Text: Hebrews 11:1-40, Psalm 107:1-9
My family fell apart after school on a Wednesday afternoon. That Sunday, in a new town, I woke up in a sleeping bag on a stranger’s floor. My mom, sister, and I went to a new church. And even though I hadn’t exactly met Jesus yet, this was the day I met my Boaz. My lowercase-r redeemer in more than a lot of ways.
I can’t bring to memory much about that Sunday morning. I remember the 1st grade Sunday school room with tables pushed together and metal folding chairs around them in the musty basement of an old, new-to-me, church. I remember our very tall teacher and his small, kind wife and the salt-and-pepper hair on both of their heads. They tried their best to keep a room full of enthusiastic seven-year-olds quiet. Most of all, I remember the wild blue eyes and curly blonde hair of the most unruly little boy I’d ever seen. He was the ringleader of the noisy bunch, and he fascinated me.
That image of Blue Eyes standing on his chair and waving his arms in excitement over who-knows-what will forever be burned in my memory as the moment I met my future husband. Of course, I didn’t know it at the time. I probably thought I was meeting my nemesis. Everything I loved about order was the opposite of him. He was loud, and I felt quiet. Everyone was looking at him, and I’m not sure anyone even noticed me. I didn’t know it that seven-year-old Sunday morning, but Blue Eyes would never stop being a part of my life from that moment on.
There is truth (our present circumstance), and there is truer truth (the history of God’s unwavering, faithful, covenant relationship with His people). Call it the “grand scheme of things” if you like, but I believe we make a big mistake when we trust God only based on what He’s done for us today, or even in our own lifetime.
If a telescope zooms our gaze in on one particular thing, God’s Word is like a wide angle lens that shouts, “Remember! God is THIS BIG! He is a God of the big-picture!” When we’re busy dialing in on legitimately important things like jobs and health and deadlines, it can do us a lot of good to remember what God did at creation, and what He promised Abraham. Remember how He kept His hand on Joseph, bringing Israel into Egypt and eventual slavery, then delivering them from slavery at the hand of Moses. All the while He promised on every page that an even bigger plan was unfolding!
This is what the Bible does. This is why we read Truth.
It’s okay to study God’s hand in our present circumstances. It’s good and appropriate to move that telescope around to see what other people are dealing with too. But opening God’s Word and studying His character is like lifting our eyes from the viewfinder long enough to remember that the God who calls us His people has been hanging the stars in the heavens since time began.
Just as He was faithful then, He will be faithful now.
The above is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of the book She Reads Truth: Holding Tight to Permanent in a World That’s Passing Away, written by Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams. Find She Reads Truth, the book, on Amazon or anywhere books are sold.
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433 thoughts on "The Truest Truth"
This reminded me of the verse that says “oh ye of little faith “ may the lord renew our faith in Jesus name amen!
I really enjoyed this! Thank you for your beautiful words!
“Just as he was faithful then he will be faithful now.” God is good and faithful all the time even when we’re so undeserving I hope everyone has a good start to this week. God bless you guys and don’t forget to keep that faith
The Lord knows my struggles and calls me to be faithful and trust Him in the midst of uncertainty.
♥️ what a beautiful reminder
He was faithful then he will be faithful now
Just as he was faithful then he will be faithful now.
Hi sweet friends, the affiliate link isn’t working for me. Not sure if it’s me (story of my life), but want to be sure y’all get the referral when I purchase the book.
Remembering is one of the biggest things, it help’s us to see if He did it then, He can do it now. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever! Never changes!
Such a good reminder. He is faithful ALL of the time. He will take care of us. ♥️
Just as he was faithful then, he will be faithful now.
This really blessed me this morning. I do believe we can get so focused around that we loose sight of the bigger picture. Or even that we think we know what we need from God and that puts him in a box. Then we yet struggle because God is too big for any box. I’ve learned that I have to trust God to give me what he knows I need and not what I think. It’s not my will but his and when I allow him to lead, my possibilities are endless.
I think the bigger picture is remembering choice. Taking that wide view lens in every angle before taking step into something will help us make a better choice a wiser choice.
God is the creation of absolutely everything we see, eat, hear, smell, etc. He created all history and will create all future. He is the maker of the cosmos, so why should I be afraid? If He is for me, who/what can be against me?
God is our bigger picture but sadly satan tries && make us believe that the world is our bigger picture. one is truth && the other is a lie. what am i going to believe today? ✞
Love this so much !!!!
Learning to trust the process and trust Him ❤️
ITS BIGGER THAN I THINK
Trust him in everything. He sees the bigger picture
God is still God in the little things, but I need to remember to not always focus on those. Rather to adjust my view to the big picture
So much bigger! God help me see the bigger picture.
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My god is faithful amen
I trust you lord ❤️
Good reminder of the BIG picture of our BIG Lord
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He will be faithful now and he was then!! I love that!!
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While reading, i guess i saw all of the things that could be labeled as what was first not going right, at all. But in the end things fell in place and had a reason
Amen! My thoughts this week exactly
Jesus is true satisfier of our soul…let us continue to yearn for Him❤️
perhaps seeing God’s work in the bigger picture will help me to let go of the anxiety i’ve been holding into about my future.
I really need the reminder that God is permanent and unchanging while I am still growing to become more like him. Praying that I can zoom out on the wide angle and see how great and mighty He is.
He satisfies my hungry soul
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Praise the Lord! Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness, even when we are not.
God is constant and consistent
Amen so awesome!! God is so faithful and never changing!!
Thank you Lord for looking at my life thru a wide angled lens while I think that looking thru this telescope is something. You know all things and all things happen according to your will. Amen
Yesterday, today and forever. He is the same. He doesn’t change.
God’s Word is truth! We don’t need to be in control or worry about our lives. God’s promises will last forever!
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As this reminds me to ease up and trust in Him, it also reminds me to slow down and enjoy the small gifts He provides for us. It is not our job to worry, navigate, or control but our job to rejoice in and love Him! He is so good and so faithful! Amen!!!
How comforting it is to know that we don’t need to have control of every detail of our lives.? That there is someone greater, more powerful and able to do exceedingly above all we could ever do? It inspires me to nurture my faith just a little more each day, knowing that the “truer Truth” was faithful then and is faithful now, triumphing over my “present truth” which is in His full control.
God has the little things of today covered, but He also has a master plan for the big things. It’s a comforting reminder, we need only have faith.
faith over fear !
Just loved today’s extract from Hebrews 11…Now Faith is full of assurance & conviction!And where is that assurance & conviction from? HIS Word that is Truth❤️Just loved this truth!
Sometimes I get anxious because I want to look through that big telescope and see the future. I have a tendency to want to keep everything neat and tidy and in perfect order and life is not perfect. It’s sloppy and messy.
I know that I tend to always look through the small lens yet I want to see the big picture
It warms my heart to see people commenting and reading this at the edge of 2020 – as am I! This speaks volumes to me after this year, as I have let satan rule on a throne of anxiety in my heart. No more, I will cling to the permanent promises of my Savior. Thank you for this <3
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We can’t be assured of tomorrow but God has a plan -Stacy McClain aka my mother
The truth is in that sentence. My mom has told me that sentence over and over and every time it brings me peace. God really does have a plan for us and it’s good.
I am reminded to pay attention to what I am clinging to as permanent. The reminder that it is not just the things I have seen as lasting or strong in my lifetime, but what God has done and demonstrated Himself to be through the ages. This I can rest in.
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I love the distinction between the truth (present circumstances) and the “truest truth” (God’s unwavering character and faithfulness). I especially like this because it gives merit to the day to day challenges we face – they are very real! But God’s unwavering character is also very real and so is that fact that he has brought his people through trials of many kinds (like we see in this passage) and will do it again for us!
This is an amazing text. I told myself this week that if I did bible study for this week? I would never have to do it again. Reading about faith makes me want to do it again.
That’s so awesome- faith is all about a personal, loving relationship with the creator and reading about his character like this is such a good place to start. We are your team and here to support you!
Keep faith no matter what the circumstances
To read about the faith of those before us is amazing. It a reminder for me to keep my faith in God
Whew. How I needed this in the times that the details are chaos. He is bigger. He is Lord. He is tender & close.
Wow. What a reminder to look at the Bible for my frame of reference and not just past circumstances where God has proven faithful!
Trusting God in times when we don’t “feel” He is there. Knowing he is faithful even when we are not.
“Just as He was faithful then, He will be faithful now.” Wow. Thank you for this great reminder. If He took care of me before, then He will do it again now and always. Thank you Lord!
Exactly what I needed to hear. God is faithful and we can look to His word for that proof.
It was really important for me to look at a bigger picture and see how much God does for us if we just believe in Him.
A friend introduced me to the song Remember today. Every reading and scripture I have looked at this morning points to this. To remember who God is. How big He is. And how much He loves me.
These individuals are reaching forward, striving for what was next…not looking back at what once was.
Thankful for the reminder to look up and past my viewfinder of my life to the bigger picture of Gods story. Soaking in the Truth of his faithfulness in the stories in scripture is such a comfort in these uncertain times
Reading during Corona. Remembering that God is so much more than I trust Him to be.
I’m a nurse and going into work in a few minutes to fight COVID. These words are such a comfort to me this morning
Lord, we praise you for being faithful! Thank you for Emily, and her dedication to set her heart on you this morning and then use her hands to help heal and restore. Fill her with your love and undeniable Presence, for her strength, for the comfort of all she serves, and for your Glory! Be her shield and defense as you promised you are! In Jesus name, amen.
Thank you sweet friend
I am also reading this during Corona. Glad we are able to all unite in trust of our God
Lord let my faith draw me ever closer to you. You work miracles and change nations through the faithful. Help me to keep the city you have built and promised as our reward ever before me. This is not our home, but through faith we will reach it and be forever in His presence.
It says that he fills the hungry with good things. My immediate thought is physical hunger and it doesn’t say he is going to give you food. It says good things. Yes, the psalmist could also be referring to spiritual or emotional hunger, but the term good things points out to me that God will work how HE sees best. He will do that big picture work even in the small picture we think he’s nowhere to be seen.
“Moses persevered as one who sees him who is invisible”. Praying I can persevere in this way.
He’s been working on our behalf since the beginning of time. What a good good Father.
Definitely want to see God’s truth
12Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
Our God is incredible! This is such a good reminder to keep our eyes on the big picture of what he is doing and to trust him even when life doesn’t make sense.
9For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
A good reminder today.
He has a bigger design in mind!
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This is especially helpful when our present situation brings doubts and fears. We can rely on his eternal character, resting in the fact that He is good to us!
Thankful He is BIGGER than all things and is faithful.
Reading Hebrews 11 was so powerful and seeing how God gave all of these people faith and hope and how they focused on the promised hope of heaven really reminded me of where I should have my focus. This world is not my home and I should be focused on the promise of heaven and trusting God through life’s circumstances.
Such a good word for me today. We have been longing and begging God to move in a specific area of our lives for over a year. It can be easy to lose heart, to wonder if he hears us, to start to doubt he will keep his promises. But as I lift my eyes from my own circumstances and flip back through the pages of history, I’m reminded that he does hear and he is a Promise Keeper. There is purpose in the waiting — it draws me into deeper intimacy with him — even if we never receive in this earthly body the promise we long for. There is a truer story than my own if I take the time to focus my eyes to the bigger picture.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m herd and this tells me that I am heard from God and I’m not just talking to myself
The God of the bigger picture
Trying to keep the big picture now and not be afraid of getting hurt.
When things are difficult and confusing and hurtful it is so hard to see the big picture of our own lives, let alone the actual big picture of God’s plan for his creation. Help me Lord to learn how I fit into the big picture and not just that of my lifeline but that of creation. Help me to learn that you even have a plan for me as part of your eternal one. Help me Lord to trust in you. That even a bad day is just a tiny part of the picture. There’s so much more that you have in store for me. You are so much bigger than even I can fathom. Use me Lord in everyday and every way. Amen. Selah.
This was so needed today. I am going through so many big life events and I just need to remember to have faith in God.. that everything is going to turn out how it is meant to.. and to keep on trusting.
there is a purpose and a plan within God’s timing. Trust Him and trust His timing and lean not on your own understanding.
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God is bigger than our today, yesterday and tomorrow. And He lives us! Amen!
So much in life is changing. Everything in life can change. But GOD is our rock.
amen❤️
‘It’s a mistake to only trust in God for what he is doing today” (I think that’s how she worded it) – is a sobering comment on how God is bigger than our limitations of time and the “now”. Remembering his steadfast love this morning and for the reminder that he is sovereign over all!
It is easy to think that we are in charge of our lives. I often like to control things, but there is so much out of my control. There is so much out of my control and in His hands. If only I had but a mustard seed of faith among these struggles.
God’s plan is much grander than we could ever imagine. This is what I am working on reminding myself daily!
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Yes, by knowing that there is a bigger picture and purpose to our presence circumstances helps us get through the now with grace and power given to us through the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord❤️
Is there a way to add notes to the devotional part? I can get notes on the Bible but not in the second part
Theme for today: God is bigger than what happened today, yesterday and what will happen tomorrow. It reminds me to not be so narrow minded consumer with the things I think I can change.
It’s so easy for us to focus on our daily struggles our focus on our own circumstances blinds us to the things God can do in our lives and those around us but also His unfailing love and faithfulness. So, letting go and letting God
I needed this!
A wonderful reminder that our focus on our own circumstances blinds us to the awesome power of God in our own lives and those around us but most especially to His unfailingly love and faithfulness throughout all time!
god is a god of his promises!!
So good to be reminded of the “truer truth”.
This is a message I had never heard this way, but needed tremendously. It’s not about me, my family, or my life right now, it’s about the entire family of God through past and future generations. I need to exchange my microscope for a telescope more often.
Well said! And that is what my take-away was as well. A little perspective goes a long way in
Well said! That was my take-away as well.
A little perspective goes a long way towards making the tiny hurdles of life fade into the background, and helps me focus on the truly significant.
Such a great reminder that even just looking back at God’s faithfulness in our own lifetimes isn’t a wide enough lens.
This God is pretty amazing…actually out of this world AMAZING!!!
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I’m so thankful for the “truer truth.” God has always been faithful!
Thank God for everything always. Truest truth is his Word. How beautifully his Word!
What a beautiful message. It is so easy to focus only on the day-to-day troubles and forget that God’s plan is greater and better than anything we could ever imagine. He’s in control of the big picture AND the small, everyday moments. He “has been hanging the stars in the heavens since time began.” What a beautiful visual. Every prayer we pray is important to Him but it is vital to remember that we may not always get the answer (or any answer) we are hoping for. But I feel tremendous comfort and peace knowing that it is all part of His plan: the big picture.
Definitely needed this today. It’s too easy for me to focus on my chronic health conditions and money issues and all the other problems it brings, so it’s nice to be reminded to look at the bigger picture and the bigger God!
Praise Be!!
Somehow I forget about the people mentioned in these verses and all the hills (figurative) they climbed in faith. It really easy to get into that “telescope” mindset if you’re not concisely trying otherwise.
God is faithful!
Ah wow that was exactly what I needed. I am struggling this year with chronic Lyme disease and trying to figure out what to do with my life (I’m 20) but I need to remember that God has a plan if I just trust him
Hi Lillian! Lifting you up in prayer right now. Xx
I’m standing with you in prayer do this! I’m struggling with ankylosing spondylitis and trusting God with healing as well (I’m turning 23). Also trying to figure out what to do with my life. We are in this together and you’re not alone!
Praying for you. It can be so hard to keep the faith when you are chronically ill. Lyme disease can be so rough. If you need anyone to talk to my mom has chronic Lyme. She has been diagnosed the last 4 years and has made stride from where she was.
I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme this year too and I had no idea what it was till now! I am 26 and have two very young kids, 2 1/2 and 9mo! It’s so hard knowing how to get better and what to do. Trying to trust God through it and praying for wisdom to know how properly navigate through this..
God is King over our present circumstances just as He was over the lives of Moses and Joseph and Noah. HE IS FAITHFUL. And living with FAITH in Him allows Him do use us to better His kingdom.
He has been and always will be faithful!
We can fathom the things God can see. Living in this moment. The time is now!
1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
We need to lift our eyes off of the circumstances of the “now” and lift them on to His promises! When we put our total faith in Him, amazing things can happen. It takes only a step and the rest will unfold in only His timing. He is a faithful God! He is good.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the “now” and how permanent it feels. I’ve had a lot of health struggles in my life and at the time there was not one benefit to my life, only detriment. However, many years removed I can look back and see that God was preparing a way to bring me home. Bringing me home to die was what I was expecting, instead He brought me home to my now husband and a fulfilling, healthy life that allows me to empathize with others in a way that I couldn’t have without the years of suffering. God’s plan is ALWAYS bigger than ours and always better, let’s have faith and try to re-frame our perspective.
This is one of the most important and most challenging thing to learn. We are not always going to understand what God is doing but we can look back at our lives as a memorial of his faithfulness.
When we realize it’s not our responsibility to “make it happen” and that the Lord has a reputation of perfect follow thru it takes a lot of pressure off. I tend to be one who tries to take all the responsibility and formulate the plan but He’s teaching me to take life a little less seriously and to take HIM at his word.
I love being reminded that God knows far more than we do. He sees the big picture and it’s so comforting to know that He is on our side and is fighting for us. Our circumstances often tempt us to forget His faithfulness, but I’m grateful that He is the same God yesterday, today, and forever ❤️ He keeps His promises and I love Him for that!
“Just as he was faithful then, he will be faithful now”. It’s amazing how faithful God is to us. I loved how in the scripture, God called all those people to take a leap of faith but also was there and faithful to them. God is never far but ever so close.
How important it is to take intentional time to zoom out the telescope and see how big God is; how His sovereignty goes far beyond our current circumstance with proof over and over that He is good.
God has a bigger and better plan than we can fathom!
I’ve never really seen this in Heb 11 before-God will fulfill His promises, but I may not see them in my lifetime. Yet, He is still good and He is still faithful.
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He is The Beginning and The End and all things in between.
I felt like with this reading God is saying, “ Don’t worry, I see you! I know you doubts and fears, and I will take care of you!”
So good
Right now I can feel the peace of knowing that my God knows the end from the beginning and that He is ALWAYS in control. I don’t have to be afraid.
So needed for my life right now
I seem to always forget how little control I Have and how much He has! Hebrews 11 is a great refresher. Loving this study!!
Amen ♥️
what sticks out for the first time: God is the reward, not any of the things they received by faith. Faith in and of itself is its own reward, and the things that come of it are just an expression of what became true when we first believed
Yes, Kat. I recently realized this. Maybe I heard it somewhere, but it’s cool to reread passages about our reward and it’s Him! I like how this devotion reminds us to also step back and see from the bigger perspective, especially when current situations are tough.
This was a great study! I needed to hear this, it was very convicting. It made me realize that I often have trust in God because of the actions that I have seen him do in my life. But that isn’t TRUE faith. This definitely made me step back and reevaluate a lot of areas in my life.
Wow wonderful two days of studying God’s Word. I am asking God to open my heart as I do the study in mornings and trust in Him as I have my quiet time mornings. I struggle reading the Word but I am glad able make time 2 days in a row. Also I struggle procrastinating and I am going to have God will help. I have take this journey day by day
I’m right there with you!
How quickly I make myself so much bigger than I am. As though what I feel Day to day shift the world one way or another. God has been upholding things since long before me and will continue to do so long after me. He is faithful. He is BIG. I am small. But I am his.
So true !!
There is a much bigger picture happening in my life. I know I am where I am supposed to be now—but God sees the future pages. Trust in HIM.
A much needed read for a season where I’m constantly reminding myself He is faithful
give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. amen
Amen!
Growing up in the church I remember the first passaging seeming “boring” or “dull” because I did not grasp what they meant at that young age. But now reading them in this context, I feel like my eyes have been opened and it’s SO refreshing to read. Loving this devotional so much right now.
These passeges are an amazing truth to the believer only if seen in the proper aspect, if not they can easily become a stumbling block. For the past 20 of my salvation they have been just that and I’ve constantly struggled with having peace in any current situation. I used to look at Hebrws chapter 11 and get bitter and think why is God a respector or persons, saving and doing for some and not others.. what is it that qualifies one to be on His good side, to deliver some and not others, allowing them to be tortured to desth…and that thought would take me a merry go round debating the goodness and fairness and truthfullness of God and His word. But it was only recently after going through a very long intense battle that I submitted my mind to the Lord in this area and begged Him to help me understand. What He gave me has completely changed me, my view of Him and my walk with Him. It is this…our God is not the God of our circumstances, He is the God of me! a God that gives me whatever I need internally through His Holy Spirit to get through what ever situations are coming my way. This gives me so much peace. I’m No longer pounding on heavens door expecting Him to intervene in the difficulties of life and cursing Him when He doesn’t. Now I’m simply knocking daily asking that what ever circumstances come my way He through His blessed Holy Spirit, give me the strength, fortitude and wisdom to get through it in a way that is pleasing unto God and man. I now believe that He did deliver each one of those men in HEB 11, but the deliverance was not from the circumsrances….it was from themselves in those circumstances; giving them ability to keep a godly perspective, the fruits of the spirit and love for others in the midst of any trial. That’s true faith and that’s truly the way we should pray for ourselves in our daily lives. I’m ashamed that it took me 20 years to get this, but I’m so glad I finally did! I hope that if there’s anyone out there who’s going though what I went through that this helps. Remember that it was only after I got to the point that I completely submitted my mind to Him that He was able to reveal this to me and I now have a peace with God that I could never understand how other people had!
I love this, such a strong reminder of how big the God is who cares for us deeply, and watches over us condatantly
all it takes is faith and trust in God… I will praise him in the storm:) I needed this reminder today thank you.
Me too Kim, me too. We will get through this storm as well. ❤️ Our dad’s got us
I’m putting this out into the oblivion as I know this is an old study. Prior to maybe the last 8 months or so I was a faithful “she” and participated in so many studies. I absolutely love SRT and everything it is about (which for me was daily focusing directly on scripture and connecting with an online community). Cut to today. I am going through one of the deepest darkest times in my life. I am early in pregnancy with my second and experiencing depression the likes of which I have-thankfully-never experienced before. I am so incredibly overwhelmed. This morning I started looking through some old studies and saw I had downloaded this and only done a couple of days. This scripture wasn’t exactly the most joy and hope filled for me but it does remind me of God’s promises. And that His promises don’t always look or pan out like we humanly imagine them. All of the faithful biblical giants listed in Hebrews never even got what they were promised but they saw it from afar. That’s pretty powerful. The amount of faith it takes to build an ark, wander the wilderness for the promised land, be willing to sacrifice your promised child…it’s also overwhelming. But in a good way. Praying that today is filled with just a glimmer more hope than yesterday. Holy Spirit guide and protect my thoughts and keep them from spiraling into darkness. Keep my mind focused on the promises of God above every other thing.
Amen!
I’m with you, Christina. Cling to Jesus. Don’t be afraid to seek out help from the believers around you, or from a professional. Praying for you this morning.
Praying for you! That must be so hard but I am glad you are turning to the scriptures for encouragement. I pray your days are love and hope filled by Jesus. ❤️
I just want to send you hugs. I have three kiddos and the youngest is still a baby. Those early days of pregnancy are fresh in my mind. All awash with hormones and nausea. It’s so hard. Hang on, fellow mama ❤️! It is acting in faith to bear children. You’re a hero too.
Wow. No words.
Amen!
Is there a way to ‘bookmark’ completed devotions as you go along in your reading?
Tap mark as read on the bottom of your first scripture reading page!
these devotionals are so amazing for me! I’m a full time high school student with a busy schedule, and I often forget to read my bible and spend time with the Lord. This gives me an amazing way to do that, anywhere. My friend and I are reading this together everyday, and I’m in love with it. Thank you!
I can definitely relate to this.
God is good! And bigger than my fears. I thank God and all contributors to this post/app because it’s barely my second visit and two-for-two… it was exactly what I needed to hear today. I thought Truth for today was all I needed, but now I that I’ve been introduced to the concept of Truer than Truth… I have so much more to think about and REJOICE in. Happy Friday Ya’ll.
Amen amen!
This message is everything that I’m lacking. As I’m on the brink of ground breaking growth and change… a promotion, (new schedule, new place) closing of a lawsuit, beginning to date a nice man. I’m incredibly unhappy. I’m terrified. All that is seemingly going good must end badly. This is my norm. I’m not comfortable in this. So I don’t trust it. I’m not having faith in God.
What’s ironic is that my comfort zone is struggle. When I negative in my bank account, I’m all alone, and I don’t know how I’m going to feed my kids or pay the electricity that’s when my faith is strong. That’s when I know God is about to shine through. However, I’m so sooooo tired of struggling. I’ve been pushing for advancement and growth in every area and here it is but I’m scared and full of doubt. I don’t know how to have in God in the midst of having all that I think I’ve wanted.
Jen, thank you for your honesty. I love that SRT has created a platform for us to be able to come together and grow in our faith as women. I want to encourage you with the portion of this devotional that says, “There is truth(our circumstance) and there is truer truth (the history of Gods unwavering, faithful, covenant relationship with his people).” The truth is, there is a lot of “new” in your life right now and that scares you. You feel trapped in a constant struggle. But the truer truth is that God, the creator of the Universe, knows you intimately, he created you perfectly and he loves you unconditionally. He has blessed you with children and a job and His constant presence and love!! He wants you to rejoice in that instead of letting it pass you by by being afraid. Don’t focus on your circumstances, focus on Him!! When you find yourself starting to fear, take a minute to pause and remember how big our God is and how faithful he has been for generations! He is in control and He doesn’t make mistakes. He has big plans for you, Jen so don’t miss out on those by fearing what could happen. You are right where God wants you so be at peace knowing that. Never forget that you are deeply loved.
I totally know what it’s like to get stuck in the what has God done for us so that I can trust him vs, look at an entire bible that is one giant love letter of what he has done for us. How awesome is our God, to have done all of what he did, sending his own son to die on the cross to be the ultimate sacrifice, to his constant attempts to turn back the Israelites to him.
My husband and our two girls are very recently hearing the call to go help plant a church. We are trying to discern what His will is and how to do this and if we are even hearing Him right.
This is so powerful!!
I love how faithful has been a word heavy on my heart for months now and this lesson comes up to only strengthen it ❤️
This very strongly reminds me of the message in Habakkuk 1:5. It’s calming and helps me feel secure.
“There is truth and there is truer truth.” I so needed this. Sometimes people would tell me things or I would read things about God and his promises and it didn’t seem to line up with the reality I’ve been living in. But my present circumstances do not negate God’s faithfulness or goodness!
My pastor refers to us as humans as navel gazers- so ready to look down internally and selfishly rather than at the world created and alive around us. This was a great reminder to 1. Be a part of the word always so you can have faith there is a big picture and 2. To act as a reminder to engage others and understand to see their story and be willing to share our own. There is so much hope in our little world and we have to think to engage in that.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
For me the thing that stood out for me in this verse is that i need to live everyday for christ without being ashamed. because i know this will impact someone’s life even if i can’t see it. so i need to have faith that god is always working through me.
This bit really had impact for me when I read it, “Call it the “grand scheme of things” if you like, but I believe we make a big mistake when we trust God only based on what He’s done for us today, or even in our own lifetime.”
Faith & Trust my hardest battles I am one who needs to be in control of life in order to think ” nothing can go wrong”. Still learning to let go and let God.
Sometimes we are to transfixed on looking for clarity than trusting God with our future. When things do not go our way we tend to lose faith but we have to remember that everything happens for a reason. It’s not easy but it’s okay to take it day by day.
I’m young and God is putting things in my life for me to worry about and struggle with because I have no way to fix them. I’ve needed to put my faith in him and believe that he will bring my family and me through this.
I wish I had the ability to trust God better in light of things that are happening in my life right now.
I so needed this today!
I so needed every bit of this study this morning! Thank you!!
He is in and has been working on every moment before we were even created. Resting in His sovereignty and provision today. We are so loved by such a strong protector!
Faith has been the sole thing to ease my anxiety. I feel brighter and more confident knowing that God is with me every step!
Wow! I really needed to hear this! God is amazing and we have to trust Him even when we feel like everything is falling apart. Keep the faith sisters!!
Stepping out in faith today. Trying to let go if the riches of this world and remember by riches are in heaven.
God is so so so good
God was faithful then and He is faithful now! Wow
Faith, Faith, Faith.
I have been so uptight and upset lately about a lot of things, but through this devotional the key word was: Faith. Prayers that I remember to let everything go, and place those things in His arms.
I needed this
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called…not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8) I am reminded today that faith is trusting God, and obeying Him, even when we don’t know where we are going or where He is leading us. What a relief to know that I don’t have to have it all figured out. So, I give my unknown and uncertainty to God who is known and whose love is certain.
Today, I woke up in a fit of depression. I wasn’t able to pull myself out of bed until 1:30pm. I’ve been working through a lot of past personal pain over the last few months and I think this morning I just felt overwhelmed with a sense of stagnation and loss of direction. I read this devotional and your comment, and I just have a renewing of my heart. His love is certain, I need to give up my uncertainty to him, and have faith that He is ever present, especially in this season, and He is going to lead me. Thank you for your comment, Christen. It’s really what I needed to be reminded of in this moment.
Thank you for sharing this, Michelle. So glad that the Lord has spoken to you today in the midst of this depression. So grateful for you.
– Stormye
Your comment encourages me too because there are lots of unknowns in life right now and not sure “where we’re going”… but God does! And I can have faith in Him in the midst of all the unknowns.
It is almost 12:30 AM and I haven’t been able to sleep over anxiety about circumstances and a close friend and mentor’s impending passing on from this Earth. I finally decided to stop trying to sleep and get up and be in His word. I opened SRT app just to see and I became engrossed in this reading plan. It was JUST what I needed to hear. He IS good. Not just during good circumstances, not just when we are feeling good. He IS good, all the time, DESPITE our circumstances. He has a plan that we may not see here on this Earth, but we will some day with Him. Thank you for sharing.
So glad you found us! We are grateful to have you in God’s Word with us!
– Stormye
I loved this! It reminded me to thank God for more than what I was going through. we have to thank him for everything he done because he is a wonderful, awesome, and BIG BIG God!
These readings really touch me in many ways as they have perfect correspondence with some of my daily struggles. This particular one I had to read numerous times to fully understand its meaning. Finally, after feeling discouraged with my business and some personal affairs I read this and it was so much easier to comprehend and apply to my current situation. I have seen what God has done for others because of their faith, but I now know and understand that I can have the same power in my life if I draw nearer to him on a daily and increase my faith. ❤️
It’s amazing how we can be so focused on what’s right in front of us that we forget how Amazing He is, and His bigger picture.. And that the true extent of His character is goodness, faithfulness; He will provide no matter what silly thing we seek. He will provide what we need.
Read Day 1 and it already sold me on the book. Can’t wait to dig deeper ♥️♥️♥️
This reminded me of John 15:1-16 Jesus the True Vine. I needed this message & I am so happy to have downloaded this app! It’s exactly what I need.
I was stuck, from Hebr 11, about the future. It’s all abt trusting God for the unknown future. We are so fortunate to know He loves us and we can trust Him with our future, as He has been faithful in our past.
Awesome!
I needed this today. ❤️
Wow. Wow!
Had a soul-nourishing conversation with a friend who reminded me of Hebrews 11. I’ve been struggling with an extended season of singleness and wanting God to reveal a preview. But she reminded me that faith is the conviction of things not seen! This is such confirmation.
Love this. Gotta remember the bigger picture
This passage and devotional have spoken to me in this waiting period I am in. Thank you SRT for helping me focus my eyes more on Jesus and less on myself and my time.
This plan aligns perfectly with my current circumstances and all God is teaching me through this season. So grateful for such blessed words!
Love this. Needed this so much
The bigger picture. the universe in his hands. a purpose beyond any difficult situation and God still sees the desires of my heart. God still cares and hears my petty pitty parties to my selfless humbled prayers. His promises I need not to forget, like my heart beat at every second of my temporary life here on earth. forever more let your will be done. you ate faithful Lord. thank you forbu your love and your healing. love you Papa.
Woke up this morning, in a foreign place, on a beach with a heavy heart, needing peace in the circumstances that are weighing me down. I have constantly been praying for clarity in it, but now he has shown me that He IS clarity in all things. My faith in him is the truth that uncovers my eyes.
Wow, I’m speechless. Thank you Lord ❤️
Wow God is so good!
he is truly amazing
I needed this
Wow, I love how it mentions we make a mistake when we only trust what we’ve seen God do today or in our own lifetime. The Francis Chan video we watched of the universe getting larger and larger as we zoom out really adds in the perspective. Sometimes we need hindsight or someone else’s hindsight to really appreciate all that God has done.
May we not waver in faith in the day to day but rather have the faith to move mountains.
Cute story of looking back and recognizing a fulfilled promise in her life (when she met her husband). Hebrews 11 reads like such an inspirational speech to me. I imagine someone on a stage getting louder with every paragraph. Listing name after name of historical figures that are prime examples of God’s steadfast faithfulness. It’s like the speaker is shouting “Remember!!!” Like the Devo author wrote :)
And man to I need someone to shout “Remember!” every now and then to me.
I needed these words today to ground me again in God’s faithfulness
So refreshing to be reminded that our faith is not dependent on what is seen, or even our experience, but that it is possible, like those who came before us, to have faith to live in God’s promises without necessarily experiencing the fullness of this in our earthly life. I thank God that faith is a gift from Him and I pray that God would help my faith in Him to flourish even through difficult and challenging times, just like it did for the apostles.
How wonderful to have a God who was faithful then and is continuing to be faithful. A great reminder to look at the bigger picture and continue to walk in faithfulness with our Lord.
I have never really read the book of Hebrews, but that insert of chapter 11 was eye opening! Too often I forget how big the picture is, and how big my God is! He has helped so many who relied on faith and faith alone. Next step: to take a step back and try and see the big picture!
How humbling it is to not put our God in a box based off of our own circumstances. Thankful for a God who is able to be greater than the limits I place on Him
This reminds me of the song King of the World by Natalie Grant. Not to put him in a box and go by our way but not his. Not to make shortcuts and loopholes to fit OUR lives but rather to fit his.
How quickly I am apt to forget how mighty God, how He is the faithful one. There are a few things I feel like God is stirring in me, but I must not rush either. I must obey. Lord help me remember you are the one who provides all things in perfect timing!
an amazing way to start my day – God is speaking to me today!! love this
A timely reminder to look at the history of His faithfulness in my life and in history as I wait on His timing to increase our family from 2 to 3. He is the God who opens wombs and delivers His children into the land that He has promised.
As a mom of three under 5 and one a brand new baby less than 2 weeks old, I find my eyes constantly on my immediate future. Sometimes it’s all I can do to get up and make breakfast and start the day. I need this big picture perspective and I also need to believe that he daily grind with little children is also a sacred calling for me right now.
I am with you there in all of it. The big picture is important to remember for us moms of littles.
I just found this app today and I feel so blessed. God’s Word is always right on time. In the midst of making school decisions for my child.
Thank you for this! Needing God in a big way in my life. Praying he hears me :/
Hey Kelley! Just wanted to say that God always hears you! He loves you and is listening intently to every word you lift up to him. He is there for you always, even when you feel alone or abandoned. He won’t abandon you, no matter how big the storm. He answers every prayer, sometimes the answer is “not yet”, or “of course!”, or “I know you can’t see it, but I’m doing something great through this hard time.” I hope this encourages you and I’ll be praying for you to feel him deeply in your life.
With four kids my life is crazy. And I often find myself laser focused on just putting one foot in front of the other: making dinner, pickups from practice, dropoffs at youth group, bathtimes for littles, and errands, errands, errands. It’s so important to zoom out. To recognize that I need not get too carried away in the details because God has a bigger plan. Not just for the son I fervently pray for who gets into fights at school and makes poor grades, not just for the family I nurture and worry about the individual relationships we all have with our Father, but also for our community, our nation, our beautiful and glorious planet full of God’s children. He is an awesome God! I struggle with four but my Father loves BILLIONS! Glory to God!
Studying His character is lifting our eyes from the telescope!!
Lifting our eyes ! ❤️
Live by faith, not by sight.
I love the verse that points out that the men and women of great faith “did not receive what was promised” in their lifetime, but that they will and we will when the Lord says it is time. So encouraging to remember that our circumstances are not an accurate measure of our faithfulness or of God’s blessings to us. He’s got it all taken care of, we just can’t see it yet!
I simply love this devotional and I am thankful to start a journey that will lift me to a better place.
I just join in!!! I am excited about this Journey with she reads truth! ❤
Me too!
Me three!
As I struggle with work situations I know and give it to God as His plan may not be mine but it’s HIS plan that will persevere!
that was so pretty
God had a plan for every person and those who trusted in him despite distress, pain and suffering were given gifts in heaven and were called Faithful. I want to follow Christ, follow his words, and live in no fear just as others did
Today, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer that has metastasized to her liver and spine. She is 50. My husband and I are 25. I have a brother-in-law who is 16. They don’t believe in God like my husband and I do. This is just what I needed to read today.
Love and prayers to you and your family.
wherever you are; there is a sister praying in houston for you.
Praying for you and your family
I FOUND IT HARD TO HAVE FAITH BUT READING THIS MESSAGE TODAY HAS SHOWED ME TO JUST BELIEVE AND TRUST GOD THROUGH IT ALL HE WILL BE THERE EVEN IF I DONT THINK HE IS HE IS THERE JUST GOD TO LET GO AND LET GOD THANKS FOR THIS I HOPE TO LEARN MORE AND BE VERY CLOSE TO MY LORD THE ONE WHO COUNTS THE MOST.
I’ve been struggling with faith and i find it difficult to let go of all the worldly things
Even the faith the size of a mustard seed is enough to move mountains. He sees the faith you do have and will multiply it.
I agree with you it’s hard but let peace be the ruler of your circumstances.
“It’s okay to study God’s hand in our present circumstances. It’s good and appropriate to move that telescope around to see what other people are dealing with too. But opening God’s Word and studying His character is like lifting our eyes from the viewfinder long enough to remember that the God who calls us His people has been hanging the stars in the heavens since time began. ”
Love this!!! ⬆️
Same God back then, Same God right now. He is ever faithful. Everything we go through shows us something new (that we should know already) that we didn’t know about God. He is giving you the proof for you to trust in Him only.
“There is truth (our present circumstance), and there is truer truth (the history of God’s unwavering, faithful, covenant relationship with His people). Call it the “grand scheme of things” if you like, but I believe we make a big mistake when we trust God only based on what He’s done for us today, or even in our own lifetime.”
This is why I read truth. It is a truer truth than my present hurts and struggles. God’s character…faithful then and faithful now.
It seems like your response to this came out of my heart and was typed by your hand. My name is Bethany too…I know my name tag says Esperanza, but that’s because my middle name is Hope (and Esperanza is hope in Spanish). For some reason it was just very uplifting to read a comment that echoed my heart from someone with the same name. Thank you.
❤✨
I just came back to my Savior after a divorce. I am having a very very hard time staying faithful and trusting in him. please pray for me.
Praying for you Caroline!
❤️
This really helped me today, with putting more trust in my savior. Sometimes I get so caught up in wanting my husband to fulfill all my emotional needs.” We’ve been together since I was 15″. I failed to allow Jesus in in , in detrimental times and at low points of my life or whenever my husband fell in sin, my world would be shaken. But the strength of my faith needs to be in him who is the creator of all things, not in fallen men. This year I vow to fight more on my needs and not in my mind.
I feel the exact same way and have been struggling with this as well! How has your journey been coming along and do you have any advice to help me out as I am fairly new to my walk with the Lord?
wow!!! I love this so much :) thank you
I have had a problem with faith. I always get nervous that maybe I am not doing the right thing in the mean time. Like maybe I need to do something different, try something new. My goal is to be still and watch him work. God has NEVER failed me. I have more victories than struggles. This was a great read. Today I am pushing to have more faith in every aspect of my life. God is love.
Hebrew keeps repeating “By faith…” this happened (God did great things, God was with them) and I felt God was just sprinkling that all over me especially in this time of feeling hopeless. My husband and I both decided to lay down what was possible for our lives and both go into seminary and we knew what we were walking into but sometimes you don’t really see it until you’re in that present situation. Finances aren’t as stable, community has to be completely rebuilt from scratch, we moved into a completely new state and left or whole family and friends there. It’s funny how this was perfectly timed. It was “by faith” that all things happened. God makes things happen and that really is the only thing I can lean on in all things I do.
I struggle with trusting his plan over my own. I have problems with letting go and letting God. It’s difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel when darkness has been the only thing surrounding you. But when I said yes to Jesus, I remember that feeling. You know THE feeling. And it was like my view on everything was changed for the better. My faith, to this day, isn’t perfect and like I said I struggle with laying my life completely in his hands, but when I think of that moment it makes it easier.
I completely relate to everything you said. Even when you feel like the whole world is against you, you always have a sense of security knowing that none of it matters because you have God on your side. I struggle with being in the world and the faith at the same time but I always come back here. Back to God.
wow… don’t quit now!!! keep trying, believing…Have faith
Faith is all it takes!!
Wow. Just wow!
Been struggling a lot lately with trusting in His plan for my life. Most of the time I’m caught up in the future, what will I do, where will I go, etc. This is exactly what I needed to hear from Him.
Thank you Lord for your faithfulness. Help me to trust in Your plan for my life as those before me have trusted You!
What a great study. This continues to be one of my favorites, so encouraging!
very encouraging to see how faithful he was to the fore fathers in the bible. and sometimes hard to believe that god would be able to do something like that in me. But I need to believe god’s word and know that if I follow him I can see Gods glory in my life as he proves faithful
I read the NIV version of Hebrews 11 and the word “faith” is mentioned 27 times… I’ve been struggling so much with giving complete control of my life and the lives of my children over to God. This is 27 reminders in one chapter of what God did and continues to do for His children; I need to remember to see beyond me.
Your comment was meaningful to me, Melanie–27 reminders to have faith.
This changed my perspective in a way I think I too easily forget in my day to day
“The God who calls us His people has been hanging the stars in the sky since the beginning of time” — YES and amen. May we be humbled enough to see beyond our circumstances and worship the God of the Big Picture for everything He’s done.
Such a glorious vision of God hanging the stars…
dang… “There is truth (our present circumstance), and there is truer truth (the history of God’s unwavering, faithful, covenant relationship with His people). Call it the “grand scheme of things” if you like, but I believe we make a big mistake when we trust God only based on what He’s done for us today, or even in our own lifetime.”
I always base my trust in Jesus on what I have seen him do… but in reality, his gospel story and his word is enough for me to trust him in everything and beyond!
Ps 107:9 was my favorite. My soul longs to be closer than ever to Jesus. I asked him many times to stir my heart and he has definitely answered. Now I need to ask him to do it for my husband.
And the faith scriptures are so needed when thinking about the future of our country
Agreed, we are really living in faith as a country now that no matter who is in office, the commander in Chief has a plan greater than any one of us can fathom! Faith!
thank you for sharing…made my morning easier. God bless you all
So good
My happiness is not circumstantial. That is what our Savior is teaching me. Reading the countless stories of the Bible that show faithful disciples to Jesus that did not reap earthly rewards, but were rewarded with a heavenly eternity with Him reminds me of this. Praise Emmanuel.
Faith is reaching into nothing, and pulling out something.
9 For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things. This fed my spirit today. I find myself longing for things not manifested in my life yet. Yet I know that God is faithful. I know that I can always stand on the truth of His promises. I know that with faith as big as a mustard seed, all will be well.
“Today I will trust you with the confidence of man who’s never known defeat, and I’ll try my best to just forget that that man isn’t me.”
Beautiful to hear that trust does not equal circumstance. This is something I will need to remind myself constantly.
so many riches are in Scripture. OT and NT pairing is perfect and exquisite. I savored each word. such fulfillment in the Scriptures. ♡
I believe this reading has shown me there are areas in my life that I must put all my faith and trust in the Father. He is faithful, He does love me and he does care about every aspect of my life. He just wants my trust, my belief in Him that he can and will do all things as he has promised. I need to remove myself from the equation completely. Life is not up to me to figure out but trust in God and know that he will handle everything when I surrender FULLY to HIM!
Todays reading reminded me of a song on the radio a while ago”Thank you, for giiving life to me” MY life story is filled with sweet touches from the Lord through rocky times. My chikdrens SS teacher shared the gospel with them and brought us all to the Lord!This was during the hardest of times in my marriage. The Lord had led us to a new community,I had a grandma who believed and encouraged me to take our girls to SS. There was a good church down the road from where we moved. It became our haven while I grew stronger in my faith. Gods love for me has carried me,blessed me and healed me.
Wherever you are at this morning dear sister is right where God wants you to be to start trading in fear and doubt for trusting and obeying what He is showing you to do next. HE IS FAITHFUL!
This reading was a great reminder to me to have major faith. A lot our changes are happening for my family and Ive been a little nervous about them lately. This was a great reminder to have faith in the Lord because his plan is unveiling as we go.
And the people said “Amen!!” Our God is good.
“Just as he was faithful then he will be faithful now.” What a beautiful reminder to slow down and seek truth through his word and seek him every day. We are gracefully redeemed and treasured by our King.
Hebrews 11: 32-44
Take my breath away
I know that the Lord my God, the Creator who is so great that my fleshly being would crumble and perish at the sight of Him, does all the same for me.
For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. (Psalm 107: 8-9)
And that’s a promise!
For me, it’s so easy to see what God has done and is continuing to do in my life and my world. But I also see how only viewing God’s work in my present day really narrows my view on how big and power God really is, this is a great reminder!
“…we make a big mistake when we trust God only based on what He’s done for us today, or even in our own lifetime.”
“Remember! God is THIS BIG! He is a God of the big-picture!”
Such sweet reminders…
I really needed this word today. As a “new” mom with a 13 month old who still feels like I can’t get the hang of this, and that my body and my life are still not my own I was beginning to doubt that I would ever feel comfortable again. God is so much bigger than our circumstances and much more consistent. Thank you for the reminder to turn my eyes away from me and on to Him.
You are not alone. Even women who have been moms for 18 years find it hard to get a hang of. Motherhood is a long, hard, BEAUTIFUL journey. Take it all one day at a time. You are doing an incredible job! He knew you could do it ❤️
This is me! Thank you for putting into words how I feel about my life!
Amen
Thank you all for your prayers and support!! Your words mean so much to me.
Mekaella…praying LIFE into your sister’s heart and decision. Encourage her to slow down…think about her future and the future of the child she carries who is unique and precious. Do a search for a Pregnancy Resource Center in your area and encourage her to have her pregnancy confirmed and an ultrasound, if she is willing. She needs love and soft-spoken encouragement. She needs to see that she has other options and that there is hope for another way. She has nothing to lose by breathing and taking the time to sit and talk it through with someone who can help her sort through all of her options. All of her choices are hard right now. Be an encourager and pray…we will pray with you.
Think..the bigger picture
He is always faithful. I went through a very unfaithful relationship recently. In which God showed me many things about myself I needed to fix. Confidence. Filling myself up with His word and His promises instead of putting my hope in someone. He had to throw me to the wolves because he knew I’d come back leading the pack so to speak. It’s been an emotional and a spiritual warfare. Like the third monkey trying to get onto the ark. I’ve fought and clawed my way out of the hurt, the disappointment, the unlove as I like to call it and back to the center of me. Which is my faith.
Your story describes my whole 2016. Like you, I was in the lowest of places, feeling unloved, confused, broken like never before …but this time (it’s happened before), I chose to examine myself and dive into the word and draw near to God. If you seek Him, you will find Him…and oh my, how I’ve found Him!
I discovered the meaning of finding joy in my sufferings. It was awful to go thru, but because I turned TO the Lord, I am closer to Him than ever before, I have true peace and joy in my heart and I am stronger emotionally than I could have ever imagined. God truly is so good!
This is my first time using this app and it has already been so good to me. I recently found out that my sister is pregnant…and planning her second abortion. She knows the truth but is not currently seeking the Truth. This passage was everything I needed tonight. Knowing that He will be faithful to my prayers and His plan supersedes my understanding. I have asked my sister to consider having the baby and letting me raise the child. Her heart is so hard she refuses to entertain any idea that isn’t abortion… but I remember the disciples , the men of God who were made a new creation -even given a new name- and I pray that He would be faithful to her in her choice, that he would be faithful to me in my understanding and that she would be made a new creation in Him. And mostly, that His will be done. Please pray!
Mekaella, I am encouraged by your persistence and faith in praying for your sister and this child, and by your heart to save them both. I will pray for you and your sister as you navigate these tricky waters.
I will pray for your sister’s heart to be soft! Thank you for sharing this burden.
Praying for your sister and the sweet baby inside her!
Heavenly Father soften her sister’s heart and protect this unborn child. I pray this young woman gives her heart to you as her Lord and Savior and you bind her wounds and heal her heart. May you give Mekaella your peace that surpassing all understanding and may your Holy Spirit guide her with the right words to say in love. In Jesus name Amen.
This hits so close to home for me. I encourage you to keep being persistent with your sister, but to come from a place of love and support. I love that you offered to keep her child. She probably can’t fathom going through the pregnancy and then giving the child up. Just keep pushing. The result from having an abortion is completely devastating beyond words. I am going to continuously pray for her. She is so blessed to have you as her sister.
WOW. these never fail to hit me right where I need it. I recently went through something pretty trying that lasted a few grueling weeks. It was resolved in the end as though nothing had ever happened. I was frustrated through it all and was telling my friend that usually I could get through rough patches by thinking it would be useful somehow in the future, but that this time I couldn’t imagine how it would just by the nature of the thing. This hit me hard, I needed to zoom out. Maybe I’ll see the usefulness of this, but maybe I won’t. Abraham didn’t see the fulfillment if all the promises, but they were fulfilled. We sometimes lament over seemingly unanswered prayers, but perhaps they are being answered in ways we will never know.
So so good to step out of my world and remember how BIG God is… ugh so wonderful ❤
This part of the Bible reminds me of the common saying “everything happens for a reason”. Everything God does in our lives is for a higher purpose, and if we trust Him, He will lead us to our rainbows.
God is always in control and He is always trustworthy!!
This is such an important thing to remember. Patience is key. Trust is key.
I love that saying “truer truth”
It’s what I’m holding on to tonight
While my heart wrenches with fear for my future, and wants to drown me in desperate seas … I cling to who God is and who I am to Him
You’ve perfectly expressed how I too feel in this moment and I appreciate you inspiring me to cling to God as well.
Praying for you sister! God will be faithful. It’s who He is.
“an act in faith” oh how God blesses an act in faith. Look at the history of what He has done!… In history long past. .. In our own lives. .. Such hope for the now. . And the future, from our faithful creator. .. truly amazing grace. Thank you Lord!
My version says “that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.” This is inspiring to me. Our name is up with the greats, honored by God. He holds us just like He held them. As we are going through our walk, let us remember and draw strength from God and those who walked with Him before us.
Wow. Thank you for this! That version made things so clear for me. It is easy to look back at those stories with a bit of jealousy and despair thinking we could never be like the greats. But our stories are just as important as theirs. This brought things together for me. I think in my mind I had separated the world of the Bible from the world we live in today, but it’s one and the same and God is just as faithful now as he was then!
Faith they all had faith. It’s not always easy to have faith in the things unseen. When I feel like this, I must stop and take it all in. Reflect how He has revealed himself to me in the past and remember He is always there. He is true all the time.
The most incredible part for me about the faith chapter is that if you read the OT accounts of these people, the details show a lot of failure, sin and doubting along the way. I used to wonder why Hebrews gave such a glamorous account of them. And then I heard a wonderful quote that said, “It’s not the quality or strength of our faith, but the object of our faith that commends us before God.” The weakest, most fragile faith in Christ, is stronger than the mightiest confidence in another!!! Maybe this is how faith commends us before God. Maybe He sees us in a Hebrews faith chapter light. His own Son’s blood covers all the failure and sin, so that He can proudly zoom out and say, “These are my KIDS!!!! LOOK at what they have done through faith in me!”
Wow! That really hit me!❤
WoW! love love these thoughts! God sees me, even me! And looks past everything ive done and sees me as his perfect child as i choose to trust & believe him in my faith…beautiful reminder, thank you!
I spent a good while studying Hebrews 11 this morning, reading through commentaries and pulling apart every little verse, because I felt like there was something about faith in these verses I needed to hear. And then I read verses 15 and 16 about how these heroes of faith could have returned to their homelands, aka their past, if they had really tried, but they instead chose to continue forward, believing that God had greater things in store. This spoke to me because of the temptations around every corner for me to return to my past of materialism, insecurity and vanity. Especially around this time of the year, I find myself longing for more and more “stuff”, thinking it can satisfy me. But the truth that I need to hold onto today is that HE is enough and that this earth was never meant to be my home. My step of faith must be to keep my eyes ahead, not looking at what other people have or what I wish I could have. Hoping this encourages someone today who is also battling these thoughts and desires ❤️
Thank you for sharing! I’m right there with you! Walking by faith is believing that what is offered in Christ and His ways(as indicated by scripture), is way better than whatever my flesh is craving that is in opposition to God. And Hebrews 11 reminds of that there is a sweet reward in that!
Yes, Jessica!! There is so much MORE than what we see!!
“It’s okay to study God’s hand in our present circumstances. It’s good and appropriate to move that telescope around to see what other people are dealing with too. But opening God’s Word and studying His character is like lifting our eyes from the viewfinder long enough to remember that the God who calls us His people has been hanging the stars in the heavens since time began. ”
THIS got me! I wrote it down. Oh how often we should step back and REMEMBER that our God is BIG…that there is a bigger picture at work than what we know and see. God I pray that we may step confidently into this viewpoint in the face of distracting, up-close, possibly threatening, issues
I’ve been asking the Lord to help me be a remember-er. Since the beginning of the Advent season. HE is Faithful.♡
I love how the author of Hebrews calls us to draw near to God and remember that He rewards those who seek Him. Sometimes I feel like my plans are just going haywire. “I’m not doing enough,” I think to myself. “If only I could move more and faster!” Oh soul, may you be still and have faith that your due diligence is enough. Business does not make me more valuable! Don’t believe that lie ladies. Faith is HARD: it is counter cultural like Noah and unknown like Abraham. In both cases their eyes were set on their Savior. To gaze upon the glory of the Lord. Be still my soul. Abraham was willing to give up his only son. Am I willing to surrender and lay me down on the altar? Do I trust that my God will be faithful to His promises? I long to be like Moses who treasured the things of God’s Kingdom over the trinkets of this world. Time and again God is faithful to His people amid chaos and fear. He redeems then even they don’t feel or see it. He makes us weak when we are strong.
Yes! Identify your “Isaac” and be willing to lay him down on the altar. Trust and obey. Easier said than done but required of a disciple.
to think what the saints went through for this faith that I toss so lightly to the ground. May my faith increase and strengthen, and throw aside doubts and bitterness that have entangled me.
This study and scripture reading is timely for me as well. My husband is in the middle of a very lengthy hiring process for a job. This is after a long year and a half of door after door being shut. A year and a half of living in my grandparents basement, which we though was a temporary thing. I’ve also recently discovered I’m 7 weeks pregnant with a baby we’ve been praying for for over a year. All of the unknowns and uncertainties came down hard on me this morning as I sat and cried for an hour about how I can’t simply live with the unknown any longer (Is he going to get the job? Will he start in a month, 3 months, 9 months, a year? Do we stay with my grandparents a little longer or do we need to find a place to rent temporarily because the baby will be born before he starts his new job?) Today’s reading was a reminder that I just need to continue trusting in God and having faith that his timing is perfect.
Hi Sarah, your comment made my cry this morning. My husband and I are in the same situation. He has been looking for a job over a year now (with a couple interviews this week)! and I am 13 weeks pregnant with our first, after trying for a little over a year. I will be praying for you in this time of waiting, patience and trust in our God, it is hard. Isaiah 64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
Such a wonderful verse Stacy! May the Lord uphold both His daughters in this very trying season.
Adding my prayers for all as well
“Just as he was faithful then, He’ll be faithful now.”
Oh I needed this today. God is asking me to do a big and scary thing (in my mind anyway) and I’d felt pretty faint at the idea. But God is with me; He was faithful in the past, and He will be faithful now and forever.
As I read Hebrews 11, I started thinking about who the names would be if it were written to reflect our present time. Whose names would be included in the hall of faith for our generation?
Does this passage stir something deep within each of you? It’s Scripture such as Hebrews 11 that stirs within in me the desire to lay everything out for the Lord. I feel as if it is almost a battlecry for the Christian faith. No matter what God calls us to, in the end, whether we live or die, He is faithful.
One of my favorite songs that echoes this sentiment is by Sara Groves and is called “When the Saints”. Here’s an excerpt from it:
“I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them…
I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul
I see the young missionary and the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear
I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sisters standing by the dying man’s side…”
Sisters, I want to be one of them. I hope each of you know how God can so greatly use you wherever you are. We are the hands and feet of Christ in a broken world. Let us go forth today and into 2017 knowing that our God who parted seas, who gave children to the barren, who raised the dead to life, He can still do all of these things. He is able so let us be willing!
Love to you all.
PS- Here’s the Sara Groves song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYLdHL41Oic
❤️❤️❤️
LOVE this ❤ thank you for sharing!
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” – Hebrews 11:8
This verse jumped out at me today because this year has been one of uncertainty for me. Years ago I said this was the year I would get married, get a house, etc. And up until January of this year I was holding onto that carefully planned out plan. But that’s the thing – it was MY plan. Instead, God began to reveal to me that I wasn’t ready for marriage yet; there was still work to be done in me. I began to seek Him more intentionally through daily Bible study and prayer a few months after that and He began to transform my mind and heart.
In June, my boyfriend revealed to me that he is struggling with depression. When I look back, I don’t know how I missed the signs because they were pretty clear. I had already begun sharing about my spiritual journey with him and I continued to do so and to pray for him. I knew he had been raised as a Christian and accepted Christ at a young age (like me), but he hadn’t spent much time studying God’s word since his teenage years. I don’t believe that someone can “lose salvation” but I do believe what the parable of the sower and the seed teaches – that we can let go of the seed implanted in us by not pursuing a relationship with God after accepting Him. So I prayed that God would reveal to my boyfriend whether he was really a Christian or not and that He would use this time in His life to transform him. And I continued to share scripture with him and encourage him. In August, on a night where God worked through circumstances in an incredible way, I led my boyfriend through the sinner’s prayer by his request. I was in awe of God that night and how He answered my prayers and thought that this was the big turn in the tough road – surely things would get better… only for my boyfriend to lose his job a few weeks later.
So here I am, almost a year after God revealed to my heart that my plans for this year were not His, feeling more uncertain than ever about the future and where I’m going. Although this isn’t where I thought I would be, I know God’s hand has been guiding me and have to remind myself that maybe, like Esther, I am here right now for such a time as this. I continue to pray for my boyfriend’s healing and his spiritual growth, but some days I let doubt take over and forget that God is bigger than depression.
I am sorry for this epistle today, but if you have made it this far, please lift my boyfriend up in prayer today. Pray that he will seek God in the midst of all of this, that God will continue to equip me to share His love and Truth with him, that doors would open for my boyfriend to receive professional help (he has made the effort, only to never hear back from the doctor and now he has no insurance, so that is another concern), and that God would lead him to the right job.
Praying for you and your boyfriend right now. Hang in there, God has a plan.
Thank you Debbie!
Praying for you and your boyfriend.
Thank you Emily!
Praying for you and your boyfriend. You are most definitely being used for such a time as this. As for the professional help your boyfriend needs, have y’all looked into counseling services offered by your church or churches in your area? I know the larger churches in my town have on site counselors who are there to help.
Wow wow wow
This is my exact situation right now and how awesome it is that God used your words and wisdom to speak directly to me. You are not alone in this. I’ll be praying for you.
Thank you Rose! I will be praying for you too!
Thank you so much for the suggestion. We live in two different towns right now. I am in a super small town and my church does not offer anything like that. However, my boyfriend moved to a bigger town for his work and recently joined a really great church there that I do believe offers some sort of counseling. Because he is new to the church, I don’t think he is going to be comfortable seeking counseling there yet, but it is something I will be praying about.
God has given me the word “purposeful” for this new year. I tell you this because I want you to always remember that EVERYTHING is purposeful. There is no hurt that He isn’t using in some way. Also, I’m learning that on earth I may NEVER see the purpose of many things that happen, but that still doesn’t mean he didn’t use them in either my situation or in another’s. You are purposeful, your boyfriend is purposeful and this situation is purposeful. Trust that he is working all things for your good and His glory <3
Thank you so much for your encouraging words, Brittany. I needed to read that today.
Praying for your boyfriend, for the lifting of the depression and a new and better job. Praying too that he has a good counselor and that you can be a part of the process.
Thank you so much for your prayers.
My mom just past away on Christmas day after a 9 month journey with cancer. This speaks to me because as painful as it is to loose one of my best friends, I need to be reminded to see Gods goodness in this. She no longer struggles. She no longer worries. She is no longer ill, she is no longer afraid. Mom is with Jesus. Forever. What more could I want from this happy ending? My prayer I’d when the waves of grief come crashing in that my mind focuses on remembering Gods plan in this and continue to see his grace and goodness and continue to develop this in me. I’m really enjoying this new series and getting back to daily time in His word.
My heart is with you. Christmas without my mother is never easier from year to year. This year I actually went to the cemetery for the first time in a long time. I will be praying for your strength and be prepared to feel His comfort like never before.
Thank you. I am feeling more at peace.
Lifting you & your family up in prayer this morning!
Heather, I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet mother. I don’t have adequate words for you in your grief but I will be prayerful that you are surrounded by God’s peace in it and the knowledge of the things you speak. I know the waves of grief you mention and will be holding you up in this season.
Having lost my precious father ten years ago, I can relate to what you might be feeling right now. I do want to encourage you that though it may not seem this way now, it can become easier. My holidays look different than they once did but I can find joy in them and I believe you can as well. Time does not heal, but God does over a period of time as you press into Him. My dad told me this before he passed away about losing his own mother…”I’m not sad every day but there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about her”. Those words encouraged me as I remembered him saying them to me. And it has become true for me too. A day came when I didn’t feel overwhelming sadness or grief and God in His kindness continued to minister to me and heal my broken heart. Prayers for you and your family. I just wanted you to know there is hope and you can come to a place where you are not in as much pain as you feel now.
Sending love and prayers of His peace and comfort for you!
Me too.
I know how it feels to lose a mom to cancer; I lost mine almost 7 years ago. I am praying for your heart. As one of the ladies said, time does not heal; God does. It does get easier and the day will come where you are not overcome with sadness and grief. But, allow yourself to feel that grief and that pain. God will be beside you through all of it and provide comfort.
Praying for you and your family. How precious though that her faith legacy will live on in you
Heather, I’m so sorry for your loss. Asking God to hold you especially close in the coming days. Love to you, friend.
xoxo-Kaitlin
Thank you. So encouraged by this series. Thank you for what you do.
Oh how important it is to have eternal perspective!
Our narrow vision paralyzes us. This I understand well. When we are facing a circumstance that is uncomfortable for frightening it is so easy to forget God’s truths. Every ounce of us reeling with panic or concern and like trying to juggle balls in roller skates on the bow of a precarious raft, we run through and craft plans or outcomes in our heads instead of centering our thoughts and hearts to the one who has already manufactured it all. Christmas morning, the only toy my son received, required a little assembly … my husband and I went to work. One of us had the directions and the other opted to wing it … one of us had an easier time than the other (who shall remane nameless) and after a few choices words the one who had gone rogue reverted to the instructions, which resulted in a quick, “Ah, that makes so much more sense” …. The designer of that toy knew how it was to work and no matter how hard we thought it should go one way, it was meant to go another. Once we realized the crafter’s plans were perfect, things went much smoother and my son was free to play.
We tend to do this all the time. We don’t like how something is turning out so we try to manipulate it to fit the picture we had in mind, only making it worse. I know I’ve shared it before, but our move here to Cincinnati, comes to mind for me. That was certainly a time my focus was in a box. Like that on the back of my camera, my vision was pin perfect, on myself and low and behold, once I listened to my Father, I was quickly reminded He would never take me anywhere He wasn’t already in. I was reminded of the Avalon song, “I don’t want to go”. That song played over in my head in a season prior that was incredibly difficult and it came back up then to remind me that my manufacturing a different move would be going a direction that wasn’t in line with God’s will for me and so I went … tearfully, but I went. And now, four years, nearly to the day, later I, and my family, after years of moving and many cities crossed off, couldn’t be more pleased. God had designed amazing things to come in this place for us, and they are still coming. My mind continues to thank Him for His grace and mercy over me and for providing what I’ve always wanted in a city I never wanted to be in. His design for us is so much greater than anything we orchestrate, once we rememeber that He is FOR us, we can settle our dueling hearts and lower our fighting fists and find peace because “our hearts need to be where He is” …
I love that, thank you for sharing that reminder! God is the Author of our lives, we need to daily surrender to Him rather than waste our time trying to make life go our own way
Thank you B
Manipulation is so very unattractive. And so very wearying. Yes, B, less fighting and stomping of my feet and more of “Thy will be done.” Thanks for your reminder.
We lived in Cincinnati for nearly 10 years. We loved it! What a blessing to be where God places you!
So true. So good. Thank you, Lord.
There is truth (our present circumstance), and there is truer truth (the history of God’s unwavering, faithful, covenant relationship with His people). WOW, just WOW!!!
The Hall of Faith is one of my absolute FAVORITE passages in the Bible!!! Just seeing how God takes such messy people and unfortunate situations and uses them for His glory never ceases to amaze and astonish me… Such encouragement for every single day- the ups as well as the downs. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I too used to see God’s work in the present moment. Often forgetting his bigger picture. This message was a great reminder for me to pause and remember God has a bigger plan in the works. Having faith and trusting him is my goal in 2017 and beyond.
Lord your word is not only for our very present circumstances but spans eternity. Thank you Jesus
Perfect reading to start this day. I’ve been very confused on what will happen next that I can’t seem to focus . I pray each day for wisdom and to continue my faith for the unseen. I’ve been in an on/off relationship with a man for a while now. This man has commitment issues, trust issues, insecurities, among other things. I’ve prayed about him always. Part of me wants to stay tonkeep fighting hoping for a change. But part has this little thing in my heart that says he is not the one God has for me — but maybe if I try a little harder he might realize I am the one for him. It has been a sad weekend for me. On Sat this man calls me to tell me he needs a break and for us to talk again on Monday. I was devastated, how can you do this now? On Christmas Eve?! Millions of thought go thru my head, I just got a job to move in with me since he lives about 1.5 away from me. I need so much clarity at this point… do I still take the job? Do I move in? Do I take the job and not move in? Do I not take the job? And stay stuck in my current job that I pray to get out of? Do I go back to the same relationship?
Monday this man calls me to tell me that he has been very upset and want to talk. I honestly can’t forgive this, This is a never ending routine. I just didn’t think he would do it on a special weekend. And he did.
I know asked for some space because I need this time with God to reconnect and get guidance.
Jenni, praying for you now in this time of heartache. My only words of wisdom is that in singleness we have the opportunity to see a potential partners red flags and walk away. Once we are married, we must work through many things (but not all things as our convictions permit) as we are now permanently joined to another. Remember you are more precious to God than gold or silver, more beautiful than diamonds or rubies.
Sarah! Thank you for these amazing words. I truly appreciate them.
Jenni – I have found in these tough decisions, it’s not that we don’t know what to do. It’s that it’s not the answer we want. If God has said he is not the one for you, be obedient to your God. Trust His plan for your life. It’s always better than our own.
Cristy- thank you.
Oh Jenni, I am and will be prayerful over your heart and walk in this. I would like to echo Sarah’s well spoken advice. If single and these “red flags” appear, it is a great opportunity to see it for what it is, marriage changes things. And I speak from experience on this, as my husband had similar tendencies when we were dating and like you I kept hoping “if I tried a little harder he might realize” …. that bled into our marriage in a big way and for fourteen plus years we, I, was miserable. So incredibly hard and so much terrible pain that I knew I’d made a mistake in my approach. See, the thing is, his behavior isn’t about you sweet sister, it is his and his alone. Nothing you do is going to make him realize. There is pain that he must contend with and only God can change him. It is ok for you to think about your needs, your desires and your long term goals. And it is ok for you to walk away. God’s design for relationship is perfect and we murk it up with our worries and fears, it’s meant to be clear. That said, it doesn’t mean God can’t or won’t meet your guy. That is the only thing that changed my husband, a very personal relationship with Jesus. One developed on his own and not orchestrated by me, so I had to get out of the way for him to hear from God.
Please know who you are; you are a beloved child of God and like any Father, He desires good things for you, not confusion. Confusion isn’t from Him remotely. You are worthy of great things, of a love that is designed by the Maker Himself, He doesn’t want you accepting less.
I am so sorry you are going through this, you will surely be on my heart in the days to come. Love to you! ~ B
B- reading your comments has made me cry like a 2 year old. Thank you so much for your prayers and uplifting words. I wish I had you present in my life. But they virtual messages I feel your love and support. Thank you again. May God continue to bless you so you may continue blessing us with your wisdom.
Jenni, you’ve been on my heart this morning and I don’t know that you will ever come back to this, but I am saying extra prayers over you this morning. Just know that though you may feel alone in this season, you are not. I am thinking of you and holding you up. I know God has beautiful plans for you and I hope to hear all about them some day! Should you think of you it, you are always welcome to email. I would love to hear of the work He is doing for you. [email protected]
Jenni, if you have ever asked God to show you open or closed doors, what would they look like?
My husband and I almost bought a house once. We had been shopping and praying about new housing for two and a half years. We ended up a mere $1000 apart in price with the sellers and neither of us would budge. As much as we thought we wanted it we were also pretty sure we had God’s confirmation on our offering price. So it slipped away from us. Six weeks later during a tennis game we heard of a house that was being put up for sale. We have now raised five kids over the past 25 years here in this great house. Trust God that He knows what breaks your heart and that He is a God who grants the desires of your heart. Ps. 37.
Thank you Cindy.
Are you sure he isn’t married?
He is not married. I’ve known him since I was 28, now I’m 33 and we have still have this on and off. God has been talking to me now more than ever and it’s getting clear each day what my next journey is.
Moving in together would not be anything God would bless! And like Cindy questioned, are you sure he isn’t married? Nothing feels right in what you have written and I feel that deep down you know that and by laying it out in writing here, it is our responsibility to warn you, our sister! I pray that truth would be revealed to you in a mighty way!
Thank you Robin.
He is not married. But has major commitment issues.
Praying that the a lord will give you wisdom and clarity. The heartache and troubles you have endured up to this point may be your answer. He may not always give us the answer we want, but He always works things for our good and walks with us every step of the way.
Amen.
This relationship at this stage should not be this hard. Ask yourself why this is. Why are you trying so hard to change him? If he had insight into his issues, wouldn’t he be trying to change himself? Has he sought counseling? This break up, regardless of its timing, sounds like it is a gift to you both – for you to reevaluate what your priorities are and for him to sort himself out. I’m praying you each can find a healthy, mutually supportive, God-centered relationship.
Thank you.
Jenni,
A few months ago I was in a relationship that I knew wasn’t right. The crazy thing is…this guy was great. He treated me like gold, was so good to me, loved the Lord, and was my best friend. However, the whole time we were dating, I sensed that something wasn’t right. Several years ago God spoke to me very clearly when I was dating another man, “you must fall in love with me before anyone else”. I dated anyway, and ended up heartbroken, and dated again, and the same thing happened. And then with this last guy, he was everything I had ever wanted in another person, and my heartbreak was the greatest of all when we broke up. I write this because I have struggled my whole life
Accidentally hit post before I was finished! Anyway was saying that I have been looking for love and fulfillment from people my whole life and God all along was saying, “choose Me, I will satisfy you and fill you.” I was staying in a relationship I knew wasn’t right and almost even married him, because he seemed too good to let go, but I have since sensed God saying “why would you settle for good when you can have the best?” So I am trusting in God that He has a future and a plan. His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts higher than my thoughts. God wants us to know our worth. He doesn’t want us to settle. Our identity is in Him. We are beautiful and valued and loved because He says we are. We must first find our identity and contentment in Him. That is what I am striving for. Praying for you Jenni. Take this opportunity to follow God with your whole heart. See what He has for you. Trust that He has something far greater than what you have planned for yourself.
Your words have blessed me today as well, thank you thank you!
Christine- thank you thank you thank you for sharing your story and for your uplifting words. I am so blessed to have found this group. I love you very much already. Your words have changed the way I see a lot of things. May God continue to bless you
Thank you ladies I’m blessed to have found this group as well!
I have just written a whole load and lost it…story of my life..!
Hebrews 11, the Faith chapter…another of my favourite in the Bible…,
I’m going to trust that what I wrote was between God and I, and that I needed to write my God a love letter on my trust and faith in Him…
Holding on to you Lord, and your Word today and in the coming days…to be sure, in faith of the things hoped for, and certain of the things I cannot see… Lord, I will give you thanks, for your goodness, your steadfast Love that endures for always…Thank you Lord God…Thank you…
Happy day after Boxing day, praying God turn His face to shine on you and yours…hugs..xxx
Tina, your comments always make me smile. Blessings to you today!
That makes me sad :( but I agree, maybe it was just for you and your God. We enjoy any and all that you post! ♥
Love you T! I hope you have had a great Holiday season. Know that your every word, is one we look forward to! God works through you in all things, even the words lost. Love to you!
Tina, whatever you bring to the table here is a feast for my soul! Whether you offer a first draft or a later version, it is sure to uplift and enrich my life. Thank you for being so faithful!
Yes. I raise my hand here to acknowledge that my view is often myopic instead of wide – angle. What enlarges my vision is to look back over my prayer journal. There are a ton of requests and I add more daily. It can be overwhelming if that was all I saw. But also in my prayer journal are a ton of answered prayers. Some entered long ago (and, truth be told, nearly forgotten) but only answered recently. Some answered the same day the prayer was uttered. How and when is God’s business. I. Just. Pray. He. Answers. My prayer journal helps me open my eyes to trust that He is working for the long haul. Yes, Raechel, it is indeed the “truer truth.”
I was just reading through my prayer journal last night. It’s awesome to see how God proves faithful in my own life over the months. And that’s just in my life! The greatness of God’s provision and promises cannot be contained in the boarders of what I can see. How amazing is that?
Yes ❤
Amen
Thank you for the reminder of God’s perfect plan! Just think that at age 7 He was orchestrating His plan for your life as He has done for all His children. Believing that, I have to believe that He is busy working out His purposes in my life and the lives of those I love. Also, as a children’s leader in our church I am encouraged to remember to encourage our Sunday School teachers as they impact the lives of the sweethearts (and maybe not so sweet) they teach and prepare to teach each week.
Thank you for this, I often times forget that this little life is not all there is! Time to turn that telescope and look at the big picture. ❤
Amen
“1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
What strong words. Faith is something that is ever wavering for me. I often struggle with creeping doubts and self consciousness. Oh lord oh lord I pray that you bless my sisters and I here with unwavering faith in you and the spirit to live boldly in representation of you.
Amen!
Amen! Thank you for that prayer!
I struggle with this too. Thank you for the prayer!
me too, thank you for this prayer!
Amen ❤
Amen!
“By an act of faith…” oh man God knows his people that repetition is needed! Even when it doesn’t hit until re-reading it to focus my mind. It’s that act of faith I need to put myself out there and it’s that faithful prayer that keeps me from turtle-ing back in! People have gone through so much and I’m most consumed by what they might say or thing of me… Lord I confess this and need your help to take that act of faith in full force! All for you lord, all for you! Amen!
It’s just after midnight and I can’t sleep because I am stressing about my present circumstances. I decided to see if the Day 2 scripture was posted to help ease my mind. Our God is so good. His loves for us endures yesterday, today and tomorrow. This is exactly what I needed tonight, a reminder that our God good and great!
It’s funny when scripture is so timely! This encouraged me as well!
This devotion has really encouraged me to trust god and let him take control because God knows everything that’s going to happen and he wants best for my life