Hope Will Not Put Us to Shame

Posted on August 26, 2024 by daaorg1214

Romans 5:3-5(ESV)
“3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

“This is a tough one for me – I’ve never been alone and Kevin’s decision to leave me and the kids still doesn’t seem real to me.”

In my spirit, I felt that my friend Gwen was going through something. We’d usually talk at least twice a month, but it had been a while since we last spoke. I’d called her a few times and sent a couple of text messages, and it took a while for her to respond. When she did, her responses were brief, and that wasn’t like her. Gwen and Kevin had been married for twelve years, and the last two years had been tough. One of their kids has autism, and Gwen didn’t think Kevin was as supportive as he should have been. On a Saturday afternoon, my doorbell rang, and there stood Gwen. She stopped by on her way to her mother’s house and said she wanted to see me in person instead of telling me about her news over the phone. “He left me and the kids!” She belted out and fell into my arms as they seem to automatically move to embrace her.

Romans 5:3 says that we rejoice in our sufferings because they produce endurance. Endurance is a quality that is necessary to run this race of life that God has set before us, but when we’re going through something like Gwen, endurance may not be all that appealing. In fact, it’s probably the last thing any of us would want to think about. As a parent with mouths to feed, your mind is inundated with thoughts about how you’re going to support your kids and get from point A to point B. The thing we must recognize is that endurance is the ability that allows us to do that. It helps us to move ourselves out of heartbreak and into a place of resilience and strength. Endurance goes hand in hand with faith and hope, because even though things may look troubling, our faith in God sustains us and carries us through.

Psalm 95:6-7(NLT) says, “6 Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, 7 for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today!” When our minds are racing with anxiety and worry, most of us don’t listen, but we should. We should listen to the truth that God tells us in His Word about His power, love, peace, and comfort. He is worthy to be praised and our gratitude for all He has done for us should prompt us to pay attention to His promise to help us. It is an extraordinary privilege to worship God and to do the things that please Him, but some of us have an accurate image of our Heavenly Father in our minds and hearts. Because of this, we can allow the difficulties of life to make us become emotionally detached from Him. Whether we know it or not, this is a deeper pain than any heartbreak or abandonment caused by a mere human being.

When we’re broken, and have others depending on us, we need the kind of comfort and assurance that only the Lord can give. God leads, guides, and directs us into the kind of life that pleases Him and fulfills us as well. He is our Shepherd, Refuge, and Maker. We’re His people and He has promised to take care of us. He allows us to rest in green pastures and leads us beside peaceful waters. He, and He alone, restores our souls and lead us in the paths of righteousness. We need to remember this when we’re faced with devastating loss.

No matter how damaged we are, God is forever and always our Shepherd. He said in Malachi 3:6(NKJV), “For I am the LORD, I do not change;” Titus 1:2 tells us that He cannot lie. He wants us to lean on Him because He has all power in His hands, and He is willing and able to help us. We must also be clear that we have a part to play as well. We must shift our false beliefs and thoughts away from defeat and self-punishment and allow God’s perfect love to cast out all our fear and anxiety. All the traumas and heartaches we endure will reveal some patterns of behavior that we need to release. They need to be removed from our lives, so God’s love has greater room to move and restore.

Psalm 146:5(NLT) says, “But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God.” Our hope in God will not bring us shame. It will bring us victory, restoration, and renewal! Our hope in God will give us the strength to learn from our past mistakes and take back our power to love better and make better choices. We do not have to be held captive by the pain we’ve endured. We must be committed to ask for God’s forgiveness for all our sins. We must pray for wisdom and understanding, and we must pray and apply the blood of Jesus Christ in those areas in our lives where we need healing and deliverance. Although our hard times are unexpected and painful, God has something much brighter and better for us if we remain hopeful, keep our faith in Him, and focus our eyes on His love and power.■

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

A Stronghold in Times of Trouble

Posted on August 19, 2024 by daaorg1214

Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Why am I in this situation? How in the world did I get here? While I was married to my husband, I asked myself these questions almost every day, but when we began the relationship, things weren’t as bad as they had become. When we first started dating, he was kind, generous, and he always put me first. Our courtship lasted a year and then we got married. Of course, the first month was an adjustment period. We both had pretty established lives before we got married; our own places, good job security, and financial stability. I didn’t think the few disagreements after we moved in together were unusual, but after six months, small disagreements turned into days of not speaking to one another. I never believed I was the kind of woman to disrespect myself or my man, but his mental and emotional abuse was too much. It brought out things in me that I never knew existed, and I was at the lowest point of my life.

Every day, there are women going through the same things I did. Some are experiencing much more dangerous situations than disrespectful name calling and a hard shove here and there. The thing that becomes very clear to anyone in an abusive relationship is that once a certain level of respect is lost, things spiral down a dark hole very quickly. It seemed that my husband and I were almost near the bottom. It felt impossible that he would make a change and begin to honor me. Too many horrible things had been said and done. The treatment was indeed the bottom of the barrel, and I felt the only thing I could do was brace myself for more pain.

I started to struggle in my faith and doubt God’s love for me. I felt abandoned not only by my husband, but by God as well. “If God will allow this hurt and pain then what do I have left?” I asked myself. 2Corinthians 13:5(NIV) gives us the reality check that answers some of the most challenging questions of life, like the ones I had as I struggled to come to terms with my life. It tells us, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” When things are going well, most of us never question whether we are living by faith the way that God commands us to, but when life goes sideways, we choose the route that most do, which is to blame God for the conditions we’re facing.

Some will even think that God is punishing them and that they must endure the hardship and suffer. They erroneously think that this is what God wants. He doesn’t. In John 10:10(NKJV), Jesus Christ tells us what God wants for every person. He said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” God wants us to have a more than abundant life, and He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to make this kind of life available to everyone.

God will help us during the most difficult times of our lives. Psalm 9:9 (ESV) tells us, “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” When our faith is not where it should be and we are not putting all our trust in God, He still helps us, but we need to know that His Will is that we learn to walk by faith in a greater way. God doesn’t want to be at the same level of faith from year to year. Colossians 2:6-7 tells us that He desires us to be rooted and built up in Christ, and we are to be established and going higher in faith in Him. God wants us to follow His Word so that we avoid relationships that will not yield the kind of love and support He wants His daughters to receive from their spouses. Having faith in God means that we believe it is possible to love and be loved according to the example of Christ.

Ephesians 5:25-28 (NIV) says, “25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” This is God’s standard. Of course, a wife must be equally as loving, kind, and respectful of her husband, but as women, we must know that God’s Will is for us to be loved and supported to this degree.

We must have faith that God is our stronghold in any condition and in every situation. Even when things seem impossible, Romans 8:28 tells us that He can turn them around and cause them to work together for our good, but we must be clear that He doesn’t want us to be mistreated just as He doesn’t want us to mistreat anyone either. It’s going to be necessary for us to hold up a mirror and examine ourselves. Self-reflection and being accountable to following the example of Christ is the best tool for anyone interested in living their best life.

Most of us spend our lives doing exactly what we want to do. Before we made consequential choices and decisions, we didn’t think to ask for God’s counsel or permission, and this method of approaching life will not yield the results we hope. Part of growing in faith is changing the way we think as we also pray for God’s guidance and direction. We also must develop a deeper well of love so that we are spiritually prepared to love others according to the example of Christ. Ephesians 4:32 teaches us that we are to be kind and forgive one another. This level of love for Jesus Christ and love and compassion for others is required to please God. It should be in our hearts way before we consider marriage. When it is, we will be better able to recognize and discern if a man does or doesn’t have the capacity to love us in the way that Christ does. ■

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Give God Room to Move

Posted on August 12, 2024 by daaorg1214

James 1:2-4(NLT)
“2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

I’ve been on this Christian journey for many years, and I’ve seen and heard many stories from women that have endured horrific and destructive relationships. Looking from the outside, you’d never suspect that some of them have a care in the world. From high-earning professionals and professors to stay-at-home moms and Sunday-school teachers, women from all walks of life and varied backgrounds have smiles on their faces, but deep wounds in their souls. They try desperately to keep their tragic and abusive home life a secret, and no one knows the level of abuse they’re enduring. God gave the life of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that no one would have to live a life of pain. Healing is introduced in our lives as soon as we choose to believe this.

Psalm 62:8(ESV) tells us, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” Our Heavenly Father is our safe place. This is the truth, but when we’ve been battered by life, it is sometimes challenging to fit those healing Words into the places that have been blocked by our pain. We can’t imagine the journey from victim to overcomer, and that through Christ we can actually move ourselves to healing and wholeness. The healing process isn’t easy, but it isn’t nearly as gut wrenching as living in fear, and the rewards are far greater than anything we can imagine. We’re never alone. Jesus Christ is with us every step of the way, and if we lean on his strength, Philippians 4:13 tells that he will empower us to do all things.

There are many misconceptions about domestic violence, and what constitutes an abusive situation or relationship. This has caused some that are being abused to be in denial about it. We can be tricked by our need to understand and empathize with the abuser, and this can push us deeper into the cycle of abuse. It’s not just physical. Abuse comes in different forms. It can be psychological, emotional, sexual, financial, and stalking as well. So, it isn’t always physical, but it is always about control and trying to steal someone’s power through manipulation, coercion, or other threatening behaviors.

It is common for the person being abused to blame themselves, but they are not to blame, and releasing the shame is a pivotal step towards healing. For some, abuse was present in their homes growing up, and for others it was completely foreign. No matter how abuse came to be introduced into a person’s life, it can ravage the mind, heart, and soul. God’s healing is necessary for restoration and repair, but we have to give Him space to move. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want us experiencing any type of abuse. He wants you to experience the beauty and depth of His love, power, and strength, but these beauties come by faith in Him. We simply must trust God and believe that He will come to our aid.

Some aspect of difficulties and painful circumstances are facts of life for everyone. We all have baggage to unload and issues to work through, but God didn’t create life to be a series of painful experiences. He gave us life to enjoy our relationship with Him. Jesus Christ said in John 10:10(NKJV), “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly.” In this verse, Jesus makes us aware that we have an enemy, and this enemy is in the earth to steal, kill, and destroy. Our precious Lord and Savior came to the earth to deliver us from oppression and darkness, and to give us a more than abundant life. This is a life where we experience his wholeness and completeness every day that we are given.

An abusive relationship can seem like an emotional roller-coaster that never slows down long enough for you to get off. Our Heavenly Father is not unfeeling. He knows what we’re going through, and He wants to help us. To give Him room to move, we must meet God with a mind and heart that is hopeful towards Him and invested in the reality that He has all power in His hands. Colossians 3:10(NLT) tells us to “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” We must be willing to release some of the old things that keep us drenched in a painful existence, and we must make our minds new with hope and faith in God. This gives Him room to move in our situations so that we can get off the roller-coaster of pain and begin to enjoy the freedom of living the life that He wants us to have. ■

The True Story About the Void and the Longing

Posted on July 22, 2024 by daaorg1214

One thing can be said of believers and unbelievers alike, and it is that we are all on a quest. Within each of us, God has woven an unexplainable urge to pursue the thing we believe will make us happiest. It’s true for every living individual. Even when we’re not old enough to walk and ask for what we want, we convey it with cries and noises to those who care for us. We were created to have needs and to seek God for the satisfaction of them. As we mature and understand life more, the unexplainable urge is greater. We want more riches, greater health, and fulfilling relationships. The longing leaves a void, and we are driven to distraction to try and fill it. We are especially dug in with the belief that the right person can span the width and breadth of what’s missing. The problem is that even after meeting the right person and acquiring all the things we think we want; the longing isn’t quenched.

What ails us can’t be resolved by physical intimacy and romantic or sentimental emotions. We think that these will do the trick because others tell us they will. Society tries to convince us that acquiring relationships and material things are the closest to happiness we can attain. We buy into this and later find that nothing touches that place where we have longed all our lives. So, in some respects it is true that we are burdened with our longings for love and happiness, and it is terribly unfair to place this burden on anyone else, because they are unable to fill the gap.

Many of us are lonely beyond what we could ever have imagined. We don’t feel validation in the depth of our souls, and no matter the person we’ve sought to give us this validation, disappointment has always been the result. So many of us feel a stone’s throw away from the flatness King Solomon felt as he searched relentlessly for the purpose of life. The longing becomes a dry ache, and underneath the movement of our everyday routines is the sadness of “No matter what I do, I will never have what I really want.” Nothing seems to be that achievement, that fulfillment, that gulp of ooey gooey something that blankets every nook and cranny of our beings and sends us in perpetual delight.

This doesn’t sound like the abundant life that Jesus Christ made available. It sounds like the condition of the human soul because of the unbelievable void that Adam’s sin left. Romans 5:12(NLT) says, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” We call this void in our souls a whole lot of other things, but in truth it’s the memory of losing our connection to God. It’s the absence of the bounty that God intended all His children to have. For good measure, we should call it what it is, and every time that we feel the void, we should remember that we’ve been rescued from it by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Because of Adam’s sin, we were born into a sinful world with sin in our members. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 7:23(NLT), “But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.” The sin in us feeds the void, and in order to satisfy it, some of us have been seeking everywhere but the Lord. You can be confident that nothing can satisfy you like Jesus Christ. Paul said in Romans 7:24-25(NLT), “24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We must always remember that our privilege and duty is to cling to the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. We will not live forever in our current form. We will not acquire all that we seek to obtain, and we will not see all our dreams come true. Should the Lord tarry, life in the current state of our humanness is finite, and there are reminders of this all around us. But praise God, Jesus Christ has given us a totally different vision and taken us to a whole other dimension in life. 1Corinthians 15:22(KJV) tells us, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Our hope in Christ is all we have, and it is more than enough for this life and eternity. Romans 5:5(NLT) says, “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

What we need to understand is that there is a deep and abiding longing in us, and it must be filled with our hope in Christ. There’s an inheritance that we’re destined to attain, and the fullness of it has not yet been made known. Indeed, we’re on a journey, trying to get to a place of unspeakable joy, peace, and bliss, but we need to remember that our race isn’t about earthly relationships and materialism. It’s about digesting as much of the example of Christ as we possible can, and then allowing his love to transform us. God didn’t make this an automatic occurrence. We didn’t and don’t receive all that He has in store in one big gulp. Life was created by God to be a walk. It’s an opportunity to walk with Him daily so that our relationship with Heavenly Father deepens through Christ, and we will be prepared for that glorious day when our Lord and Savior returns.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Strength in Times of Uncertainty

Posted on July 8, 2024 by daaorg1214

Psalm 23:4-5(NLT)
“4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.”

God tells us in His Word to be wise and have spiritual discernment, and to achieve these by reading and studying His Word. In Hebrews 4:12, He tells us that His Word is alive! It’s sharper than a surgeon’s scalpel, or any two-edged sword. It’s so sharp, exact, and precise that it pierces through, dividing the soul and spirit, and joints and morrow. This verse goes on to tell us that God’s living Word judges the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. It lays us wide open before God, so that at any and all times, we are completely bare before Him. This is the piercing level of wisdom and knowledge that God has placed at our fingertips through His Word. He’s done this so that we will know Him in all His magnificent glory, power, and love. He’s also done this so we will comprehend and expect that He will use His power to achieve His purpose and do so profoundly in our individual lives.

Genesis 1:26 tells us that our Heavenly Father made us in His very own image. We are intelligent beings with a mind and heart that cannot be touched with human hands or seen with human eyes. We are His created spiritual beings, specifically tailored to experience an abundant life on earth. We are blessed beyond measure, because at one point in human history, people thought it was impossible to know God or to understand His thoughts. Even with all their philosophies, they missed out on Him because they had no way to know Him. All praise to our glorious Heavenly Father that this isn’t the case with those of us living today. We have His Word, and because we do, we have the keys to His Kingdom!

Our issue is that life can throw some serious curve balls our way, and sometimes it does this when we’re at our most vulnerable. God tells us in Hosea 4:6(ESV), “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge.” Because we haven’t sharpened our discernment and wisdom by reading and studying God’s Word, the enemy uses tricks and plots to deceive us. Many of us have chosen the wrong partner because of this. We connect with a person that is responding to our fears rather than choosing a person that responds to our faith. Although it may not seem like it, through Christ, we can turn our worst decision into a steppingstone for our success. We can do this through the power of the Holy Spirit.

When we give our lives to Jesus Christ and became born-again, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us. He is a part of the Godhead. He is the Spirit of God, and God has given him to each of us as a gift. Philippians 2:13 tells us that the Spirit is working on the inside of us, giving us the desire and the effort for God’s good pleasure. However, we must know that the Holy Spirit never forces or pushes. He works only to the degree that we allow him. Because of the finished work of Jesus Christ through his sacrifice and resurrection, the Holy Spirit is here with us, and if we allow him, he will work in, with, and through us. So, the greatest thing that we can do for ourselves is to let him be at work.

Jesus Christ said in John 16:13(ESV), “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” The Spirit guides us into the truth, where liberty in Christ is found. Jesus Christ told us in John 8:32(NLT), “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” We cannot be free by believing a lie. We must know the truth of God’s Word to be free.

If we don’t know God’s Word, and we are not allowing God’s Spirit to guide us, we might walk into a trap. When this happens, our lives can send us into a dark valley very quickly. We begin to feel as though nothing can help us, but this is not the truth. Rather, it is the lie that the enemy wants us to believe so that he can continue tricking us. We have a choice. We can continue in fear and doubt, or we can trust that God is with us, that He has not left us alone, nor will He.

God’s desire is that our cup, our lives, overflow with blessings, and He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us live abundantly, but we have a part to play as well. The situations and circumstances of life can leave us feeling uncertain and afraid, but we have a friend who has all the wisdom, power, and strength we will ever need. Jesus Christ told the disciples in Acts 1:8(ESV), “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The Holy Spirit is our friend, and he lives within us. He will help, comfort, teach, and guide us, but we must partner with him by reading and studying God’s Word.

We are not weak, as some would have us to believe. In Exodus 15:2(ESV), Moses and the children of Israel sang, “The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation;” Romans 8:31(ESV) reassures us of God’s great love and declares, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” And Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can do all things through Jesus Christ because he gives us strength. So, lets get on board with God’s Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Let him guide you out of the valley and into the truth where you can walk in God’s wisdom and have strength and confidence in times of uncertainty. ■

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Rejoice in Your Inheritance!

Posted on July 1, 2024 by daaorg1214

James 2:5(NLT)
“Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?”

As His people, the Lord calls us to always keep our eyes on the greatness of His glory, love, power, and majesty. He is a sovereign God, and no other in all of eternity can compare to Him. He requires us to keep our minds on His goodness, and this prompts us to stay in the present, and not get ahead of His guidance. God knows the end at the beginning, and the events of life and history unfold the way they do because every Word that proceeds from His mouth is true. It’s a done deal. If God says something is going to happen, it is going to happen. He is not moving us about like robots, but His prophecy will unfold exactly as He has spoken, and every drop of what He has spoken in His Word has either already come to pass, or it will do so in the future. He knows everything there is to know about everything, so we can place our total trust in His protection, provision, and care, because our future is in Him, and indeed our future belongs to Him.

God said in Jeremiah 29:11(NIV), “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.” You and I don’t know our futures, but God does. We can’t predict what is going to happen, but even before the foundation of the world, God knew every detail of our existences. Nothing we do is a surprise to Him. What is important to God is that we are with Him and have faith in His love, strength, and power.

In Jeremiah 29:11, He tells us that He wants us with Him for a very, very, very long time. He is the only One that can give us a future, and He reveals His plan to us. His plan will not harm us, but instead give us hope and a future with Him. He secured that future for us when He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to give his life as a sacrifice for our sins, and then He resurrected Christ from the dead. Through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God made good on His promise to give us a future and a hope. He’s given us an inheritance in Christ, so He has even more treasures to share with us? His giving and goodness never ends!

God’s Will and desire for us is to have a wonderful present and future, enjoying our relationship with Him. In the past, before we gave our lives to God through Jesus Christ, we were in rough shape. Ephesians 5:8(NIV) tells us, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” We were in the dark before we knew the light of Christ, and for some of us, that darkness was one struggle after another.

A while back, I read the testimony of a woman in an abusive marriage. After an adulterous affair, her husband left her and their three children, but refused to give her a divorce because he didn’t want to pay support. Afraid of what he might do to her, she felt imprisoned in a home she couldn’t afford on her own. She was afraid that he could come in at any time and reap havoc on their lives and abuse her even more. She was desperate, and for the first time in her life, she prayed and asked the Lord Jesus Christ to come into her heart. After that, things were very challenging for a while, but she discovered that through Christ, she was much stronger than she thought, and many doors began to open for her and her kids. They escaped that terrible situation, and now they no longer live in fear, but in the light of Christ.

We must believe and trust God that we can come out of the darkness and into the light where His love and strength abides. He doesn’t want us to struggle and live a painful existence; that’s not His Will. Jesus Christ said in John 14:6(NIV), “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus Christ is the way, and if we will allow him, he will lead us out of darkness so that we can see the blessings that God has for us. In the dark, we can’t see, but when we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts and as our personal Lord and Savior, the light gets turned on. We leave the old in the past and welcome the new!

God is showing us what it means to be wrapped in His love. It means that He gives us the bounty of His spiritual goodies now, and He still has an inheritance waiting for us to receive even more. 1Peter 1:3-5(NLT) says, “3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance–an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.”

In our relationship with Heavenly Father, He wants us to enjoy the communion and fellowship we share with Him. We can’t do that if we’re worried, anxious, and afraid about our futures. If we’re panicked with uncertainty, we wouldn’t delight in Him in the way He deserves. In Peter 1:3-5, He lets us know that He’s taken care of all our worries about the future. He guarantees a wonderful inheritance for all those who love Him and have accepted Christ, and to give us assurance of this, He’s placed His Holy Spirit inside us. Ephesians 1:13-14(NLT) says, “13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”

Romans 8:17 says that we are children of God and fellow heir with Jesus Chris, our Lord. We are in Christ because we accepted the salvation God offered us through him, and Christ is in us because his Spirit lives on the inside of us. God is showing all the treasure that is in Christ because through Christ, He is dwelling in us. Our Heavenly Father wants us to know that when we look in the mirror, we are seeing His best because we are seeing Christ. God is not hiding away. He’s in us! And there’s so much more on the way. So, let’s never give up hope. Learn about all that God has given you and rejoice in your inheritance. Your completeness is in Christ, and as you awaken your mind and heart to your reality in him, his brilliant and everlasting victory on the cross will transform your life! ■

Everything You Lost, Returned!

Posted on June 24, 2024 by daaorg1214

Zechariah 9:11-13(NLT)
“And you, because of my blood covenant with you, I’ll release your prisoners from their hopeless cells. Come home, hope-filled prisoners! This very day I’m declaring a double bonus – everything you lost returned twice-over!”

If something precious to you is lost, or worse, it’s taken or stolen from you, you’ll probably try to get it back. It’s not a stretch to say that in the future, you will also take a few measures to ensure this doesn’t happen to you again. It’s no secret that in life, we lose things that are very important to us. Whether it’s material treasures, a job, house, car, or a relationship, these losses can be devastating. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, it can appear as though we’re not going to get these treasures back and that is a challenging thing to accept. God reminds us in Zechariah 9:11-13 that when we lose a treasure, we are not without hope. He is our hope! When our trust is firmly placed in God, He restores, replenishes, and gives us back everything we’ve lost twice-over.

Trust bigger
Ephesians 3:20(NKJV) says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” This verse tells us that God’s power and willingness to help us is exceedingly abundantly above anything that you and I can think or imagine. Therefore, we should never measure a problem by our own ability to deal with it. Our losses, troubles, and obstacles should be measured according to who will be handling them. Our all-powerful, brilliant and perfect God is the One that handles everything that seeks to hold us back or keep us down, and our faith should be firmly planted in Him.

2Corinthians 9:8(NKJV) says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” The job, house, car, money or relationship is not the source of our happiness. If we think that, we’re sadly mistaken. God is the Source of all good things. He’s our sufficiency and Provider, and we need to fully grasp this truth so that our faith is increased. Again, our Heavenly Father is all-powerful and all-knowing, and His love for us is unconditional and unlimited. He is always on our side, and no problem is too big for Him to solve. God can do anything, and He doesn’t want us to make the mistake of going to other sources. He wants us to lean totally and completely on Him.

Our trust in God should be bigger than our fear and doubt. Our faith in Him should be bigger than any other reality in our lives. This is an important lesson to learn. In the past, instead of relying on God, we have relied on ourselves and that is not a successful strategy. God’s Holy Spirit is in us, and he is working on the inside, supplying us with the strength to do God’s Will. So, we must decrease in the flesh, and allow the indwelling Holy Spirit to increase so that we are cooperating with the Will of God for our lives.

Be thankful for what you have
God does not take away our blessings or cause us to lose them. Our blessings are stolen or hindered because we have an enemy, the devil, and Jesus Christ tells us in John 10:10 that the devil’s game is to steal, kill, and destroy. When the enemy plays his tricks on us, our response must be a strategic one. Ephesians 6:12(NLT) teaches us, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” This war that we’re fighting is spiritual warfare, and we can’t use weapons of the flesh to fight a spiritual enemy. We must put on God’s spiritual weaponry, so that we are fully equipped.

The Word of God is the Spirit’s sword, and we must put it on in our minds and hearts to remain spiritually strong. 1Thessalonians 5:18(NLT) tells us, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Rather than being worried, upset, or angry about what you’ve lost, thank God for what you have. Thankfulness is an attitude that pleases God. It conveys our trust in Him, and in the reality that no matter what has gone wrong, He alone will make it right.

Confess and affirm God’s Goodness
One thing that I learned many years ago was to speak life over my circumstances by confessing and affirming the promises of God. I taught myself to focus my mind on the victory I would receive in my situation. Even though things looked like that weren’t going to work out, I make the choice to place my faith in God and to trust Him no matter how things looked. This is always the choice before us when we’re dealing with problems, loss, and other issues. We can sink low in our minds and hearts and give up, or we can have faith in God, which is what Jesus Christ has commanded us to do.

God tells us in Proverbs 18:21(KJV) that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” We are made in the image of our Heavenly Father. Genesis 1:3(KJV) tells us, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” God spoke light into existence by the power and authority of His Word. He has given us this same ability. When it comes to the tricks and plots of the devil against us, we must make a habit of saying the same thing that God says. We must come into agreement with God through the power of His Word. He tells us in the passage of Zechariah 9:11-13 that He will return what we have lost when our faith is in Him. Therefore, our continual confession should be, “Thank You, Heavenly Father, for blessing me beyond my expectations. You are good and glorious in every way, and according to Your promise, I declare that nothing I have lost will compare to what You will restore and return to me. You are the God of the exceedingly abundantly, and I will increase my faith to expect Your portion of unlimited supply. I receive it all according to Your promises, in the wonderful and powerful name of Jesus Christ!”

God is so good that even those in cells, imprisoned by their circumstances or wrongdoing, are prisoners of hope, because their hope and faith in God will always be rewarded. Romans 5:5(NKJV) tells us, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Our hope in God through the Lord Jesus Christ will not fail. If we are committed to put God first and understand that He is a God of the exceedingly abundantly, our hope in Him will yield the manifestation of His promises and power in our lives.■

Victory Comes with Letting Go

Posted on June 10, 2024 by daaorg1214

Joshua 1:9(NLT)
“This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The Samaritan woman at the well in John, Chapter 4, was a broken woman. She had gone to the well to draw water for her family like many other women that were living during that time. So, when she met Jesus at the well, it might have seemed like any other day for her, but it wasn’t at all. She was at such a place in her life that God chose to work through her to help many others come to Christ and be set free. Her woundedness had caused her to step outside cultural norms of that Biblical period, and this was a very difficult choice for any woman living during that time. It meant a challenging life of constant stares, backbiting gossip, and shame. This was her condition when she met Jesus at the well, and the words he spoke broke the chains that had kept her bound.

Escaping the heat of summer days in Samaria, most women would come to the well in the early morning hours to draw water. The Samaritan woman that met Jesus at the well came late, and many believe it was to avoid the other women who would ridicule, stare, or be mean to her in other ways. Jesus Christ said to her in John 4:10-14(NLT), “10 If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” 11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” 13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

This woman understood thirst. She knew intimately what it meant to be empty inside, and to try to fill a void with love from those who had no real love to give. John 4:15-18(NLT) tells us, “15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” 16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband– 18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” Having five husbands was very unusual for the times in which she lived and surely branded her with shame.

We could suppose that the woman at the well was working toward her sixth marriage because she thought, “If I can just be with this man, my life will be different. If I can get him to love me, I will be whole and satisfied, and I will be at home in his arms.” This was probably her thinking before each of the five marriages she had. Being alone for any length of time was a state she couldn’t accept. Whether it was overly romanticizing relationships or just boredom, it’s clear that her heart needed to be healed.

It’s not hard to imagine that she had grown used to living in the shadows, trying to find love and security in these men. If she had not met Jesus at the well, her fears and emptiness would have continued to rob her of love and light, but God had a plan. When Jesus began to talk to her about living water, she didn’t understand what he meant. She hadn’t thought of her soul as being starved and desperate to know real love. She didn’t think that anyone or anything could elevate her out of the pit of shame, insecurity, and self-punishment. For the longest while, it was all she knew, and letting go of them seemed out of the question.

There were plenty of women in Samaria that were considered by others to be good and upright wives. They knew the well and many of them used it, but it was the broken woman that had been married five times that God handpicked to meet Jesus that day. God wants you to know this, so that when you come to Him, you do so with the knowledge that He will heal all your woundedness if you let Him. We can let go of the shame, the insecurity, and all the pain we’ve endured through the storms of life that we have faced. Through whatever struggle, we can experience the peace of God. He will never leave us alone, and He will help us in our times of great struggle. Let go and let God. Have faith in Him, and He will turn your tribulation and trouble into a testimony of your victory in Christ. ■

Jesus Calms the Storm

Posted on May 20, 2024 by daaorg1214

Leslie’s youngest daughter, Vanessa, had been a very quiet and reserved child until she turned 14 years old. She began to date boys and skip school, all the while her mother and two older siblings were completely oblivious. It wasn’t until her grades began to slip that Leslie caught a glimpse that something was wrong. Their father passed away shortly after Vanessa was born, so Leslie was a single parent with three children and two jobs. She couldn’t believe the things the teachers were saying about her child, and after two years of struggling to help Vanessa to get back on track, Leslie was tired and still very worried about her youngest.

She was so thankful that Vanessa had made it to her senior year, but her grades were not what they could have been. Vanessa had fallen deeply in love with Reggie, a boy that had barely made it through school himself. He foolishly used drug money to lavish Vanessa in the extravagant prom dress she wanted, and this had placed her whole family in jeopardy. When Leslie found out about it, she was beside herself. All too familiar with news stories about what happens when you mess with the wrong players, she hustled to come up with the money to make things right. The last few years had taken a toll. Her fears and anxiety were at an all-time high, and she was worried about what Vanessa might do next.

Some of the issues that many of us are facing today are nothing like those of the past. Situations that we never once imagined can land on our heads in a blink of an eye, and life as we know it is forever changed. Troubles and challenges like the ones Leslie have faced with her daughter can bring life and death consequences. The emotional weight of continuing uncertainty is also a huge burden. It can feel as though our backs are against the wall, and there’s no way out, but this simply isn’t true. Matthew 11:28-30(NLT) tells us, “28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”” We need Jesus, plain and simple. He can and will take our burdens and replace them with his love and light. We must have faith in this.

When we come to that big whammy of an issue in life, we must understand that it’s spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:12(NLT) tells us, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” It is very easy to attribute our troubles to a flesh and blood individual, a person that comes against us and perhaps those we love. We think that if we can handle the person through our own solutions, we’ll be all set. But often, when we try to do this, we find that the person continues to plague us in other ways.

Romans 8:7(NIV) says, “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” A mind that is governed by the flesh will always look to the flesh for solutions. A mind that is governed by the flesh is consumed with fear and tied to responses dictated by fear. This creates an unstable foundation, and very little can be built on it. Jesus Christ is continually knocking at the door, asking to come into our hearts, minds, and lives in a greater way so that a sturdy foundation can be built on him. He’s the One with power and authority, and our trust in him allows us to use it.

Our children learn faith or fear from us. They practice what they see us doing, both good and bad. If we don’t believe deep down that God is our salvation, that we have nothing to fear because He will provide and protect us, they will pick up on this. We must be ever aware that this can be a great hinderance in their lives.

A carnal mind is hostile to God, because it is rebellious against fully believing and trusting Him. A spiritual mind is the mind of Christ. It is the mindset of faith and this is the mind that God requires us to have. There will be storms in life, on this we can depend. We will endure hardship, but the solution is Jesus Christ! He taught the disciples this, and they had to learn the spiritual reality of faith in Christ during scary situations. In Matthew 8:23-27(NLT), we learn about one of those times.

This passage says, “23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. 27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!””

The disciples were called by Jesus Christ to follow him. We have that same calling. He walked with them daily and taught them the Word of God. In Jesus, the disciples had the overwhelming privilege to witness the living Word of God up close and personally. They saw the miracles, power, love, authority, and truth that he demonstrated in his life. They witnessed the perfection of his walk on earth, but when they found themselves facing the storm, they forgot about that. This was no ordinary storm. It was sent by satan to destroy them, but Jesus Christ was asleep. He could sleep through the storm because of his faith in God, but many of us will not practice the peace and calm that he did.

The disciples ran to Jesus Christ shouting “Save us!” How is it that they could run to him to be saved, and still be afraid? This was unstable thinking, because we cannot have faith and fear at the same time. Jesus straightened out the waves, and he straightened them out as well. He calmed the storm and demonstrated his power to help the disciples. He will do the same for us.

We don’t have to hide the reality of our trials, troubles, and tribulations from our children and those we love. However, our faith in Jesus Christ must be louder than the problems we face. So often we show our loved one a mentality of disappointment, sadness, and defeat. We can’t fake it, and they know us better than anyone. They see our lack of faith because deep down, that’s what we’re feeling. We must renew our minds to God’s Word and have faith in Him. We must recognize that our very lives are a testimony of the love, power, and victory of Jesus Christ. God knew about the storm way before it occurred. He’s already solved it. All He requires from you is that you really and truly believe it. ■

All Things Working Together

Posted on April 8, 2024 by daaorg1214

When it’s time for a believer to be at a certain point of spiritual maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ, and this person has no recognition or awareness of this appointed place, it can be said that he or she is asleep as it relates to their spiritual appointment. Many will argue that this isn’t true, but our circumstances will bear it out repeatedly. Even as believers, sometimes our lives come to a standstill. It seems that things just aren’t moving, and we’re not as satisfied or fulfilled as we once were. We have a choice. We can remain at a standstill, or we can accept the reality that we’re late for our spiritual appointment, and we need to seek God with all our hearts and minds, because He has some place for us to be.

Make no mistake, there’s a place where everything for us comes together in an amazing and fulfilling way. Romans 8:28(ESV) says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Be clear that ‘all things working together for good’ is a process of God’s perfect timing. It doesn’t mean that our circumstances and conditions are continually in a state of bliss. We live on earth where people and things are coming against us all the time. Jesus Christ told us in John 16:33 that in the world we will have tribulation, but we can be encouraged because he overcame the world, and through him, we will too.

So ‘all things working together’ is not a drop-off location where things are perfect and pleasing as punch. We don’t get to remain planted there with our hands tucked beneath our laps. But this is the way some of us have trained our minds to think. We forget that this earth experience is grooming ground for our faith, and that our faith will indeed get a workout here. Instead, we have immediacy on the brain. When we’re in a bind or we’re expecting an answer to prayer, we want things working out on the double. Again, ‘All things working together’ is a continual process where we have a starting point and a destination according to our faith. And as soon as we we’ve reached one destination and gained a higher level of faith; another starting point will be revealed.

‘All things working together for our good’ is God working powerfully behind the scenes. We can’t see all the details of what He’s doing, and this is one of the reasons that so many of us become anxious and worried that things are not going to work out. We lose faith because our timetables lack the patience and endurance that God is requiring of us.

Stamina and momentum are not words we typically hear in Christian vernacular, but we should hear them more often because they are very important to our walk in Christ. Stamina and momentum have everything to do with the endurance and patience that God expects all believers to produce. He tells us in Hebrew 12:1(NLT), “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Notice in this verse that God didn’t tell us that HE would strip off every weight that slows us down. He’s given this responsibility to us, and when we reach a point in life where the weight is barreling down on us, we should know that it’s stripping off time. The longer we wait to strip it off, the more stamina and momentum we lose.

Our blessings are not delayed, we’ve yet to catch up to them. God does not slow the rotation of the earth to catch up with our pace; we must catch up to His pace. This is one of the reasons He is continually reminding us in His Word to put on our new nature which is created to be like Christ. If we do this, we will be prepared for all that God has in store. Some of us have delayed our spiritual growth and maturity to such a degree that our eyes no longer recognize opportunities. They slip right by us. God has designed the universe in such a way that it is continually pouring out the overflow of His blessings, but we’ve not positioned ourselves to be at the right place at the right time.

1Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV) tells us, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace.” Heavenly Father is a God of order, and one of the greatest disservices we commit against ourselves is to underestimate His nature of peace and His allegiance to structure and order. You and I don’t have the mental and emotional capacity to absorb the true majesty and supremacy of God. It is impossible to even skim the surface of it without the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This is one of the reasons why God is so patient with us. He doesn’t punish us for not reading and studying His Word. He leaves the level of intimacy in our relationship with Him totally up to us. We can seek Him first, or we can seek other things, but we will always move at a snail’s pace to blessings if we don’t seek God with all our hearts, minds, and strength.

Romans 8:28 reminds us that God has called us to His purpose. The revelation of our purpose in the Will of God must combine with our intelligence and intention to walk it out. Many of us are finding ourselves in a predicament of stagnancy when it comes to blessings, and it is most often due to the failure to soak in the knowledge of God’s Word and connect it to purpose and action. This causes us to lose momentum on this Christian journey, and it decreases our strength and ability to reach out and grab what is rightfully ours.

Blessings come from our knowledge of the Word of God. When we’re in a season in our lives where we’re not seeing the kind of movement we expect, it isn’t a time to be complacent. It’s a season to seek God like never before and draw nearer to Him with the full assurance that He will draw nearer to us. In Revelation 3:2 (NLT), God warned, “Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God.” Everything, and I do mean absolutely everything is spiritual. The Spirit of God is forever and always causing all things to work together for our good. The closer we draw to our Heavenly Father, the more we will see the many blessings He’s placed before us, and we’ll have the spiritual strength to reach out and grab them. ■

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Category Archives: Spiritual Encouragement

Hope Will Not Put Us to Shame

A Stronghold in Times of Trouble

Give God Room to Move

The True Story About the Void and the Longing

Strength in Times of Uncertainty

Rejoice in Your Inheritance!

Everything You Lost, Returned!

Victory Comes with Letting Go

Jesus Calms the Storm

All Things Working Together