, giving myself fully and completely to Christ, whatever the terms, whatever the cost. 

Total and complete submission is terrifying.

Or so my flesh tells me. But the Word of the Lord tells us something different: total and complete submission to Jesus is freedom and satisfaction.

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it" (Mark 8:35).

Over the past week, I have been pondering what it means to lose our lives for the sake of Christ and the gospel. Here are some thoughts, in no particular order. See if any of them resonate with you and perhaps with some of your current circumstances.

Losing our lives for the sake of Christ means:

We hold loosely all that has been entrusted to us by the Lord, being willing to let go even what we believe is from His hand.

We confess every substitute that is exposed by His loving command to forgo idols.

We place no restrictions on how Christ chooses to spend us for the gospel: "Use me, Lord...unless You want to use me there. I'd prefer not to do that."

We prize Christ over the "things of Christ," cherishing the Giver of all good gifts over the gifts, themselves.

We trust and obey Christ's Word and His call, even when the rest is unclear or simply does not make sense. We are not like King Saul (1 Samuel 13:13), disobeying the Lord to pursue our own paths and timing.

We care more about God's glory than our own comfort.

We count ourselves blessed to suffer alongside Christ when trials, afflictions and hardships come.

And above all:

We seek Christ's sufficiency above all else, hungering for His fellowship and His will for our lives. We realize that, when all else is stripped away, Christ is sufficient to satisfy our souls forevermore (2 Corinthians 12:9).

May we be women who do not fear losing our lives for Christ's sake because it means we gain Christ, Himself. And may Christ be all-sufficient, ever enough for us, from now until we worship Him forever in glory.

Lord Jesus, You rule our lives by Your powerful hand, with steadfast love and faithfulness. We confess that, at times, You do not seem sufficient for us. We look to You and to other things to satisfy us. But we desire only You, Jesus! We desire Your sufficiency and glory above all other things. Thank You for grace, for Your help in following You faithfully. Strengthen our faith, and teach us to submit to You, no matter the cost. We love You, O Lord our God.

Amen.

About the Author :

Kristen Leigh Evensen is a writer, blogger and singer/songwriter. She writes on faith, identity and Scripture at The Identity Project. Her articles and blog also appear on iBelieve.com. Her desire is to see women transformed by the Gospel! Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Connect with her on :

The Trouble With "Why"

“In the final analysis, the questions of why bad things happen to good people transmutes itself into some very different questions, no longer asking why something happened, but asking how we will respond, what we intend to do now that it happened.” –Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

If you are like me or just plain human, you have the tendency to ask “why.” “Why did I get sick? Why did my boyfriend or husband leave me? Why do I never have any money? Why am I alone? Why God? Why?” I believe there is nothing wrong with asking the question of “why,” but there needs to be a limit. That question should not take over your mind and heart. The truth is no matter how many times or different ways we ask the question, we may not receive the answer. It is not that God wants to make us suffer, but quite the opposite He wants us to Trust, have faith and surrender all of the “whys” to Him.

There has been an ongoing question in my head for over two years now and no matter how hard I prayed or how much I thought about it, I never received an answer to “why?” I did hear God tell me, “I have something better for you, just trust me,” but that never seemed to quench what I really wanted to know and understand. It was only recently that I realized how much pain and unrest that question was causing me. I was allowing that question to rob me of my peace and steal my joy. That question would come up and it would spiral me into a pit of self-pity. After lots of prayer and wrestling with God on the issue I finally realized that I did not have to continue to ask the question of why, instead of asking I could CHOOSE to submit the question to God and CHOOSE to have faith in God that He had the answers and none of what I had gone through was in vain. I could CHOOSE to believe that if God wanted me to understand the “whys” he would share them with me and if does not share those with me it’s for good reason; my protection and my well being. Genesis 32:29

This leads me to the story of Jacob in the Bible (Genesis 32). This story is at its core is a man trying to do things in his life, his way. The night he wrestles with God he is exhausted and full of anxiety. Let’s face it, when we are tired and anxious we do not make great decisions. His brother had vowed to kill him and Jacob had concocted a plan and was spent on all he had done to try to escape this fate. He wrestled with God all night! Like many of us Jacob would not stop and let go of the match he said “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Basically, I’m not going to give into what God wants, I want God to bless me how and when I want to be blessed, because I know what my blessings should look like. If he had surrendered to God and Gods will/plan he would have saved himself a lot of pain and energy and at the end of this struggle/wrestling match, Jacob was left crippled. It shows us that no matter how much strength we think we have, it’s no match for Gods strength and that inevitably Gods power always shows out. I believe that God crippled Jacob to show him his power with one touch and also it would be a constant reminder to Jacob for the rest of his life of Gods power. In the end it says that God “blessed him there.” He was blessed because he gave over to Gods will, over his own.

Some reasons God does not tell us “why:”

*You would not understand the answer and it would leave you even more confused than before.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.-Isa. 55:9

*No matter what you think, you do not know all the facts/details. Only God knows that. If you understood it all then you wouldn’t need to have faith. You wouldn’t have to trust God.

*The enemy uses the “whys” as a distraction which can lead to a distrust of God. The enemy will tell you that you are entitled to know why.

So what do we know about God and our situations, circumstances and questions:

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”-Romans 8:28

“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

The biggest thing you can do to let go of the “whys” is to switch your focus. If you are only focused on the “whys” you cannot see anything else. Instead practice and choose to focus on your blessings (big and small), the present moment, and your future and most importantly focus on God.

This week I challenge you to put your “whys” aside and choose to trust that God knows exactly what he is doing. I’m praying for each one of you. Every one of you is important to the kingdom, so put your crowns back on, throw your shoulders back and act accordingly to what God says about you!

“You cannot fulfil God's purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans. ” –Rick Warren

About the Author :

Leilani Glassmyer is a single mom to a beautiful 4 year old little girl. She is in love with the Creator of the stars. Her mission is simple yet so big, to encourage and bring Jesus to all in need. To bring hope by loving people, writing, photography, music, poetry/spoken word and meeting people right where they are. Gods Grace is her air.

Connect with her on :