Encouragement for Today

[Judy Harder]

March 23, 2010

Approval Addiction

Shari Braendel

"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:4 (NIV)

Devotion:

One day I got tired of hearing myself talk.

During a time when everything seemed to be going well, I found myself in a whirlwind where God revealed to me that my life was actually out of control.  I knew I was walking the path He had laid out for me and it lined up with my passion for helping others. The problem was that I had become so good at it I didn't feel the need to call on God's help anymore.

What I did come to need, however, was others to tell me I was doing a good job. In fact, if someone didn't pat me on the back, I would tell them about my good deeds!

Everywhere I went people told me how skilled I was at doing this particular thing. I had become so adept at it that I figured there was no need to consult God anymore. I stopped praying much about it and would just "do." In the middle of my doing, however, I would make sure and ask others if I was doing it okay.

One day I was talking to someone and God allowed me to see myself, almost like I was listening as an outsider. I hated what I had become. Who was this person? Why was she talking so much? Who cared that she did this or that? Oh my goodness, what had become of me?!

I decided that day to stop talking about myself. I decided to quit depending on other people's thoughts about what I was doing, or how I was doing it. I decided that the only One I needed to impress was God. I knew that it wasn't going to happen without thought and planning. This desire for approval was not going to go away by itself.

First, I sat down and had a good cry. Then I consulted God and prayed. I made a decision to be quiet about myself for 30 days. Whenever I talked to someone, I would not mention "me" at all.  I would not recount my accomplishments, my breakthroughs, or my shortcomings. Nothing. I decided to begin listening to others as if hearing them for the first time. If they asked about me, I would simply answer, "I'm doing great, thank you." That's it. No more information. I wanted to turn outward and begin to invest in other people's lives.

Well, 30 days turned into 60 days, and then into 90. I will tell you...I'm different now. My friends would probably agree, but I can honestly say I don't desire their approval anymore. It's funny how when we turn attention away from ourselves, we end up feeling more complete in the end. Because truly, the only thing that completes us is God.

Dear Lord, forgive me for seeking approval from anyone but You.  Teach me to be silent so I can hear others and most importantly, hear You.  Bring to my attention, in a way that only You can, times when I am becoming self-absorbed during conversations.  Thank You for loving me enough to help me grow. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue and accompanying Workbook by Deborah Smith Pegues

6 Habits of Highly Effective Christians by Brian T. Anderson & Glynnis Whitwer

Visit Shari's blog

Begin listening at home first!  For more ideas check out Conversations Starters for the Dinner Table

Application Steps:

Spend some time in prayer and sit silently. What is God telling you?

If we practice sitting quietly and listening to our heavenly Father we are sure to become a better friend to those around us. Pray to become a great listener and decide to encourage others in what they are doing well instead of telling them about your good deeds or the good deeds of someone else you know.

Reflections:

When a friend tells me something that's happened to her, do I have to recount a situation that's happened to me or someone else I know? Why not let her tell her story and just listen?

Do I need to set aside some time to be silent and practice listening?

What would I observe if I stepped outside my conversations and looked in? Would I see an encourager or someone who talks a lot about herself or others?

Power Verses:

James 1:19, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." (NIV)

1 Samuel 2:3, "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed."  (NIV) 

Jeremiah 9:24, "'But let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the LORD." (NIV)

                                               © 2010 by Shari Braendel. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

March 24, 2010

Tired of Waiting on God

Tracie Miles

"Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them." Genesis 25:26a (NIV)
       
Devotion:

Do you ever get tired of waiting on God to answer your prayers?  Recently, I began to feel a sense of frustration with the wait, and also a little bit tired.

Tired of saying the same old prayer day after day, month after month, year after year. Tired of telling God about the same old problems that were still going on.  Tired of hearing myself pray about the same old problems, leading me to wonder if God was as tired of hearing my prayer requests as I was of praying them.

So I bowed my head and admitted to God that I was simply tired of the wait.

In a heavy state of emotional tiredness, I turned to the crisp, white pages of my Bible. I was hoping God would illuminate a few verses that would jump out of the book and straight into my heart. 

I began reading about when Isaac's wife Rebekah gave birth to twin sons. One particular sentence caught my eye and I went back to read it again and again. My heart leapt as I realized God was using this one little sentence to speak hope into my spirit. He used His spiritual highlighter just as I had wanted.

Genesis 25:26 tells us that Isaac was sixty years old when his twins were born; a simple Bible fact, yet profoundly meaningful to me on this specific day.  You see, Isaac had been patient for the Lord to provide the perfect wife; he was forty years old when he married Rebekah. If you do the math you realize Isaac waited twenty years for Rebekah to bear him children!  He could have chosen a concubine to bear him a son.  But he was a man of great patience who waited on God. Eventually his patient faith was rewarded. 

Isaac never gave up hope that his Lord could make the impossible, possible. He had learned that his Lord would provide.  So he continued to pray the same desperate prayer for a son, day after day, month after month, year after year.  In fact, we learn in Genesis 25:21 that "Isaac pleaded with the Lord" (NLT), meaning he earnestly and strongly prayed about his problem. He did not half-heartedly ask God for a son, he pleaded! He begged. He poured his heart out.

I can envision Isaac passionately pleading to God throughout those twenty years, with out-stretched arms and a tear-stained face pressed against the hot, dirty soil, begging God to answer his prayer. 

Isaac was surely tired of the wait, but he never stopped praying or believing that his dreams could come true.  And in God's perfect timing, they did.

If you are tired of the wait, you may be pleading to God just like Isaac.  It may take twenty years for God to answer our prayers, or it may only take twenty minutes. But today, let us find comfort in remembering Isaac's patient faith and take hope in believing that God is not tired of hearing our prayers. Instead, He is simply waiting for the perfect time to answer. 

Dear Lord, please help me have patience and faith while I wait to hear from You.  Help me live in excited anticipation for the day when I will see how You answer my prayers.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Visit Tracie's blog for more encouragement about faith in the waiting

Reinventing Your Rainbow by Tracie Miles

What to Do in the W.A.I.T: Finding Contentment in God's Pauses and Plans (CD) by Wendy Pope

For more hope, read Scribbled on Dreams

Application Steps: 

Consider prayers that have not been answered, but which you have not prayed about lately. Ask God to give you a renewed hope about those desires and faithfully wait on His timing.

Reflections: 

Have I stopped praying about something because I've grown tired of waiting on God?

Power Verses:

Psalm 27:14, "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." (NIV)

Isaiah 40:31, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (KJV)

© 2010 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

March 25, 2010

Tough Relationships

Lysa TerKeurst

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)
       
Devotion:

Do you ever feel like relationships are hard to navigate sometimes?  Are you in the midst of trying to figure out a situation that's complicated, messy and unpredictable?

Sometimes I try so hard to figure out just the right words to say and talk through a situation.  While talking is good, sometimes the conversations start running in a circle and there aren't any productive words left to say.  When this happens it can make a girl feel like giving up. But before I give up, I've learned to hush up.

Spending some time getting quiet can really be the best remedy for tangled situations. Taking a step back from all the emotion, frustration, and exhaustion to sit quietly with Jesus will do more to untangle a mess than anything else I've ever found.

Here are five beautiful things that can happen in the quiet:

1. In the quiet, we can feel safe enough to humble ourselves.

In the heat of a mess, the last thing I want to do is get humble. I want to get loud and prove my point. I've learned I have to step out of the battle and humbly ask God to speak truth to my heart for things to start to make sense. Never have I had a relationship issue where I didn't contribute at least something to the problem. Usually, I can only see this something in the quiet.

1 Peter 5:6, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand..." (NIV)

2. In the quiet, God will lift us up to a more rational place.

When we are in the heat of a tangled mess, crazy emotions drag us down into a pit of hopelessness. The only way out of the pit is to make the choice to stop digging deeper and turn to God for a solution.

1 Peter 5:6 continued, "...that he may lift you up in due time." (NIV)

3. In the quiet, anxiety gives way to progress.

We can pour our anxious hearts out to Jesus who loves us right where we are, how we are. And because His love comes without judgment, we can feel safe enough to humbly admit we need Jesus to work on us. Trying to fix another person will only add to my anxiety. Letting Jesus work on me is where real progress can happen.

1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (NIV)

4. In the quiet, we see our real enemy isn't the person with whom we're in conflict.

This person with whom we're in this tangled mess feels like the enemy. They might even look like the enemy. But the truth is, they aren't the real culprit here. Satan's influence on both me and the person offending me is the real culprit. I can't realize this in the heat of the moment. But in the quiet, I become alert and can gain a strategy for acting and reacting in a more self-controlled manner.

1 Peter 5:8-9a, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith..." (NIV)

5. In the quiet, I can rest assured God will use this conflict for good- no matter how it turns out.

If I make the effort to handle this conflict well, I can be freed from the pressure to make everything turn out rosy. Sometimes relationships grow stronger through conflict. But other times relationships end. Because I can't control the other person, I must keep focusing on the good God is working out in me through this and leave the outcome with Him.

1 Peter 5:10-11, "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." (NIV)

In the end, this entire struggle can be used by God to make me stronger and more capable in my relationships.  If I am humble enough to receive from Him in the quiet what He wants to teach me through this, I can rest assured with whatever the outcome is.
                                                                                                                                                                         
Dear Lord, help me to stop trying to figure this situation out and just sit in the quiet with You for a while.  God humble me.  Help me see Your perspective.  Show me Your steps toward restoration.  Or show me Your steps toward a healthy parting.  Take my anxiety and replace it with Your peace, wisdom, and security. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Visit Lysa's blog for a list of Bible verses that are a must read for times of conflict!

Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKeurst. If you enjoyed this devotion, you'll love doing Lysa's new book, Bible study and DVD teaching series.  There's a whole section on relationships where you'll learn the cure for envy and other relationship killers.

What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa TerKeurst

Application Steps: 

How might applying the truths in this devotion help you today? Have you discovered anything else good that happens in the quiet? Let's talk about it on my blog today.

Reflections: 

One of the most crucial parts of this is to realize my real enemy isn't this person with whom I am having this conflict.  How does this help?  Keeping this in mind, write out a prayer for this person.  Sometimes praying for someone who I'm frustrated with softens my hearts and lets me see new possibilities for restoration.

Power Verses:

1 Peter 5:6, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand..." (NIV)

1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (NIV)

1 Peter 5:8-9a, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith..."  (NIV)

© 2010 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

March 26, 2010

Caution: Mind at Work

Luann Prater

"'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'" John 8:11 (NIV)
       
Devotion:

"Hey!  I want a do-over!" she screamed. The sun was clearly blinding her as she struck the volleyball with her fist to serve.  She didn't see the serve fly straight into the hands of the opposing team. It was interesting to watch the reaction of her teammates. Some agreed to offer her grace, others muttered, "Tough stuff! Too bad!" Middle school volleyball resembles a story that Jesus lived.

In the middle of an ordinary teaching day Jesus shared a revealing truth about our Savior.  The Pharisees interrupted His lesson by dragging in front of the crowd a woman who had been caught in adultery.

This woman had obvious, visible sin in her life.  She was caught red-handed.  It was easy for the lawgivers to snatch this life and display it before the crowd.  They had their motives for bursting onto the scene, but Jesus flipped their intentions upside down.

When these puffed up leaders asked Jesus if this woman should be stoned, "Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger" (vs. 6b, NIV).

Did you catch His reaction to the confrontation? Silence. His mind was at work, but His mouth was not.  We learn from scripture that Jesus asked His Father in heaven about every decision before moving forward. Why would this situation be any different?

We've probably all heard that pausing to count to ten before getting angry can diffuse an argument, but I want to park here a minute to see what Jesus did.

Jesus' agenda had just been altered by a bunch of self-righteous leaders. He was preparing to teach truth, and now He had the opportunity to live it. Instead of a quick response He hit the pause button while the Pharisees continued the barrage. Jesus was in no rush to respond.

As He bent down, I imagine Him offering up prayers. He saw that broken woman, He heard that accusing crowd, and yet His focus was on truth. The verse tells us He didn't just stand up, He straightened up. Jesus knew about body language before it was hip to study it. The power of this visual communication meant that He was about to say something that would pierce their hearts.

Many scholars have guessed Jesus was writing on the ground all of the sins of each of the accusers there.  His words, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her" (vs. 7, NIV), must have been the first glimpse of light this woman had seen in a long time.  Finally, someone saw value in her beyond the bedroom.

Can you imagine the flood of emotions filling her at that moment? She witnessed hope in the middle of her circumstance. Jesus then straightened up to speak to her.  He declared that He did not condemn her but she must leave her life of sin. She was given a do-over!

Have you ever wished for a do-over in life? I have. I've been that woman who had no hope. I'm a witness: Jesus is the master of second chances. Throughout the Bible He not only raised the physically dead, He resurrected the spiritually and emotionally dead as well. 

Romans 3:10 tells us, "There is no one righteous, not even one" (NIV). Jesus wants you to see that you are not alone. If you look around and think that everyone else has it all together, this story is for you.  No one is righteous, not even one!  Everyone has their sins, some are just more visible than others.  But Jesus knows your heart.  He knows your struggles.  He sees what plagues your life.

Where are you in this story?  Are you the adulterous woman looking for hope?  Are you the leader looking to condemn?  Are you part of the crowd standing silently in the background?  There was only One in this story without sin and He offered grace.

Jesus gave us the perfect example of how to live the truth.  Quietly seek the Father's guidance. Think before we speak. Then straighten up and live redeemed.

He has come to give you a second chance; a do-over. Will you listen to His voice?
                                                                                                                                     
Dear Jesus, I need a do-over in my life!  My sin may be hidden from others, but it is so obvious to You.  I'm listening to Your Voice.  Will You cleanse me and teach me to straighten up and live redeemed? In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know this Redeemer?

Visit with Luann at Encouragement Café!

Confessions of an Adulterous Woman: Lies that Got Me There, Truths that Brought Me Back by Lyndell Hetrick Holtz
A Perfect Mess: Why You Don't Have to Worry About Being Good Enough for God by Lisa Harper
Application Steps: 

Kneel down in prayer and ask God to forgive every sin in your life.  As you stand,  straighten up to experience the symbolism of the new redeemed life you are about to live!

Reflections: 

What sin is hiding in my heart?

Do I offer grace to others?

Am I willing to listen to His Voice and live redeemed?

Power Verses:

John 1:16 "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another." (NIV)

Psalm 71:23 "My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed." (NIV)

© 2010 by Luann Prater. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org

 

[Judy Harder]

March 29, 2010

Backwards Bumper-Stickers

Karen Ehman

"But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.'"

I Samuel 16:7 (ESV)

Devotion:

Yesterday, when I was finished running—okay, so it was more of a slow trot—anyway, as I was leaving the gym where I work out, I ran into an old friend. She is a woman who attended the church where my husband was on staff twenty years ago when we were first married. She was raising her kids when he was the youth pastor and she saw us begin our family with the birth of our daughter Mackenzie, who is soon to turn 19.

Naturally, the conversation turned to where her children are now—marriage, kids, careers, location, etc. She asked what the future held for our three kids. Where would they go to college? What career path would they choose? She has offspring who all ended up in high-paying, prestigious careers, including one who is a prominent surgeon.

That afternoon encounter made me think about what we say 'success' is, especially when it comes to our sons and daughters. Is it having kids who grow up to do a job that society deems important? How do we measure success in our kids when they are still young and in our homes? Is it by having ones who are outwardly obedient, saying 'yes ma'am' and 'no sir' and 'pleased to meet you' on cue?

The more seasoned I become as a mom, the more I find this to be true: obedience, while it manifests itself in outward actions, begins in the heart. While I want to teach my kids to behave—sometimes not an easy lesson to instill—more importantly, I want to teach them to have their hearts right with God.

I used to want kids who did no wrong. Now, I have a different goal. When they do do wrong—as all kids and adults sometimes do—I want them to correct it rather than hide it. To be sensitive to the times they hurt someone's feelings or disobey God and His wishes. Then to listen to the Spirit's prompting, admit their fault, and right the wrong. I want the very same thing for myself.

As today's verse asserts, so often we humans look at what we can see on the outside—beauty, talents, smarts and such. God sees straight to the heart—motives, intent and character. His measuring stick is far more accurate and important than ours. So many spend countless hours and dollars perfecting the former while completely ignoring the latter. God's Word to us is clear. Who we are inside is really who we are.

One year, our daughter proudly brought home a bumper sticker we could display on our aging mini-van. Having completed seven years of scripture memory at our church's children's program, her sticker read, "My child earned a Timothy Award in AWANA." She had worked diligently and were we ever proud of her!

However, her younger siblings did not have the same knack for memorization nor the academic leanings she had. They too plugged away at their verses and assignments in the same program but just couldn't quite finish all the requirements for earning that high award and its accompanying bumper sticker.

It made me think, should we only be proud of outward skills and academic outcomes? Perhaps we should be just as pleased with character qualities and whole-hearted attempts that, on the outside, seem to fall short. Maybe we should be just as thrilled to display the following bumper sticker prominently on our family vehicle:

"Proud parent of a kid who nearly flunked math,

but whose heart is tender toward the Lord."

Dear Lord, help me strive to please You most with my inward self—my motives, intent and character— and to model for those in my life the importance of doing just that. I want who I am at the core to accurately reflect who You are to the world. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

For more on this topic and a chance to enter an "Inward Beauty" giveaway, visit Karen's blog

A Life that Says Welcome by Karen Ehman

Do You Know Him?

Mining for Gold in the Heart of Your Child Character Chart by Renee Swope

You Are Special by Max Lucado
Application Steps:

Name two or three people whom you feel display truly beautiful character. What about their personality makes them stand out?

Reflections: 

What inward, God-honoring qualities do you most wish you possessed?

Patience? Peace? Self-control? Kindness? Faith? Perseverance?  Pick one. Then, search BibleGateway for verses about this quality to memorize.

Power Verses:

I Peter 3:3-4, "Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." (ESV)

© 2010 by Karen Ehman. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

March 30, 2010

Here is the Way

Lynn Cowell

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Devotion:

Should we say yes? It is seems like such a great opportunity. Besides, we deserve it, don't we? I mean, we never do anything for ourselves ...

Once again, my mind is swirling with the pros and cons of the decision my husband and I face. I hear the things my mind is telling me...or is that my heart? Whether it is my mind or my heart, the real question is should I listen to it? Can I trust it?

Like most of you, I have been at this place before. The places of crossroads where choices are clear, but direction is not. The columns of "good" and "bad" on the paper don't seem to give us the answer we need. That is how logical people make decisions, isn't it? But it isn't working; so which way do we go?

My friend was recently running before sun-up. She was alone as her partner had run on ahead. She came across a patch of sidewalk where there were no street lights. It was dark and hard to see where to go ahead, and she began to feel afraid. "Lord, You are going to have to help me." she prayed. Then a car approached from behind, casting light onto her path. The closer it got, the clearer she could see. She sensed the Lord wanted her to know that just as He was with her when she was running, so in life He is behind her, shining light on her path and protecting her back.

Our key verse in Isaiah causes me to reflect on the whole decision-making process when trying to discern the right path. "...Your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'"  But what about the voice we frequently hear, saying, "Follow your heart, it will never steer you wrong!" That voice is the voice from within, not the voice from behind.

Maybe some of you grew up memorizing verses like I did. Back then, so many of the verses didn't make sense to me.  One in particular was Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (NIV). That seemed like a depressing verse! Yet now as an adult I am finally beginning to unpack the wisdom.

You see, we can't in fact follow our heart. Our heart can't be trusted. Our heart will lie to us and tell us things we want to hear instead of the truth we need to hear. It will convince us that what we want is the right way, even if that way is not God's way. I know; I've listened to it before.

When we find ourselves at the crossroads, the first place to turn is God's Word. So many of the questions we ask can be answered there if we are willing to hear the wisdom the Bible provides.

Open our ears, Lord, so we can hear Your voice behind us!

Dear Lord, I've grown so used to trusting my heart. In fact, it is all I've known to do most times. Please help me discern Your voice behind me and give me the discipline to read the wisdom You have already provided in Your Word.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley
What Happens When Women Walk in Faith by Lysa TerKeurst
Visit Lynn's blog

Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer
Check out our radio program, Listening to God, for more encouragement
Application Steps: 

Are there decisions in your life you are in the process of making and haven't yet consulted the Lord? Take some time to talk with Him and use a concordance or BibleGateway to study and see what the Bible has to say about your delimma.

Ask another person who is further along in their faith if they are aware of any verses that have to do with the decision you need to make. 

Reflections:

Have you made some decisions in the past you regret? Try to identify the emotion or motivation behind that decision.

What types of questions could you ask yourself in the future to help you prevent making the wrong decision? Some might be: Does this pathway glorify God? Would I be comfortable sharing this decision with others such as my parents, my children or my spouse? Will this decision take me in the direction I want to go?

Power Verses:

1 Kings 22:5, "But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, 'First seek the counsel of the LORD.'" (NIV) 

Psalm 119:24, "Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors."(NIV)

© 2010 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

March 31, 2010

The Satisfaction of the Cross

Rachel Olsen

"When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied."

Isaiah 53:11a (NLT)
       
Devotion:

Approximately 600 years before Jesus was sentenced to the cross, the prophet Isaiah foretold of the event. Invite Isaiah's ancient words of prophecy to penetrate your soul today, and prepare your heart for Easter: 

"See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. Many were amazed when they saw him beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person. And he will again startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not previously been told about; they will understand what they had not heard about.

Who has believed our message? To whom will the Lord reveal his saving power? My servant grew up in the Lord's presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins that he was suffering their punishment? He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave.

But it was the Lord's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord's plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners." Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 (NLT)

Approximately 2,000 years after Jesus died on the cross, the passion of our Christ is still the power and path of God to salvation. Jesus' suffering accomplished righteousness for us—and through it both He and we are satisfied.
                                                                                                                                                                       
Dear Lord, may I realize afresh today what Your death and resurrection mean for me. Forgiveness ... Freedom ... And the ability to walk with You through this fallen world into eternity. May I always find my satisfaction in You and Your willingness to offer Yourself to me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know The Christ?

Visit Rachel at her blog and join her in celebrating life in Jesus Christ.

God's Purpose for Every Woman: A P31 Devotional Gen Editors: Lysa TerKeurst & Rachel Olsen, contributions by various members of the Proverbs 31 team.

My First Story of Easter by Tim Dowley

Application Steps: 

Take satisfaction in the love and power of God today - it is given for, and directed at you!

Reflections: 

What sins do I need to confess and release under the power of the cross?

Am I walking in the freedom Christ accomplished for me?

Power Verses:

Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (ESV) 

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence." (GWT)

© 2010 by Rachel Olsen. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

April 1, 2010

Life Springs Anew

Colleen Reske, She Speaks! Graduate

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"  2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
       
Devotion:

I see purple buds! The first crocuses are up! Within a day or two, the gentle little flowers emerge, oblivious to the fact that several inches of snow are forecast for later in the day.

Springtime in the upper Midwest is a very welcome guest. Its arrival is long awaited and much anticipated. We spend the long winter months navigating snow-covered frozen ground, wary of nearly invisible "black" ice and the potential to lose control of our legs or vehicles at any given time. As winter progresses, we watch the pristine white snow turn dingy along the roadways, and mountains of the dirty stuff are thrust up in parking lots, eliminating parking spaces. At times, the longing to see green again becomes almost overwhelming.

We would lose all hope, except for one truth that we know to be real. Under the frozen blanket of winter snow, the earth is only asleep. Soon, the snow will begin to melt, and the rivers and creeks will flow again. The geese, and then the cranes, will come back to the marsh as it thaws. Slowly, signs of life return as the natural world gradually awakens to the light of an ever-warming sun.

Knowing springtime and Easter are intertwined always lifts my heart. Just as the earth is coming back to life, we celebrate the resurrection of our Risen Christ. The earth seems to die during months of freezing temperatures and bone-chilling winds. However, we know the truth: the greenness of the earth will return. And so we wait, resting in the knowledge that springtime always follows the winter.

It is the promise that life will return which we celebrate through the Easter season. The parallels are apparent as we mourn our Savior's brutal death. Three days later we share in joyous celebration at the wonder and promise of the empty tomb and Jesus' resurrection from the dead.

This promise of life returning to us means we are Easter people. We can live the resurrection story at any time in our lives. We are constantly dying little deaths; in our relationships, our grief, and our personal journey carrying our own cross. But there is always the hope of our resurrection, and this can only come through knowing our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6, NIV). 

The only way to know peace is to know the truth of our existence. We were made to love God, and to use the gifts He has given us to honor and please Him and to further His Kingdom here on Earth. He has given us the gift of abundant life, if we will only live our lives for Him.

I praise God for Jesus, giver of life everlasting. And I praise God for springtime, for it is the reminder of the promise that all things can be made new in Him, who gives us life.

Dear Lord, thank You for Jesus, Your ever-present reminder of our opportunity to know new life. Through the gift of Your Son, we can know You and know Your peace amidst the chaos in our lives. Lord, show us Your ways. For it is only when we surrender our will to Yours that we are able to follow the path that You have laid out before us; the pathway that leads to peace and a closer relationship with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

She Speaks! Conference

i am not, but i know I AM by Louie Giglio
Share this good news with your kids through My First Story of Easter by Tim Dowley
Are you walking in the freedom Christ accomplished for you? Read more at The Satisfaction of the Cross
P31 Woman magazine
Application Steps: 

Do you have something on your heart that needs to be surrendered to God: A loved one in need of God's presence? A relationship in need of His direction?  An important decision in your life? Trust Him to provide you with the hope and direction you need.

Reflections: 

Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt that you were given a second chance? Can you see God's grace in this season of your life?

Do you long for the hope that can only come from God's promises for us?  There are 159 references to "hope" in the Bible, with 31 in the Psalms alone. Go to God's Word to find the hope you need.

Power Verses:

Psalm 25:4-5, "Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God and Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (NIV)

John 14:6, "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (NIV)

© 2010 Colleen Reske. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

 April 2, 2010

Victory is on the Other Side of Failure

Glynnis Whitwer

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.'"

Matthew 28:5-6a (NIV)

Devotion:

Told by a teacher he was too stupid to learn: Thomas Edison

Fired from his job at a newspaper because he didn't have good ideas: Walt Disney

A music teacher told him he had no hope as a composer: Beethoven

Falsely accused, arrested, killed: Jesus Christ

The disciples of Jesus must have been shattered that Friday.  For three years they followed the man from Nazareth.  They watched Him heal the sick, restore sight to the blind, and even raise people from the dead.  When Jesus said, "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness" (John 12:46, NAS), they got it.  Darkness enveloped the hearts of their countrymen.   They needed a "Light."

Twelve ordinary men abandoned everything to follow Jesus: jobs, family, and homes.  Not with regret, but with hope.  Hope for the promise Jesus offered.  Look where it got them that Friday.  Good Friday, we call it now.  But it was anything but good to them.  Jesus was dead - they'd witnessed the crucifixion.  Only 11 now, they must have gathered that night after scattering throughout the city.  Other followers joined them to mourn the death of the man they loved, and the death of the hope He offered.

On Saturday, they still gathered.  No one left - though they could have.  They could have packed up their things and put this failed adventure behind them.  Back to fishing, back to family, back to normal.  But no one left.  In spite of what appeared to be complete failure of this new kingdom, everyone stayed.  Faithful. 

Saturday inched forward to noon, dusk, and then evening.  The beauty of the night sky didn't ease their pain.  Perhaps they reminisced some. In hindsight, Jesus wasn't really what they were expecting.  When the prophets of old foretold a king would come to rescue them, they figured it would be someone imposing, with power, maybe with chariots to whip their enemies into submission.  Some took longer than others to readjust their expectations.  But when God opened their eyes to the beauty of His plan, they bought into it with their lives. 

I'm sure troubled thoughts stole their sleep that Saturday night.  Finally, in complete exhaustion their tired bodies overtook their worried minds.  Sunday morning dawned.  I imagine some woke up hoping it was all a bad dream.  Then reality settled in, like heavy summer storm clouds.  Jesus was still dead.

Two women got ready first and went to the tomb.  Expecting to find the body of their beloved Savior, God treated them instead to a display of His power.  With a violent earthquake shaking the ground, an angel of the Lord came from heaven, rolled back the stone covering the tomb and sat down on the rock.  Hello!

The angel looked at the women, and spoke words that transformed them from hopeless to hope-filled: "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.  Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee" (Matthew 28:5-7a, NIV).

Can you even imagine the celebration?  It had only looked like failure.  Instead, it was glorious victory!  Hope wasn't dead.  Jesus was alive!  The disciples learned a lesson they would never forget:  When God is involved, things aren't always what they seem.

Today we see problems and failures with the same eyes as the disciples.  Even knowing that God is able to do things beyond what we can imagine, when we look at a "failure," we often only see an ending.  God, however, sees an opportunity for a new beginning.  As we celebrate Easter, may that truth nestle itself into our heart.  With God all things are possible.  He is risen!

Dear Lord, my heart is filled with thanksgiving and praise for You.  How can I begin to thank You for sending Jesus, and for His sacrifice for me? Thank You also for the lesson that nothing is too big for You.  Help me remember that truth when I'm facing what looks like failure. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

This devotion is adapted from a chapter on helping your children deal with failure in Glynnis' book, When Your Child is Hurting

Do You Know Him?

Visit Glynnis' blog - Welcome Home...Where Your Heart Longs to be! 

The Character of God: Understanding His Heart for Us by Brian T. Anderson & Glynnis Whitwer

For more on the love of Christ, read The Most Beautiful Scars

Application Steps: 

Have you had any "failures" in your life?  Pick one that sticks out to you.  Identify how God used that situation to open another door in your life, or redirect your path to something better.  Then thank Him for His goodness. 

Reflections: 

From God's perspective, what is true failure?

When you have failed in the past, what have people done or said that was most helpful to you at that time?

Power Verses:

Luke 18:27, "Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.'" (NIV)

Isaiah 40:31, "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (NIV)

© 2010 by Glynnis Whitwer. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

April 5, 2010

Finding God at the Bottom of a Bottle

Christa Allan, She Reads Featured Author

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. "   

Romans 8:38 (NLT)
       
Devotion:

When I heard that God can meet us where we are, I didn't know that meant He would plow His way through the empty bottles of alcohol and beer cans that littered my life.  Mind you, even had I known, I was not at a point in my life where I would have tidied up the place for Him.  Drinking and good housekeeping were mutually exclusive. Sobriety and God seemed virtually impossible.

Being an alcoholic was never on my list of things I wanted to be when I grew up. Neither was being short, but I didn't escape either one of those.  Now, with the perspective of over twenty years of living sober, I realize I drank like an alcoholic from the time I started, which was while I was in high school.  If a place between sober and drunk existed, it never showed up on my radar. Growing up in New Orleans, the city where if you're not experiencing a hurricane, you're drinking one of the colorful rum drinks with the same name at Pat O'Brien's, any occasion could justify a celebratory toast. Birthdays, holidays, Tuesdays ...

For most of my adult life, God and I met at family reunions - Easter and Christmas. I didn't make an effort to exclude Him from my life; I just didn't bother to include Him.  Drinking eased my pain and elevated my happiness. Why would I need or miss God? I didn't. At least not until, like my character Leah in my novel Walking on Broken Glass, I experienced something so unexpected and painful, that no amount of drinking filled the void. For Leah, it was the death of her child. For me, it was when one of my twin girls was born with Down Syndrome.  And, like Leah, I lashed out at God. Dared Him to heal my child. Pummeled Him with anger. Then ignored Him for years.

But none of it—not my drinking, not my raging, not my rejecting—separated me from God's love. He used my weakness to demonstrate His strength. Over the past twenty years, I've come to realize that we all have strongholds, areas in our lives that prevent us from having a full relationship with God. Things that, even though we know they're wrong, we hold on to so tightly, we can't reach out to grab God's hands. Alcohol, gambling, food, drugs, shopping, pornography, power, gossip, status, anger, self-pity.  Until we unclench our hands and let them go, these strongholds will control us.

Ultimately, God didn't heal my daughter; instead, through her, He healed me. And to prove His never-ending pursuit of me, He brought me into a relationship with Him through a recovery program as I reached the end of myself, laid down my stronghold, and took hold of His hand.

He can deliver you too.  Are you ready to put down your "bottle," whatever that may be today, and reach for His hand?

Dear Lord, give me the strength to be weak so I can release anything that prevents me from seeing how deeply You love me. Open the eyes of my heart so You can reach me wherever I may be, to take me wherever I need to go. Remind me that it's only when I rest in Your promises that I can wage war to defeat the enemy. Thank You, Lord, for never giving up on me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

Visit P31's website, SheReads, for great Christian fiction and enter to win a copy of Christa Allan's new novel Walking on Broken Glass. The grand prize winner will receive a copy of Christa's novel along with a New Orleans Sweet Treats Gift Basket from Cajun Creations.  A second place winner will receive a copy of Walking on Broken Glass.

Walking on Broken Glass novel by Christa Allan

Shaped with Purpose Workbook and accompanying CD by Renee Swope
Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps by Leigh McLeroy
Application Steps: 

Often, it's when the pain of holding on to the stronghold is greater than the fear of releasing it, that people turn to God. If you or someone you know is struggling with submission, ask God for the courage to enter the battle and the faithful persistence to win the war.

Keep a weekly or monthly journal that is a personal inventory of areas in your life where you identify thoughts or habits that reflect trusting in yourself more than in God. Find scripture passages that will arm you, praying with faith and persistence that God's promises will defeat Satan's lies.

Reflections: 

Do you have a stronghold that has built a wall between you and God or one that is preventing you from experiencing a full relationship in your walk with Him? How can you use this awareness to draw closer to God?

What may have to change in your life, in your relationships, or in your thinking for this stronghold to be overcome? How can your victory in overcoming be used to glorify God?

Power Verses:

2 Corinthians 10:3-5, "We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ." (NLT)

2 Samuel 22:33, "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." (NIV)

Psalms 103:2-4, "Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies." (NLT)

© 2010 by Christa Allan. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org