Remember 6 Words: Keep Going Back to the Source

Whether our current days of uncertainty rob our joy. Or, we scramble for resources we fear are not available. And even in times of abundance, when life seems good and our source secure. The Lord wants us to remember…

He is our true source. 

Our battle cry in this world: “Lord, fill me.” 

But how do we:

Remember to go to the true source of everlasting joy and peace?

Discover the Lord fills us with good and true things?

Know God’s fullness seeps into every corner and crevice of our empty places?

To answer these questions, let’s look at 3 points to keep us going back to the real Source. 

(1.) Remember our cup’s not half-empty or half-full but overflowing in God.

We realize we no longer need to live with the perspective of the half-empty or half-full cup. And we no longer do just enough to get by until more is required to fill our own cup. Instead, we ask the Lord to give us the strength to run to Him for everything we need. Because these are promises found in His Word.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5).

“For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Psalm 107:9 NIV).

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Psalm 81:10).

4 Things God’s Most Interested in From Us

God’s more interested in the deeper aspects of our lives than what we often focus on. 

What’s happening in our world right now confirms this truth: we have zero control over most things in life. Yet, the Lord never created us for control. Control was always meant to remain with Him.

“For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.” (Psalm 22:28)

Our heavenly Father created us for dependency on Him.

Therefore, here are 4 things God’s more interested in from us as His children.

(1.) God is more interested in our surrender than our sufficiency. 

Although your struggles, needs, and empty spaces may look different than mine, we all experience the same moments of desperation. 

Like the kind that makes us hope we are all cried out someday. The kind that makes us question our faith. And praying the same prayer over and over because of a lingering void in our life. 

But we hold the power not to let it affect the trajectory of our lives. Our power comes in focusing on how complete God is, not how incomplete we are. We concentrate on our heavenly Father’s sufficiency instead of our shortage. 

To do this, we put the spotlight on God’s power and glory. Total serenity comes in placing our hope in the Lord alone. So, we fully surrender to who He is as God and Lord over our lives.

“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:4)

Prayer: Lord, help me surrender to You. Because in You, I  find true sufficiency. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

How to Move Past the Past to the Present

The only purpose in looking through a window of the past is to open doors to the present and future.

One time my dad hit another vehicle from behind on an interstate entry ramp. You know why? He looked back too long without breaking or checking traffic in front of him. 

Are we looking back so long our past crashes into our present and threatens our future?

Because this always keeps us at a stand-still, unable to move in any direction. Nobody just zooms into the present without detours, obstacles, or entry and exit ramps. And no one just stumbles into God’s newness and purposes for today without first getting over her past. 

Maybe we spend years, even decades, holding on to painful memories and never making peace with the past. 

Sure, we learn from the past. Yet, we were never meant to stay there—to let the past set up residence in our heart.

So let’s look at how to move past the past for authentic relationships, a joyful present, and a grand anticipation of the future.

(1.) Promptly deal with conflict. 

Until we at least attempt to resolve riffs in our relationships, we continue to connect past heartache to present tension. For example, we may withdraw or hold a grudge because there wasn’t any closure to the “thing” that happened yesterday, last month, or years ago. 

But nothing swept under the rug really helps anyone. Instead, it only causes us to keep tripping over the same issue. 

5 Simple Ways to Meditate on God’s Word

I’m excited to introduce a writer friend to this community. Rebecca and I connected online several years ago since we move in the same writing and blogging circles. Her writings resonate with me. And particularly this one with her practical tips for how to meditate on God’s Word.

Because, if we’re honest, we often complicate parts of the Christian journey.

By Rebecca Hastings

For a long time I thought I needed to wake up with the sun when the rest of my family was comfortably asleep, sit in a special chair (probably facing a window so I could see the sunrise) and hold my worn Bible in my lap as I met with God each day.

The problem: I really like sleep. 

I couldn’t seem to do the early mornings with God so I figured I was just getting an “F” on my report card for Morning Meditation with Him. The good news is, there is no report card. Also, there’s no wrong time to be with God.

Here are 5 simple ways to meditate on and incorporate more of God’s Word in your day.

(1.) Verse of the Day

This is one of my favorite ways to incorporate scripture in my day. With a simple app like YouVersion, you can read a verse each day right from your phone. (Bonus tip: writing the verse out in a notebook or journal is a great way to spend a few more minutes letting God’s Word penetrate your soul! Check out how I’ve done it here.)

We Need God’s Help Connecting Truth and Love

Do you solemnly swear (affirm) to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

While no longer mandatory in every United States courtroom, we affirm this promise of truth with left hand placed on a book, right hand raised. 

The book remains closed, yet held as a mighty writing considered worthy to swear and affirm by.

The Bible. The Holy Scriptures. God’s truth to inspire man’s truth.

Yet, our present world often questions biblical principles as valid, relevant, or relatable. 

So, people try to convince us truth is relative. Culture whispers in our ear, We each have our own version of truth—and that’s okay.

We Need God’s Help With Truth

But it’s not okay. God’s Word not only never returns void, it also never goes out of style along with changing times. Consider how the Bible helps us live out our faith, a how-to manual for a godly life.

Because the more we are in God’s Word, the more we do the right thing, the godly thing, the Jesus thing, and do it all more often. 

The Bible describes truth as a fundamental characteristic of God, the Creator of all things, including truth. Biblical truth means that which is from God and born of God. Jesus, born of God, declared, “I am the truth” (John 14:6). 

God is Truth. And He is the giver of truth. 

Promises Even Though We Walk Through the Valley

Sometimes we travel on a journey we never chose. A valley experience. And the place I currently find myself. 

But I never made reservations, packed my bags, or headed off in that direction.

Besides, my heart’s GPS is wired to stay on the mountain top. Isn’t that what we secretly or openly wish the Christian life promised? 

Still, we often forget God’s glory and presence dwells wherever we are, and in whatever we go through. Further, the Bible says we will have trouble in this world, valleys to walk through. It’s not “if” but “when.”

Perhaps, you relate to valleys of emotional suffering, physical pain, heartbreak, tragedy, grief, spiritual warfare, or other.

Three years ago during another valley journey (no promises for how many life-valleys), the Lord revealed a comforting message of truth for any and all valleys. 

And it comes from two phrases and two passages in the Bible.

(1.) Even though. Psalm 23.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4, ESV). 

Part 2: 8 Powerful Head-to-toe Prayers in Scripture

Ever wondered how to pray over yourself and your loved ones from head to toe? In this 2-part series, we use Scripture to address some of the issues we face as believers.

Part 1 covered 1-4, prayers for our mind, eyes, ears, and mouth.

This week we discuss 5-8; shoulders, heart, hands, and feet. 

(5.) Shoulders

Often, we bear weight on our shoulders we were never meant to carry—only our heavenly Father. But Scripture also calls us to help lighten the load of others. 

Scripture:

In Isaiah 10, the Assyrians oppressed God’s people. The Lord promises judgment and to remove the burdens. “In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken” (verse 27a NIV). 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me…and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30 ESV.

“Then Jesus told them this parable: ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home’” Luke 15:3-5 NIV.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2 NIV.

Prayer: Lord, I carry burdens only meant for You. Please lift any worry and anxiety. Your burden is light and frees me to rest from the heaviness of life’s struggles. Grant me compassion to help carry the burdens of others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(6.) Heart

8 Powerful Head-to-toe Prayers in the Bible: Part 1

Often, we forget to pray specific, powerful prayers. Like prayers taken directly from God’s Word that are powerful when spoken over our lives.

So, in this 2-part series, we address 8 of the issues we face as believers from head to toe. And the powerful help we need from the Bible. 

This week we cover prayers for our mind, eyes, ears, and mouth. But, please, also use these powerful prayers for your spouse, children, family, and friends.

(1.) Mind

Scripture: 

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” Colossians 3:2 NIV.

“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but…from God, so that we may understand….We have the mind of Christ” 1 Corinthians 2:12,16 NIV. 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Romans 12:2a NIV. 

“…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable…think about such things” Philippians 4:8 NIV.

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV.

Prayer: Father God, You created my mind, so I submit it to Your care. Help me set my mind on eternal things. And taking every thought captive, making it obedient to Your truth. I cast out every lie from the enemy. Help me meditate on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and excellent of praise. Let Your Spirit renew my mind daily in Your Word. Give me the mind of Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Trust in the Lord or Lean on Our Own Understanding

“Our limited understanding can lead us astray.”

I don’t know about you, but that quote from my friend Beckie steps on my toes just a little…maybe a lot. Do you ever wonder what God’s doing? If He seems silent to your prayers? Or, what He’s up to in your life? And if He really has a handle on things or do you need to step in with plan B? Sadly, I have done each of those at some point.

This week, I’m sharing a guest post by an author I met at a writers conference and we soon became fast friends.

And I love her books that you’ll learn more about in her bio.

By Beckie Lindsey

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

This passage in Proverbs tells us if we trust in the Lord, we cannot also depend upon our own ability to understand everything God is doing.

However, most of us have a desperate desire to understand. And yet in so many areas, we must acknowledge we cannot always understand. It’s often frustrating and sometimes downright infuriating. 

The tension that we feel from our limited understanding is eased by a further look into Scripture. Here are a few reasons we are not to lean on our own understanding but rest in God’s:

We don’t have a clear picture, but God does. 

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV

A Peek Into My Journal for 25 Life-giving Thoughts

To journal is therapy for me…for my soul. I’ve always loved to journal, and during this season I’m currently walking through, I daily journal pages and pages.

Some thoughts the Lord reminded me He gave me in the past, but are helpful now. While others are fresh inspiration from the Lord.

So I’m letting you peek into my personal journal for 25 thoughts I hope encourage you and bring life to your soul.

Wholeness And Forgiveness

(1.) When life’s disappointments attempt to become my unwelcome friend, I remember Jesus calls me friend. Because He’s my best friend (John 15:5).

(2.) If people add injury to my pain, they are broken people in need of wholeness from Christ. Broke people break people. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” Psalm 147:3 ESV.

(3.) I must cling to the only sure hope in the darkness. Jesus. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” John 1:5 ESV.

(4.) Lord, place the cross and the blood of Jesus between me and the enemy, and between me and difficult people and circumstances. There’s nothing Your redemptive blood doesn’t cover. And there’s nothing it can’t redeem. 

(5.) When I can’t forgive others or if we can’t forgive ourselves, we are limiting God. We are saying He’s not able to give us supernatural ability to forgive. We are putting ourselves as a god above the God who is so loving, so merciful, and so kind that every time we repent, He gladly forgives. 

New Mercies And Promises

(6.) I’m so thankful for the power of prayer: that mountains still move, seas still part, mana still rains from heaven, and because God can raise the dead, ashes turn to beauty again.