Encouragement for Today

[Judy Harder]

 March 9, 2010

I Want to Leave a Legacy

Melanie Chitwood

"I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever; to all generations I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth." Psalm 89:1 (NAS)           

Devotion:

What do your children think of when they think of you?  Their answers would be very revealing, wouldn't they?  One day in early elementary school, Zachary came home with a Mother's Day picture he'd created for me.  In the middle was a lovely portrait of me, wearing a dress made in my favorite colors of pink and purple.  Then around the picture his teacher had told him to write four different words to describe his mom.  He wrote:  reading, napping, chocolate chip cookies, and laughing.  His words made me smile with their accuracy.

Every day we are leaving our fingerprints on our kids.  What do we want our children to think of when they think of their parents?  A mom who was gentle and firm in her discipline or a mom who flew off the handle easily?  A mom who seemed permanently attached to her phone or a mom who was available for life's big and small moments?  A mom who occasionally went to church or a mom whose love of God was a part of her everyday life? 

A legacy can be defined as "something handed down."  Every day through our words and actions we are developing a legacy to be carried in the character of our children.  It's easy for the busyness of life to keep you from being purposeful in your parenting.  Let's decide today to leave the legacy we really want.  Let's make sure it's a legacy not born of busyness and urgency, but one born of purposefulness and prayer.   

It always helps me to remember that God is a parent too.  So who better to turn to for parenting advice?  It also helps me to know that God loves my children even more than I do, and He will fill in the gaps for me and Scott as we seek Him first.  No matter what kind of parent you've been, today you can decide to add to and improve the legacy you are leaving. These are the only days we have with our children.  We don't get them back.  Let's begin today to be the parents we really want to be. 

Dear Lord, thank You so much for each of my children.  I need Your help every day to be the parent You want me to be.  Lord, I'm human and I know that as a parent, I've made mistakes and will in the future.  Lord, redeem the past and strengthen me for the future.  Lord, thank You that You will give me Your love, wisdom, strength, direction, and patience to be the best parent for my children.  Help me to leave a legacy that brings You glory and one that will enable my children to know how much You love them.    In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

This devotion was adapted from What A Wife Needs From Her Husband by Melanie Chitwood

What a Husband Needs from His Wife by Melanie Chitwood

Season of Change: Parenting Your Middle Schooler with Passion and Purpose by Rebecca Ingram Powell

For more encouragement, read A Legend of Faith

Mining for Gold in the Heart of Your Child Character Chart and Message on CD, by Renee Swope

Application Steps: 

Your children will learn to pray as they hear you pray.  Pray with them on the way to school, throughout the day to thank God or to ask for His help, and tuck them in each night with your prayers.  And don't stop praying with them when they're teens.  Even though your teens may be pulling away from you, they still need to know you're covering them with prayer.

Choose a verse for the whole family to memorize each week.  Display it in the kitchen or some other visible place.

Reflections: 

Think about your everyday actions.  Which of your actions point your children's hearts to the Lord? 

Think about your attitude in frustrating or stressful situations.  Are you modeling Christ's attitude in these situations?

What is one action step you can take this week to leave a legacy of faith for your children?

Power Verses:

Deuteronomy 6:5-9, "Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got! Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates. (Message)

Proverbs 22:6, "Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it." (NLT)

Psalm 79:13, "So we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will give thanks to You forever; to all generations we will tell of Your praise." (NAS)


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

[Judy Harder]

March 10, 2010

Thinking Higher

Rachel Olsen

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:2 (NIV)

Devotion:

After becoming a believer nearly two decades ago, I've never been more excited about heaven than now. Honestly, I never gave it much thought before.

Perhaps I was too busy trying to figure out how to live in Christ on earth. And perhaps I was bit scared off by the oft-repeated adage that you can become "too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good."

I'd heard friends, loved ones and church leaders all warn of this. A focus on heaven can sabotage my walk with God?  Really?

That's not what I'm seeing in the Bible, nor is it what I'm experiencing.

Jesus told us to seek the kingdom of heaven first and foremost (Matthew 6:33). The Bible tells us that heaven is where God and Jesus are. And a taste for it is God-placed in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). E.M. Bounds writes, "The power of the Spirit binds us to heaven because Jesus is there. We are bound to love it, think about it, and desire it, for Jesus is its center and glory."

So thinking about, longing for, and planning for this glorious point and place in eternity where we'll be united with our Savior is a way to worship Christ. It is a means of seeing and savoring Him. And, it fills us with hope. Hope, the Bible reveals, is the seed-starter of faith.

Hope can shore us up in the face of much heartache and trouble on earth. It can make us eternal optimists. C.S. Lewis writes, "In the truest sense, Christian pilgrims have the best of both worlds. We have joy whenever this world reminds us of the next, and we take solace whenever it doesn't."

"Strongly, insistently, the Holy Spirit uses heaven and its untold, manifold good to move saints to action, awaken them from death, and to increase their zeal and love," Bounds explains. Heaven, then, is a stimulant for us on earth - a stimulant towards action, love, and zeal for Christ. Not a distraction.

Besides, being too heavenly minded has never been my struggle. I am so much more prone to being so earthly minded that I'm of little heavenly good. I can become myopically focused on me: my wants, my needs, my troubles, my possessions, my plans. I grow obsessed with Rachel-like living. Or else, I become hyper-focused on the state of the world: the popular culture, the politics, the weather, the economy.

When the reality of eternity and heaven comes crashing through my heart and thoughts, it pulls my focus up. Way up. Much needed perspective is gained and I'm able to redirect my thoughts and actions towards Christ-like living. I begin living now, again, for this future place and goal.

I'm guessing the "too heavenly minded" saying originated to describe someone who - like the Pharisees - spent their lives becoming self-righteous through their spiritual actions.  Or, perhaps someone who spent so much time in the pew that they neglected their family, friends, or serving their community.  I suspect these people were hearers but not doers of the Word.

I'd also guess these people probably didn't think much about heaven at all. Because to gain a true grasp of heaven is to have your eyes spiritually opened. It is to understand where this all is heading, and what you are truly made for.

It is to think and live higher.

Dear Lord, give me a vision and passion for heaven. May I live for that kingdom - for its King and by its rules. And help me to be of earthly good as I pass through this place, preparing for the next. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do you know the One who can usher you to heaven?

For more on this topic - heaven and living eternally-minded - visit Rachel's blog

God's Purpose for Every Woman: A Compilation of Favorite P31 Devotions  by various Encouragement for Today authors; Gen Eds. Lysa TerKeurst & Rachel Olsen

A Woman Who Fears the Lord: T-shirt

Application Steps: 

Are your ideas about heaven and the life to come fuzzy? Begin searching the Bible for passages about it.

Reflections: 

Do you think about heaven much? Do you believe you can think about it too much?

How do you feel when you do ponder your life to come in heaven?

How do your views on heaven influence your days here on earth?

Power Verses:

Ecclesiastes 3:11a, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men." (NIV)

2 Peter 3:13, "But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." (NIV)

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

[Judy Harder]

March 11, 2010

What Does It Mean To 'Believe?'

Micca Monda Campbell

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9 (NIV)

Devotion:

I didn't take the time to discuss it with my parents or even tell them where I was going. Inside that large arena, I leaped from my seat and ran toward the stage. I was running to Jesus. My mother called my name and begged me to stop. As I looked back at her, a sea of people began to fill the gap between us. Normally, this would have frightened a small child, but I wasn't afraid at all. The pull towards the stage was much stronger than the fear of being separated from my mother. Luckily, a counselor reunited us and my mother was there to witness my introduction to Jesus.

I was seven years-old when I met Jesus for the first time. While attending a James Robison crusade with my family, I was captured by the words of the evangelist as he described Jesus as the Son of God and the Savior of the world. That divine night, my eyes were opened to God's message of hope. When Pastor Robison invited all who believed to come forward, I went.

That was an exciting day for me. However, as the years passed I noticed something disturbing. I wasn't experiencing the change I had hoped for. In fact, each time I heard a pastor say, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and experience freedom from sin and a life marked by peace, power, and joy," I became more confused. I do believe in Jesus. Why weren't those truths a reality in my life?

Like some today, I had misunderstood what it meant to believe.

To "believe" means much more than simply acknowledging Christ's death on a cross.

Unfortunately, for many today that word has been reduced to just that - a mere mental acknowledgement. Like me, multitudes have said the sinner's prayer because they believe Jesus died on a cross. But without the call to confess sin and commit to a life of following Christ in obedience, no transformation takes place. That's the problem with knowledge alone. It requires no commitment and brings about no lasting change.

The Bible teaches that to believe means to acknowledge what Christ did on the cross and to be so changed by it that we want to obey His will and His Word. Therefore, to believe is to obey. A person who truly believes is compelled by God's love, and responds with a desire to obey Him. Their belief not only motivates them to obey but to trust God completely with their life.

When I finally understood this truth, I made a new and final commitment: "God, I so believe in Your Son who died for my sins that I surrender my will for Yours." Then, I began studying and applying God's Word to my life. That's when I noticed real change taking place. I noticed something else too. My problems didn't instantly go away, but I wasn't carrying them alone anymore. That's not all. No matter who mocked me or what trouble came my way, I decided to trust God. Doing so brought peace to my heart like never before.

A true believer is not only identified by what she confesses, but by the fruit of her obedience. The only way to identify genuine belief in your life and the lives of others is by a life that demonstrates it. When a person has experienced real change through a surrendered life, others will know it by their actions.

If you are like me, wondering why no change has occurred since you prayed to become a Christian, perhaps you need to move from acknowledging Christ to living a life of obedience to Him. I promise you ... it's what you're looking for.

Dear Lord, for too long I have only acknowledged You as the Son of God and the Savior of the world. I long for real change. Today, I surrender my will to You. I commit to a life of obedience. Forgive me for my sins and fill me with your Spirit.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

This devotion was adapted from Micca's book, An Untroubled Heart.  Order your copy now!

Visit Micca's blog

When Life and Beliefs Collide: How Knowing God Makes a Difference by Carolyn Custis James

Application Steps: 

Begin today with this commitment: "God, I so believe in Your Son who died for my sins that I surrender my will for Yours." Then follow through by reading the Bible and asking the Holy Spirit to help you life out it's truths by obeying what it says there.

Reflections:

How does your life reflect the fact that faith and action are inseparable?

Can you feel secure in your experience with God if it never leads to obedient action?

Power Verses:

James 2:24, "You see then that a person is justified by what he does, and not by faith alone." (NIV)

James 1:23-24, "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."  James 1:23-24 (NASB)

© 2010 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org

 

[Judy Harder]

March 12, 2010

With All My Heart

Zoe Elmore

"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.'" Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)         

Devotion:

"I'm giving this to you with all my heart, Daddy." Annie spoke those words as she handed her daddy the wrapped gift. Dan opened the gift to find a small cardboard box, the lid had been torn off, mailing label still attached and a rubber band had been secured to fashion a handle. Dan scooped up his daughter in his arms and thanked her for his birthday gift promising to carry his new lunch box to work the very next day. Dan was true to his word and proudly carried the new lunch box to work the very next day.

Now how many people would actually carry their lunch to the office in a tattered and torn cardboard box? Talk about showing your love with your life in a world where talk is cheap and we value appearances over promises! Dan's tender act of love toward his daughter touched my heart and brought this verse to mind.

1 John 4:16, "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him" (NIV).

While Dan's new lunch box fell apart within a day or two, Dan's love for his daughter is real, personal and lasting just like the love God has for us. God's love sees beyond our brokenness and sin and transforms our tattered and torn lives into something beautiful and precious.

Our heavenly Father's love is not based on appearance or gender, education or wealth; it's based on one thing: Love. It is God's very nature to love.  It is the love of self-sacrifice. God proved His sacrificial love by sending His Son Jesus to die on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. God draws us to Himself by forgiving us of our rebellion against Him, and by sending His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. God did this in spite of the fact that we did not deserve it. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, NIV).

God's love is personal. He knows each of us individually and loves us personally with all His heart. His love is a mighty love that has no beginning and no end. Why does God love us? It is because of who He is: "God is love."

If you're longing for the personal and individual love of a father and have never experienced the deep, rich, immeasurable love of God I encourage you to stop and follow these five simple steps.

1. Admit your sin and your need for a Savior.
2. Be willing to turn from sin (repent)
3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you.
4. Through Prayer, receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior.

5. Surrender your will to His, and ask Him to help you trust and obey His ways.

Dear Lord, I believe You are the Son of God. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask You into my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

Visit Zoe's blog for more encouragement.

When a Woman Meets Jesus: Finding the Love Every Woman Longs For by Dorothy Valcarcel

The Wonder of His Love: A Journey into the Heart of God by Nancy Stafford

Read more on Hearing God

Application Steps: 

Begin to read your Bible everyday. This helps you grow in your faith.

Pray. Prayer is simply talking with God; you can talk to God any time.

Join a local church. Other believers will help encourage you.

Reflections: 

Do you often feel like you're going it alone or are you looking for God's presence?

Power Verses:

Psalm 36:5, "Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies." (NIV) 

Psalm 36:7, "How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings." (NIV)

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (NIV)

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

[Judy Harder]

March 15, 2010

Conditional Love or Covenant Love?

Melanie Chitwood

"Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
1 Corinthians 13:7 (NIV)

Devotion:

When I was pregnant with our second son, Tyler, I was not at my best. Actually, I was a mess. We lived in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, at the time, a lovely but really hot place for a pregnant lady. I was hot all the time and cranked our air-conditioner down so low that condensation formed on the windows. I was huge and uncomfortable. Tyler ended up being a big baby—9 pounds, 15 ounces—but that doesn't justify the other 40 pounds I gained.

I was hungry all the time but easily nauseated, so cooking anything involving raw meat was not an option. I was also tired, so after teaching and getting little Zachary tucked in early, I was done for the day. When trying to go to sleep, I soon became very sensitive to any outside noises, so we nailed several blankets over our windows, attempting to muffle the noise.

I pity my husband, Scott, for having to live with me during that pregnancy. Amazingly, he loved me with kindness, patience, and longsuffering. Although we joke now that he earned many jewels in his heavenly crown during that pregnancy, I needed to be sure of his love during that time.

That's a kind of love that only a husband or wife can give. A love that sees the good, the bad, and the ugly and still says, I love you now, and I'll always love you. I am sure Scott thought then and has thought many times since that he married a crazy lady, but he has loved me unconditionally.

A Christian marriage reflects God's love, a covenant love. God's covenant love does not depend on anything we do or don't do. God's love just is. In the same way, a Christian couple demonstrates this covenant love as they remain committed to each other during hard times. Their commitment does not depend on pleasant circumstances.

In other words, their love is not conditional, as so many marriages in today's world are. A covenant love promises, "till death do us part," and perseveres in the hard times.

A covenant love, loves always.

Dear Lord, thank You for my spouse.  We want a marriage that reflects Your kind of commitment, Lord, the kind that lasts forever.  Remind us, especially in the hard times, that we made a promise to each other and to You to be committed for a lifetime. Holy Spirit, please work in me so I will be the first to forgive and the first to say I'm sorry.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Check out Melanie's blog: What Matters Most for a chance to win a free marriage conference call.  Also, you'll find more information about the "Building a Marriage that Will Last a Lifetime" conference call being taught by Melanie this week!

This devotion is adapted from What a Wife Needs from Her Husband by Melanie Chitwood - buy your copy today.

Find hope with Strengthen Your Marriage

The Love Dare by Stephen and Alex Kendrick

Application Steps:

For many years I've had a prayer partner who prays specifically for my marriage, and I pray for hers. I can count on her to hold me accountable to God's principles in my marriage.  Also, I trust her to keep my confidences.  Is there someone in your life with whom you can partner in prayer for your marriage?  Pray about it and then make that call.

If you are facing tough times in your marriage right now, I'd love to pray for you and your marriage, especially if you are facing tough times.  Visit my blog today to leave your prayer request.

Reflections:

Read today's key verse.  Name a specific way you protect your marriage.  Are you trustworthy and do you trust your spouse?   Do you have hope?  How can you persevere in your marriage?

Power Verses:

Matthew 19:6,"So they are no longer two, but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." (NAS)

1 John 3:18, "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." (NLT)

© 2010 by Melanie Chitwood. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

 March 16, 2010

Soil vs. Dirt

Glynnis Whitwer

"But still others received the seed that fell on good soil. They are those who hear the message and understand it. They produce a crop 100, 60 or 30 times more than the farmer planted."Matthew 13:23 (NIRV)

Devotion:

Being raised in the Arizona desert, I have a different approach to planting than folks in other parts of the country.  This was pointed out to me clearly when I was in the beautiful and lush state of Oregon a few years ago.

Some friends and I were discussing the Bible story about sowing seeds and reaping a harvest.  I made a comment about planting seed in dirt.  "Actually," one of the ladies replied kindly, "seed gets put in soil."

I smiled, and said, "Maybe here it does, but in my part of the country, we've got dirt."

We laughed about that, but it's true. In many parts of the desert, in order to plant, we need to break up the dirt and replace it in part or in total, with good, nutritious soil.  This soil is created with lots of additives, or brought in from somewhere else, like Oregon.  Without healthy soil, our fruits and vegetables are only a poor reflection of what they could be.

Sadly, our hearts can sometimes be compared to hard dirt, resistant to the truth God longs to plant in it.  When a seed of truth is presented to a hardened heart, it is not easily received or embraced.  There might be an initial acceptance, but no long term change or "fruit."

Jesus told a parable recorded in Matthew 13 about those who hear the truth, and what they do with it.  In the story, some of the hearers did not benefit from the good seed because their "soil" wasn't ready for it.  As I read that parable, and considered the hard desert dirt, I wondered if there is any way we can soften hard hearts.

I believe the Bible, and the natural world, give us ways to do just that.  Like planting in dirt, the first step is to break it up.  We can break up the hardness of our hearts by asking God to search us and reveal the hard places.  The psalmist asked God to do this in Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me..." (ASV).

Then we can bring healthy "soil" in to those places.  For example, if God reveals there is unforgiveness in your heart, mix in God's truth about forgiveness.  You might memorize Luke 17:4, "If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him" (NIV).

Finally, keep your heart "watered" so it doesn't harden again.  Jesus declared that He was living water, and that when we believe in Him, streams of water will flow from within (John 7:38).  This water is the Holy Spirit, who lives in us when we believe and keeps our hearts receptive to God. 

I believe God longs to bring many believers into a more mature and vibrant faith, but hardened hearts keep us from growing.  Having a heart receptive to truth is an important part of living a life that's productive and used by God.  We may have lots of dirt in the desert ... and our hearts ... but where God's living water is, there is always an orchard ready to grow. 
                                                                                                                                                                         
Dear Lord, thank You for making a way for even the hardest heart to soften.  Help me see the areas of my heart that are hard like dirt.  Please replace those places with healthy soil so that Your truth can produce a harvest in my life.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

i am not, but i know I AM by Louie Giglio

Visit Glynnis's blog for more encouragement.

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

Glynnis is the senior editor of our P31 Woman magazine. Start your subscription today!

Application Steps: 

Read Matthew 13:1-23.  Consider if you are like any of the examples given by Jesus.

Reflections: 

Why do some people find it easier to accept the Bible as truth, while others struggle with it?

What are some reasons God's truth doesn't "stick" in our hearts?

What are some ways to increase your understanding of God's Word?

Power Verses:

John 8:32, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (NIV)

1 John 1:8, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (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]

March 17, 2010

Prepared By God

Wendy Blight

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Devotion:

In 1988 I entered Southern Methodist University School of Law.  I invested three years of my life studying day and night so I could make law review, graduate in the top of my class, and land a job with a large Dallas firm.  It all happened just the way I planned ... making law review, graduating in the top 10 percent, and landing that big downtown job.  It was a good thing too because my husband and I went into debt for that education.  But no worries. I got the high paying job I wanted.

I spent the next year applying all that I had learned, working day and night, researching and writing legal briefs.  My long hours paid off as I began arguing cases before local, state, and eventually federal court judges.  I even had the honor and privilege of writing a brief that went before the Supreme Court of the United States of America. 

But in the end, I hated it. 

After investing thousands of dollars in my education and thousands of hours researching, writing, and arguing, I hated it.  At age 28, I remember saying, "Lord, why do You have me here? I find no joy in what I do. What is it You want me to do? And, Lord, what about all this debt?"

I had no idea the wonderful way in which God would answer those questions.  Twenty years later, those research skills taught me the methods that I now use to study and break apart God's Word.  Arguing before judges prepared me for the speaking and teaching He has called me to.  The writing skills prepared me for writing a book that tells an amazing story of God's hope and healing in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Now in my 40s, I realize that God created me not to be a lawyer, but to be a Bible teacher.  He has called me to break apart His Word and teach it.  There were steps along the way that I do not understand.  There is a debt we still need to repay.  But God has been faithful. 

Friend, if you have landed here today wondering what in the world God wants to do with your life, I want you to know one thing.  Not a single thing in your life will be wasted.  God will use your past and your present to prepare you for your future.  He has a beautiful plan ... a call on your life.  He is waiting to reveal it to you.

Jeremiah 1:5 says, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as My prophet to the nation" (NLT).

Psalm 139:16 says, "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" (NLT).

Sweet friend, God brought you here today.  He wants to remind you of a precious Truth. Hear it and never forget it...before time began, before God spoke the world into being...He had you in His heart. God chose you to be His child.  God has a perfect plan for your life.  No one else has your plan, your family, your gifts, your talents, your heart, your education, your past, and your present ... NO ONE.

He chose you to use you to do great things for His Kingdom ... things that only you can do.

He is preparing you...even now.

But to be used by God, you must TRUST Him with your past; BELIEVE Him for your future; BELIEVE He has a plan for you; SURRENDER your life to His Plan, and BELIEVE He will equip you to do what He has called you to do.

Related Resources:

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

Visit Wendy's blog, Living Truth, if you want prayer for this today.

For more encouragement, listen to Dealing with the Past

The Uncommon Woman: Making an Ordinary Life Extraordinary by Susie Larson
Application Steps: 

Take time today to look at your design.  Prayerfully ask God to reveal your gifts and talents (for example: hospitality, teaching, encouraging, leadership, prayer, administration).  What did you discover?

If you have a moment today, please visit my blog and share what you discovered. What is it you see that He is calling you to do for His Kingdom? And if you don't know, please leave me a comment sharing your thoughts so I can pray for you. God wants to reveal His wonderful plan for your life!!!

Reflections: 

Read Ephesians 2:10.  Read it again.  Soak it in.  Memorize it.  Pray it.  Believe it

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)

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

[Judy Harder]

March 18, 2010

Am I Messing Up My Kids?

Lysa TerKeurst

  "'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'" John 9:3 (NIV)
         
Devotion:

Okay, moms, let's get gut honest today.  Have you ever had these thoughts tug at the corners of your mind: What have I done wrong?  Am I messing up my kids?

I've had two in depth conversations this week with friends and the same theme wove throughout both conversations. Our kids sometimes struggle and when they do, often our first thought is what have I done wrong as a mother? Maybe a lot of us moms have this worry that we are somehow messing up our kids.

Certainly good can come from a healthy assessment of how we're doing in our crucial role as moms. However, when the question comes in the form of a personal assault rather than a call to action over a specific area of improvement- it's not healthy.

It's paralyzing. It's draining. It's defeating.

It's evidence of a hole in the spiritual filter of our mind.

My friend, Holly, and I have been doing something since the beginning of the year that has become an absolute delight to my day. I've been determined to fill my mind with the truth. I figure the more truth I have crowded into that tiny little space I call my mind, the more untruths will get crowded out.

So, we've been taking a book of the Bible and going through it slowly- reading one chapter a day. Then we discuss what spoke to us the most. 

The other day, before my conversation with one of my friends, I read John 9. One verse jumped out at me and seemed to swirl in my thoughts constantly. John 9:3, "'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'"   The way this verse kept bumping into my conscious thoughts let me know it was crucial that I think on it- pray through it- and let it seep into some deep places needing this truth.

Later when I was talking with a friend, there were little hints of that question- "What have I done wrong as a mother?"

What a delight it was to have that verse right on the top of my mind. Like a healing balm, I soothed my friend with the truth that what her son is going through right now has nothing to do with her mistakes or even his for that matter. God is helping her son work through some fears that will eventually be a mighty display of spiritual depth in his life.

Sweet sister, have you caught yourself asking lately, "What am I doing wrong as a mother?" Maybe, some adjustments do need to made.

Or maybe, this line of thinking should be redirected with a different question- "How might God work in this situation so that His work can be displayed in my child's life or in my life?"  Either way, remember this truth- you are loved by God and so is your child.
                                                                                                                                                                       
Dear Lord, help me process my motherhood journey using the filter of Your truth and nothing else. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Visit Lysa's blog to request prayer for your specific motherhood situation right now.  Lysa will be praying over every request submitted on her blog today. Click here to get to Lysa's blog and follow the prompts to leave a prayer request.

Am I Messing Up My Kids? by Lysa TerKeurst

Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKeurst

Application Steps: 

Find a godly friend who can help you process your struggles with your child without condemnation.  Ask this friend to spend some time praying with you and for you.  Then offer to do the same with her.  You'll know you've found the right friend to do this with when she's not afraid to admit she has some of the same struggles as you. 

If you're having a hard time finding a friend who will be honest and vulnerable, ask God to bring this type of friend into your life.  In the meantime, check out my blog.  I think some of my motherhood stories will make you feel right at home.  I'm in the trenches with you sister and I'd love to encourage you in your motherhood journey.

Reflections: 

Is there something your child has struggled with lately that made you feel like you've done something wrong as his mother?

Prayerfully ask God if there is anything you can do better as a mom.  Also, ask Him to help you see all that you've done right as a mom and how to accept that some of your child's struggles have nothing to do with your actions at all.

Then, spend some time in prayer asking God how He is working in this situation.

Power Verses:

John 3:17, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (NIV)

2 Timothy 1:13-14, "What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us." (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 19, 2010

More Worship, Less Whine

Marybeth Whalen

"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship." Job 1:20 (NIV)
         
Devotion:

When good things happen to you do you respond with worship? How about when bad things happen? I know my first instinct isn't to worship. It's to whine. I whine about my doubts, my fears, my own misgivings. I whine about what I think might happen. I whine about how unfair life is. Worship, I must confess, is usually the last thing on my mind.

When I read today's verse, I was taken aback at Job's response to the news that all of his sons and daughters had died. Poor, longsuffering Job earned his place in history as a man who stayed true to God despite his circumstances. He was faithful and trusted God no matter what got thrown at him. He lived in expectation that, even though things looked grim, God had a better plan. So when he received terrible, heart wrenching news, his first response was what we see in today's verse: worship.

I recently had a situation where I got a bit of good news, mixed with some bad. In that moment, I had two choices to make: praise God for the good or dwell on the bad. Guess what I chose? I went straight to the bad, lamenting the negative and worrying about things I couldn't control.

The next day in my quiet time I read this verse. God got my attention, reminding me of how I had responded; how my attitude was certainly not pleasing to Him. I confessed to Him that I was wrong and asked Him to help me remember to worship in good times and bad, to find a reason to praise Him no matter what. The point of our worship isn't to respond to our circumstances but to respond to His character, to seek His heart and not focus on ours.

My hope is that every day, in every circumstance, I will choose worship as my first response. I want to follow Job's example, even when I don't feel like it, even as worries and doubts threaten to take over. I want to build into my life the habit of worshiping a lot more and whining a lot less. Will you join me?
                                                                                                                                                                         
Dear Lord, please help me remember to worship as my first response instead of whine. Help me to seek Your heart instead of focusing on my own. I want to honor You in the bad times, as well as in the good. Help me to remember it is not my circumstances that matter, but Your character. And that is always worthy of praise! Most of all, thank You for Your patience with me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

The Air I Breathe: Worship as a Way of Life by Louie Giglio

Visit Marybeth's blog

Worship: Nearing the Heart of God by Brian T. Anderson & Glynnis Whitwer
The Reason We Speak, General Editor Marybeth Whalen
Redirect your focus when bad things happen with Seeing God in All Things
Application Steps: 

The next time you receive good news or bad, determine to respond in worship. Ask a friend to hold you accountable.

Reflections: 

If you have already formed the habit of worship as a first response, how did you build that habit into your life? Visit Marybeth's blog today to share any ideas you might have on this. 

Power Verses:

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

Job 5:11, "The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety." (NIV)

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

[Judy Harder]

Great Faith

Micca Monda Campbell

"Then Jesus answered, 'Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.'"

Matthew 15:28 (NIV)

Devotion:

I used to covet others' faith. I'd watch the spiritual "giants" in my church and community and wonder why they were given a greater faith than me. It didn't seem fair. Even worse were people with great faith who never seemed to have any type of adversity. Do you know the kind of people I'm describing?

One day, I decided to get to know a person with obvious great faith. I think it was one of the best things I've done to increase my own faith. The first thing I learned was people with great faith got it from their abundance of trials, not from their lack of trials. Trusting God in one trouble gave them courage to trust Him in another. Before they knew it, they had developed great faith in God. Great faith didn't happen overnight; it was a process.

Through the course of trusting God, we discover several things about great faith.  First, it leads to great undertakings. Take the Gentile woman with a demon-possessed daughter found in Matthew 15 - pause to read her story if you can. She cried out for Jesus to heal her daughter, but she received no response.

This action on Christ's part can seem confusing. Therefore, it is important to know that this woman was not only a Gentile, but was of Canaanite descent. The Canaanites were an immoral people God had commanded Israel to completely destroy during their invasion of Canaan under the command of Joshua. Israel did not fully obey God's order and some Canaanites survived the invasion. This woman was their descendant. Nonetheless, this didn't stop her from appealing to Jesus for mercy and help.

Annoyed by her attempts, the disciples urged Jesus to send her away. She was a nuisance to them, but to Jesus the woman was an example of great faith. She was determined to do whatever was necessary to get what she needed.

Great faith also brings about great expectations. If you're like me, you often don't expect great results from your labors and prayers.  This is because we lack faith. This was not true of the Gentile woman. She expected the Savior to heal her daughter.

That's not all. Great faith awakens great earnestness. This woman didn't play by the rules so to speak. She didn't care what others thought about her actions. Crying, she fell at the feet of Jesus and worshiped Him. I've seen this kind of earnestness in others with great faith as well. They pray with persistence until God moves.

Great faith conquers great difficulties. The woman kept on pursuing Jesus even though He reminded her of her position as a Gentile, not a Jew. Christ responded to her begging, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs" (vs.26).  In other words, why should He give her, a Gentile, what He had come to give the Jews?

Her answer to that was to agree with Him, "Yes, Lord." And then throw herself on His mercy again by adding, "...even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table" (vs. 27). She understood that even one morsel of God's power was more than enough to heal her daughter. Pleased with her faith, Jesus commended her.

Finally, great faith achieves great victories. Jesus rewarded the woman's faith by healing her daughter. Our difficulties can be overcome by expressing great faith in Christ's mercy and love, which provide for our needs.

Great faith isn't given to some and not to others. It is a choice we make to trust and pursue God even when at first there appears to be no response.

Dear Lord, my circumstances call for great faith. Today, I'm ready to undertake whatever I need to do in this situation. I expect You to hear and respond to all my concerns. With earnestness, I promise to seek Your will in this area so that I may be more than a conquer. Victory is already mine because I trust in You.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

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

Birds in My Mustard Tree: How to Grow Your Faith by Susanne Scheppmann

Visit Micca's blog

Application Steps: 

Do not give up. Find a mentor with great faith and become their student.

Practice great faith by expecting God to hear and meet your needs.

Reflections: 

Do you ask God to provide for a need and then try to take care of it yourself? If so, why?

Do you think following the example of the Gentile woman will increase your faith?

Power Verses:

Mark 9:23b, "Everything is possible for him who believes." (NIV)

Psalm 130:5, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, in his word I put my hope." (NIV)

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