As a community, we are currently celebrating 13 days of Thanksgiving! You can find the You Version plan here. Each day’s reading is available right here at SheReadsTruth.com or you can Subscribe to #SheReadsTruth by Email.
{Text: Lamentations 3:22-26}
He will never leave, nor forsake you
The holiday season tends to be a mixed bag of emotions, right? Families come together, which for many means that all the yuck comes together. Some years you may anticipate a terrible time, only to be pleasantly surprised. And other years, it might be everything you are looking forward to — only to be disappointed and hurt. Ugh. Expectations can sometimes ruin things, eh?
We are broken people, but there is a God who will never let you down. So before we get even further into this season–this busy season–take time to get focused. Focus on Him. Focus on His mercies, His great love for you, and His grace. Set your expectations on Him alone.
Take time to thank Him for each of these things –and ask that He may fill you up, so that you might overflow love, mercy and grace to everyone you come in contact with this season.
Think of family members and close friends. Write down qualities and characteristics about each of them that you are thankful for! And save that list. Read it again and again. And thank God for these people in your life.
Oh….. Thank you dear Father for your promises and love you shed upon your children. For, you are GOOD ALL THE TIME. Even when we don’t understand your ways. Help us to go forth with wisdom and give us great understanding into your ways, which show so different then the worlds ways. Keep us safe from the evil one, and reveal your truths to guide our way. I pray this prayer for all who are represented here, those who have shared and those who have not. Help us dear Father, to hear your still small voice and comfort us in times when we see no light. To those who are having dark days JUST KNOW, YOU ARE LOVED by the great and awesome I AM.
My daughter told me about this devotional and I am so glad she did! Today this was exactly what I needed to hear! My husband has decided he needs his space and is moving out in a couple of weeks… so hard right here at the holidays….my family lives out of state so that doubles the holiday issues. It is just a comfort to be reminded that even though I feel alone that I am not alone. Thanks for taking time to allow God to use you in such a powerful way to touch so many people.
Allie-I'm glad your daughter told you about SRT and am so glad you are here. Thank you for sharing. It breaks my heart that you are going through such a difficult time. Praying or His Peace. Comfort. Guidance. Presence. Blessing. to surround and cover you during this season.
Thank you so very much!
This is really hard to do. My family is very negative and they have put me down and teased me my whole. All my deffects have been topic of conversation. Over the past few years they have teased my children and recently ( Oct.) during Thanksgiving they continued to tease my youngest child even after I asked them to stop. Once i spoke up they said it was me that didnt like it eventhough it was written all over my sons face and he spoke up also. As a family, me and my children have decided not to go through this stress anymore. There is 2 times we get togethr with this side of the family and both times are very stressful. Last year i decided not to go to the extended families Christmas and that made it less stressful. This year eventhough i respectfully asked my father and brother inlaw to stop they didnt stop teasing my 10yr old. My children dont want to go and i dont want to go through the stress at the time of year, your suppose to be thankful – Christ Birthday. Your suppose to enjoy the company of family you dont see very often but if all you get it stress, teased and your deffects and things you have done wrong thrown in your face why continue to put yourself through it. I am working on forgiveness and i am getting my strength back. I standing up for myself and my children. There is too much in this world that will tear you down and hurt you. Family should be there to support you, pick you up when you fall not kick you harder when your down or if your life is doing well bring up your past. I am learning more about how God sees me and how he Loves me. He is my strength and my shield.
I am open to any information that people may have. This is a recent example of a situation i have dealt with for the last 34yrs. I am working on me.
I am so sorry to hear of what you have been through. This can say that I can relate when it comes to certain people in my family. It is hard but sometimes we have turn our focus on our value we have within God's love. I know it is hard when we see other families so happy together and we long for it but at the end of the day when we lay our head on our pillow and tears want to start pouring or even when angry thoughts try to take over… God is the one who is there to comfort us in those moments. I to struggle with learning to stand up for myself. It is hard to stand up for yourself when others make you feel so worthless.. but our value is not in what others say it is in how God sees us. Remember you are someone very special in God's eyes! ((HUGS))