Encouragement for Today

[Judy Harder]

May 4, 2012

Women: Friend or Foe?
Rachel Olsen


" ... a sweet friendship refreshes the soul." Proverbs 27:9 (MSG)

Years ago I would've told you that I don't much like women. I counted a few as friends, but the rest I dismissed as too much trouble. Never a "tomboy" by any stretch of the imagination, I just found guys easier to deal with. They generally say what they mean, let you know where you stand, and never size you up to determine who has the better haircut.

I didn't want to distrust women, but the majority of females in my life at the time evoked that response. They were catty, competitive and conniving. They gossiped, backstabbed and manipulated. I have to admit that I often responded in kind. Isn't it strange how addictive relational drama can be?

I'm told you can put a frog in a pot of cold water on the stove and gradually turn up the heat, and it will stay in the pot until it reaches a fatal boil without attempting to escape. Evidently the frog doesn't realize how unhealthy the situation is slowly becoming. I can't vouch for the accuracy of that fable - I'd never boil a frog! - but I've been in a few friendships like that. I stayed way too long in the pot before I realized this isn't healthy for me, and I got burned.

So what lead me to flip-flop my position on having girlfriends? First, I decided to become friends with God. This sparked beneficial changes in my mind and spirit. Where I had been cynical and guarded, God's love penetrated and softened my heart. I learned the meaning of Proverbs 18:24, "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (NIV 1984). Christ was now my forever friend who could be trusted completely.

I also made changes in my choice of girlfriends. Through the Holy Spirit and lessons on character in the book of Proverbs, I learned to recognize which people and relational patterns were unhealthy for me.

I was ready to be rid of the drama! The Bible teaches, "He who walks with the wise grows wise" (Proverbs 13:20a NIV). I wanted to walk with wise women through life. Many of my current-at-the-time friendships ran their natural course and dissolved. A few transformed along with me.

But there were a few I deliberately phased out because my own character wasn't strong enough yet to remain Christ-like in their company.

Meanwhile, I prayed for quality friendships with women of faith. God heard my prayers. Fun-loving, God-loving, gracious women at my church sought me out and invited me out. And I made the choice to trust and invest in them. I discovered how beneficial it is to surround yourself with women who inspire your walk with God.

Over time, God birthed in me a huge love and great compassion for women. I began seeing them through His eyes and not just the lens of my own hurtful past. I realized that not all women are like those I had known. I also learned to forgive and pray for those who've hurt me. Today I cherish my friendships with the women in my life.

Dear Lord, I want to have good friends, and to be a good friend. Help me to develop godly friendships that honor and draw others to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

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

Connect with Rachel today on her blog.

Reflect and Respond:
Study the book of Proverbs and learn the traits of trustworthy character so you can develop them yourself and recognize them in others.

Is there someone you can befriend? Striking up a friendship can be a great way to introduce a gal to Christ.

Do you find yourself entangled in an unhealthy relationship? Are you in emotional hiding after being burned? Take that to God and ask Him to heal and bring restoration to your heart. Ask Him to send godly, wise women into your life. Then muster up the courage to respond and befriend them.

Power Verses:
James 2:23, "And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend." (NIV)

Proverbs 22:11, "If you love purity of heart and graciousness of speech, the king will be your friend." (GNT)

© 2012 by Rachel Olsen. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

 May 7, 2012

But I Have a Right to Be Angry
Tracie Miles


"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires." James 1:19-20 (NLT)

I had been lied to, betrayed and hurt. I was angry, and thought I had every right to be.

Day after day, anger crushed my desire to forgive. Although I had asked God to fill my heart with mercy, my mental list of reasons I should be mad kept overriding my empty prayers.

It was as if voices in my head were arguing with each other. One tried to convince me I was correct in feeling angry; the other tried to persuade me that mercy was the right choice.

For months, the loudest voice was the one that aligned with my damaged emotions, and unfortunately the one I listened to. Yes, I have a right to be angry. Anyone would agree.

Listening to the voice of bitterness and unforgiveness, I started lashing out in my actions with impatience and unkindness. Oh, I could play the good-Christian-girl for a while, masking my feelings. But if something was said or done to trigger my suppressed hurt, hostility and resentment would catapult to the surface.

Reading our key verse from James one morning, I felt God urging me to realize the misleading direction my emotions were taking me, and damage they were doing. I couldn't help but notice how it says "everyone" should be slow to speak and slow to anger.

This truth from God's Word left no room for my excuses or righteous indignation, even though I felt like my anger was justified for being wronged. And then a few verses later, I read James 1:22: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (NIV).

I knew that from a worldly perspective, I had every right to be angry. But from God's perspective, my anger was adding to the sin of the situation. My unforgiveness was keeping me from living out the reality of the Gospel in my own life—by extending the same mercy and forgiveness God has given me through Jesus.

Through the words of James, God softened my heart, making me aware that although I said I'd forgiven this person with my words, I had not forgiven with my heart and it was time to do so and move on.

In every area of life, including managing our most powerful emotions, God tells us to be quick to listen (to Him and others), slow to speak and slow to become angry. As we apply these practices in our relationships, we become 'doers' of His Word, not just 'hearers' and that leads to the righteousness God desires in each of us.

Dear Lord, please forgive me for harboring anger in my heart. Equip me with a supernatural ability to forgive those who have hurt me and to guard my heart when old emotions threaten to surface. Strip my heart of anger and replace it with joy. Thank You for Your mercy. Help me be more merciful because of You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

Visit Tracie's blog for more discussion on anger management and forgiveness.

30 Days To Taming Your Tongue by Deborah Smith Pegues

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

Reflect and Respond:
Have you felt justified in your anger towards someone?

Today, might you ask God to help you sincerely forgive them with your whole heart, so you can be freed from the bondage of negative emotions?

Power Verses:
Ephesians 4:26-27, "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." (NIV)

Ephesians 4:30-31, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." (NIV)

© 2012 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

May 8, 2012

Desperate Enough
Glynnis Whitwer


"She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped." Luke 8:44 (NIV 1984)

Having three little boys in five years just about did me in. There was no such thing as a routine, as much as I tried to implement one. Just when I thought I had one behavior issue figured out, another one popped up.

Parenting books were somewhat helpful, but they didn't address how to manage three kids, with three unique personalities, at once. What worked for one didn't work for another. I was drowning and desperate.

My husband and I signed up for a parenting class at church, and received a glimpse of hope. We wanted more than one class, but there was no one to head up a parenting ministry. Our pastoral team was overwhelmed with existing responsibilities. Even though their hearts wanted to offer more, their time was limited. So when one of the pastors asked us to help out with the parenting ministry, we were desperate enough to say "yes."

As we stepped into a leadership role, we discovered most people declined to help, saying they didn't feel qualified. "Neither do we," we replied. But we were ready to try anything to get support, even revealing to everyone that we weren't perfect parents.

For the few years we led the parenting ministry we had to step far out of our comfort zone and risk much in order to get help. But it worked. As we shared our problems with other parents, we received wise counsel and practical suggestions that made a big difference.

Thousands of years ago there was another woman who was just desperate enough to get help. She had been bleeding for 12 years and no one could help her. But when Jesus came to her neighborhood, she was ready to try anything. I imagine she was embarrassed, and weakened because of her bleeding. She must have gathered every ounce of energy and courage to get to Jesus.

The Bible tells us there were crowds following Jesus that day. Yet somehow, this determined woman navigated her way through the masses to touch the cloak of Jesus, and the Bible tells us she was healed immediately.

In spite of all those people who must have been pressing up against Jesus, He knew someone had reached out and touched Him. As He stopped, the people stumbled into each other, turning their heads to determine what happened. In a gentle voice, Jesus asked, "Who touched me?"

After everyone denied it was them, the woman came trembling before Him. She told Jesus and the assembled crowd why she had touched Jesus and how He had healed her. Jesus then said to the women, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

Desperation causes people to do different things. Some people make wrong choices, believing their backs are against a wall. Some people go into hiding, hoping a problem will go away.

Yet others are desperate enough to do something risky and full of humility to get help. Sometimes God uses other people to help us, and sometimes He is the only One who has the answers.

In the difficult times we face, many of us have problems that push us to the point of desperation. It is my prayer that instead of desperation defeating you, it motivates you to seek help. Whether God Himself provides your deliverance, or He uses someone else, trust He already has a plan to help.

Dear Lord, only You know the desperation I feel right now. Only You see the troubles that weigh me down. I confess that I don't have the strength or wisdom to find an answer. However, I trust that You are already planning my deliverance. I trust in Your perfect timing. Please show me what to do next, and direct me to the source of help. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
When Your Child is Hurting (eBook) by Glynnis Whitwer

Always There, an inspiring compilation of devotions for moms written by Renee Swope, Ann Voskamp, Kim Hill, Haley DiMarco, Susan Wallace and many more.

Visit Glynnis' blog where she's giving away a copy of Always There and sharing more encouragement for desperate moms.

Reflect and Respond:
Identify one problem in your life that seems overwhelming. Commit to telling one person about that problem this week, and asking for prayer.

Pray Psalm 142:6 below when you're feeling desperate.

Power Verses:
Psalm 142:6, "Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me." (NIV)

Psalm 27:14, "Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD." (NAS)

© 2012 by Glynnis Whitwer. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

 May 9, 2012

Letting God Fill My Empty Places
Renee Swope


"You God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1, NIV

It was a source she'd come to depend on. A place she went to get her needs met. But it was never enough; every day she came back for more.

Filling her jar with water, the woman looked up and heard Him ask her for a drink. Then He offered her something in return: living water. Unlike the water she came to get that day, He said the water He offered would satisfy her so deeply she'd never thirst again.

But she had a hard time believing His promise. "You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?" (John 4:11) She asked.

What she didn't realize was that Jesus wanted to satisfy a deeper thirst in her heart — a longing He'd created to lead her heart to Him: the One and only Source that could satisfy her soul.

All He needed to draw with was His Spirit, for it would draw her near to Him. And as far as the depth of the well, it was her heart He was looking into. She was the only one who could stop Him from reaching the parts that needed Him most.

I know that place of needing Jesus to look into my heart and show me the emptiness only He can fill.

Like the woman at the well, I've depended on other means to get my needs met. Yet when I look to them, instead of Him, they are never enough.

I've looked to people: family and friends, bosses and boyfriends, teachers and mentors, my husband and kids. I've longed for their approval and the affirmation that comes with it.

I've also looked to possessions and positions and accidentally put my hope in recognition. I've thought "if only I had or could..."

But no matter how much I do or get, it's never enough to fill me up. And it's not supposed to be.

Why? Because the empty places in our hearts were created to be filled by God alone. The deepest thirst of our soul can only be quenched by Him.

We see this deep thirst even in King David, who had everything: the highest position, unlimited possessions, and great power, yet none of it was enough. He described himself as parched and thirsty for God:

You God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water. (Ps. 63:1)

Then David went on to describe what he experienced when he drank deeply of God's love:

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live
and in your name I will lift up my hands. (vv. 2–4)

And the same thing happened to the woman Jesus met at the well that day. She drank deeply of His love and was filled to overflow, and we can be too.

Just like the woman at the well, God put a longing in our hearts that was intended to lead us back to Him. Only His unconditional acceptance, approval and affirmation can fill the empty places in our hearts - the deepest thirst of our souls. Until God's love and acceptance is enough, nothing else will be.

Dear Lord, show me the empty places in my heart and ways I try to fill them. Then lead me back to You and show me how I can position my heart to be filled and fulfilled by Your promises and the power of Your love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
How can we let God fill the empty places in our hearts each day? Visit Renee's website/blog for a practical and powerful way to identify your empty places and let God fill them on a daily basis. You don't want to miss it!

A Confident Heart by Renee Swope. This best-selling book dives deep into the Living water of God's Word. Find more truths to fill the well of your heart by clicking here.

Letting God Fill My Empty Places a message on CD by Renee Swope

For more daily encouragement and powerful truths, join Renee's Confident Heart Facebook page.

Reflect and Respond:
Only God's unconditional acceptance, approval and affirmation can fill the empty places in our hearts - the deepest thirst of our souls. Until God's love and acceptance is enough, nothing else will be.

Ask God to help you identify your empty places and show you how HE can fill them. Click here for an illustration Renee shares of how she's learned to do this.

Power Verses:
Psalm 143:8, "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." (NIV)

Jeremiah 2:13, "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." (NIV, 1984)

© 2012 by Renee Swope. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

May 10, 2012

I Quit
Lysa TerKeurst


"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV)

My heart is stirred today to say it's time to quit.

Not ministry.

Not a relationship.

But quit being critical of someone I love very much. The crazy thing is, I'm not a critical person. But I've found myself slipping into a pattern of giving this person what they give me.

They criticize.

So, I've started criticizing back. A lot.

And I'm feeling very convicted this morning that I need to model a different attitude and approach to life.

Last month, my pastor said something very convicting in his sermon, "Jesus didn't die so we'd be sorry. He died and then He was resurrected so we'd be changed."

Changed.

There is a big difference between being sorry and being changed.

To be sorry means to feel bad. It's a temporary little prick of the heart.

But change only comes when we're repentant. Being repentant is a deeper conviction to actually correct and transform our behavior—our habit—our wrong tendency.

In 2 Corinthians 7:10 we learn, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow leads to death." Leaves no regret—those are powerful words.

I want to live a life of no regrets.

And I think today is really good day to address something that could lead to a big ol' pile of regret.

So, each time I'm feeling the need to criticize I'm going to see it as a call to flip my words to encouragement.

I might still need to address some issues with this person but I will do it by pointing out their strengths and the responsibilities that come with those strengths rather than constantly focusing on their weaknesses.

For example, "You are an influencer! Have you noticed when you are happy others are happy but when you are negative it really affects those around you? I need your help to keep things positive today. Do you think you can accept this leadership role? How can you be a positive influence in this situation?"

I'm not naive enough to think this will be easy. I will need grace. They will need grace. But at least if I'm aware of how I need to change, change can be set in motion.

Are you up for quitting some old habit, negative attitude, or wrong tendency? I know I am. The next time we're presented with an opportunity, let's remember the words of my pastor, "Jesus didn't die so we'd be sorry. He died and then He was resurrected so we'd be changed."

Dear Lord, I'm ready to quit. Instead of critical words, I want to speak kind and encouraging ones. Will You please help me make this shift? In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Longing for a deeper connection between what you know in your head and your everyday reality? The book Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKeurst is a great place to start!

For a chance to win a Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl book and Bible study kit, visit Lysa's blog today: www.LysaTerKeurst.com

Lysa is speaking in over 40 cities this year. Click here to see if she'll be near you!

Reflect and Respond:
There is a big difference between being sorry and being changed. To be sorry means to feel bad. It's a temporary little prick of the heart. But change only comes when we're repentant.

Are you up for quitting an old habit? Here's a good one to start with: each time you feel the need to criticize, flip your words to encouragement.

Power Verse:
Proverbs 16:24, "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." (ESV)

© 2012 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

May 11, 2012

A Mother's Hands
T. Suzanne Eller


"Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT)

She held out the soft white blanket scalloped in pink ribbon. "I'm not sure I want to give it to her," my mom said. The stitches were a bit looser than my mother's past handiwork, but I could see love in every crocheted inch.

I held her hands in my own. Her once slender fingers were bent and swollen at the joints. I imagined her holding the crochet needles and weaving the yarn in and out for hours and days, until the blanket was complete. It is an heirloom for her first great-grandchild, one created with pain and love.

I think I take my mother's hands for granted. They have caressed my cheek. They have made me wear a coat (even when I protested that I was a mother of three grown children). They have dialed the cell phone she loves, and hates, so she could talk to "her Suzie." Her hands have penned cards that showed up in my mailbox saying "I love you."

An old 70s song says, "Time keeps on slipping, slipping, into the future." There is truth in those lyrics. I see the passage of time in my mother's hands. I also see it as moments pass into hours and then into days in a whirl.

Life is always busy, like this month when the white board on the refrigerator lists church events, dentist visits, showers and weddings and graduations, as well as other details like pay the bills, mow the lawn, clean the house.

Recently I realized that my mother was moving further down on that list. A week passed. A month flew by. The phone calls came. "Hey, Suz, just calling to say I miss you."

One day I received an email from a friend. Her mom was sick. For the next few weeks I prayed, reading every update. One night I read the email from my beautiful friend that expressed her love for her ailing mom, and prayer for strength to say goodbye.

Suddenly it hit me how little time I actually devoted to my mother. I held the email and wept. The next day I made a date with my mom. She was like a girl; she laughed on the phone as we made plans.

My mom and I had the best time at lunch and I was inspired to make a point to love on her more frequently. So I came up with "Love Points" which include a few things I try to do each week.

Write. Leave a note in an unexpected place.

Give. Spend time with no strings attached (help work in the garden, go to lunch, sit and chat).

Touch. Especially if your loved one is older or widowed and they are not touched in positive ways any more. (Massage their hands. Hold their hand. Touch their face or hair.)

Affirm. Tell them one encouraging thing that you believe about them.

I pray I stay committed to showing my mom love. And that I have many more opportunities to hang out with her. But more than that I pray I don't take her for granted.

Life most likely won't slow down. But as I devote time to worthwhile endeavors, I don't want to forget that in the grand scheme of things, holding my mother's hands is one of the most priceless investments I'll ever make.

Dear Lord, thank You for my loved ones. Life gets so hectic, and sometimes it's hard to slow down long enough to show them how much I care. Please help me to slow down and recognize what is of little value so that I can invest in people with immense value. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
The Mom I Want to be: Rising above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future by T. Suzanne Eller

Visit Suzie's blog for more encouragement or join her Moms Together Facebook community.

Homespun Memories for the Heart by Karen Ehman

Reflect and Respond:
"The most important thing that should totally absorb our lives down here is the practice of real love. Why? Because love lasts. Love will be the only thing that matters in eternity." ~Jill Brisco, author of Love that Lasts.

Is there someone you need to spend more time with?

Power Verses:
John 15:12b, "Love each other in the same way I have loved you." (NLT)

Matthew 6:21, "Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." (NLT)

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

[Judy Harder]

 May 14, 2012

Hiding My Tears
Ali Smith


"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

For years I kept my tears far from the eyes of anyone else. I simply refused to cry. Hiding my tears started with one little tooth.

"Just tilt your head back, close your eyes and I'll yank it out on the count of three ... ready? 1 ... 2 ... 3!"

I was only six, too little for that sharp surge of pain that rushed through my mouth. So of course it was only natural I burst into tears.

"You big cry baby!" That's my dad for you. The big heroic tooth extractor laughed.

All I could do was whimper amid muffled sobs, "But it hurts!" I nursed the gaping hole in my gums with a soggy paper towel. My historic moment of bravery turned into one pathetic flop. I had proved myself an official wimp.

That day sealed the deal. Crying became a strictly private and pretty much non-existent affair ... even into my adult years. Any time I felt tears coming, like a dam about to burst, I forced them to stay where I thought they belonged: hidden deep within my soul for no one else to see.

When I stumbled across these two treasured lines my perspective on crying changed: "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8b (NLT)

I couldn't believe it. Someone else wanted to store my tears! And in a far better place than the corners of my heart. Isn't it amazing to think each droplet we've shed over our years of experiences {including losing our first tooth} has been collected in a precious bottle? Held near and dear to our Father's heart.

You see, God doesn't laugh when we cry. He doesn't tell us to toughen up or turn the page on our tears like they don't exist. Instead, He picks us up on His lap and wraps us in His loving arms as we pour out our hearts to Him. Our Lord loves for us to let Him in on our deepest felt emotions.

I wonder what might cause your tears to flow right now—unanswered prayers ... unmet promises ... uncertainties of life—they are seen and saved by the One who comforts and cares for your every need.

Whatever is holding you back, may I encourage you? Open the floodgate of your heart and release your tears, sit quietly with the Lord and listen. Journal. Or take a walk and give your tears to Him. His arms are open and He is waiting for you to come to Him.

Dear Lord, thank You that You created me with tear ducts and all. Keep me from hiding my emotions out of fear of what others might think. Grant me the courage to cry, knowing that You will be there to comfort and console my heart in all of life's circumstances. Your love never fails and I am so very grateful. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Have you turned to Jesus as your Comforter?

{w}hole: An Honest Look at the Holes in Your Life and How to Let God Fill Them by Lisa Whittle

Ali Smith serves as a contributing writer for She Seeks, our division for 20'somethings! If you're in your 20s or love someone who is we hope you'll stop by today!

Reflect and Respond:
Was crying an acceptable thing in your family growing up? Reflect on ways in which your perspective on tears was shaped based on your upbringing.

What keeps you from expressing your emotions fully and freely around those you love? Ask God to show you what might be blocking or hindering your ability to be vulnerable.

Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 1:3-4, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." (NIV)

Psalm 62:8, "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (NIV)

© 2012 by Ali Smith. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

May 15, 2012

When Things are Out of Our Hands
Samantha Reed


"I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth." 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NASB)

Smudges of the rich soil lingered on our arms. Arching our aching backs, we surveyed our work. Although out of sight underground, the seeds planted held great potential. Hours of planning, mixing the just-right soil, and building our raised garden beds were complete. We did what we could. What those vegetable seeds decided to do after that was out of our hands.

There have been other times when God did something that was out of my hands. Circumstances I had no say over, but He spoke life into. Relationships I couldn't control, but He had under His authority.

Javier and I were neighbors in college more than a decade ago. Our roommates dated, so naturally we hung out often. We cooked dinner. Spent lazy afternoons watching movies. Cheered next to each other at football games. When I took guitar lessons, Javier taught me chords. Despite all this time together, I'm sorry to say I rarely brought the Lord up in conversation.

Since graduating, Javier and I have kept in touch sporadically over the last twelve years. When he sent this email a while back, I was amazed.

Sam, I just wanted to thank you for being in my life in college. I came to Christ about four years or so ago and when looking back in my life, I think of people that were examples I wanted to follow.

Even though we hardly talked about God, I knew you were a Christian and really admired that about you. Talk about planting a seed that didn't bear fruit right away. Ten years in the making. I am glad I am able to tell people who helped me find Christ how important they were. ~Javier

Never would I have imagined my quietness would speak so loud. Our key verse teaches if we are faithful to sow into others, God will be faithful to make our seeds bear fruit: a relationship with Him.

Have you been praying for a loved one's salvation? Or seeking God's favor to restore your child, parent, spouse or sibling to Him?

Maybe you've done all you can do. Planted every seed you can think of. Gotten on your knees. Shared verses. Forwarded email devotions. Gifted Bibles and books. Sent worship CDs. Yet no sprout is appearing from the hard ground of their heart.

I wish I had a 5-Step Planting Program to refer you to. Wish I could say you should do what I did with Javier. Invited him to Bible study. Or welcomed him to prayer group. Or learned the latest worship song on the guitar together. Maybe even related my favorite scripture to our school studies.

While these are wonderful, they weren't the seeds I planted in college. Instead, I simply lived out my daily relationship with Jesus. Some days my example was a bit more stellar than others, but for better or worse, seeds were planted. Day-to-day Javier saw me just quietly trusting in the Lord; hoping in His divine interventions; finding joy in His character.

I don't know how much you've prayed, or what seeds you've planted, on behalf of your loved one. I do know this: when we quietly, consistently, faithfully plant seeds, the Lord will honor that. He will bring others around our loved one to water the seeds we've sown. And most importantly, He will make them grow. When the results are out of our hands, we can trust them in His.

Dear Lord, thank You for caring about my loved one's salvation even more than I do. Please use me to plant seeds into their life, bring others to water it, and I ask that You cause it to grow. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
A Cup of Cold Water in Jesus' Name by Lorie Newman

Get inspiration delivered each month with a P31 Woman magazine subscription.

Visit Samantha's blog for neat ways to sow seeds in others and to see how He's using her veggie garden for ministry, too!

Reflect and Respond:
Is there someone you have prayed to come to salvation for years? Re-read Javier's email and take heart. Seeds take time to grow. Keep praying. Our God is the God of hope (Romans 15:13).

Perhaps it's time to follow up with that person if you don't talk to them regularly.

Who in your life doesn't know the Lord? What seed can you plant that could be part of their salvation story?

Power Verse:
Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (NIV)

© 2012 by Samantha Reed. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

May 16, 2012

If God loves me, why...?
Renee Swope


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

Soon after I surrendered my life to Christ, I started struggling with painful things from my past that made me doubt God's promises for my future. I wondered: If God loves me, why has He allowed so much pain in my life?

If He loved me, why did God allow my family to be broken by adultery and divorce, shattered by confusion and chaos, shaken by alcohol and drug addictions and so much more? And why didn't He stop me from the pain I brought on myself, or keep me from the darkness of depression?

One afternoon I found the courage to tell my friend Wanda about my doubts and questions. I was surprised she didn't give me a pat answer, but looked at me with understanding in her eyes and told me she was sorry. Then she shared her story, which included many disappointments and heartbreaks. Yet, I didn't sense doubt or pain in her words. Instead, I sensed confidence and hope.

Turning the pages of her Bible to Jeremiah 29, Wanda read today's key verse as a promise to me: "'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.'" (v. 11)

She then told me God wanted to heal the pain of my past and use what I'd experienced to pave the way to His plans for my future. But I didn't want God to use my pain or my past. How would any of it do anything good for anyone, especially me?

Have you ever felt that way about your pain or your past? Have you ever asked: "If God loves me, then why...?"

These are the kind of questions that can linger in our hearts when we've been wounded and disappointed. And hurts that aren't healed can lead to bitterness and bondage.

Yet, in the security of a relationship with Jesus, God invites us to ask hard questions and look for answers that usher us into the depths of His redeeming love and healing power.

Can I whisper some hope into your heart today? If you are living and breathing, your purpose has not yet been fulfilled. No matter what you have done or what has been done to you, God does have a plan for your life.

So, how can you discover those plans? Let's read the premise that follows the promise in Jeremiah 29. After God declares He knows the plans He has for us, He says, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (v.12-13)

We find God's plans when we surrender ours to Him each day. It's a moment by moment process of coming to Him, talking to Him, believing He listens and letting Him love us into a place of hope and healing.

God's love is not a quick-fix for our wounds, but it has the power to redeem and restore us into confident hope. When we allow the Holy Spirit poured out like Living water to go deep into our pain, He can heal our hearts from the inside out.

As we process the pain of our yesterdays and live through the disappointments of our todays, doubts may still creep up, threatening to steal our hope. But each time that happens, we can stop and seek God in that place. We can ask Him to show us His purpose by revealing what is true about who we are and what we have been through to make us start doubting.

Then we can ask Him to help us re-define our future, not through the filter of our past and pain, but through the power of His life-giving truth. And do you know what happens when we do that moment by moment, day by day, doubt by doubt? God tells us in Jeremiah 29:14, "I will be found by you...and will bring you back from captivity."

We find Him again and again. We find the One who longs to lead us out of captivity to our doubts into a place of freedom and hope. I know this is true because I have walked it, wrestled with it, resisted it and finally surrendered to it.

God's love is not only unfailing, it redeems and restores. His Truth cuts to the core of our struggles, bringing purpose to our pain, redemption from our past and hope for our future!

Lord, heal my hurts and give me hope as I learn to trust the plans You have for me. I'm coming to You and seeking You with all my heart today. Please set me free from my doubts and lead me into a place of confident hope. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Have a Relationship with Jesus?

This devotion is based on Chapter 4 of Renee's best-selling book, A Confident Heart: How to Stop Doubting Yourself & Live in the Security of God's Promises.

Visit Renee's website/blog where she shares more of her story and a powerful way you can learn to process your past with Jesus and fully experience His healing and hope for your future! Enter to win A Confident Heart gift pack and gift card, too. Find out more here.

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

Reflect and Respond:
"If you are living and breathing, your purpose has not yet been fulfilled. No matter what you have done or what has been done to you, God does have a plan for your life."

Has the pain of your past made it hard to believe God's promises and plans for your future? Renee shares the process of learning to let go of the pain from her yesterdays so she could live with confident hope and healing in her todays and tomorrows. Click here for more of her story.

Power Verse:
Psalm 71:5, "For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth." (NIV)

© 2012 by Renee Swope. All rights reserved.

[Judy Harder]

May 17, 2012

Grace Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Good
Lysa TerKeurst


"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6 (NIV)

I like this verse. I really do. It interrupts me. It redirects me.

But most of all it challenges me.

And the part that challenges me the most is the "full of grace" part. My conversations should be full of grace. In other words, the bulk of my words should be made up of grace towards the person with whom I'm conversing.

I don't know if you've ever tried this, but it's hard.

The other day I knew I was going to have a challenging day with one of my daughters. It was just one of those days where right from the start, I could tell she was going to push when I wanted to pull. She was going to go when I wanted to pause. She was going to take when I wasn't in the mood to give.

I just knew there was going to be a situation.

So, thinking on this verse, I said to myself, "full of grace Lysa. Absolutely full. Not partial. Not half way. But all the way grace."

With each response, I measured out lavish grace. Not that I didn't correct her, I did. But I did so in calm tones.

I looked for ways to lovingly reassure her. I held her hand. I let her see my pleasure in her through the expressions on my face. And I kept quiet when my nerves were begging me to do otherwise.

I did really well ... for a couple of hours.

And then I lost it. Completely.

I was so discouraged.

But as I think back on it now, that part of it is grace too. I demonstrated the reason I can give grace is because I so desperately need it. I asked for forgiveness and decided to resist my own funk begging me to sit and wallow in my messy humanity.

I dusted myself off, and whispered, "God help me. Please, please help me."

And I took one more step towards the grace I so desperately want to demonstrate.

I don't know who puts "grace" to the test in your life. But how might things be different if just for today you decided to resist the funk and give grace a try with them one more time?

Remember, grace doesn't have to be perfect to be good.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your amazing grace. I hope I show it with every conversation I have today. But when I blow it, thanks for giving me an extra measure of grace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
If you need a giggle or your heart needs a little motherhood encouragement today, click here to pop over to Lysa's blog to read "A Note from the Principal."

Might you need a friend to share with you her hilarious motherhood stories and lessons learned from being an imperfect mom? In her book, Am I Messing Up My Kids? Lysa TerKeurst does just that. This is the perfect encouragement for the moms you know.

Sign up to receive Lysa's insightful, motivating and oftentimes, very humorous, blog posts by clicking here.

Reflect and Respond:
Who puts "grace" to the test in your life? How might things be different if just for today you decided to resist the funk and give grace a try with them one more time?

Next time you need grace, ask for forgiveness, dust yourself off and whisper, "God help me. Please, please help me."

Power Verses:
Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (NIV)

Hebrews 4:16, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (NIV 1984)

© 2012 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.