Joy-Prayer-Thanks

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The difference between joy and happiness is what—or who—is inside of you.  Happiness will come and go based upon circumstances, but joy can be had always, in all situations, if you remember that it is God who calls us to and brings us through.  And in those times that you can’t seem to find joy, don’t stop praying.  The difference between prayer and worry is who you’re talking to and what it does for you.  God brings answers and comfort; worry brings stress and sickness.  And while you’re waiting for God to answer your prayers, dance in advance!  Thank God for it before you see it.  This will increase your joy, your expectation, and keep you focused on the goal and not the walking toward it.  And always remember: I can do all thing through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).

Drawn to Redemption

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ~ John 8:34-36

In his book, Redemption, Mike Wilkerson discusses why we struggle with redemption.  “You may have developed various means of dealing with what's been done to you--self-protection, hypersensitivity, catastrophizing to grab others' attention, never trusting anyone or depending too much on their affirmation, getting even, withholding yourself from others, becoming the aggressor, or self-medicating with any number of substances or pleasure.  In short, you may have constructed a comprehensive manner of life for surviving apart from God (Eph 4:22),” (56).  In this life you’ve created for yourself, you’ve cocooned yourself into an imaginary safety-zone.  But that safety-zone is a lie and God doesn’t want you to stay there.  He wants to open your eyes to the more that He has for you: True Freedom through Redemption.  “In delivering us from sin, God breaks the chains of slavery and beckons us to freedom,” (Wilkerson, 57).

David Crowder, in the song “How He Loves,” says that we are “drawn to redemption by the grace in [God’s] eyes.”  And it's the grace in His eyes that causes us to battle.  If all someone has ever known is that "manner of life," then to see something so peaceful, gentle, and non-judgmental in the eyes of Christ causes one to battle within themselves.  In the battle, the enemy says, "Don't bother, it will be more of the same." And at the same time, the grace we see draws us ever forward. 

Being enslaved is not a “rare condition.”  Jesus said that everyone who sins is a slave to it, bound in chains.  And every enslaved being wants freedom.  It’s the job of those who’ve been freed to lead and guide those still in chains, through love, to the One--the only One--who can make them free forever.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. ~ Galatians 5:1

Whose I Am

And He said to me, "My [child],  you have always been with me.  All that is mine is yours. ~ Luke 15:31

Confidence is having belief in yourself and your abilities.  I don't always have full confidence in myself when I'm in certain situations or doing certain activities.  I was talking to God about it and what He revealed to me was a gentle reminder of who He is.  God is confident around everyone, because He knows who He is.  As His daughter, I shouldn't lack confidence, either.

It's not about my activities or my circumstances, but about remembering who I am and whose I am.  God said that we have always been with Him and all that is His--His personality, His character, His attributes, etc.--is ours, we simply need to know it, believe it, and walk in it.

If there's an area of your life where you feel you are lacking, or could be more filled up, ask God to give you a revelation about who you are in Him.  You are His son.  You are His daughter.  You are His.

~Heather Potts~

Made Complete

In Him you have been made complete ~ Colossians 2:10

There is a story of an East European craftsman who makes vases.  He works with clay until the vase is paper-thin and without defect.  If there is even the slightest flaw, the vase is discarded and he starts over.  Once the vase has been fired, he delicately paints the inside.  When he has finished, the craftsman holds up the vase to admire it...and then he drops it into a metal box, where it smashes into a million tiny pieces (Standing Firm, Donna Partow).

For too many, that's how they feel their lives have gone.  That one day, without warning, the floor came out from beneath them.  And far too many think that's where they have to stay.  But when they do, they miss the best part of the story: Redemption!  This story doesn't end in a metal box because Christ didn't stay in a tomb.  He rose!  He set the captives free and healed the wounded and brokenhearted.

The craftsman doesn't leave the vase in the metal box.  He painstakingly glues each tiny piece back together.  All the broken places are now stronger than ever, but the vase isn't finished at this stage.  He works with pounded gold to make paint and covers over every spot of glue.  The vase, now complete, is more beautiful and stronger than ever before.

Jesus said that this life would throw us curve balls and try to defeat us, but in Him, we can have peace, for He has overcome the world, (John 16:33).  If you've been trapped in the metal box, call out to God who loves you unconditionally.  He longs to heal you in all your broken places, for in His love, we have been made complete.

What If It's More

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His power.. ~ Ephesians 3:20

Every day I have a choice to make of who to listen to.  Fear says, “What if the future, the next step, this decision, etc., is not what I was expecting?”  God says, “What if it’s more?”  Courage is not moving forward because we are assured that the way is secure.  Courage is moving forward, believing that God is secure and we are secure in Him.  Every day, we are bombarded with voices, all clamoring for our attention.  The choice is ours alone, to which we will listen and follow.  Fear has the power to immobilize and shift directions.  But God has greater power.  It is God “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His power.”  God’s power can take our wrong turn and put us back on track.  God’s power can take our pain and use it for His glory.  God’s power can make something out of nothing.  But it begins with our choosing to follow His direction, His voice.

So when the enemy lies to you and says, “Why bother.  It’s not going to be what you were expecting it to be,” what will you do?  To whose voice will you listen and follow?

Fear says, “What if it’s not what you are expecting.”  God says, “What if it’s more.”

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear… ~ 1 John 4:18

He Will Hold Me Close

Though my father and mother forsake me [neglect, don’t see the potential in me], the LORD will receive me [hold me close, see the value in me]… A father to the fatherless…God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing…in you the fatherless find compassion. "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely…” (Psalm 27:10, 68:5-6; Hosea 14:3-4).

What do you long for in life?  What are you missing?  Every one of us has a God-sized hole in our hearts that only our Father can fill.  Yes, we all have earthly parents—some of us lived with both and some of us didn’t live with either—but regardless, we have a Father in God.  He is our Dad.  If that’s a scary or intimidating thing, then perhaps you are comparing your heavenly Father to your earthly father, when you should be comparing your earthly father to your heavenly Father.  Your heavenly Father is perfect, through and through and He loves you with a divine love.  Here is one of the ingredients of divine love: “Sincerity…does not blaze out in passionate anger, nor brood over wrongs; always just, joyful, and truthful; knows how to be silent; full of trust; always present,” (Finis Dake Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4 notes).  Perhaps your earthly parents were really good at holding a grudge, or they were passive aggressive, or they scared you by yelling a lot.  Perhaps they were down the middle, but still kind of absent.  No matter the conditions of your growing up and childhood, God wants to draw you close to Him.  He wants to hold, comfort, love on, and cuddle you. 

If this is something you are longing for, today’s the day you can begin to experience that with Father God.  He’s got His arms open wide and He’s waiting for you to run to Him.

[Father God’s love] flows most freely to those who are meek and lowly of heart and who will come to the Father like a little child in need of Daddy’s comforting love ~ Experiencing Father’s Embrace, Jack Frost

~Heather Potts~

He Loves You

TRUTH: My Father wants me to overflow with His love. ~ Experiencing Father’s Embrace, Jack Frost

Do you know that God loves you?  From the time we were little, some of us sang “Jesus loves me.”  And while He does, God also loves you.  He loves you like a father and not just any father, but your Perfect Heavenly Father.  He loves you unconditionally.  He wants to comfort you, hold you, nurture you, cherish you, adorn you with beauty, fill you up to completeness, and remind you of what it means to be His.  He is My Father…your Father, your Daddy.  You are His cherished one and He loves you.  He wants you to know that you know that you know—beyond head knowledge—how much He loves you.  Daddy loves you.  Think on that today, meditate on it.  Let Him heal you in your broken places and fill you in your empty places.  Remember today and always: Daddy loves you.

[I pray that you may] know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. ~ Ephesians 3:19

Overflowing

My sin not in part but the whole / is nailed to the cross / and I bare it no more / Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord oh my soul ~ "It Is Well" Horatio G. Spafford

They say that labor pains are the worst pain a woman can feel, but as soon as she holds her newborn baby in her arms, she forgets all the pain.  Forgiveness has that same effect.  The act of forgiveness is the most precious gift we can give...to ourselves.  It stops toxins from forming in our hearts, minds, and bodies because the root of bitterness is gone from our lives.  I'd both heard and seen my pastor walk someone through forgiveness, wholehearted forgiveness, but it's quite different when you walk through it yourself.  Nothing prepares you for the process, but there's also nothing other than possibly the labor experience to compare the after effects to.  Once you've let the offenses go and have been filled up with love, deep, unconditional Father God love, the pain of the sin that was committed against you and the pain of letting it go are so faint that you hardly remember they existed.  I can honestly say that I'm so filled with joy and such a deep understanding of my Daddy's love for me that anything that happened before this is just a shadow.

Thank you God for being so faithful, for not giving up on me, and most importantly, thank you for showering me with this amazing love that I always longed for but never really realized existed.  Thank you for being my Daddy.  Thank you for drawing me near. I love you!

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. ~ Matthew 12:34