Tag: Jesus

His Love is the BEST

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

God’s love is the BEST! There is nothing that compares to His love for us. Even as we attempt to show our love in return to Him, it does not begin to reach the height, depth, and breadth of His inexhaustible love .

Here are some good reminders:

 Image courtesy of gubgib/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of gubgib/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ephesians 3:17-19-“Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” [NLT]

John 17:23-“I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” [NLT]

Romans 5:8-“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” [NLT]

How will you enjoy and bask in His love for YOU today?

The Season of Waiting

Waiting…

It’s not fun.

In our  American “get it NOW” society, we tend to want our desires to manifest immediately. We don’t like waiting.

But the old saying “good things come to those who wait,” still rings true. Sometimes an incubation period is needed for in order for us to see the desired end result. Seeds don’t produce immediately after they are planted. Farmers and gardeners have to wait.  It takes time before the seed produces the first sprout which forces its way through the soil to bask in the sunlight and continue to grow.

Even God waits. He planted many “Word seeds” through His prophets who predicted a Savior/Messiah would come. But He waited through many generations. He desired for Jesus to come to the earth and save mankind but it took hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Sending Jesus was indeed the BEST thing that God has done for mankind but God patiently waited for the right time!

You may be waiting on a desired result that seems impossible to come through, only because it’s taking so long to manifest. But hang in there! The seed is about to sprout. There is HOPE! You’ll find it in Hebrews 10:35, 36:

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”

I pray that you’ll endure this season of waiting with hope, peace and joy!

Photo source: Microsoft partner Fotolia
Photo source: Microsoft partner Fotolia

Focus Friday

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 will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, And will praise the name of the LORD, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And my people will never again be disappointed. “~~ Joel 2:26 [HNV]

Image courtesy of nuchylee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of nuchylee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Would You Say He’s Your Fertilizer?

Matthew 16:13 tells us of the time when Jesus had a discussion with His disciples about their beliefs and how they verbally expressed those beliefs. The scripture reads, “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Some disciples only said what they had heard other people say. But when Peter answered that  Jesus was the Son of God, the Anointed One, Jesus applauded him. Peter had let the right words come out of his mouth!

If you’re dealing with infertility right now, who do you say Jesus is in your situation? Would you say He’s not listening or that He’s a distant, unwilling healer? Would you say He’s being judgmental and imposing infertility on you as a punishment? Well, this may sound weird but, I want to encourage you to say that He is your “fertilizer”.

Hold on…I’m not being disrespectful to His divinity. I am honoring His ability to be whatever you need in the moment of your need. If your womb has been declared infertile by doctors, then why not make your own declaration that Jesus is the one Who can make it fertile? In fact, because of His complete work on the cross on our behalf, He has already addressed this issue [2Peter 2:24] and made complete healing available for you to receive! He really is the Fertilizer of your womb.

Believe in His love for you.

Look to Him to fulfill every need you have.

Trust in His grace and favor that He pours out for you.

Let the right words come out of your mouth by declaring that Jesus is whatever you need Him to be!

Will you believe and say that He is your Fertilizer?

 

One Heart, One Way

One Way sign jpgPhoto courtesy of Microsoft Images

This past week, a friend dealt with circumstances that were a real struggle in her marriage. It was a time when many choices could have been made that would have caused deep regret for years to come. Fortunately, she is a believer in Jesus and sought God for wisdom FIRST and made difficult choices that were in line with His will for her marriage to heal and prosper.

When I’m faced with a struggle or have friends dealing with a challenge, my tendency is to find and pray a scripture that addresses it with a promise from God. In this case, I prayed Jeremiah 32:39  [NLT], “And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants.”

This was a promise we needed as my husband and I dealt with infertility. Having one heart and one way in facing infertility is key if a marriage is to survive the emotional, physical and financial strains. It’s so easy to get so involved and pre-occupied in the struggle that you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Being surrounded by darkness and not seeing where you can go means that you’ll go in any direction in the search for a way out. If a husband and wife can’t agree on what to do, where to go, and how to get there, it’s easier to go in separate ways and therefore experience increasing distance between them. But what if the decision is made FIRST to only go in one direction together, giving each other encouragement and keeping in mind the same goal?

God’s promise in Jeremiah 32:39 was that the result of having one heart and one way would be good not only for the husband and wife but also for their children! Putting God first means that He will give wisdom so that you know what to do and where to go together to get out of the seemingly endless dark situation.

Looking to Jesus and therefore going in one direction together will increase the likelihood of reaching the light at the end of the tunnel much sooner and happier and make the outcome of the struggle much more rewarding.

Famine in the Land?

Do you sometimes feel that going through infertility is like experiencing famine in the land? Today, I’m sharing an excerpt from my devotional book, A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertilitythat addresses that issue.

This devotion is entitled “God’s Circle of Blessing“:

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com | Romulus Hossu
Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com | Romulus Hossu

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. So 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

If you’d like to have more devotions like this at your fingertips, to encourage you on a daily basis,

click here to order the printed version of A Seed of Hope.

A-Seed-of-Hope-low-cover

Focus Friday

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! 

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” ~~ James 1:17 [NIV]

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com | Tomas Stasiulaitis

What’s the Answer?

What’s the answer to your problem today?

Do you think your answer depends on what the problem is?

                • Infertility
                • Unhappy Marriage
                • Lack of Money
                • Poor Health
                • Hopelessness
                • Strained Relationships
                • Failing Business
                • Loneliness
                • Depression
                • (Fill in the blank)

Regardless of the problem you face today, you can make it through because JESUS is the answer to any and all of your problems!

Be encouraged by this classic song by Andrae Crouch, “Jesus is the Answer“.

Still Thankful?

We just finished celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in America. Even though that weekend is set aside to more openly express thankfulness (and shopping), how can we remain thankful in the weeks and months ahead? What about today…are you still thankful?

Why should we look for things in our daily lives that could be reasons to thank God? Because giving thanks to Him is the means of focusing on the solution to the problems we have. When we give thanks in the midst of our problems, we keep victory’s door open. Thanking God when we’re dealing with trying circumstances is the best way to express that we expect Him to make good happen.

I’m not saying to thank God for the problem. My point is to thank Him for being the answer to our problem. Talking about the same problem over and over again changes nothing. Labeling yourself as being one who constantly suffers/experiences problems prolongs the problem! Continuing to talk about your dissatisfaction with being “stuck” in a negative situation is actually the language of defeat.  But, by expressing thanks and acknowledging that our full and final solution is found in Jesus, we speak the language of victory.

Trust in God’s ability and willingness to make good come out of bad. His divine power has given us everything we need [2 Peter 1:3,4]. All our solutions are found in His promises in the Bible. Find the promises related to your problem and then believe them and speak them. When we increase our knowledge of what Jesus accomplished on our behalf and how He made those promises able to be manifested, Peace and Favor are increased in our lives. That’s a reason to still be thankful everyday!

What’s your reason to still be thankful?

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com | Olga Vasilkova

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Thankful in the Midst of Infertility?

When you’re facing the difficult struggle of infertility, what is there to be thankful for?

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com | Ctulu8

It’s so easy to get caught up in all that’s going wrong, the disappointment that comes month after month, the emotional drain of it all, the possible health scares, the financial toll and the marital problems that tend to stealthily creep in. But this Thanksgiving week, make a DECISION to look for the things in life you can 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 and to bless you with his unfailing grace. Continue to rest in knowing that God is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31). Be thankful that He has given so many examples of women who overcame infertility along with promises in the Bible that relate to your fertility. Thank Him that you can count on Him to make good on those promises (Isaiah 55:11).  Even during the moments when you doubt  His ability, willingness, and timing, stand firm in being thankful that  He still loves you. Believe that He loves you unconditionally, just as much as He loves Jesus (John 17:23).

Be thankful that there is nothing too hard for God, not even infertility (Genesis 18:14)!