Love Is the Greatest Motivator

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/220279254/

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." -Galatians 6:9 & 10

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." -1 Corinthians 13:13

Do you ever find yourself hunting for motivation some days? The drudgery of life can sometimes make us wonder why we try so hard. Even though some people may have better circumstances than we do, and others may have worse, everyone struggles with a lack of motivation at one point or another. But, what motivation can we rely on that will sustain us through the bumps and curves of life?

When God thought us up before we were born, (Jer 1:5) He knew everything we would need to make the most of our lives here on earth. He knew what we would need to sustain us - He knew what we would need to make our lives count. Most of all, He knew we would need to stay connected to Him, and be sustained by His everlasting love and the salvation of His Son.

Have you ever been in love, or seen someone in love? You'll know that that person will go to any great lengths to show their love to the object of their affection. Love is extremely motivating! Love makes it known that the other person matters to you, a great deal. We feel the most alive when we are in love, or when we feel truly loved by someone we know, love, and trust. How much more are we motivated when we realize that we are the sole object of God's (the author & creator of the Universe) unwavering affection?

Because He loved us, we love others. When we are reminded of His love, we find the motivation we need to serve and bless others with our gifts and talents. Even if we don?t think we have anything to offer, God makes it clear that each thing He creates is valuable - person, creature, or tree. And we are most of all valuable to Him, even more than the sparrows. (Matt 10:31)

Do you need motivation today? Soak up God's promises in His word that He loves you. He wants nothing more than for all of His children to know, receive, and experience His love!

Quieting Our Souls

"The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."  Zephaniah 3:17

Have you ever felt super stressed out?  Have you ever had a HUGE deadline, or had to do something you were afraid of, or do you have a pressure-filled job?  The world we live in is very much pressure and money driven.  So, how do we find peace and rest for our souls in these types of pressured environments? 

I love the verse above.  There is so much to meditate on.  The prophet Zephaniah is talking about what God is thinking about Israel.  Though they have been away from God, He plans to straighten them out a bit, and then bring His love back to them.  "He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love."  Isn't that such an incredible statement?

The prerequisite for this "quietness through love" is humility.  It says in the previous verses,  "Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.  The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will never tell lies or deceive one another. They will eat and sleep in safety,  and no one will make them afraid."  (v.12-13)

If we try and try and try in our own strength, we're living in strife and flesh.  We won't experience "rest."  But, if we are able to humble ourselves and put God first, He will provide rest and quietness for our souls.

Are you able to receive God's quieting love?  Spend some time with Him today, and allow Him to quiet your soul.  There is no greater refreshment than being filled with Him. 

Overcoming Negative Circumstances

"Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens.  Don’t turn away from me, or I will die.  Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.  Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you." -Ps 143:7 & 8

Sometimes life is hard.  When we go through difficult seasons, we may question God's presence, His goodness, His love for us, or the dreams He placed within us.  "Why on earth would this happen to me, God, if You are loving and just!?" we may ask.

However, this is exactly the posture the enemy wants us to have.  Whenever bad things happen, as they did to Job, the enemy wants to get in the middle and tell us God doesn't love us, He doesn't care about us, and He doesn't have a plan for our lives. He wants us to turn against our God.  These statements are a complete and total lie!

But, how do we get to the truth, when all our circumstances point to the negative?  It may be that we have never known anything besides the negativity that surrounds us. 

First, we need to get in the word, to read what God says about us and our situation.  We need to pray, even if we don't feel like it.  We need to worship, to praise God in spite of whatever is going on - in His word it says that praise is the antidote for heaviness.  (Is 6:13) We need to get around encouraging people.  And most of all we need to believe - to have faith that in spite of any difficulty, our God is still victorious.  We have to realize that we live in a fallen world, and that God does not want us to go through negative things, but He will use them for our good. (Romans 8:28)

Are you going through something negative right now?  Stay in faith, let God be your hope, and even if things don't change immediately stay in faith that God will do what He promised. The answer may not come at the time we expect, but it doesn't change the fact that God loves us, and sent His son to die for us, so that we could live in heaven, eternally with Him.

Transactional vs. Relational Leadership

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." -John 15:13

Many a book has been written about the servant leadership Jesus modeled.  He said in a famous verse, "...he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves." -Luke 22:26  But, what was so special about the way Jesus led His followers?

Ford Taylor is a leadership consultant who trains leaders of leaders, and is involved in community transformation in the state of Ohio.  He teaches something called "transformational leadership", which is basically developing a relationship with someone to such an extent that they actually want to do whatever it is the leader is asking them to do.  This is also called relational leadership.

Businesses and other organizations cite fewer problems, higher revenue, and much less turnover by employing his principles.  Building relationship as being primary in leadership isn't a new concept:  Josh McDowell, the well-known youth leader and apologist has said, "Sharing truth without relationship leads to rejection. Discipline without relationship leads to anger."
 

Do you think the disciples wanted to follow Jesus?  Nobody was making them follow Him.  In fact, Jesus didn’t even pay them.  Through His relationship with the disciples, Jesus was able to change their minds about a lot of things, including who He was.  He was king of the Jews, even though He wore no crown, had no castle, and had no horse to ride upon.  But, He developed such a relationship with the disciples that they would have followed Him anywhere, and they would have died for Him.  Many did die for Him, after they realized who He was and that He first died for their sins.  It really was quite profound.

Is relational leadership something you employ?  Think about ways you can motivate those you serve by being more focused on building relationship.

Smaller Story vs. Larger Story

"Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him."  -Matthew 4:21&22

Each of us has a story.  When we have completed our lives here on earth, a story will have been written.  But, what we do today determines whether we will have lived our smaller story, or whether we stepped out into our larger story.

What is a larger or smaller story?  A smaller story is written when we accept the adversity life has handed us as reality.  We stay stuck in ruts unable to move forward due to our feelings about where we are.  We let our circumstances and past define us, instead of letting God define our now and our future.  We hold on the grudges and resentment citing other people to blame for our problems.  We accept mediocrity.  We likely don't enjoy where we are in life, but don't have much hope about the future.

In contrast, if living our smaller story is about doubt and defeat, living our larger story is all about faith and victory.  It takes much more faith to walk in our larger story, even if we believed in Jesus in the first place.  There are many people who believe in Jesus but stop there.  They don't have the faith that He can transform their lives. 

If we want to live extraordinary lives in Christ, then we have to have the belief that anything is possible, no matter what we've seen before.  This may involved a process of emotional healing and restoration, training in the things of God, and the letting go of past hurts and resentments through the power of the cross.  This may involve trying new things and stepping out into situations that are uncomfortable for us. Whatever it is, if we want to step into our larger story, discomfort and faith is defininitely a part of this process.

Which story are you living?  Are you living your smaller or larger story?  Pray and ask God today to bring you into the larger story He intends for your life.

Jesus Left the Competition

"Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that He and John performed (although His disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning hHm and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee." -John 4:1 MSG

Is competition biblical? In a hurried world where results produce promotion and accolade, it is so easy to get our eyes off where our central focus should be: Jesus. Yes it is right to work diligently and wholeheartedly (Prov 12:27), yes it is good to excel and be faithful (Luke 19:17) - but is it okay to be competitive?

In the Bible there is no mention of the word “competition”, but we can gather from Jesus’ example that He competed with no one. The moment it was suggested that someone was keeping score, Jesus left the playing field entirely.

I remember being a kid in elementary school being put up to the challenge of who could complete the Hooked on Phonics book first. I was definitely up for it, (English was my strong suit), so I worked hard to get the book done before anybody else. It was down to me and the last guy, and I remember staying up late one night to finish it. I was excited to bring that phonics book in complete that day and win the contest. But even though I won, the truth is, it didn’t add anything to my value.

Having a challenge or contest is not wrong, and neither is sports. But when we begin to operate in striving, our worth becomes tied to our performance - and we can miss God’s love completely. Everything we receive comes from Him, not through our own human efforts. (2 Cor 3:5) We have to be careful to check our motives and listen to His heart for us and on behalf of others.

Is there anything you may need to adjust in your life to help you keep a right focus? We don’t need to be bound to performance - instead, we need a greater revelation of God’s love for us, being led by His Spirit, and trust in Him that He will provide for all of our needs.

Portals of Heaven

"But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative - that is, the Holy Spirit- he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”"-John 14:26&27

 

For too long, there have been too many inaccurate representations of God.  These representations would lead people to believe that God is judgmental, cold, unloving, and uncaring.  This has brought division in the body of Christ, and most of all, kept people away from the truth of God’s nature.  

I believe it is time for His true representatives who have His nature within them to stand up for the truth of God’s character, reflecting His nature throughout the earth.  In order for people to really know who God is and be able to choose the real Him, they need an accurate representation of who He really is.

The Bible says that we as Christians are to be His representatives, reflecting Him throughout the earth.  When we utilize our gifts, He is glorified.  We shouldn’t just be sitting in a pew on the sidelines - we should be out in the world, using the gifts He gave us to bring heaven’s culture to earth! 

But, in order for us to do that, we need a true revelation of God.  We need a true revelation of His creativity, His character, His grace, and most of all, His love.

What should this culture of heaven look like?  Well, we know that God is love, (1 John 4:8) God is creative, (Gen 1) and He is unlimited (Ephesians 3:16).  We know that the “fruit” of God in our lives is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22 & 23). So that must mean heaven is a pretty awesome place!  

“You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” -John 14:13

Are you bringing God’s kingdom to earth through your gifts and talents?  I pray that each of us can use what God has given us, so that we can bring glory to our Father in heaven. 

Why Judgement?

 

“I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty.”  -Exodus 34:7

All throughout the Old Testament it seems like the Israelites are getting judged.  They are good for a while, then they get a bad king, and he leads them into idol worship.  Then God sends a prophet to judge and save the nation and they get cleaned up again and worship God.  Then they get a bad king and they start all over.  It’s like being on a roller coaster ride!

I used to think that God was angry and judgmental.  I couldn’t relate to Him because I thought He was sitting on His throne, furrow-browed and uncaring, judging the world of their sin.  I certainly didn’t measure up.  Finally, I had a REVELATION of Him and His love...

But recently, I had a revelation of judgement.  It may sound strange, but I finally understood why God judged people back in the Old Testament. 

God was angry with the people when they worshipped idols.  Why?  Why couldn’t the people just do what they wanted?  When idol worship was happening, sin was rampant.  There was MUCH more crime, abuse, corruption, greed, sexual promiscuity, orgies, and all sorts of craziness happening when a bad king who worshipped idols was in power.  (Habakkuk 2:15) Because God created people, He knew that the best thing for us was to place Him on the throne of our lives, worshipping and loving Him.  His heart broke when the people didn’t do what He said, not because of the mere fact that they disobeyed Him, but because of everything it entailed.  Most of all, it was because they were separated from Him and His love.

God could not let sin go un-judged, because that would mean the injustice the people did to one another meant nothing. Because God is a God of love and justice, He cares when we get hurt. So, He has to step in and set boundaries so we won’t continue to get hurt, continue to hurt ourselves, or continue to hurt others. Most of all, He needed them to know that He was their God, and by following and serving Him, they would experience long life, blessing, and God’s presence and love with them. God's judgement was because of His love.

Now, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are living in a season of grace.  But, we can choose whether or not we want to live within God’s protection, experience His healing, and live in eternity with Him.  Will you decide to live under His protection, so that His blessings can forever follow you?  (Ps 23:6)

Love One Another

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." -John 13:34&35
 
Life can get stressful at times. The bills need paying, the job is insane or isn't quite what we hoped for; the kids are running around crazy, we've gotten a cold. During these times of pressure is when we're pushed to our limits-and our true colors show. Whatever is in us comes out of us - and it can be quite revealing - and embarrassing. 

But what we need to remember during these times of pressure is what really matters. Seeds may have been planted early on in our lives to suggest we're nothing without stellar performance, we're nothing without money, we're nothing without achievement, we're nothing without beauty & a sleek physic. Yes, these things are nice to have, and we should set goals for our lives. But the reality is, without LOVE, it means nothing. 

What remains in our lives after we're gone and all is said and done is our love for others. The Bible says only three things will remain - faith, hope, and love- the greatest of these being love. So the next time we are tempted to think our performance is what matters, the amount of money that we make is what matters, or how much we've achieved is what really makes us count, we need to think again. Love is the only thing that truly matters. Have love, and we win the world over. Lose love, and we lose all that Jesus died for. 

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." -1 Cor 13:13

Fighting with Light

“for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?” -1 Cor 3:3

Have you ever been short or ill-tempered with somebody?  I know I have, and I am not proud of it. We can say we are Christians but we still have bad days - days where we’re tired or stressed out, days where it doesn’t seem like anything is going right.  It is during those days where we can easily succumb to our flesh, or we can choose to let God flow through us in the midst of the challenges we face. 

The Bible talks about the kind of weapons we use as the redeemed of God. Our weapons are not the same as the world’s.  “On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”  1 Cor 10:4  Every day, we have a choice to make - to fall back into the defenses of our flesh or deciding to trust God and let Him take over, letting ourselves be influenced by His Holy Spirit.  We realize it’s not up to us to change something - we just need to be obedient and let God work. 

The enemy wants nothing more than to get under our skin - to kick us into our flesh so that we will sin.  That is his ultimate goal - to keep you and me from the victory zone God intends for us! 

We can’t fight flesh with flesh if we are going to win a spiritual war.  We have to let the Spirit flow through us in order for the light to overcome darkness.  All that has to happen for darkness to flee is for true light to shine.

Are you fighting with God’s love and light today?  Let God’s spirit flow through you, so that every day you can walk in His wonderful mercy, grace, peace, love, truth and joy. 

Love with No Agenda

"For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" -Galatians 5:14

 

How can we best share the gospel with others? There is an art to doing it, for sure. I remember trying to share Jesus with a friend of mine when I was young, and she asked me why she should believe in Jesus. I pleadingly replied, "So you don't go to hell!" 

Thankfully, there is a much better way to let people know about Jesus' love for them.

Leif Hetland's main passion is to go to places where they have never heard the name of Jesus - especially in Muslim countries. Since the inception of his ministry, thousands have come to know Jesus all over the world. Leif has this to say about how to be successful sharing Jesus with others: "As soon as love has an agenda, it is no longer love." He's said he's had the greatest success loving people, serving them, and bringing God's kingdom into their lives - without having an agenda. Naturally the leaders they talk to want to know what is different. Healing and miracles are a big part of what they do. 

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way." - 1 Corinthians 13:4

 

Where there is no agenda, fear is gone. Will you commit yourself to loving others with no agenda?

From Bad to Best

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."  -1 Peter 5:8
 

Sometimes when I think about the state of our culture, I feel burdened.  When I see or hear about music video with lots of sex and violence and all of the millions of views these videos have on YouTube, it makes my heart heavy.  

"How many people are being led into things that are spiritually dangerous for them?!?" I think.  The artists representing these videos do not care about the spiritual well-being of these millions of viewers, mostly young and impressionable. They do not have an awareness of the spiritual reality of what they are living out when they make these types of videos. (Or maybe they do?) The producers, music executives, and artists mostly care about the bottom dollar - what will sell.  We are always pushing the envelope as a culture with the mentality, "What can we get by with that excites people but doesn't go over the line too much...?" 

But, as Christians, we are called to live out a different example.  We are called to spread the good news of the kingdom, creatively, effectively, and authentically.  How much better could life be if all of us knew the freedom, love, and amazing life we could have in Christ?  Plus, heaven for eternity! 

When I first came to Christ, I came to Him because I realized how bad my life had been.  I was depressed, suicidal, and I hated myself.  But when I received a revelation of His love, I was changed into a different person.  I went from bad to best.  

Are you choosing the best in your life, so you can lead others to the best?  Pray that God would help you in this, so that we would not be swayed by the world, but instead become the people God has called us to be, to renew, restore, and show the best way - the way of redemption through Jesus Christ. 

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." -Romans 12:2
 
When we choose His way, we will discover the best for our lives.

Agreeing with God

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)

Do you agree with God? This may seem funny to say, but each of us comes to Christ with a different perception of God, perhaps even a negative one. 

Subsequently, our thoughts about what we think about God and what He thinks of us is reflected in our lives to others. If we believe God is out to get us, we will think this about people in general too. We might even have a judgmental attitude toward them. 

However, in order to be effective conduits of God's love and grace, we need to agree with His TRUE nature! Through this process of understanding what God thinks about us and agreeing with Him, we might discover that we've been agreeing with the enemy for way too long. 

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:7 & 8) 

Here are some things the enemy might have us believe, either through circumstances or through negative things people have done or said to us in our past:

• We are insignificant
• No one loves/cares for us 
• We do not have a purpose 
• There is not a reason for our existence 
• We have to do something to earn God's love/approval

Conversely, all of the above are the exact OPPOSITE of how God wants us to believe! 

Let us make sure we have aligned ourselves with God's thoughts for us, for our past, present, and future. Our God is love - and we need to agree with Him!

Known By Our Love

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."  -John 13:35

What must it like to be famous, or to be known for something? Oprah is known for her talk show, and for overcoming many obstacles to make her life a success. Lady Gaga is known for being bizarre. Politicians are known for cutting down their opponents, and Thomas Edison is known for inventing the light bulb.

But what about us? What are we known for as Christians?

Ghandi once said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Too much of the time, we're known more for what we're against that what we’re for.

But Jesus said, "...everyone will know you are My disciples, if you love one another."

To me, this means we should have the most loving, passionate marriages on the planet.  We should have the most assured, confident, creative kids.  When we go to church, we should treat our brothers and sisters with love and respect.  Not only that, we should go out of our way to help someone out or show care and kindness.  When we go out to eat, we should treat the server with respect, and tip them well. Everywhere we go, we should be a model of Christ's love for people.

This is not a list of do's and don'ts, but a reminder of our need to be filled with the love of Jesus. The best way we can be the best Christians, is to receive more of His love and grace for us.  When our mindset shifts about who He really is, our entire lives change. In order for the world to be different, we MUST know a true God, who loves us deeply without condition.

How can you be known by your love today?

Hiding Place

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." -Psalm 32:7

We used to sing a song at church called "hiding place".  "You are my hiding, you are my hiding place..." It was a catchy praise tune, but it was also a great reminder of where we put our trust. 

Life can be harsh sometimes. When we're going through difficulty or we're experiencing rejection, hurt or betrayal, it's especially essential that God becomes our habitation.

From what place do you live your life? Is your heart hidden in God, or do you put your heart out there, unprotected, for all the world to see?

There is a great quote for all the single ladies... "A woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man must seek Him in order to find her."

During David's "pit" phase when Saul was trying to kill him, he wrote many Psalms to comfort and remind himself that His fate and his heart was in the hands of God.

There will be times in our lives where we feel disappointed, hurt, and vulnerable. But it is during those times that God is teaching us to find our habitation and our protection in Him. When we truly find our identity in the "hiding place" of our God, there is nothing in this world that can shake us. 

Is God your hiding place?

Kisses From Heaven

"So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

As 4th and 5th grade Sunday school facilitators, we did a participation exercise with our kids where we had a dancing contest. The winners were chosen not because they were the best dancers, but because they participated, and gave it everything they had. We gave out Hershey's kisses at the end of the contest.
 
The following week I explained the reason for the kisses. When we step out in faith as God's children, He meets us with kisses from Heaven. Sometimes these 'kisses' are not seen. Sometimes we may not be aware of God's love in the moment. Sometimes these kisses might be felt in worship, but other times they are not. They can happen through the thoughtfulness of a friend, a sunrise, or in quiet meditation. But no matter how they are felt, the point is that God wants to show us that He loves us, regardless of our state or circumstance.
 
There was a time when I would wake up very early. Early for me was about 7am because I am a bit of a night owl! But on these early mornings I would awake to the most beautiful sunrise. The first day it was ice pink, the next was deep reddish orange, the next was taffy orange, and the next was rose pink. The sunrises were beautiful. I felt God's presence wake me with each one.
 
God can show us He loves us in any way He chooses. But we need to recognize His kisses so we can know how much He loves us. Without this knowledge, we are orphans without a cause.
 
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

A Father's Heart

"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'" Galatians 4:6 NIV

Once when I worked for a high-end department store I was helping a young lady and her father with a dress for prom. I had a dress on hold for her, but when she came in to try it on we realized it was going to be too big. Both she and her father were so sad, but then, I found one dress hiding in another place, in exactly her size! Both the dad and daughter were overjoyed, and it was gorgegous; white satin with beautiful butterflies of all different colors all over the dress, and sparkling silver sequins dotted throughout the bodice.
 
When she tried it on, she looked fantastic. It seemed as though the dress had been made especially for her. As she turned to go back into the dressing room, brimming with excitement, her dad began to tell me of his shopping adventures with his four little girls. Ever since they were young he would take his daughters shopping. He remembered his youngest, the daughter he was shopping with now, trying on clothes when she was just a toddler, and he reminisced about how people would look at her, thinking she was just the cutest thing.
 
I was struck by his open affection and big heart. What also struck me was how down to earth these people were - both he and his daughter. It made me think of our relationship with our heavenly Father. Sometimes our earthly fathers may not be able to give us everything they want to give us. Sometimes we ask for things that aren't very good for us. Sometimes we may not have the best relationship with our "earlthy" fathers. But our Father in heaven does want the very best for us. He loves us so much! Can you imagine what it must be like to be God's son or daughter in heaven? If this man had such a big heart for his four girls, how much bigger is God's heart for us?
 
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:9-12 NIV
 
God is a God of the unlimited - unlimited love, unlimited acceptance, unlimited resources, unlimited everything. In Him there is no need. Ask him to be your perfect father today, to be everything you missed, and everything you will ever need. Ask him to be your perfect Father today.

Everyday Miracles

 

“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” -Psalm 77:14

Have you ever had something miraculous happen to you?  We tend to think of miracles as big things such as winning a million dollars or getting healed from cancer.  When these types of big things happen, they are incredible!  And we should give God the glory.  But too often we forget to remember the everyday miracles that God puts right in front of us. 

We miss getting in a car accident by just inches, or, we gain the courage to try something new.  We find the perfect dress for the perfect occasion (for girls), or a butterfly flutters across our path – these are many a small miracle that we tend to take for granted.

The Bible says that not one sparrow falls without God knowing about it. ”Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.”  -Matthew 10:29

Things that may seem small really are miraculous. It is a miracle to me that we have so many jobs in America, even if the unemployment rate is high.  It's incredible that my Father in heaven takes care of my mom everyday, and there isn’t more crime and hated among people with everything negative that’s happened to each of us.  The presence of love is a small miracle in itself!  But I can also cite specific times when God did small miracles.  It helps me recognize His presence and activity in my life.

Can you think of a time when God performed a miracle in your life, small or big?  Reminisce on that today, and thank Him for it. If you can’t think of a time, ask God to reveal himself to you in this way.  We never know what can happen when we have faith in our unfailing God.

What's In A Name?

But now, this is what the LORD says--He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.”  -Isaiah 43:1

What’s in a name?  In ancient Hebrew culture, what you were named as a baby would reveal your purpose in life. 

In the story of Elijah the prophet, Elijah is sent to Ahab and Jezebel, who were worshippers of the false god Baal to warn them and tell them to turn back to the God of Israel. In I Kings 16:33 it says, “Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.” 

Elijah’s name meant, “My God is the Lord”.  So, literally, if Elijah’s parents called him in from playing outside as a young boy, they would say, “My God is the Lord, time for dinner!”

It sounds funny, doesn’t it?  But in the Hebrew culture, you knew who you were and what you had - from birth.  In our culture today, we’re privileged if we ever figure out our purpose - it’s now considered normal to have a mid-life crisis at age 40 because we do not know!

Since Jezebel and Ahab had decided to worship Baal, even Elijah’s name was in direct opposition to what they stood for.  And it made them angry!  But, God fulfilled His purposes through Elijah, the only prophet during that time who was not killed.  God showed up in a big way!  (1 Kings 18)

But even though we do not live in Biblical times, our names still have significance today.

Sindy was a porn star who went into the porn industry at a young age.  She describes her journey falling into porn and how the enemy had tricked her into believing she was named Sindy because “she was meant for sinful things.” 

However, once she realized she had been lied to, she cried out to God to give her a new name. “God, Give me a new name – I don’t want to be called SIN anymore!” she said.

“And GOD answered gently to me: ‘You never have been, Sindy! SINDY contains two letters more: DY-DIE - SIN HAS TO DIE!!! – Sindy, you are called FREEDOM!’”
 
What does your name mean?  What does it reveal about God’s plan for your life?  God has called us out by name, so that His purposes can be revealed through our lives.

(Read Sindy’s full story at http://thepinkcross.org/pinkcross-articles/december-2011/sindy-escapes-porn-and-sex-work)

You Are Valuable!

"Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?" -Matthew 6:26

Have you ever felt worthless?  I spent much of my teenage years feeling this way.  If someone had asked me if I felt worthless, I probably would have said no, but deep down inside, I really didn’t like myself.  I felt like I had nothing to offer.  This manifested itself in depression, cutting, and other destructive behaviors.

Now I see there were many reasons why I felt the way I did back then.  A distant relationship with my dad, an overbearing relationship with my mom, and their past relationship with each other had set me up to fail relationally and emotionally. But thank God for His love!  If I hadn’t experienced God’s love for me and realized that He valued me so much, I wouldn’t have gotten healed from all that happened back then.

What about you? Do you feel like God's prized possession? Well, you are.  Although our relationships with God may differ a little depending on if we are a son or daughter of His, He still love us just the same.  And He wants us to know His unfailing love!
Many people struggle with unworthiness. In fact, the words "Born Loser" is one of the most common tattoos! But Jesus died so that we could experience freedom from sin and death.  That is how much we were worth to God, the complete and total life of His son, Jesus! 

Do you feel like God’s prized possession?  If you have not yet received a revelation of His love for you, why not ask Him.  He wants nothing more than for us to know & experience His love!


Some good scriptures to meditate on are: 

"Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;  Deuteronomy 7:9

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." 1 John 3:1

"Long ago the Lord said to Israel: 'I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.'" Jeremiah 31:3
 
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."  John 3:16

"By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us."  1 John 4:9-12



"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to For the Lord your God is living among you." Romans 8:37-39
 
"He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs." Zephaniah 3:17