Encouragement for Today

[Judy Harder]

 September 14, 2012

Love Is...
Suzie Eller


"No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you ..." Isaiah 62:4a (NIV)

Several children were asked to define love. One said that love was when her mother was pregnant and her daddy painted her mother's toenails. Another said that love was when her daddy walked in after work smelly and sweaty and her mom said he looked handsome.

But one child said this, "I think that love is when your name is safe in someone's mouth."

Makes me think about Candy. One day she showed up at school. Her morning was like every other. She got up early, fixed her siblings breakfast, and got them all out the door to school. She had picked up her jeans off the floor and put them on in a hurry. Candy's mother was addicted, and her daddy wasn't in the picture, and sometimes laundry just didn't get done.

She arrived at school and a mother of one of the students confronted her, asking, "Why are you always so dirty?"

All she could do was bow her head in shame. There was no way she could share her secrets with this condemning woman.

In Isaiah 62, a nation was marked by shame. Through the prophet Isaiah, God let the nation know that He was willing to come down into the trenches beside them. Yes, He saw their situation, but He also saw them for who they were to Him.

Shame can teach us many lessons, like:

Stay low.

What you have to offer isn't enough.

Keep your secrets to yourself.

But when God marks your life, there are new words to redefine you, like: Beloved. Mine. Beautifully and wonderfully created.

As a teen Candy became a Christian. She knew little about faith, but what she did know is that for the first time in her life her name was safe in Someone's mouth.

As time passed Candy handed her shame to a Heavenly Father who took it willingly because each of us is precious to Him, and shame was never a burden God desired that we bear.

Perhaps you, like Candy, define yourself through the words of someone else. Or see yourself through the past. Or the actions of someone who was supposed to love you and failed.

When shame encounters the love of God, something powerful takes place. That love lifts the receiver up and over shame to a place of value set apart by God. Your burden is shifted to God's broad shoulders and He is now free to complete the "good work began in you" (Philippians 1:6).

As God's girl, shame has no place in your life or heart. Your name is safe in His mouth because you are beautiful. You are loved. You are His.

Dear Lord, that past incident or those words from the past, they do not define me. Your words and Your love define me. From this day forward I choose to see myself as You do. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

Would you like to bring the message of this devotion to the women of your church? Click here to find out more about considering Suzie Eller as your next retreat / key note speaker.

Visit Suzie's blog where she shares more on how to overcome shame and discover how to forgive, let go, and live in your new identity as God's child.

The Mom I Want to be: Rising above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future by Suzie Eller

When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, you touch eternity because your purchase supports the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide at no cost. We wish we could, but we simply can't compete with prices offered by huge online warehouses. Therefore, we are extremely grateful for each and every purchase you make with us. Thank you!

Reflect and Respond:
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17.

If the old is passed away and you are a new creation, how much energy do you currently devote to thinking about the past?

Name one way that this same energy can be utilized in a fresh new way today.

Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (ESV)

Psalm 103:5-6, "He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle's! The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly." (NLT)

© 2012 by T. Suzanne Eller. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

 September 17, 2012

Always Pray {And Don't Give Up}
Rachel Olsen


"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." Luke 18:1 (NIV)

bam, bam ... bam, bam, bam, bam, bam ... bam ... bam, bam

The noise slowly fills my consciousness.

What is that?

I rub my eyes and look at the clock: 5:51 AM.

Sounds like ... hammering. Who is hammering something at 6 o'clock in the morning? Outside? On a Saturday?

I get up and peer through the blinds, straining on my tiptoes to see through the branches to my neighbor's backyard. And I wonder, should I see someone hammering will I walk out there - pink jammies, tousled hair and all - and say something about poor timing?

I'm really not very confrontational that way. But nor am I a morning person.

bam, bam, bam, bam ... bam ... bam, bam

I wake my husband Rick with my movement at the window, the rising sunlight breeching the bedroom.

"Do you hear that noise? What is that, Rick? It sounds like hammering—at 6 o'clock in the morning!"

Rick listens then announces confidently, "It's a woodpecker."

Anticipating my response he adds, "You can't stop him."

I can't stop him? That sounds like a challenge. As Rick drifts back into dreams, I head to the backyard to find this bird. I spot it hanging off the side of my house, pelting holes into the wood trim by my bedroom window.

I try scaring it away. I scream at it. I throw sticks toward it. Don't worry, animal lovers, I throw like a girl.

It turns out Rick was right, I couldn't stop the bird.

The woodpecker returned over several days. At first, I continued my antics. Parading onto the back patio in the dawn to scream and throw things at a bird. The woodpecker remained undeterred. Occasionally he'd fly off to a neighboring tree only to fly back and peck the side of my house again once I returned to my pillow.

So finally, I granted him the right to peck in peace. It's not what I wanted to do, but he wore down my resistance. He was unstoppable.

Interestingly enough, Jesus told a story of a woman who had woodpecker-like faith. Woodpecker-like persistence. You just couldn't stop her.

With the parable in Luke 18:1-8 Jesus teaches His disciples to always pray and never give up:

He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!'

"And the Lord said, 'Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?'" (vs. 2-8 NIV)

The woman came to this judge so often and so boldly that he thought she would slap wear him out!

Is that us? Do we constantly seek God, asking Him repeatedly in faith for what we need?

Jesus didn't speak of this judge to portray God as unwilling or easily exhausted—the judge doesn't represent God in this story. Jesus was saying that if an unjust judge would eventually grant the request of this woman, how much more will our gracious Father grant His children's requests!

God is willing to answer—to help, to restore, to vindicate and redeem. But we must have faith. And we must ask Him. Sometimes—oftentimes—repeatedly.

You and I need the kind of faith that will not give up. The kind of faith you just cannot stop. The kind of faith that prays always.

We need woodpecker faith.

Dear Lord, hear my prayers today about _________ and thank You in advance for Your answers. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Visit Rachel's blog for more help in praying and not giving up.

It's No Secret: Divine Truths Every Woman Should Know by Rachel Olsen

Reflect and Respond:
What prayer would you like answered? What injustice do you need righted?

Persist in prayer for this today, tomorrow, this week ... as long as it takes.

Power Verses:
Mark 9:22b-23, "'But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.' 'If you can?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for one who believes.'" (NIV)

© 2012 by Rachel Olsen. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

 September 18, 2012

How Are You, Really?
Samantha Reed


"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:1, 14 (ESV)

How are you, really? I was posed this question one day, but didn't want to delve into the truth. 'Cause truth is, there were only a few I wanted to be that honest with. And those I generally share the depths with were wading through extenuating circumstances. Filled to capacity, they needed a place to pour out.

Cupped hands caught their words, worries, wants. Until my hands and heart were heavy.

I was weary from taking in and not pouring myself out in return. I understood; they didn't have it to give. Yet, hour upon hour of listening ... I wasn't sure I had it to give either.

Irony is, my very name means "Listener." Double irony is my life verse from last year: "Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed" (Prov. 11:25b NIV). But I could not take any more words into a soul that was cram-full. And I could not pour out refreshment that was not there.

I was completely full, yet totally empty.

And so I selfishly checked out in the name of self-preservation; retreated into myself, away from their words weighted with pain and trouble and questions. Distanced my being from all words.

Until the Word beckoned me with cupped hands large enough to hold my weary soul, and my friend's worn circumstances, and the thin world.

I poured into the Word, a measureless basin in which my words rested. He asked four words my soul thirsted for, "How are you, really?"

I'm weary. "I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10b (NIV)

I feel alone. "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20b (NIV)

I'm tired. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28b (NIV)

I poured out, He poured in. An ebb and flow more natural than the ocean's tides. My soul needed His words; needed Him: the Word.

Community is God-given. But friend's and family's ability to be leaned on will ebb and flow. Hence our soul's deepest need: friendship with the Lord. {Inhale deeply that delight: we're friends with God.} Friends with the unchanging nature of the Word, Jesus.

Let's take His cupped hand, reaching out to hold ours, our cares, our friends and family members. Take His hand and take a walk through Him, the Word. Pour our truthful answers into Him and ourselves into the fields of Scripture. Refreshment awaits. He's asking, "How are you, really?"

Dear Lord, thank You for never changing. Thank You for listening and hearing. Thank You for Your faithful friendship. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Pour yourself into the Word through one of these Bibles.

A Confident Heart by Renee Swope has helped thousands of women overcome the emptiness of insecurity, hurt, loneliness and doubt by learning to live in the fullness of God's promises. Here's what some are saying:

"I feel like someone finally jumped in my head and my heart and painted over my insecurities with God's Word."

"If you are looking for a practical way to apply God's Word to the areas of your deepest insecurities, as well as an enjoyable and personable read, this book is for you."

Visit Samantha's blog and leave a comment letting us know how you are. Then leave a comment with a prayer for the person who commented before you and enter to win a copy of A Confident Heart by Renee Swope.

Reflect and Respond:
How are you, really?

Pour into the Word. Memorize one of the Scriptures listed above and talk to the Lord about your needs.

Power Verses:
Malachi 3:6, "I the LORD do not change." (NIV)

John 15:15b, "Instead, I have called you friends..." (NIV)

© 2012 by Samantha Reed. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

 September 19, 2012

Longing to be Pursued
Lynn Cowell


"But now, this is what the LORD says — he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine ... Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.'" Isaiah 43:1, 4 (NIV)

My heart beats wildly. "Hurry, hurry! You'll be too late!"

You'd think I'd never seen this movie before. But I've watched it over and over. I know the hero will come to the rescue right at the last second and demand, "She goes free!" to the captain and his crew. I know he will risk his life to save hers.

It doesn't matter that I already know what will happen. The thrill of the pursuit and a heroic rescue sends my heart pounding every time.

I know I'm not alone. Countless women curl up on their couches to watch the same chick flicks over and over, especially the ones in which the hero gives everything to save the girl. Like the one rescued in movies, we want to be desired, fought for — pursued. And we are.

Our Creator and King is pursuing us, but it's so much better than the movies. He gave up His life and paid a great price to come and rescue us.

There have been times I had seen Jesus as my savior, shepherd and friend. But it wasn't until I read these verses below, and realized the magnitude and depth of His love for me, that I saw how valuable I am to Him.

"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end — Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you." Isaiah 43:1b-4 (The Message)

He'd give up everything just for me? That's crazy! But that's the radical love that revolutionized my life.

When I learned these verses, I began to see a side of Jesus I had never seen before. He pursues me. He loves me more than anything. And He wants to be my everything.

This truth satisfied a deep longing I didn't even know I had. It was what I wanted then, and what I need to know still. This is the love that fills the gaps in my wanting heart and settles the question, "Am I valuable enough to be pursued?"

Yes, I am. And so are you, my friend. So are you.

Dear Lord, this part of me that wants to be pursued and rescued ... You created it. You created it to be filled by Your unconditional love. Thank You that You will never grow tired of me or stop pursing me. You want me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Help a teen girl in your life hear truth like today's every day of the year! Lynn's new book Devotions for a Revolutionary Year - 365 Days of Jesus' Radical Love for You is a great resource! And if you purchase it today, you'll receive over $75 in free materials! More details here.

Sign up for Lynn's FREE "7-day Faith Builder" - a week's worth of free devotions to share with your daughter, or another girl you know, to help build her faith and confidence.

Visit Lynn's website to find out how you can be intentional about sharing God's truths with your child. She's giving away a "Faith Builder" gift pack too!

Reflect and Respond:
Write out Psalm 45:11 on an index card, putting in your name: "The king is wild for __________." (MSG) Over the next few weeks, when you feel rejected, downcast or vulnerable remind yourself of this truth — Your King is crazy for you!

Think of a time when you did not feel wanted or pursued. Rewrite that story in your heart, knowing this time Jesus is there to fill that rejection and vulnerability. When this memory comes back, replace it with the truth that God would trade the whole world for you!

Power Verses:
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (ESV)

Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." (ESV)

© 2012 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

 September 20, 2012

The Rejection Infection
Lysa TerKeurst


"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13 (NIV)

The plastic seats were green. The desks a dirty beige. The perfect pale color to make pencil marks easy to read.

That's how I saw what was making the group of girls in front of me laugh. They looked at me and then added to Jennifer's desk art: a frizzy-headed stick figure with huge buck teeth and crazed eyes. I knew even before I saw the name scribbled, she'd drawn me. Me. An awful caricature of me.

It's been years since I sat at that dirty beige desk. But it hasn't been years since I've had those same feelings of rejection and hurt. Of course, they aren't from girls drawing pictures. But meanness hurts, no matter what age and how it's delivered.

You can take girls out of middle school but you can't take the middle school out of some girls.

If you've been hurt in this way, you know what I'm talking about. If we're a stuffer type person, we want to withdraw and get away from the source of our hurt. If we're more of an exploder person, we want to attack back so they'll feel as bad as we do.

But here's where things get a little complicated. Jesus flies in the face of conventional wisdom and says for us to "love our enemies." Seriously?

Something deep inside us whispers, "Don't you dare love this person. This situation is the exception."

Let the internal battle begin.

But what if I were to assure you that Jesus isn't being cruel or naive in His command for us to love? He's actually showing us how to get free from the sting of another person's wounds. When we're wounded we can either pursue healing by extending love back. Or, we can refuse healing and allow the "rejection infection" to set into our wound.

Here are three things to remember:

The Command

My job isn't to fix my enemy. My job is to be obedient to God in how I deal with them. "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," (Matthew 5:44 NIV 1984).

The Caution

If there is abuse, we must learn to love from afar. How? By forgiving the person that hurt us-releasing their offense into the hands of God. Trusting God to reveal to them their wrong and deal with their actions.

But we must remember forgiveness and restoration don't have to go hand-in-hand. You can forgive someone but not do everyday life with them. Ask God to give you discernment to know when and how to love from afar.

The Catalyst

So, back to Jennifer and the hurtful drawing. I wish I could relive that moment with the knowledge I have now. Jennifer drew that picture because of her own insecurities. And while it's tough to have compassion for someone who's hurting us in the moment of rejection, it is possible to have compassion for their obvious hurt. Hurt people, hurt people.

Dig beneath the surface of a mean girl and you'll find a girl riddled with self-hatred.

Romans 12:20 says, "On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'" (NIV)

Jennifer was hungry and thirsty for affirmation. And the only way she could figure out how to get it, was to make those around her laugh at me.

What might have happened if I were to have walked by her desk and given this desperate girl a drink from the living water? "Jennifer, you are beautiful. Do you know that?"

Not in a million years could I have done that in middle school. But I'm not in middle school any longer.

And now's a good time to remember that.

Dear Lord, I am thankful You don't give up on me. Please help me love those who hurt me, and teach me when to seek restoration, and when to let a relationship go. I want my relationships to honor You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
For more encouragement and practical advice on how to deal with difficult people, check out Lysa's new book, Unglued. Available now!

The accompanying Unglued Bible Study will help you understand what the Bible says about better ways to react. To order your copy, click here.

Reflect and Respond:
Write down 2 practical ways you can show compassion to those who hurt you. Remember, forgiveness may or may not include restoration. God may be calling you to show compassion by initiating the restoration process, or He may be calling you to acts of compassion from afar.

Think on a situation that involved a 'mean girl.' That girl may be someone close to you, an acquaintance, or may be you. Pray for her. If it's you, pray that God will show you areas in your life only He can fill.

Power Verse:
Matthew 5:44, "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (NIV)

© 2012 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

September 21, 2012

Emptying and Filling My Nest
Van Walton


"For everything there is a season ... A right time to hold on and another to let go ..." Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6 (MSG)

This spring I watched two cardinals build a nest, nurture their eggs, and feed their young. Then one day, with an encouraging chirp, mom and dad "talked" their three tiny birds out of their crib. I'd documented each step with my camera. Studying the final picture—an empty nest—brought pain to my heart as I reflected on my own empty house.

Memories of time gone by brought extreme sadness. I felt an acute loss of purpose as the dam behind my eyes broke. There was a crushing stillness.

Now what?

I thought I could just get over it. I could not.
I thought I could ignore it. I could not.
I thought I could talk myself back to life as usual. I could not.

Eventually I went to a counselor to get help with the empty nest sadness that was paralyzing me.

Through the tears, my counselor coaxed a few words out of me. He asked about my passions, joys, and dreams. "Your dreams have all come true. Your sons graduated, left home, and began the new lives for which you prepared them."

Hmmm ... there was no consolation in his words.

He also reminded me that I had not changed. I still had the same talents and gifts to be used and could focus them in a new direction.

At first I didn't accept his advice. I found it hard to understand how a fresh focus could bring me as much joy as my boys growing up in the shadow of my wing.

Yet my counselor continued to encourage me through the sadness. I had a choice: I could concentrate on my perceived loss or I could center my attention on God's perspective and His purpose for my life.

You see, God's plans for us do not include looking back, longing for the past, or wishing for days gone by.

Instead we can ask our faithful Father to point us toward a new purpose. He'll give us His perspective on our future where our children are not the center of our life.

I asked for God's perspective. Through His Word He reminded me that life is full of seasons and I was in a new one.

"For everything there is a season ... A right time to hold on and another to let go ..." Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6 (MSG)

Next He reminded me that I had been a good mother.

"Well done ... You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities." (Matthew 25:23 NLT)

Finally He reminded me that my role as a woman was to step out and use what I had learned as a mother to help others coming along behind me.

"She extends her hand to the poor, and she stretches out her hands to the needy. Strength and dignity are her clothing. She smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom. The teaching of kindness is on her tongue." (Proverbs 31:20, 25-26 NAS)

As mothers, we move through different phases of life. Let's never forget there are others besides our children who need our love and talents as we ask God to show us the next step in His plan for our lives.

Dear Lord, please guide me through open doors to new opportunities. Remind me to celebrate the past and smile at the future. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Visit Van's blog for a peek insider her "Empty Nest."

From the Pound to the Palace book and DVD by Van Walton

God's Purpose for Every Woman: a devotion book with writings from various P31 authors

Reflect and Respond:
Choose to look forward, not backward. There are truly many more wonderful memories to be made!

Rejoice in your children's current accomplishments. It's difficult for them to celebrate amidst our grief of letting them go.

Decide to get involved in a new outreach before the end of the month.

Power Verses:
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3b, 4, "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to plant and a time to harvest ... A time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to grieve and a time to dance." (NLT)

Psalm 138:8, "The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me." (NLT)

© 2012 by Van Walton. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

 September 24, 2012

Who Can You Give Your Bagel?
Julianna Morlet


"Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor." Proverbs 22:9 (ESV)

I woke up at 5 a.m., hit my snooze button, dragged myself out of my warm sheets and started my normal-every-Tuesday-morning-routine. I drove to Starbucks, swapped the typical weather jokes with my favorite barista, ordered my grande coffee and bagel, and walked out the glass door.

What wasn't routine was the scraggly teenage boy I ran into on my way to my truck. He was asking for something. Though I didn't clearly hear him, I assumed it was money.

I told him I was sorry but I didn't have any, and continued on.

He didn't ask again and he didn't pester me. But something in my head did. Did he ask for money or food?

Quickly, I spun around and asked, "Do you need food?" His reply was so innocent and affirmative. I held out my goodie bag. "Here ya go, a toasted bagel with cream cheese made just for you." He smiled so big, I thought his lip ring was gonna pop out.

I didn't think anything of it until I got in the truck and started pulling away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the boy peeling open the cream cheese, carefully and joyfully, like it was Christmas morning.

On my drive to the office, I wept like a broken-hearted mother.

I didn't know this boy. Had no idea what kind of trouble or circumstances got him to the streets, but I did know he was someone's son. And if my son were out on the streets, asking for food at 6:30 in the morning, I'd want that busy-looking girl to stop and give him her bagel.

Almost a month later, my mother forwarded me an email she had received from a woman in her Bible study. It read:

"Hi Alma, Viola told me she read Julianna's blog which talked about giving a hungry teenage boy her bagel. Viola wondered if it was my son Kyle because of the lip ring Julianna mentioned. I was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude for her compassion. He was hungry and she gave him something to eat. I have attached a picture of Kyle to show Julianna to see if he is the one she fed that morning. If not, I know there is another mother out there that would be very grateful for her compassion if she knew."

I scrolled down to see the face of the boy and gasped as my eyes instantly filled with tears. It was him! The boy had a name and it was Kyle. But more than that, he had a mother. And now she knew someone had taken care of her son, even if it was just a small meal.

We are not all called to mission fields far away. We are not all called to pastor a church or lead a women's Bible study. However there is one thing we are all called to do as God's people: we're all called to stop, to be aware of the hurting around us, and to have compassion. We are called to share our bread with the poor.

The Lord asks us to care. He calls us to be on the lookout for those who need our time and kindness. And yes, our bagel and cream cheese too.

Dear Lord, give me Your heart of compassion and Your eyes to see the needs of others around me. Break my heart today, for the things that break Yours and show me how You can use me to make it right. No matter how big or small. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

A Cup of Cold Water in His Name by Lorie Newman

Click here to watch Julianna's video interview of Kyle's mom on her blog today.

Share a meal with a child in need through Compassion International. Click here for more information.

Reflect and Respond:
When's the last time you recognized someone in need? (That man outside the grocery store, the woman walking home in the blazing heat, or the kid at your child's school who has torn clothes?)

Think of several practical ways you can be an influence in his or her life. Maybe carry protein bars, bus passes, and a few extra tee-shirts and shorts to give them.

Power Verses:
Proverbs 19:17, "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done." (NIV 1984)

Proverbs 31:20, "She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." (NIV 1984)

© 2012 by Julianna Morlet. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

 September 25, 2012

Do I Really "Get" God
Micca Campbell


"He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is his name." Amos 4:13 (NIV)

Doing laundry.
Raising well-adjusted kids.
Building a good relationship with my husband.
Even answering the phone.

So often I feel like it all depends on me. And honestly, I doubt my ability to get everything done, and do it well. Yet I know I'm not alone.

Who doesn't feel the pressure of higher grocery bills and mouths to feed? What employee doesn't carry the weight of doing a good job? What parent doesn't fear their child will give into peer pressure, drugs, or sex?

Yet, all this worry tangles our thoughts into anxious knots. When we feel as if everything depends on us, it can be a heavy burden to carry alone.

Here's the thing. You and I are not alone, or responsible for making all things turn out fine. I'm learning that when I feel alone, I've forgotten God is always with me.

And when I'm feeling incapable, it's usually because I've forgotten to acknowledge His presence and power in my life. It makes all the difference.

However, looking to God's presence and power to help us doesn't mean anything without the right understanding of Him. We need to know and believe just how mighty and aware of us God really is.

Otherwise, it's easy to look at our limitations and feel like they limit Him.

What we end up with is a God who is only a little bigger, a little better, a little stronger, and a little wiser than we are. Basically, He becomes a super-sized version of us.

The problem is that it makes Good too small. And when we have a small God, we feel like He depends on us to do a good job, just like everyone else.

I especially felt this way when I became a parent. I thought if I read all the "how-to" books on raising kids and gave it my best efforts, I would most likely succeed. If I learned the ins and outs of parenting, and tried with all my strength to do what the experts recommended, I could do a good job. I believed the lie that happy, successful children depended on my efforts. Which made me feel very stressed, and alone.

It wasn't until I joined a Bible study that I started to "get" God and really grasp the wisdom and guidance He provides. Once I learned to depend on His provision and direction, I no longer felt like I had to raise my kids based solely on my own knowledge and performance as a mom.

God never intended for us to live under the stress and pressure of everything depending on us. It's when we depend on Him instead of ourselves that we experience supernatural strength and provision. Look back at our key verse and mediate on His greatness for a moment.

"He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is his name." (Amos 4:13)

If the Lord can do all this, surely He can equip and empower us for our daily tasks whether they include doing dishes, parenting well, finishing a work project or folding laundry.

On the other hand, if we set out to make ourselves the measure of all things, we will never experience the full blessing or "get" the full benefit of God's greatness.

It doesn't have to be this way. Having the right understanding of God frees you and me from the weight of our burdens and allows us to rest in His exceptional power and presence.

Dear Lord, set my sights on You and Your great attributes. Help me to live in Your presence, dependent on Your guidance each day of my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
An Untroubled Heart: Finding Faith that is Stronger than My Fears by Micca Campbell

Visit Micca's blog to learn more about the attributes of God and His daily Presence among us.

Finding a Faith That is Stronger Than All My Fears {3-part message on CDs} by Micca Campbell

Reflect and Respond:
When you feel afraid, burdened or depressed, is your focus on God or yourself?

How can acknowledging God's power and presence lift your cares and lighten your mood? Re-read our key verse from Amos 4:13 for a greater understanding of who God is.

Power Verses:
James 4:8a, "Come near to God and he will come near to you." (NIV)

Acts 17:28a, "For in him we live and move and have our being." (NIV)

© 2012 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

 September 26, 2012

Lord, I Need Your Help
Renee Swope


"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help." Psalm 18:6 (NIV 1984)

I don't know exactly when it started, I just remember feeling angry and frustrated with my husband - almost every single day - for weeks.

One evening after a pretty intense "discussion," J.J. told me that no matter what he did or how hard he tried, it was never enough. He was right. I constantly found fault in him as a husband and as a dad.

But the fact that he implied I was impossible to please ... well that sent my already-unreasonable emotions reeling. I grabbed my coat and stormed out the front door. Hot tears streaming down my cheeks, I replayed our conversation in my head.

Determined to figure out what his problem was and get Jesus to fix him, I started telling on J.J. - to God.

As I filed my complaints against my husband, I finally heard myself. All the ugliness that was in my heart. All the anger spewing out of my mouth.

That's when I realized, I need help.

I needed God to show me what was going on. To help me figure out how, after seven years of a happy marriage, had we gotten to this ugly place?

Instead of just crying, I found myself crying out to God for help.

King David was much better at this than I am. He had a habit of crying out to God for help when he was in distress. Barnes' Notes on the Bible Commentary tells us that in Psalm 18:6, "'In my distress' refers, most probably, not to any particular case, but rather indicates general habit of mind, that when he was in deep distress and danger he had uniformly called upon the Lord, and had found him ready to help."

That night, when I stopped talking and started listening, I sensed God showing me I wanted J.J. to make up for what my dad had never been as a father to me and as a husband to my mom.

Years as a child in a broken home with a broken heart had led to a significant sense of loss and deep disappointment. Yet, I never grieved the happily-ever-after I longed for, but didn't have.

Unfulfilled hopes became bitter expectations.

Trying to create my own version of "happily-ever-after," I became controlling and critical. I thought if I could get J.J. to be the husband and dad I wanted him to be maybe my broken dreams could be put back together.

But I was wrong. Instead of expecting my husband to make up for my losses, I needed to cry out to God with my hurts and call on Him for help.

Are there hurts that hold you hostage? Expectations no one could really ever meet? Been trying to fix someone or a situation? Need some help today?

I know I do, and God is there.

Waiting for us to cry out to Him. Not just once, expecting a quick answer. But like the dependence we see in King David, we need God's help on a regular basis.

As I processed what had happened in my childhood and how it affected my marriage, I learned to ask God for help through each step of my healing journey.

I asked Him to help me find the security I needed by letting Him be the father I longed for. I asked Him to help me grieve the loss of things I wanted from my dad that I would never have. I asked Him to help me forgive my father and release feelings of anger, abandonment and hurt. I asked Him to help me release my unrealistic expectations of my husband and let go of my fight for a "happily-ever-after."

It was a process that took time, prayer, and courage, but God was my very present Help who showed me how to let go of my past and my pain, so I could take hold of hope and healing.

By the way, I'm crazy about my husband now. And so very thankful for the day I finally asked the Lord for help.

Dear Lord, I cry out to You today. I need Your help in my _______________. Please show me where to start and be my Help each step of the way. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Need help working through circumstances and relationships that have left you feeling hurt, hesitant, insecure or a myriad of other hard emotions? If so, Renee's life-changing book, A Confident Heart, may be just what you need. {Read chapter one here.}

Connect with Renee on Facebook for more powerful promises and perspectives from God's Word.

Sign up for a week's worth of FREE Confident Heart devotions here.

Reflect and Respond:
Are there hurts that hold you hostage? Expectations no one could really ever meet? Been trying to fix someone or a situation?

In your distress, call to the Lord. Cry to God for help.

Power Verse:
Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." (NIV)

© 2012 by Renee Swope. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

September 27, 2012

When I Get in a Twit
Lysa TerKeurst


"Remember my affliction and my bitterness, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:19-23 (RSV)

Recently, my husband made the decision to have a tree cut down in our front yard. He'd consulted with a professional who told him the tree was sick and a storm could cause the tree to break and fall. Plus, this tree had been dropping these prickly gumball things that drive my husband crazy.

So, with one swift decision and a few strong men, the tree was gone.

I wasn't in any of the conversations about the tree.

I didn't know it was sick.

I didn't know it could fall during a storm and damage our home or our cars.

I didn't mind the prickly gumball things.

All I knew was I walked out my front door and a tall, lovely, shade-providing tree was just chopped down. My heart seized at the sight. What in heavens? I called my husband in a panic.

His calm and reassuring explanation didn't make me feel better. Every time I looked outside, all I could see was the stump. The gaping hole in the typical landscape of our front yard. The shade that was missing.

I couldn't stop thinking about it, and before I knew it I was in a twit! Hyper focused on what was missing, I couldn't appreciate the bigger picture.

We live out in the country and have countless trees all around our house. Lots and lots of trees. But the more I got all in a twit about that one tree that was gone, the less I noticed all the others.

Distracted by one wrong thing, I missed out on seeing many right things.

I think this is a tactic the evil one uses against me. Against you. Against us.

The devil loves to get us to focus on the little that's wrong so we miss the big picture of all that's right.

Recently I noticed something in Lamentations chapter 3 verses 19-23 that gave me a new strategy. Look how the writer's depressing outlook turns around when he intentionally calls better things to mind:

"Remember my affliction and my bitterness, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness." (RSV)

So today when I'm tempted to get in a twit and start focusing on something that's wrong, I'll stop myself and say, "but" ... and then start listing things that are right.

My front yard is missing a tree, BUT ... my husband has promised to plant a new one. One that isn't sick and doesn't drop prickly things.

My husband didn't talk to me about the tree before it was chopped down, BUT ... he was being my family's protector. One who cares enough to just take care of what needs to be taken care of. One that I can trust.

I have a tendency to get in a twit about little things, BUT ... today is a new day with new possibilities. And I'm going to try to remember all that is right instead of focusing on the little that may be wrong.

Dear Lord, I want to follow Your teaching and focus on the blessings You have placed in my life. Please help me learn to look through Your lens and to see today as a new day full of Your mercies. Mercies for me, and mercies for others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do you want to stop focusing on what's wrong and stop letting those things control your reactions and emotions? Lysa TerKeurst's new book Unglued, shares wonderful wisdom to lead you in making those changes. Click here to order your copy today!

Nothing changes us like Scripture. The accompanying Unglued Bible Study is a great resource to get us into the Word of God, and help us choose better reactions. To order your copy, click here.

Visit Lysa's blog today for encouragement on "Three Things to Do When Disappointment Comes Knocking."

Reflect and Respond:
What is one situation in your life where you need to shift your focus? For Lysa, it was to look at the many things that were right in her life, instead of focusing on the one thing that was wrong.

Make a list of your "BUTs" and how you see God's mercies in them.

Power Verses:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (NIV)

Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (NIV)

© 2012 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.