Encouragement for Today

[Judy Harder]

October 28, 2011

A Divine Interruption
Wendy Blight


"The word of the LORD came to Jonah...." Jonah 1:1 (NIV)

I couldn't wait to spend the whole afternoon alone. My husband was mountain biking and both of our children had plans for the day. All I could think of was the fact I would spend hours by myself...no one asking for anything...no one needing me. It was going to be a glorious day!

But then it happened. My daughter came bursting through the door saying she forgot she had a project due the next day. She needed me to take her here and rush there to purchase items she needed to complete it. Soon it became our project.

Frustration rose up within me with every step of the way. My words were few and short. I was clearly irritated and did not hesitate showing it. She was interrupting my plans.

Jonah experienced an unwelcome interruption, too. Jonah was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He was popular, successful, and highly respected. Then one day it happened. "The word of the LORD came to Jonah."(Jonah 1:1 NIV) and God interrupted his life of comfort with a command to leave his beloved country and people to preach—not to God's people—but to one of their most hated enemies.

God's call would take Jonah's life down a completely different path than the life he currently enjoyed. Jonah felt angry and frustrated...the same way I did when my daughter came bursting into the house...the same way we all do when an interruption disrupts our lives whether it be an adult child coming back home to live, an unexpected pregnancy, a job loss, a startling diagnosis or an unforeseen move.

Jonah was frustrated to such an extreme that he not only disobeyed God's instruction, he ran in the opposite direction to get as far away from God as he could.

If only Jonah could have seen the end of the story. He would have seen that this "divine" interruption was an invitation to participate in one of the more miraculous events in history, an opportunity to be part of God's eternal plan for His Kingdom.

Eventually Jonah obeyed, and God used him to bring about the revival of an entire nation of people. Jonah spoke only eight words, "Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed" (Jonah 3:4 NLT), and within 24 hours the people of Nineveh repented and turned from their wickedness! Some scholars believe this to be the greatest revival in human history.

Jonah's story helps me redefine "interruptions." In fact, it has made me examine every interruption to see if God's hand is in it...if there is something divine in which He is inviting me to partake.

Just a few weeks ago, we took our daughter to college. I would give anything to have that divine interruption back...to have an entire afternoon to shop with her and spend time working on a project together.

How might Jonah's story help you see the interruptions in your life differently? Join me today in trusting God with His plan, accepting His divine invitation to experience Him and be part of His plans in ways you may not expect. Will you yield your plan for His today?

Heavenly Father, thank You that You have a plan for my life...a plan to prosper and not to harm me...a plan to give me hope and a future. Thank You that You allow divine interruptions in my life to draw me back into that plan if I ever wonder away or get too comfortable with where I am. Please give me eyes to see and a heart to respond to each and every divine interruption. Enable me through the power of Your Holy Spirit to obey. Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Jesus?

Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner: The Transforming Power of God's Story by Wendy Blight

All Things Wise and Wonderful: Applying God's Wisdom in Everyday Life (E-Book) by Wendy Blight

Visit Wendy's blog to learn more about her online Bible study on the book of Hebrews.

When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, your purchase supports many areas of ministry we provide at no cost. Therefore, we are extremely grateful for each and every purchase you make with us!

Application Steps:
Is there a divine interruption in your life God is using to bring you into His plan? How will you respond?

Reflections:
Read the book of Jonah (only four chapters) and discover how God brought Jonah back on track with His plan.

Power Verses:
Jeremiah 29:11, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (NIV)

Jonah 3:4-5, "Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city, proclaiming, 'Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.' The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth." (NIV)

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

© 2011 by Wendy Blight. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

October 31, 2011

A Time to Pray
Rachel Olsen


"Never stop praying." 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)

GUILT. Many Christians I talk to equate this word with their prayer life, and I can relate.

I used to feel guilty. People would ask me to pray, or I would volunteer to when I heard they were going through something difficult. With a heart of compassion, I'd reply, "Oh, I'll pray for you!" And I fully intended to. But then I'd forget ... get busy ... say that to five other people ... and often never get around to doing it despite my good intentions.

I'd put off praying in the moment, in favor of waiting until I had a big chunk of time. Then life would happen and that chunk of time wouldn't materialize. By the time I carved some out, I couldn't remember all I'd intended to pray about.

One perception I had was that I needed to spend a lot of time in prayer in order to do it "right." I thought short prayers wouldn't have much power or impact. Then I noticed something that shifted my thinking. In Matthew 6, Jesus is teaching about prayer. He says, "When you pray, don't talk on and on as people do who don't know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask" (Matthew 6:7-8, CEV).

Wow, so I don't have to talk for hours, coming up with eloquent ways to phrase my petitions? It was freeing to see this coming from Jesus' own lips.

That was followed by another ah-ha moment. In the next verse, Jesus said: "You should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven. Give us our food for today. Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others. Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil" (Matthew 6:9-13, CEV). This is often called "The Lord's Prayer."

Pause, look at the clock, and recite the Lord's Prayer aloud. Check the clock again. How long did that take? This was Jesus' illustration of how to pray—what does that tell us about feeling we need to pray l-o-n-g prayers to be effective?

Hear me on this, there are needs that call for extended time in prayer (see Jesus' time in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:36-46 for instance). But many things can be prayed for in short prayers as we move throughout our day.

Now, when a friend sends me an email with a troubled story, I rarely respond by saying, "I will pray for you." Instead, I pause and pray for her, and then I reply, "I have prayed for you." If someone calls me, or tells me in person about their prayer need, more often than not I'll offer to pray with them right then.

If I encounter a reason to pray while reading the newspaper or scripture, I do it in the moment. My aim is not to be lengthy and elaborate with these prayers, but rather to do it while my mind is on it.

If I feel the need to pray for someone repeatedly over time, I follow through with my carefully considered plan as I've gotten intentional about prayer. Deciding several years ago to pray short, in the moment prayers, was key for me. It's a doable way of "praying continually" and it helped relieve feelings of failure, pressure and guilt.

Most importantly, this ensures that people's needs are in fact being prayed for—which is the ultimate goal, right?

As I read the Bible, I see instructions to pray frequently, to pray with faith and persistence, and to pray over all our cares and concerns. But I do not see that we must talk for hours over each request for God to hear them.

I hope that does for you what it did for me—replaces feelings of guilt with a renewed passion to pray.

Dear Lord, help me to pray frequently and persistently with faith, in accordance with Your will. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

Did it help you today to learn this "divine secret" to an effective prayer life? If so, you'll want to check out more divine secrets for Christian living in Rachel's book It's No Secret: Revealing Divine Truths Every Woman Should Know.

Come leave a prayer request at Rachel's blog today.

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!

Application Steps:
Purpose to pray in-the-moment-prayers today.

Reflections:
Is prayer a regular part of my day, or something I "save up" for later?

Power Verses:
Psalm 66:20, "Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me." (NLT)

© 2011 by Rachel Olsen. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

November 1, 2011

Where the Heart Is
Susan Meissner
She Reads Featured Author


"He has planted eternity in the human heart ..." Ecclesiastes 3:11b (NLT)

A while back, my young adult son took a trip to visit friends in the state where we used to live. He stopped by the house that had been ours for all of his childhood. And, he felt compelled to knock on the front door and introduce himself to the strangers who now own it.

When he said he had grown up in that house, the wife didn't hesitate to open the door wide and invite him in. She knew that in our hearts we often feel toward our houses what we might feel for a trusted ally, a kind friend or maybe even a silent witness to our pain.

My latest character Marielle Bishop understands this. In my new novel A Sound Among the Trees, new bride Marielle takes up residence in an old house with a storied past. She just isn't sure that this place can be a safe haven for her heart.

We are wired to feel a tug toward that one special place we feel safe, wanted and cared for. Our hearts are restless when we're far from home, or our home is taken from us, or when discord disrupts the tranquility of that place.

So what's a girl to do when she doesn't feel at home? We need to remember that Christ is at home in her. So in a sense, we take our eternal home with us wherever we go. Wherever we are, we can feel safe, wanted and cared for by Christ who dwells inside every believer.

When the Israelites were waiting for God to lead them to their new home in the Promised Land, He had them build a tabernacle for His presence to dwell right there where they were, wherever that was on their journey.

We don't use the word "tabernacle" much these days but if you were to look at its Hebrew roots you would see that it comes from the same word as "dwell" and "abide" and "settle down." When God brings His presence right to where we are, He is "tabernacling" with us.

The Lord God Almighty settles down inside us. His Spirit lives in us. Our heart becomes His Holy tabernacle and He is at home in us. Isn't that a thrilling, mind-bending concept?

The Bible tells us God has "set eternity in our hearts" which means He has made us hungry for His heavenly embrace. The affection we have for our earthly houses stems from this smoldering ember of our longing for Him as our eternal home.

There's no place like home. It's why we like everyone to be home for the holidays and home before dark and why we just want to go home when we're having a bad day. Home is where our hearts are at rest. And our hearts can always be at rest in Him.

Whether your earthly home is as near as your next breath or too far away to be seen today, know that God has promised to tabernacle with you! He dwells with you. You are His earthly address. And in Him, you are home.

Dear Lord, help me today to find all my joy in knowing You are my forever dwelling place and that I am at home in You because You are at home in me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Have You Made God Your Dwelling Place?

A house with a turbulent Civil War history becomes home to a new bride and stepmother in a richly absorbing tale of a line of women living in patterns of regret. Visit She Reads to learn more about Susan Meissner and her new novel A Sound Beneath the Trees. Also, enter to win a Civil War era styled quilted table runner, or a southern caramel cake along with the novel.

Application Steps:
Are you feeling "homesick" today? Do you wish you could go back to a simpler time or place? Make a list of ten things you are grateful for that do not change simply because your address changes. Start the list with: 1) God lovingly lives in me.

Visit a nursing home in your area today. Find out if there is a resident there who rarely gets visitors. Ask that resident to tell you about the home where they grew up and before you leave, ask if you can read them Psalm 91.

Reflections:
Regrets keep us focused on the parts of our past that God wants us to move forward from. Are you holding onto an old "dwelling place" where God's peace is not present?

Power Verses:
Ezekiel 37:26-27, "I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people." (NIV)

I Corinthians 3:16, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?" (NIV)

© 2011 by Susan Meissner. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

November 2, 2011

What I Don't Believe
Glynnis Whitwer


"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22 (NIV)

Every parent knows the frustration of warning a child against something ... only to have him walk right into trouble, and suffer the consequences. "I told you so" doesn't bring as much pleasure as we might have thought.

When my first son started driving, he decided that speed "limits" were speed "suggestions." Friends told him just how far above the posted limits he could drive without getting a ticket, and he nudged past that. The police, however, have a different view of the rules. And my son learned that the cost of speeding isn't worth the few minutes gained or the momentary adrenaline rush.

My son deceived himself. He talked himself into believing the rules didn't apply to him. And for awhile he got away with it. But eventually the consequences caught up with him.

I'm not much different. I've been guilty of doing the same thing, only not with traffic rules. I've read Scripture and decided parts of God's Word didn't apply to me. I could not have been more wrong.

Growing up, I attended church faithfully and was taught from the Bible. But there were bits and pieces I ignored because they didn't seem relevant. Like honoring and submitting to my husband (Colossians 3:18). Or really forgiving someone who had offended me (Matthew 6:14-15). Or staying away from horoscopes (Isaiah 47:12-14).

It's not that I stomped my foot and demanded my own way. I simply ignored God's teaching, and quietly went about creating a faith based on my opinions and beliefs. Basically I created Christianity according to Glynnis.

Isn't it tempting to define God by our own understanding? It's so easy to say, "God would never ..." and then fill in the blank with how we think He should behave. Instead of checking that belief against the entire counsel of Scripture, we create a very safe and non-threatening God. We bring God down to our level, and forget His holiness.

James 1:22 says we deceive ourselves when we hear but don't obey God's Word. I don't know about you, but I don't like to be deceived — even by myself.

So what changed for me? I got honest and admitted this tendency to go my own way. I confessed that I didn't fully trust God's wisdom. Then I decided to accept God the way He is. It was a simple (not always easy) decision to trust that God's character is perfect, that His ways (not mine) are really best for me.

Choosing what I don't want to believe is dangerous. I might not get a ticket, but it has opened doors of consequences that took years to live through. But choosing Whom to believe is the wisest thing I've ever done.

Dear Lord, You are perfect and holy in all Your ways. Forgive me when I try to put You in a box, or make You into who I think You should be. Help me to accept that I won't understand everything this side of heaven, and that I should just trust You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Are you ready to stop doing life on your terms? If so, you can make a decision today follow God. Click here for more: Do You Know Him?

Did Glynnis' comment about horoscopes surprise you? To hear why Glynnis stays away from astrology, visit her blog.

For help on finding more order and peace in your life God's way, check out Glynnis' newest book, I Used to Be So Organized.

When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, your purchase supports the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide at no cost. We 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!

Application Steps:
Identify one question you've had about the Bible, and commit this week to researching it. An easy way is to visit Biblegateway.com and do a search for a specific topic.

Reflections:
Our culture wants us to believe truth is relative. Can I identify one of God's truths that has commonly been denied?

How have I personally benefited by believing and obeying some of God's hard truths?

Power Verses:
2 Timothy 4:3, "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." (NIV)

1 Corinthians 2:3-5, "I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power." (NIV)

© 2011 by Glynnis Whitwer. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

November 3, 2011

The Need to Know
Lysa TerKeurst


"Then Peter said, 'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.'" Acts 3:6 (NIV)

I have a friend who is hurting. Life as she knew it has suddenly tipped over into a raging river of chaos and confusion. She can barely come up for air before another current rips her under.

If ever there was a drowning with no water involved, this is where my friend is.

Maybe you have a hurting friend too.

Yesterday, I sat down to write my friend a card and send her a little gift. I desperately wanted to love her through my words. My heart was full of care, compassion and a strong desire to encourage but I struggled to translate all I felt on paper.

As I prayed about it, the word "value" kept coming to mind.

Remind her she is valuable.

Remind her how much you respect her.

Remind her she is a woman who has so much to offer.

In Acts 3, Peter and John encounter a crippled man at the temple gate called beautiful. They stopped. They noticed. They decided to touch. Riches weren't available to them, but the ability to value was.

"'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, walk.' Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up..." (Acts 3:6-7).

Peter and John didn't have silver but they had a hand to offer and they had value to give. The man in need was worth touching. The man in need just needed someone to give him a hand and help him up. After he got up, he went into the temple courts praising God and stirring up wonder and amazement about God.

The man who'd been in need became the man who had so much to give.

I want my friend to know she too can get up. She too can stir up amazement and wonder about our God.

Yes, she is valuable.

And so with imperfect words on a simple card, I wrote. "I just think you need to know you are so very valuable. I respect you and love you. Thank you for being you."

Who might need a card like this from you today? Why not stop right now before the moment slips away...

Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me how to love others. Help me to be Your hands and feet today. Give me Your heart so I can see who else in my path today needs some encouragement. For when I reach out, You reach in ... into my heart and bless me so. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
For a list of 10 wonderfully encouraging Bible verses to write in your note to your friend, click here.

Lysa will be speaking in more than 40 cities this year. Click here to see her schedule. She would be honored to meet you.

If you enjoy Lysa's devotions, be sure to sign up for notes of encouragement she sends out from her blog by clicking here. They are free and great for passing along to friends.

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!

Application Steps:
Who can you encourage today with a simple gift of handwritten words? We are all precious in His sight. Someone in your life needs to hear that today.

Reflections:
I want my friend to remember she too can get up. She too can stir up amazement and wonder about our God.

Power Verses:
Psalm 94:19, "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul." (NIV 1984)

Psalm 139:14, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (NIV 1984)

© 2011 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

 November 4, 2011

Letter of Love
T. Suzanne Eller


"And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, Abba, Father." Galatians 4:6 (NLT)

I have only scraps now. Words penned on paper when I was a teen. I was a new Christian, trying to live my faith in a house of chaos. My mom was broken. My dad hid behind a newspaper, calling out words like "you belong in a loony bin" to my mother, spiraling her deeper into an abyss of rage and hopelessness.

I lived in parallel worlds. First, my very fractured home. And second, a world where people loved Jesus, and their lives reflected His love.

Church was more than a building to me. It was a sanctuary; a shelter from the roller coaster existence at home. I spent hours at the altar, weeping—not out of grief, or self-pity—but because I had discovered the most amazing truth: God is love.

Two years after my encounter with Christ, I found a letter on my pillow.

Dear Suzie, I've watched you and I know what you have is real. It's a treasure, and I hope you hang on to it....

I sat on the edge of the bed and read through the rest of the letter, amazed. It was penned by my dad. A man who did not know how to express his feelings very well. A man who had faced his own demons growing up, and who believed that love was putting food on the table and going to work every morning at 7 a.m.

Looking back now through the mirror of time, I see two adults who struggled. My mom with pain. My dad with the inability to know how to help. But that letter was a ray of light. I keep it, now in tattered pieces, because it came at a time I needed it.

Though I prayed often for my family, my home was the same old mess day after day. Thoughts of running away flooded me. Instead, I ran after Jesus, all the while longing for my parents to discover what I had found.

My father never said a word about the letter left on my pillow. But he was baptized the next year. He and my mother started attending church. It was a long, hard road, yet over time my mother was healed emotionally. Her smile came back and it was beautiful.

In the 30 years that have passed, I've been reading another letter from a father—my Heavenly Father.

The Bible has become an ongoing communication between me and Jesus. I don't know how many times I've sat with the Bible in my hands, and felt an encouraging word or a corrective nudge. A command to overcome or a promise that I'd never have to do it alone. It's not specifically written to me, but the Holy Spirit marks it with my name as He reveals truth.

Just when I need it. Just when I've been praying for direction. Just when I've felt that my faith was running on empty.

Yet, there are times I have allowed that meaningful Letter to sit idle. I've pushed it to the side, knowing I'd "get to it" later. And yet one day I realized the Bible is just as affirming as those tattered pieces from my earthly father.

In fact, the words are very much the same. I find in Scripture that Jesus knows what I've been feeling, and He reminds me that He sees me. He affirms that I have discovered real treasure, and encourages me to hang on to it, especially in the hard times.

Maybe it's been a long time since you opened your Letter of Love. I pray that today you'll pick it back up, hold it in your hands, and read it for the first time all over again.

Dear Father, You know my pressures. You know my shortcomings. Thank You that You know what I need. Give me a hunger to communicate with You. Thank You for Your letter of love to me. I ask that Your Holy Spirit take Your word and mark my life with it. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Women's Devotional Bible (NIV)

Visit Suzie's blog where she will give away a copy of Making It Real and share tips on how to make Bible study more personal.

Making It Real: Whose Faith is it Anyway? by T. Suzanne Eller

Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKeurst

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!

Application Steps:
It's not about checking off "read your Bible" from your to-do list for the day. It's taking time to communicate with Jesus.

1. Make an appointment, as you would with a friend.

2. Don't worry about a set number of verses or chapters. It's better to study three verses and grow through them, than to read five chapters just because it's on your to-do list.

3. Read with a pen in hand. Underline verses that speak to you.

4. Keep a journal close by. Write your thoughts and questions as you read.

Reflections:
"The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs to me; it has hands, it lays hold of me." ~ Martin Luther

Power Verses:
Revelation 1:8, "'I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,' says the Lord God. 'I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.'" (NLT)

Revelation 3:20, "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." (NLT)

© 2011 by T. Suzanne Eller. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

November 7, 2011

Stir It Up
Marybeth Whalen


"[For] it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Philippians 2:13 (NIV 1984)

I took a sip of coffee and grimaced as I peered into the cup. Everything looked like it should, but the coffee wasn't sweet. Yet I remembered tearing open the little yellow packets and sprinkling the sweet crystals over the surface of the caramel colored liquid. Then I realized that—while I had added the sugar—I had never stirred it into the coffee. Without that stirring action, the sugar couldn't work all the way through.

I do this with my faith as well. I add all the necessary ingredients. I've got my Bible, my devotion subscription, my godly girlfriends, my church, my special quiet time journal, my praise and worship songs, my verses memorized. If you looked at me, you'd say it's all there.

But I'd rather avoid the stirring up part, truth be told. I'd tell you that I know it's good for me. I'd tell you that it's not good to stay in one place. I'd tell you that you should submit to God and let Him stir you up and that I'd be glad to pray for you during that process.

But me? No. Just leave me alone. Let me sit. I'd rather look okay and be comfortable than be stirred up and reach my full potential.

Have you ever had those feelings?

Maybe today you're feeling stirred up. Your finances or your job or your marriage or your children or your friendships or your dreams feel like a cyclone is swirling through them, leaving you unsettled and unstable. You might be wondering why God is letting this happen, why He's forgotten you. Not thinking that it just might be His hand doing the stirring. He's using those swirling forces to reach all the parts of you that He wants to get to. As today's verse reminds us, He works in you to accomplish His purpose for you.

Years ago a friend and I were making a big pot of spaghetti sauce. We left the pot on the stove and went off to join our families outside. But when we returned we smelled something burning. We pulled the lid off the pot to peer at the sauce. The sauce looked fine. All the elements were there: the red color, the thickness of the liquid, the chunks of meat and slivers of onions and spices. It was only as we took a long spoon and dug deep into the pot that we discovered that the sauce at the very bottom had become stuck because we hadn't been inside stirring it up, keeping it moving, not letting it settle. When things get settled, they become stuck.

As you are stirred up in life, thank God that He loves you enough to not let you get stuck, to not leave you bitter. The elements are there—and that's important—but it's in the stirring that we become all that He has in mind.

Dear Lord, when I am feeling stirred up, help me to think of it as You working Your sweetness into me, as You preventing me from becoming stuck. I want to move forward with You and become what You have in mind. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

Visit Marybeth's blog where she discusses faith, family, fiction or food each day.

Living Financially Free: Hard Earned Wisdom for Saving Your Money and Your Marriage by Marybeth and Curt Whalen

She Makes it Look Easy by Marybeth Whalen

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!

Application Steps:
Think about a time recently when you felt stirred up. Write down some good things that came out of that stirring up. Spend time thanking God for the way He works through you to accomplish His purposes for you.

Reflections:
When I'm feeling stirred up do I tend to resist it or submit to it? Am I afraid of being stirred up? Do I feel like God must not love me when that happens or do I see the stirring as just one more step in my faith process?

Power Verses:
Hebrews 13:20-21, "May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (NIV)

© 2011 by Marybeth Whalen. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

November 8, 2011

Belittled
Samantha Reed, Executive Assistant


"The Lord is near." Philippians 4:5b (NIV)

Trapped like a firefly in a Mason jar. Stifled, I peered out, watching others' dreams and hopes and joys twinkle and fly by my stagnant ones. My own desires sat dusty in my valley of pain.

Little by little, my happy-go-lucky heart flickered. Sadness cupped his hand over what dim light was left as I acknowledged out loud the depths of my disappointment.

Extinguished. Exhausted. Expectant no longer.

"I'm so sorry your dreams are dashed," my friend offered. "Wish I had known sooner how painful this disappointment has been. Woulda been an honor to walk it out with you."

"Thanks. But a broken heart is silly. Especially in light of others' pain." Our friend's husband had just passed away; he endured months of heartbreaking illness. Now she endured the grief of his death. Who was I to be sad about a mere breakup? I would not add white noise to the blaring symphony of sorrow around me.

Silenced by self-doubt. Belittled by unworthiness.

I diminished my pain, fearing it insignificant compared to others seemingly more important pain. I belittled my pain and in the process, belittled God's care about my pain. Healing had been offered, yet I walked away from it, from the One who longed to tend my wounds.

Years of wisdom, scrolls of mercy, flashed in my friend's eyes.

She took my hand and we journeyed back. Back to a time when she lost two children. Someone told her to check her pain at the door. Keep it in perspective to others' pain.

She took my hand and we journeyed back. Back to a time when pain was acknowledged and sifted through, not simply tucked in a dark corner. She turned from the pain to the Lord who administered healing from the grief of empty arms and empty cribs.

She took my hand and we journeyed forward. "Don't belittle your grief. Your pain is genuine. This valley is real. You must acknowledge the Lord is near and accept His help to get out."

My friend granted permission to feel my ache and loss. Drastically different than her own, yet no less honest. Not till that moment did I realize I'd held my pain at a distance, shunned for perceived absurdity. Petty stuff my broken heart stood certain God didn't have time to worry about it.

Yet truth resonated in my friend's words. No one loves us like He can, like He will. No one offers healing like He does. And no one stands as near, willing to catch our tears. So precious, He saves each and every one.

Friend, is it perhaps time to acknowledge your pain? To become aware of the Lord's care and always-there presence?

The grace of God and of friends in the valley is needed. Counting stars during the long, dark night of our soul is more comforting with others beside us. The first ray of light often is glimpsed by them anyhow. If you are longing for a close companion, pray for one. Perhaps joining a small group, calling an acquaintance for coffee, or helping a neighbor will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

No matter what other voices have said, your pain is valid.

Seasons of pain come. And they also leave. Don't miss that. Pain is not meant to linger indefinitely. God cares deeply and longs to heal you. No pain is too great ... or too little. Often we just need a trusted companion to remind us He is near. He heals. He longs to undo the lid on our Mason jar; release our dreams and hopes and joys. And fly next to us, out of the valley.

Dear Lord, thank You for loving us enough to go through the grief of Your Son, Jesus, dying on the cross. He bore our pain. He knows our pain. He heals our pain. Thank You. In His Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
There is much pain associated with poverty. You could help alleviate this pain by sponsoring a child through Compassion International!

Visit Samantha's blog for her friend, Jane's, story of healing from the loss of her twins.

Application Steps:
Do you cram your pain down, figuring it is simply 'white noise' in a world of hurt? Do a word search on BibleGateway for "near, nearness, close" to remind you of God's nearness and desire to hear your heart.

Could it be God is asking you to be that friend you long for to another? Call her today.

If you are in need of healing, reach out to a trusted friend or counselor. Remember the Lord has always been near and is your healer.

Reflections:
"The simple statement, 'God is for us', is in truth one of the richest and weightiest utterances that the Bible contains." J.I. Packer

Power Verses:
1 Corinthians 13:7, "[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (NIV 1984)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance." (NIV 1984)

© 2011 by Samantha Reed. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

 November 9, 2011

He Is There
Renee Swope


"Now he had to go through Samaria... and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?'" John 4:4, 6-7 (NIV)

What was He doing there? She didn't know who He was and couldn't help but wonder why He was talking to her, a Samaritan woman.

When He spoke, she heard gentleness in His voice. Kindness and humility in His simple request for a drink. In His eyes she saw acceptance, not judgment; love, not hate.

Many of us know her as the Samaritan woman, but I like to call her Sam. It makes her feel more like the real woman she was. A woman just like us who struggled with hurts, rejection and loneliness.

One thing I love about her story is found in our key verse where it tells us Jesus "had to go through Samaria." Theologians would tell us Jews considered Samaritans to be the scum of the earth and would do everything to avoid them. In fact, usually they would travel around Samaria—but not Jesus.

He had to go through Samaria. Perhaps it is because He knew Sam would be there.

Now typically, women came to the well in the morning or early evening. They traveled together in the cool of the day, avoiding the scorching heat of the sun since they would be carrying heavy jars filled with water back to their homes. But not Sam; she walked there all by herself in the hottest part of the day.

Instead of avoiding the scorching heat of the sun, many believe Sam went to the well at noon to avoid the scorching pain of others' rejection and judgment. The weight of the water-filled jar in the heat must have been almost unbearable; but the weight of her neighbors' words, reminding her of her failures, was more than she could take.

You see, Sam had been married five times. In her culture women could not divorce their husbands, so she had been discarded by five men. And, she was now living with a man who didn't think she was worth committing to.

When Jesus met her, Sam was running errands and running away from those who knew all about her flaws and failed marriages. Knowing she was running from the very thing that reminded her of her imperfections, Jesus timed it so she would run into Him and find perfect love.

He initiated conversation and asked her for the one thing she had to offer: water. It wasn't much, but it was a starting point. Sam could have filled her jar and headed back home, returning to her busy day. Yet she stopped and listened. She let Him speak into the broken, hurting, empty places of her heart.

Jesus intentionally met Sam in one of the loneliest parts of her day. And in the same way, He wants to meet us in the midst of our sometimes lonely and often imperfect lives, when our disappointments, pains and failures try to confirm our self-doubts.

Jesus is there waiting for us to come to Him.

He is there when we're going through the motions, aware of what needs to be done, but unaware of how we're going to do it.

He is there when we can't stop criticizing ourselves for blowing it the day before; when we go to work and wonder why we're even there.

He is there during endless days filled with diapers and laundry, wondering if we'll ever find meaning in the monotony.

He is there when we come home to an empty house and wonder why we don't have a family, or come home to a teenager who belittle us and a husband who ignores us.

Jesus sees our hearts and knows the pain of our loneliness, disappointment and rejection. Today He is pursuing us, inviting us to come to Him to receive the perfect love He offers — love that is patient and kind, love that keeps no record of wrongs, love that won't give up on us.

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, will you stop and talk to Him? And then, will you quiet your thoughts so you can listen to His?

Dear Lord, thank You for pursuing me. I want to know and rely on the love You have for me, and live in the security of it! When I feel afraid, insignificant or alone today, help me turn to You and remember You are there! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
This devotion is taken in part from Chapter 2 of Renee's book, A Confident Heart: How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Live in the Security of God's Promises.

Want to read the rest of Chapter 2 Because God's Love is Perfect, I Don't Have to Be? Click here to download it for FREE! (For a limited time only.)

Visit Renee's website to sign up for her online Bible study of A Confident Heart, beginning in January. Also, be sure to enter her give-away that includes a Starbucks gift card and more!

When you buy resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, you touch eternity but supporting the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide at no cost through a purchase.

Application Steps:
How does it make you feel to know Jesus understands, and He is still there with you in every moment of every day? When do you need His assurance and presence most?

Reflections:
"Jesus is the only One who can meet our deepest need to be pursued, accepted and delighted in simply because of who we are. We can offer nothing but our presence, and He will desire us just the same." From A Confident Heart by Renee Swope

Power Verses:
Jeremiah 31:3, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." (NIV)

© 2011 by Renee Swope. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

 

[Judy Harder]

November 10, 2011

Feeling Trapped
Glynnis Whitwer


"Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress." Psalm 107:13 (NIV)

Feeling trapped, with no way out, is a horrible place to be. I know. I've been there several times in the past few years.

When the housing market crashed in my hometown, our family-owned consulting firm almost crashed along with it. Contracts were canceled, potential jobs shriveled, credit maxed and investments bombed. Most of the trouble was out of our control, but some was from our unwise decisions.

One month dragged into another. Some weeks we barely squeaked by. I didn't lose my faith in God's provision, as He took care of our basic needs. But His timing to pull us out of the depths of our trouble was not mine. I cried out for a quick fix; He had another plan.

Before help came, God let us sit in the mess for a long time. In fact, we had to sit in a place of helplessness for longer than we wanted. All of our previous abilities to help ourselves were gone. Places that had previously been willing to extend a helping hand weren't able to help. At times it felt like we had been abandoned. Was it because of something we had done? Maybe our unwise choices? Questions abounded.

But then God stepped in. And because we'd been sitting in that mess so long, our gratitude doubled. We clearly saw His hand at work. In hindsight, if we'd been able to help ourselves, we would have patted ourselves on the backs at our cleverness. Now, God gets all the glory.

You may be trapped right now and wondering if God will rescue you. Maybe you've made bad choices. Perhaps you have disqualified yourself from being saved. If that's you, then I've got good news. No matter if your situation is of your own making or someone else's, God cares and has a plan to save you.

Psalm 107 sings this truth. In this amazing passage we learn of God's faithfulness to people in all kinds of difficult places: deserts, darkness and the foolishness of their deeds. Yet no matter where they were or what they had done, when they cried to God, He heard them. And He hears us today.

This Psalm isn't just literature. It's a message from the faithful of old, to the faithful of today. It was captured in writing so that when we feel lost, trapped, overwhelmed and afraid, we would read it and believe ... believe that the God who brought deliverance then, will do so today.

Here's just a portion of that scripture. When you have time, please read the entire passage. Psalm 107:10-13 (NIV):

Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God's commands and despised the plans of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

God specializes in rescuing the trapped – no matter how they got there. He did it for me and He will do it for you.

Dear Lord, You alone know the fullness of my desperate situation. You know how trapped I feel right now. I haven't done everything perfectly, and I confess my rebellious ways. Lord, You said if we called out to You in our distress, You would answer. So I'm calling out now. Please help. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Visit Glynnis' blog for encouragement in tough situations, and how Glynnis has learned to pray differently because of those difficult times.

If you need some practical help in bringing order to your life, consider I Used to Be So Organized by Glynnis Whitwer.

Work@Home: A Practical Guide for Women Who Want to Work from Home by Glynnis Whitwer

When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, your purchase supports the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide at no cost. We 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!

Application Steps:
If you are in a desperate situation right now, first make sure everything is right between you and God. Humbly confess any wrong thoughts, words or deeds. Then pray and ask God for help.

Reflections:
Has God ever let me sit in a difficult place for longer than I wanted to sit? What did I learn during that time?

Why is our humility an important component to God's rescue of us?

Power Verses:
Psalm 107

© 2011 by Glynnis Whitwer. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org