Tag: God’s love

Why Should I Be…Thankful?

Posted on by Evangeline

You may have asked yourself, “What do I have to be thankful for when all I want is to get pregnant and it isn’t happening?”

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Some people believe that we’re to thank God for putting us in tough situations because that’s how He teaches us something. I believe God is a better teacher than that. He can get his point across to us without putting us in tough situations. I believe that tough situations are brought to our lives by the devil and that God can and will bring us out of them.

But when you’re in the throes of difficult circumstances, life can become overwhelmingly sad and anxiety-laden. So what is there to be thankful for? Start by remembering that God is with you. If you’ve asked Jesus into your heart, He has promised to never leave you. Just think about that. The One who has the power to change your circumstances is always right there with you in the midst of them, desiring to lovingly see you through them. He wants to bring you out of the grip of tough times into His gentle caress of peace and rest. That’s what He planned for your destiny.

Rest in knowing that God is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31). Trust that He hears you as you pray His promises. Believe that He loves you unconditionally, just as much as He loves Jesus (John 17:23). To have someone who always loves you no matter how much you doubt His ability, willingness, and timing…that’s something to be thankful for!

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”  ~~ Isaiah 41:10 [NLT]

 

God Does

Posted on by Evangeline

Image courtesy of ponsulak / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of ponsulak / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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!

“You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.” Job 10:12 (ESV)

Image courtesy of cbenjasuwan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of cbenjasuwan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Let’s Roll

Posted on by Evangeline

I was recently reading a book, Found: God’s Will, by John MacArthur, Jr., and was struck by a passage near the end of the book. He describes what he calls a crucial principle for seeing your desires come to pass:

Image courtesy of Gualberto107 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Gualberto107 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“Imagine trying to steer and change the direction of a stationary tractor-truck. Tough assignment. It would take huge cranes and chains to even budge it. But once rolling, a truck weighing 36,000 pounds is not difficult to control.” 

Are  you hoping for your desires to come to pass but haven’t taken any action on them? Have you asked God for wisdom and direction in pursuing those desires?

Mr. MacArthur goes on to say that when God takes over the steering wheel of our lives with His strong (loving) arms, things happen a lot easier. “God likes to use people who are already moving.”

Are you establishing a pattern of persistence, taking steps of faith to get rolling so God can steer you toward the good He has planned for you?

Let’s roll so that our persistence will lead us to and through the open doors of opportunity, joy, and abundance.

Supernatural Truth

Posted on by Evangeline

Supernatural Truth. Is there such a thing? The Bible says there is:

“Your word is truth.” John 17:17 [NKJV]

“Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” John 6:63 [NLT]

God’s Word in the Bible is Supernatural Truth. It is eternal and unchanging. God gave us His Truth so we can use it. We are free to use it to bring life and light to our circumstances that seem to be filled with nothing but endless darkness. We use His Word  by believing and speaking it. 

We are enabled by His Truth when we wield it as a sword, using it as an offensive weapon in our struggles [Ephesians 6:17]. God promised that when we believe and speak His Word it would produce prosperous results [Isaiah 55:11]. By believing and speaking His Word, we are speaking words that are empowering, life-giving and situation-changing. Believing and repeatedly speaking His Word brings the essence of HOPE and LIFE to our lives.

Does the struggle with infertility weigh heavily in your life? It did in mine. Believing and speaking the Word help me to become an overcomer in that struggle. I want to encourage you:

Trust in the power of God’s love for you which is embedded in His promises in the Bible.

Believe in the unfailing power of His Word [” Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises he gave…” ~ 1 Kings 8:56 {NLT}].

Bring life to your situation of barrenness by using God’s Word to tap into His good plan for your life.

Confidently trust the power of Supernatural Truth!

 

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4 Ways to Thrive Like a Tree

Posted on by Evangeline
Photo courtesy of Microsoft Images

Hidden in the passage of Jeremiah 17:7, 8 are four ways to thrive like a tree. This scripture declares,

“Blessed [is] the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

The four ways this tree thrives are:

  1. It is planted in fertile soil because it is near the water.
  2. It has developed a strong root system as it stretches, sometimes even through solid rock, to reach out to the water to be nourished.
  3. It has strong branches and green leaves that do not wither even under drought conditions because it has grown strong by continual nourishment from the nearby waters.
  4. It is always fruitful.

Similarly, the four ways we can thrive like this tree planted by the waters are:

  1. Be firmly established in the soil of God’s love. Trust in Him, no matter what our current circumstances may be.
  2. Seek spiritual nourishment from His Word, growing in the knowledge of what Jesus has already accomplished on our behalf. Speak His promises, trusting they are true for our situation.
  3. Receive Jesus’ ever-forgiving love as it supplies nourishment for every “branch” of our lives [spirit, soul (mind, will, and emotions), body, finances, and relationships]. The “green leaves” of our lives indicate good health, a by-product of continual nourishment from God’s Word (see Proverbs 4:20-22).
  4. Manifest fruitfulness in our lives by having a laser focus on Jesus, the One Who initiates and matures our faith through His Word. This fruitfulness, according to Strong’s Concordance, also includes “offspring, children, progeny (of the womb).”

Thriving like THIS tree is a good thing! Don’t you agree?

Infertility Sucks!

Posted on by Evangeline

Hope During Infertility

Yesterday, while talking with a friend about my experience with infertility, I was reminded of some of the emotions that surfaced during that struggle:

  • Shock
  • Devastation
  • Demoralization
  • Aloneness
  • Jealousy
  • Confusion
  • Stress
  • Shame

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.