Monday’s Marinade is provided to you as a means of “soaking yourself” in the hope-filled Word of God at the beginning of your week. Start your week by meditating (thinking and muttering to yourself) on this Word.
Rest in knowing that God’s love is always for you and never against you. Let His love wash over you today! Be sure to marinate your week with hope and a confident expectation of good things happening!
Sometimes, when we feel alarmed about an issue in our life, we can draw hasty conclusions that are wrong. Some people will even begin to suffer from panic attacks.
The Bible tells us that David experienced this. He wrote in Psalm 31:22 [NLT], “In panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the LORD!”
Infertility can make you feel that way, especially when it has lasted for a while. It’s as if God doesn’t care, like He’s purposely turned away and cut Himself off from hearing you. But that’s a deception straight from hell. The devil’s mind games and antics are always meant to make us draw away from God because he knows the solutions to our problems are ALWAYS found in drawing near to God.
David did eventually see the folly of his panic-inspired thought that he was cut off from God. He chose to draw near to God. He made a decision to encourage himself in the Lord by remembering God’s love for him. David told God, “But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.”
God passionately loves us and will never turn away or cut us off. As believers in Jesus, we can be fully confident of this in any situation. Jesus said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always.” [Matthew 28:20 NLT]
Here are a couple of Scripture passages that serve to remind you that you are loved by the only One who can do everything necessary to turn your situation around and replace your panic with peace:
“Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!” As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.” ~Daniel 10:19 NLT
God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope. ~2Thessalonians 2:16 NLT
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It’s God’s Word about Jesus’ love for us. It’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth.
Use it as an affirmation. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!
If you’re struggling with infertility, you’re probably already dreading this coming Sunday– Mother’s Day 2014. But here’s a word of encouragement: STOP! 🙂
There are still 5 more days before that Day. If you’re already dreading it, you’re probably experiencing some stress. A day that is meant to celebrate your mother and her maternal love for you should not be allowed stress you out.
Believe me, I understand through personal experience, the mounting Mother’s Day pressure that has begun (probably even before this week). And, if allowed, it could continue to grow by the weekend. But the woman who started this Mother’s Day movement in 1908 never had the intention that it would become a day to make Potential Moms feel embarrassed, stressed, inferior, or depressed. Her desire was that each family would honor its mother, as she said,
“I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mother’s day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life. She is entitled to it.” ~Anna Jarvis
Somehow, we’ve turned getting through Mother’s Day into getting through Mother’s Week and unfortunately, that’s of our own doing. I encourage you to not allow dread to influence this entire week as it progresses. Dread promotes stress and stress is no good for you.
Instead, make a choice to change your focus. Choose to focus on good things. Focus on celebrating your mother and her love for you. Focus on the motherly love shown to you by others throughout your life. And if neither of those work to remove/reduce the dread, focus on God’s love for you.
This activity might help– Make a list of what kind of loving and honorable traits you want to have when you become a mother. At the end of the list, write a prayer to God to help you exhibit those attributes. Tuck that list away somewhere and consider it a seed for your future as a mom.
What are the attributes you want to model for your child so that he/she knows that they are loved?
Anna Jarvis Quote Source: Wikipedia
I hope you know that you are loved and will continue to immerse yourself in the depths of God’s tender love. It’s only by His grace that we have the privilege of tapping into His love which provides everything we need in life.
Have you enjoyed the encouragement for the last 14 days about how God loves YOU?
Did you pick up your gift, in celebration of my birthday? It’s not too late to do so. Get it at http://wp.me/p1xaMu-D5.
Here’s the last note for this series about the deep,unfailing, and eternal love of God. Enjoy.
God would not give us anything that is not true to His character of love.
Jesus’ love is worthy of our trust.
Jesus loves YOU…it’s as simple as that!
Today’s love note to you from God.
Find more love notes from God in His Word, the Bible.
