Tag: blessings

You’ve Got to Get the Kinks Out for the Blessings to Flow

Posted on by Evangeline

In an attempt to save a bush in my front yard from the scorching heat wave we were having, I pulled our water hose over to it to give it a good soaking. It did not turn out to be a quick and easy task. The hose had knots that I had to untangle (a sign that my husband was the last one to use it since he hates to neatly coil it when he’s done). The hose also had kinks in it, places along the length of the hose where it was bent and would restrict the flow of the water.

I tried to get as many knots and kinks out of the hose as possible, but it was 110 degrees outside and I was not going to take the time to make it perfect! When I turned the water spigot, water came out of the hose but not at the free-flowing rate I expected. The remaining kinks in the hose were restricting the flow to a trickle.

Life can be like that hose. Distractions and hardships in life (for example, infertility) can make us think that we have to do all we can to make something happen. They cause great stress in our minds and bodies.  Even our muscles can be like the hose and get kinks and knots in them when we are stressed. When we’re focusing on the problem and looking to ourselves or other people as the source of our solution, the resulting stresses can close off the supply of what we need, even though the supply is still freely flowing from the source, or should I say Source.

God really wants us to be blessed abundantly and He, as our Source, has made provision through Jesus to give us every good thing.  The Bible instructs us to look to Jesus– to move our attention away from the troubles and fix our attention on His love and provision (Hebrews 12:2). His supply is always flowing from Him but the kinks that we allow in our lives can restrict the flow to a trickle, or even just a drop, by the time it gets to us.

water hose kink

What would happen if we just relax in God’s arms and trust Him? What would happen if we rest in Jesus’ work as being sufficient? Could we more fully receive and enjoy His peace, faithfulness and provision? Surely the kinks in our lives would relax, opening up the channel of supply from our Source so that we can receive abundantly!

What kink will you remove from your life today so you can enjoy the blessings that are already freely flowing in God’s pipeline to you?

Your Blessings

Posted on by Evangeline

Ever doubt that the blessings of God are for YOU?

Well, rest assured, they are!

What have you asked Him for lately?

Go ahead, accept what is yours to receive from God.

Image courtesy of nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Get more ways to build your hope in Evangeline’s book, ” A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility.”

The Sun Is ALWAYS Shining

Posted on by Evangeline

It’s been a chilly, wet and cloudy day today. The sun has been covered by grey clouds all day. When I went out to Zumba class this morning, there was no sign of the sun in the sky. Did that mean the sun had stopped shining?

Of course not! The sun is always shining, even on dark, dreary days. But because my view of the sun was obscured by the dark clouds, its presence wasn’t noticeable and went unacknowledged.

Life can be like that. When we look only at our surrounding circumstances, it can sometimes feel like a dreary and depressing life. Somehow, we begin to focus only on those “dark clouds” of life. We easily forget that the blessings of God are still swirling around us, ever-ready for us to grasp and bring the bright and abundant life God desires for us. His presence is an eternal promise to the believer in Jesus and brings nothing but grace to our lives. Like the sun, His blessings are always there, even when we don’t notice  them or take advantage of them.

I hope you’ll take time to remember everyday that the light of His grace is always available to brighten even your darkest circumstances. You just have to look to Him.

 

Focus Friday

Posted on by Evangeline

Focus on the following scripture throughout the day. It’s God’s Word and it’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” ~~Deuteronomy 30:19 [NLT]

Image courtesy of basketman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of basketman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

God’s Circle of Blessing

Posted on by Evangeline

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.

Looking to Jesus

Posted on by Evangeline

Someone once said, “Looking to your past gives you regrets. Looking to your future gives you opportunities.” I’d like to add to that—“Looking to Jesus helps you finish the race of life as a victor.” [Hebrews 12:1,2]

When we look to Jesus, it gives us hope for being rescued out of the situation of infertility and anything else that’s a struggle. After all, He’s the one that rescued Peter out of the breath-snatching waves of water. He rescued Paul from the grip of hatred and fear. He loosed Lazurus from the chains of death. He rescued sick people from various illnesses and fed thousands of hungry people with just a few loaves of bread (twice!).

Look to Jesus and be encouraged! Because of His obedience, death, and resurrection, we have access to blessings that the Father intended for us to have all along. Looking to Jesus is what we need to do to be reminded that He did everything necessary , on our behalf, for us to be rescued from bondage and brought into freedom. He finished and satisfied every requirement so that we are now qualified to claim and enjoy all the blessings that He has already given us, including overcoming infertility.  [Ephesians 1:3; Deuteronomy 7:14; Deuteronomy 28:4]