Some scriptures to encourage you:
“And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7 NLT
“I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.” Psalm 38:15 NIV
“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:5 NLT
Please watch this 30 second video and be encouraged to keep hope alive during this struggle with infertility.
When I feel exasperated by my circumstances, and find myself not knowing what to do next, it’s typically because I haven’t asked God for guidance on that specific thing. When will I learn to always ask Him first? It makes life so much simpler and joy-filled!
David, in 1 Samuel 30:8, inquired of God about his next step, setting a good example for us to follow:
“So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
Asking God for our life’s game plan is always the best thing to do when considering our “next steps”. It’s best to do it though BEFORE exasperation sets in from going on our own plan that has no input or influence from God.
Yesterday, while talking with a friend about my experience with infertility, I was reminded of some of the emotions that surfaced during that struggle:
I felt inadequate as a woman because I couldn’t do the one thing that women can do that men can’t— give birth. There are additional depressing feelings that were brought on by infertility but the point I want to make to you is that I OVERCAME them. Thankfully, I had understanding friends who pointed me to God. They encouraged me to learn about the women in the Bible who experienced infertility and overcame it. That was a turning point for me!
If you’re struggling through the emotions of infertility (and I do mean through–don’t get stuck there), you know where I’m coming from–infertility sucks! Please know that you are not alone. Trust in the Word of God. Trust in His love for you.
Have confidence that God’s promises of fertility are true for YOU. Find and anchor your hope in them.
I decided to continue the theme of royalty from my post, Embrace Your Inner King/Queen on September 12, 2012.
Sometimes I need to ponder my royal status in Christ more often and maybe you do too. Revelation 5:10 assures us of our royal status in this life on earth through Jesus: “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
I need you to put on your math cap for a moment. Remember “If-Then” statements? They show us that if one thing is true and it says/demonstrates the same thing as another, then they are equal. For instance, “If 4+1 =5 and 3+2 =5, then 4+1=3+2.”
In Ecclesiastes 8:4, we’re told, “Where the word of a king is, there is power…” So here’s the “If -Then” statement I’m proposing: IF we are kings/queens in Christ (and we are, whether we live like it or not), and the word of a king/queen has power, THEN our words must have power! In our natural lives, our words have the power to bind us in an agreement/contract, to involve us in a covenant such as marriage, and to change our circumstances, for better or worse.
Your words act as seeds that will grow and be fruitful. But beware, the soil of your life WILL produce what you plant in it. Stay away from the weed seeds, those words that are nothing but negativity.
As a king/queen, you get to choose what kind of seed you will speak into your future and then live with its harvest.
Will you speak seeds that yield a harvest of Life and Blessing?
Jesus died to enable us to reign in life. Do you feel like royalty? Or do you simply feel like you carry the royal title of “Christian” but you’re not exercising nor experiencing the ruling power that’s supposed to come along with it?
There is a king/queen in you if you are a believer in the work of Jesus on the cross on your behalf. Maybe you need to tap into the knowledge that through Jesus, God transferred you from the devil’s kingdom of darkness and oppression into the His kingdom of light, life and power [Col. 1:13]. If you need a boost in believing your life should be more of a demonstration of the power to reign in life, I encourage you to read these scriptures and thoughtfully consider their application in your life.
There IS a King in you if believe in Jesus as Savior. How will you more fully embrace your inner king/queen and reign in life?
“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” ~~ Romans 5:17 NIV
“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” ~~Revelation 1:6
Enjoy hearing Donald Lawrence & Company sing There Is A King In You.
Focus on the following promise throughout the day. God said it and it’s what He desires. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day and expect God to do what He has said!
“And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” ~~Isaiah 10:27
Today is the day to begin sowing for a better tomorrow. When you plant the Word of God in your life, it produces a powerful harvest.
James 1:21 says that the Word in you has the power to save your soul. That “saving of your soul” not only applies to giving you a heavenly place to abide after your body dies. It also means to save a suffering one (from perishing) here on earth, i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health [Strong’s Concordance].
So when you feel as if you’re facing something too hard to overcome, rely on God’s Word to make the difference. His Word brings Restoration to the parts of your life that seem worn out. It brings Light to the darkness that seems to surround you. It provides Guidance in the midst of confusion. His Word enables you to overcome, when defeat feels imminent.
So don’t give up! Look through your Bible and find His promises that specifically relate to what you want to have happen in your life. Use God’s promises as the seeds to plant in the fertile soil of your heart. Stand on those promises. Believe them, speak them, act on them. Expect a different harvest than what you are currently experiencing or seeing.
Sow a seed of hope for a better and brighter tomorrow!
Focus on the following promise throughout the day. God said it and it’s what He desires. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak the Word continually and expect God to do what He has said!
“No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame.”
~~ Psalm 25:3
When I was a little girl, summers were spent playing outside. I loved playing hand games with the other girls in my neighborhood. A particularly favorite hand game was about a sailor. Do you remember this?
A sailor went to sea, sea, sea
To see what he could see, see, see
And all that he could see, see, see
Was the bottom of the big blue sea, sea, sea.
The other day, that lyric came to mind as I was reflecting on what I choose to look at in my life. Do I hang my head and look down, focusing primarily on all the negative things that happen? Am I like the sailor, who could only see the bottom of the sea, even though there was the beauty of the horizon right in front of him to enjoy? Or do I choose to look up , focus on the positive things and find the joy that may be hidden in my negative circumstances?
I hope that on a daily basis, I will look up and see Jesus and allow Him to be the author of my life story and the One who directs and perfects how the ending of my story turns out. I know that when I put my day-to-day life in Jesus’ hands, the horizon of my life will always be beautiful.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” ~~Hebrews 12:2 NIV
Each day, take time to remind yourself that because of Jesus, you live in God’s circle of blessing. It’s the place where He lovingly pours out provision, safety, healing and favor.
Here’s an excerpt from my devotional ebook, “A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility.” Enjoy!
God’s Circle of Blessing
“I will bless you richly. I will multiply your descendants…”
~ Genesis 22:17 ~
The Living Bible Translation of Psalm 25:13 says, “He shall live within God’s circle of blessing, and his children shall inherit the earth.” To whom is this passage referring? The previous verse tells us…the person who reverences God.
Living in God’s circle of blessing enables us to enjoy the best in life even when circumstances around us tell, and sometimes yell, otherwise. Isaac, Abraham’s son, was a great example of living in the circle of blessing.
The Bible’s account in Genesis 26:1-13 tells how there was a famine in the country where Isaac lived and he wondered if he should leave like so many others and go to Egypt where there was no famine. God told him to stay and that He would be with Isaac in his obedience. God promised him increase in all areas of life, including children.
In the midst of his country’s famine, despair, lack, and death, Isaac was blessed with extreme abundance because he stayed where God wanted him—in His circle of blessing. Infertility is like a famine—extreme hunger and despair—except it’s for a child. Just as Isaac experienced great bounty in the midst of famine, so can you, when you choose to remain in God’s circle of blessing even as your circumstances scream “famine.”
You can live in God’s circle of blessing by keeping the ears of your heart open to His Word. Hear Him as He speaks to you through it. Receive the Word by faith, as personal promises from God to you.
Receive His wonderful blessings by saying “thank you” to Him for the promises you find in his Word for your child. Repeatedly speak His Word, His Truth, over your life. When we speak the Word, we’re in agreement with God. Receive His blessings by living in His Word and resting in His grace.
No matter what the doctor’s reports say, you don’t have to be stuck in the famine of infertility. Declare that you live in God’s circle of blessing because famine can’t exist there. Jesus is God of abundant joy!
Nothing is too hard for Him to change; therefore He can change your circumstance of infertility. His Truth, His Word, can bring extreme abundance in its most wonderful form—the blessing of a child.
Speak the Word: I choose to stay in God’s circle of blessing. He is my source of everything good.
More Encouragement: Galatians 3:14; Hebrews 6:14
To receive another free sample of additional devotions from ” A Seed of Hope,” click HERE.