True Identity Ministries Blog

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Isaiah 43:18-19 "But forget all that- it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in dry wasteland."

Oh, the joy of Christmas vacation! We have spent a nice amount of time having some family bonding, such as-reading together, cuddling by the fireplace and having devotional time with my nine-year-old, playing Barbies with my daughter, air hockey tournaments,and on and on. While this has all been wonderful, I have also spent some time doing something that brings me joy and satisfaction! De-cluttering! :)

It is amazing how much stuff you can accumulate in a family of six. Shoes, clothes, books, toys, stuff, stuff and more stuff! (and I’m not even a pack-rat!) My husband spent time re-cleaning (notice I say re-cleaning because it seems like this is a project that is constantly needing repeated!) and organizing the garage, and I have spent much time going through the kids’ rooms.

With some new clothes they received for Christmas, toys and movies, it was another great opportunity (and excuse) to clean out dresser drawers, closets and toy boxes. We were able to get rid of bags of clothing that were no longer fitting them, throw out broken toys, pass down toys they had grown out of and just simply…de-clutter! It felt so great at the end to look at the finished product and see how much better it looked. :)

This brought me to think of a spiritual parallel that is very timely and fitting. It’s almost the first of the year and we are at that time to set our New Year’s goals and resolutions. As I was getting ready to sit down and do this, I was reading over a Rick Warren devotional titled, Your Heart is Designed for God to Fill. The purpose of the devotion was to remind us that our hearts were designed to contain God. He says this is similar to a garage being designed for a car, yet many times people cannot even park in their garages because they are so full of other things! Ha! How many of us have ever been here before?

It’s the same way with our hearts-they were designed for God, but many times there is no room for Him.As I was de-cluttering my home, I was thinking about this. Is my heart and life so full with other things that there’s no room for God? Like the broken toys; are there areas of brokenness that need to be healed by God? Like the piles of clothing that my children no longer needed; are there piles of unforgiveness, bitterness or offenses that I need God to help me work through and get rid of? Like getting rid of the kids’old movies and adding on some new ones; are there some old thought patterns I need to replace with some new ones?

Philippians 4: 8 (NLT) “And now, dear sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

As we enter the New Year, now is the time to de-clutter your life. What things have taken greater priority than God in your life? One easy way to tell is asking yourself this question-What do you think about the most? Are there some things in your life and heart that are pushing Him out? Ask God to guide you through the de-cluttering process. He is waiting to do something new in your New Year! And...oh, what a sweet feeling we will feel afterwards!

Love,
Stephanie

Hello ladies! I want to apologize right off the bat for a delayed and not-so-involved post today. I am a college student (because I decided to wait five years after high school to finally join the college train). This week happens to be the most exciting week of every semester...finals!!

I will be honest...I've been living with my head in the books during my free time and was unable to devote study and time to this weeks devotional. But I don't want you to leave empty-handed :)

This is the verse that I look upon at this very moment. I have it hanging next to my computer for a constant reminder of what my purpose is.

"This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message."
Ephesians 3.7 (MSG)

Here you go. Here is what today is meant for. So take this verse. Meditate on it. And then go out there with the Message!

Can you believe we only have 9 more days until Christmas? I feel like I say this every year, but “where has the time gone?!” If you are anything like me, you are still working on finishing your Christmas shopping, wrapping gifts, last minute planning for upcoming parties, and the list goes on. In the hustle and bustle of it all, it can be way too easy to lose focus of the true Christmas priority. And that is having our hearts turned toward and focused on our loving Savior, Jesus. What does this mean and how do we practically do this?

The answer may seem pretty simple...but, whew, it’s hard to do sometimes. It’s simply spending time with Jesus every day, despite our overwhelming to-do lists. We must be intentional about this, because it will not just happen. We know we need to have the gifts purchased and wrapped, but we somehow think we can make it without time with Him.

Listen to what David cried out during his personal time with God. In Psalms 5:1-3 he says, “O, Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for I pray to no one but you. Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my request to you and wait expectantly.” David made a point to meet with the Savior before his to-do lists got the best of him.

During those quiet times with God, that’s when He is able to speak to our hearts in such personal ways. It may be something as simple as, “when you go to the Christmas party, I want you to go out of your way to encourage so and so…”, it may be, “I know it is difficult for you to attend the family gathering, but I want to work in your heart and walk you through forgiveness so you can be around that certain person.” Only as we make the priority to spend some time with him and cry out to Him each morning, will He be able to use us in powerful ways.

Maybe He will challenge you to have a heart of serving. 1 Peter 5:5 says, “Serve one another in humility, for God opposes the proud, but favors the humble.” When we are attending all of the family gatherings, the work parties and so on...how can we take on the challenge of serving one another? Can we spread the love of Jesus and share the light of His goodness by our serving?

A few weeks ago, my 7 year-old son says to me, “Mom, you and Dad are sure a lot more special than Santa.” I smiled and said, “Why do you say that?” He says, “Because Santa only brings toys and you and Dad give love! Toys fall apart and get old, but love is what really matters!” Wow!! He got it! It’s the love of God that surpasses all of the ‘stuff’! It can be easy to get caught up in ourselves around this season-what outfit we will wear to the party, what dish we are going to take to the potlucks, how much money is left in our checking to purchase one more thing.

See, the enemy would love to distract us from the real priority of Christmas and miss out on what really matters. In 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT), it says, “Stay ALERT! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Let’s not allow the enemy to rob what opportunities we have to share the light of Jesus during this Christmas season! Meet with God today and ask Him what He wants to speak to you! How does He want to use you this season for His glory?

Love,
Stephanie

In Isaiah 43, the passage begins with "Fear not."

Now why would the Lord start with such a strong warning? I cannot by any means declare His intention, but I might assume that there is indeed some things that the flesh will find fearful. So "Fear not."

"Fear not, for I have redeemed..." Why should I, you, we not fear; it's a natural response, right? The Lord has redeemed you and to magnify the word redeem, it means "to free from captivity by payment of ransom; to free from the consequences of sin."

The Lord has set you free and then goes even further as to call you by your name. And if that was not enough, He goes on to say "you are mine." Wow! The Lord is making a declaration to you and to everyone out there that you are His. It is as if He is placing a banner over you for all to see that you are His.

In laymen terms: don't be afraid because God has saved you, He knows you, and you are His. What a beautiful thing to say, right? I mean I know that I am a sinner who botched it up and I still do at times. But I am also a sinner that admitted that I had botched it up and so I can appreciate this verse. God knows all things concerning each and everyone of us and for those who admit to the botching, He calls you "mine."

So why as His "mine" should we be afraid in the first place? In the storms, the deserts, the fires, our flesh grows fearful. It's natural. But God still commands us to not fear.

In addition, the verse does not say, "Fear not, SHOULD you pass through the waters." He says. "WHEN you pass through the waters...and through the rivers...WHEN you walk through the fire..."(v.2). When is mentioned twice in the same verse and reiterates that we, all, everyone will have tough times. Being a Christian does not mean that everything is going to be sunrises and kisses, but that without a doubt we will face fearful times.

When the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea with Moses and the Jordan River with Joshua, I am pretty sure that some of them were afraid that the water would overcome them. But God was with them. Or when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace, I guarantee that it was not all cush at first. But then we see in Daniel 3 that a being resembling a "son of God (or deity)", possibly a preincarnate appearance of Christ, appears to protect the men. This is a promise.

Now I know that some of you reading this might at times wonder what are the promises that we have. I have asked myself the same question before as well. Now you know that this is a promise. God says in Isaiah 43 that through the trials, He will be with you. And if God promises to be with you in the tough times, which at times may be difficult to believe, He will be there. All the time.

One part that I love in the chapter is when God announces in verse 3 that He is "your Savior." I love it! It is so poetic and yet when your read it, it resonates within you to be so true. It just fits.

Wait, it gets better. He continues in verse 4 with, "Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you." Okay, so surely I am not the only one left with tears in my eyes at this reflection. God honors you and loves you. Isn't that what we all seek? To be honored and loved.

It reminds me of what two people in love say to each other at a weddng ceremony. God is giving to you a vow. I know that at some point, or even now, some of you have looked in the wrong places for a vow. We expect people or things or dreams or titles to make us feel somehow important or precious. And although it is by no means wrong to share a vow as such with another person, it is wrong to give that vow to or accept that vow from another person as above all. God was, is, and always will be He who our heart must desire first. Nobody can fulfill you and nobody can love you like Him. When God says' "I love you," as a promise, as a vow, do not take it for granted. These words from the Savior are treasured words for your life.

"Fear not." I know, I already commented on this. The only reason I bring up this command again is because God commands it again. In verse 5 we find "Fear not" for a second time. In case you did not know, when a word or phrase appears more than once in a passage, it tends to mean pay attention. So for those of you who somehow didn't get it the first time, here it is again.

God knows that there will be times when we will want to be afraid. He understands that we as humans are not perfect and that we will be faced with uncertain times, resulting in a desire to be afraid. But along with the command to not fear He follows with a promise to be with you.

I could go on with this passage tucked away in Isaiah for it has indeed stirred something inside of me. But to go on would take much time and to leave off in verse 5 seems to be a good stopping point. I challenge each of you to study the chapter further; to find the value in the words here. I do not presume to know everything about this passage; all I want to do is stir some thought in you with my passion and observations for the Word and hopefully ignite in you a desire to search the scriptures.

One more thing which I hope encourages you is that yes, you will pass through difficult times. But remember that you will come out and that it will not last forever in spite of how you may feel in the midst. When the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea, they entered into freedom. When they crossed the Jordan River, they possessed the promised land. And when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, two things happened. The rope that we saw them bound in seems to no longer hold them and others praised God.

Sometimes we must pass through the fire so that bondages may be broken and so that glory may be given to God.

Sounds worth it to me!

"The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs...and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11

Last year as I was sitting in front of the Christmas tree, I was admiring the beautiful lights and enjoying the quiet, serene, peaceful time. As I sat there, I began to think, “Wow, for the amount of money we spent, it sure doesn’t look like a lot of gifts. It just doesn’t look like enough.” The Lord spoke to my spirit, “Do you think my mother, Mary, thought the same when she looked at that dirty, old, and stinky stable? Wow, this is it? Is this enough?” Let’s picture what it must have been like for this pregnant woman in her ninth month; Mary was probably experiencing intense labor pains and extreme fatigue from the long and uncomfortable donkey ride. She wasn’t fortunate enough to have experienced a short and cozy minivan drive across town and arrive at a clean hospital setting. Oh, no… she was going to give birth in a stable!?

As the story unfolds in the book of Luke, it was more than enough. True, the stable did not supply the modern day hospital luxuries: a warm and comfy bed, remote control television on the side rails or nurses offering the new mom a fresh water bottle. But, it did supply more than any other human being could offer. That night brought us the Messiah, the King of the world, the Prince of Peace, our Savior and the One who loves us so much that He would later give up his life on a cross to save us from our sins.

Is He ‘enough’ for you? Do you ever struggle with feelings that Jesus may not be enough? How could He ever mend this broken marriage? Can He really help my rebellious teenager? Could He heal these deep wounds from my past or supply our needs during this impossible financial difficulty? The Bible answers these questions in Matthew 19:26- "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." It doesn’t mean our challenging situations miraculously disappear, but it does mean that He becomes more than enough for us.

The Bible tells us in 2 Chronicles 16:9- “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” I have personally faced many challenges and continued to meditate on this Truth from God’s word. It is amazing and life-changing how the Holy Spirit strengthens us, guides us, and gives us the wisdom we need in each situation. The words in the song “Healer” speak of this: “you hold my every moment, you calm my raging seas, you walk with me through fire and heal all my disease. I believe you’re my healer, I believe you are all I need, I believe you’re my portion, I believe you’re more than enough for me. Nothing is impossible for You.”

As my kids opened their presents that Christmas morning, they were so overwhelmed! It was more than enough! Many times that it is how it feels when we are in His presence; as he gives us His priceless gifts of unexplainable peace, joy, and contentment. What do you need to turn over to God today to acknowledge that “He is Enough”?

Truth to meditate on:
Isaiah 26:3-4: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.”

Matthew 7:7-8: “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Today we will discuss one final attitude we need to take on to guard our finances before we begin discussing practical tips. If you and I are going to be able to have an attitude of steward and make sure that our treasure is not in worldly wealth, we are going to have to become content right where we are. We want to have an attitude of contentment. You might be gasping right now, thinking you could never be content with the financial state that you are in right at this very moment. My answer to you is if you have debt then you shouldn’t be content. You should be ready to do whatever you need to do to get that debt paid off in a hurry. That is the biblical way. What we are talking about is being content with what we have and with where we are on the way to where we are going. Could you say that you are content with your circumstances? Let’s examine our hearts today and allow God to shine a light upon our world, revealing to us what it means to be content.


Luke 3:14 says, “…John replied, ‘Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.” Let me be clear that this verse isn’t saying we shouldn’t be excited and accepting when God gives us promotion or an increase in pay. I’m only making the point that you shouldn’t allow discontentment to consume you. Don’t become so discontent with your income that it steals your joy and peace. If you and I are always wishing we could have more and more, it can lead our hearts right back to treasures on earth and not heaven. Which as we learned last week, can cause us to fall into temptation and destruction.

All throughout scripture we see it tell us to be content in all things, and that if we have food and clothing we should be content with that. It also warns us to stay free from the love of money and to be content with what we have because God will never leave us nor forsake us. Many of us can probably think back to a time that we have had a critical and judgmental attitude towards someone else simply because we weren’t content with what we had ourselves. This isn’t God’s will for our lives. The reason he tells us over and over in his word to be content is because he knows the danger and destruction of us being discontent. Proverbs 15:16 shows us that it is better to have little as it relates to wealth and possessions but still have the fear of the Lord, than it is to have much and find ourselves in turmoil and without God. 1 Timothy 6:6 shows us that godliness with contentment is great gain. God and God alone is where you and I need to find our satisfaction. When we find our satisfaction in him, we find nothing but gain for our lives.

I want to tell you about a circumstance that I watched someone walk through recently that reminds me of this topic of finding security in our money. A very wealthy man and his wife had one daughter. This daughter was having problems with severe depression and had gotten to the point that she was repeatedly trying to commit suicide. In the past they had always been able to use their money to fix their circumstances. They had used it to buy for this young girl the very best of everything all through her life, yet she still found herself lacking any hope or joy. Now they were using their money to try and buy all of the best medicines, doctors, and treatments to help their daughter. They made a very profound comment in the midst of this traumatic time. They said “We have the nicest homes, many cars, and an abundance of money. None of it is helping us to find joy, hope, or healing for our daughter.” They had looked to their money and cried out to it “save us!” Then when it did not, they finally came to the point that they were able to say “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?” I don’t know how their story ended, but I pray that it was with finding Jesus. This is what God’s word is trying to show us. Our culture tries to convince us that the more we have the safer we are from ever losing hope. God’s word tells us quite the opposite. It tells us that true contentment, hope, and satisfaction can only be found in Jesus.

In Philippians 4:10-13 Paul tells us that he learned to be content. He knew what it was to have plenty and he knew what it was to be in need, but either way he could be content. He gives us a clue to the secret of being content in verse 13. He says “I can do everything through him that gives me strength.” Christ is the secret. When you and I stay connected to Christ we are going to have the strength to be content in any circumstance. Apart from Christ we have nothing and will find our hearts searching after the things of this world. It doesn’t matter what your circumstances are, you too can learn to be content through him that gives you strength. As you do it is sure to help you guard your finances through the holidays.
Xoxo

Justeina

"But you, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and you never, never quit." Psalm 86.15

I at times will randomly, or thoughtfully, send this verse to friends. It has the power to be encouraging all the time, and often, exactly what somebody needs to hear. It doesn't hurt to hear about the love of God every once and a while, and this one is a great example of the many different kinds of love God shows us.

I don't plan of adding as much commentary to a passage as I am accustomed to doing here on Fridays. I believe these words are powerful enough all by themselves to shake you and move you. To show you different facets of His love without my help

Tender and kind. Our God is compassionate. His love is good to us.
Not easily angered. His love is forgiving and gracious.
Immense. His love is vast and eternal.
Never quits. Our God never gives up on us. Nothing can separate us from His love.

C.H. Spurgeon commented on Psalm 86,
"God's love assumes many forms, and is lovely in them all."

1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 "pray without ceasing,in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.Do not quench the Spirit."

Thanksgiving is here and we have so much to thankful for! A heart of Thanksgiving isn't just for today, but so important to have all year long. Maybe some of you are going through a very difficult time and you feel like you are grasping for something to be thankful for. I want to encourage you today that God loves each of you so much and there are so many physical and spiritual benefits for daily giving thanks. Let me share an incert from another article I read-I knew I had to share it, as it is so encouraging for us all during this Thanksgiving celebration.

Some years ago there was a series of television pubic service messages about education. One of tag lines was, “Reading is Fundamental.” This is a very concise and accurate statement. If a person cannot read, he cannot function effectively in life or experience the best this world has to offer.

As believers, we live by many foundational truths from the Word of God. One of the most important is: “Giving thanks to God daily is fundamental.”

Giving thanks to God is one of best things we do because it is inclusive of worship, prayer, faith, holiness, giving and sacrifice.

Five Life-Changing Benefits of Giving Thanks:

#1 “Giving thanks to God daily is fundamental”- It’s one of the things that we do that makes other things possible.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Heb. 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

#2 Giving thanks helps keep our lives clear of anxiety, sin, darkness, deception.

Romans 1:21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,

Philippians 4:6, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

#3 Giving Thanks is a container that allows us to hold blessings, benefits and responsibilities

Eph. 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

#4 Giving Thanks puts us in a position to allow God to transform every weakness into a strength through Christ.

2 Cor. 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

#5 Thanksgiving draws us closer to God and to others for help and healing

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Psalm 35:18, I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.


I pray that God speaks to your heart this Thanksgiving day, as you praise Him and give Thanks to Him.

Love,
Stephanie

As we work our way through our holiday blog series called Guarding Our Finances we have been talking about the attitudes we hold toward our money and possessions. Last week we looked at having the attitude of steward and not owner. Today let’s see where your treasure is.
Matthew 6:24 tells us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This is a caution to us to not allow the things we can see and touch become a treasure to us, because when they do, they will steal all of our thoughts, time, and devotion. Let it not be what you and I work to store up. These things are only temporary. They are capable of being robbed, damaged, or lost in an instant. We cannot put our hope and trust in these things, they will fail us. We cannot find our satisfaction in these things, they will leave us empty. We cannot build our lives on top of them, they are just sinking sand.

The culture we live in does not help us out with this one AT ALL! The culture says that you just haven’t arrived unless you have a prestigious job, a large income, the top cars and the largest homes (one is not enough), wearing the top brands and the flashiest jewelry, and of course the up most education. I am not saying that it is right or wrong to have these things, but I am saying they are only temporary and they shouldn’t be where your heart is found. They shouldn’t be your treasure.

Allowing worldly possessions to become our treasure can have so many devastating consequences. One of them is mentioned in Matthew 6:24. It says that we can’t serve two masters. We will love the one and hate the other. We will be devoted to one and despise the other; we cannot serve both God and money. The word for money here is mammon, and it means gain. It is talking about anything in the world we use for gain. Placing too much value in money, possessions, prestige, and people’s opinions can steal away our devotion to God. If we are constantly looking to gain in the world, it can take our focus off of kingdom things. Matthew 6:33 says to seek first the kingdom.

That is to be our first priority, not an abundance of things from the world. Colossians 3:2 reminds us to set our minds on things above and not on earthly things. Girls we have to do a heart check. We have to be honest with where our treasure is. I need to tell you that how much money you have currently has nothing to do with where your treasure is. You could have an abundance of wealth and not have allowed it to become your treasure. You could just as easily not have a penny to your name, but have allowed the desire to gain wealth become your treasure. This is a very dangerous place to be.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself people watching all the time. Sometimes I have to be very careful to guard my heart as I do. Our motives aren’t always pure in checking out those around us. Could it be that we want to know if they have something we don’t? Could it be that we end up being consumed with wishing that we had what they have? That we looked like them…Wore their size…Could sing like them…Had their job…Had their car…Had their home…Had their title? Are we really busy trying to keep up with the Jones’s?

We can walk around with our green tented glasses on, envying all those around us and it is keeping us in bondage. In Luke 12 it reminds us that, “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” You are not defined by how much you have. You’re identity is not found in the value of your dress size, job, home, car, or bank accounts. You’re identity is found in Christ and Christ alone. He is your treasure and your very great reward. So be on guard this Christmas when you begin your holiday shopping. Evaluate where your real treasure is, and begin to teach your children that the real treasure of Christmas is not all the gifts, but Jesus himself.


xoxo
Justeina

Matthew 6.33 has been my favorite verse for years now.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you."

It amazes me that after quoting this verse to myself for years, that I can randomly read it in my Bible one day and it knocks me over with the Truth in it. For anybody who says the Bible is an old book of old stories for an old generation long gone, I say you don't know what you're talking about! Because I see a living , breathing work of God present in my life today!

In Matthew 6, Jesus is sitting on a mountain near Capernum, and he is delivering his most famous sermon. Can you even imagine what that must have been like?! Sitting leisurely, listening to the beautiful voice of Jesus speak Truth into your life. Gives me goosebumps just to think about it!

Matthew 6.33 has sort of become my life verse. It represents my motivation for each day. The clear voice in times of difficulty. My hope in submitting my life to His.

Seek First...the KINGDOM OF GOD.

This one statement, this one sentence contradicts everything our society believes. But the Bible often does do that. We are taught early on to work hard to make the money to buy the things we need. That pretty much portrays the mindset of most humans.

In the few verses leading up to this one, Jesus speaks to the person wondering what they will eat, and what they will wear. We worry, worry, worry about how we'll get by. And get by with more than enough.

But Jesus, the man who for three years didn't have a home to lay his head. Who lived off of the generosity of others. This man, also know as the Son of God, encourages us. No wait, commands us not to worry.

When we wake up in the morning girls, we are to set our minds on our Fathers business. To seek Him first is to welcome the rest. C.H. Spurgeon wrote in his commentary of Matthew 6, "You mind His business, and He will mind ours."

Is that not brilliant?! When we set ourselves to His work and perfect will, He will take care of our needs and concerns.

My favorite thought about this verse resembles a math equation of sorts. (Don't worry, it's not complicated). Jesus calls us to seek Him first, and that which we desire will be added to us. This leaves me to conclude, naturally, that God must be our WHOLE. The rest that we desire, are ADDITIONS.

Ladies, we must not be seeking the additions, because they are additions. Not the whole. Nothing more. When we seek the additions, looking to make them the whole, they will not fulfill us or sustain us. It's like chasing the wind. But when we seek God first, He will add everything we need! Isn't that an incredible promise?!

I've begun to see the little additions that I've been seeking, and I'm convicted. Even good things I have devoted myself to begin to look like wholes to me. My work at the church. My commitment to people. I read this verse and I catch subtle glimpses of the additions I am beginning to make the whole in my life.

I hope today I can encourage you to reevaluate your life and see where your crutches are. What are you seeking after? Is it God? Is it money? Recognition at work? Your family? A boyfriend? There should be nothing that we seek outside of the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Out of that devotion to make him whole, He will add to us those things we need, and those lovely additions that make our life beautiful. The job we like. The family we love. The relationship we enjoy. Those are additions. And it makes the additions all the more beautiful when they come from God.

My three year old has just recently entered into a new season of his life-separation anxiety. :) Any time that Mommy is getting ready to leave, he starts to tense up a bit. I may only be dropping him off at Grandma and Grandpa’s house (which he loves to go to) or to the kid’s church class for an hour, but in his little mind, he is feeling like it’s going to be forever. He starts off by telling me good-bye about ten times, blows me twenty kisses, tilts his head and winks his eye at me about ten times….and then this process repeats itself. Lately, I’ve had to try a little Mommy tactic, to help him focus his mind on something else besides me leaving him. So, being the ‘expert’ Mommy that I am, :)…I tell him, “Josiah, if you are a real big boy and don’t cry, I have a pack of M&M’s in my purse for you when I pick you up.” Work’s every time!

Last week after I dropped him off at Grandpa’s house, and after we had gone through the whole process, I had to chuckle as I drove down the road. It’s pretty cute seeing my son’s little chubby cheeks and big brown eyes as he tilts his head and winks at me, another way of him saying, “I love you so much.” I know this separation anxiety season will only be temporary. My three older children had gone through it too. Now, they’ve quickly outgrown it and I laugh when I drop them off somewhere because I may not even get a “good-bye”; as they so excitedly run off for some fun time!

I was thinking about this whole separation anxiety thing and thought, “I want my relationship with Jesus to be like this.” Not anxiety of course, but where I just can’t seem to get enough time with Him. If I am apart from Him too long, it really bothers me. If I feel separated from Him, it’s not a ‘comfortable’ feeling, but one where I just can’t wait to be back with Him. It’s easy as adults to sometimes resemble my older children. We can go about our days, running off for our to-do lists and the things that are appealing in our eyes. Maybe we’re not forgetting to say, “good-bye”, but we are not even starting off with a “good morning”. I want it to feel so uncomfortable if I attempt to live out one day without His presence!

Six times in the Old testament we are told that David “inquired of the Lord” (1 Samuel 23:2, 4; 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1; 5:19, 23) He knew he was nothing apart from God-that He could not even make it one day without the Lord. In fact, the first thing he did every morning-before turning to the business of the day-was to turn his heart toward the Lord in prayer:

Psalm 5:3 (Amplified Bible)
“In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].”
Psalm 119:147 (NLT)
“I rise early, before the sun is up;I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.”

Apart from the presence, wisdom, and grace of God, we cannot do anything of true worth. If we humbly realize this and take the steps to keep ourselves connected with our loving God, we will be walking our days in His grace-His divine enabling to carry us through each day.

Are you feeling separated from Him today? How can you reconnect? Practically, do you need to start off your day in prayer? What about an encouraging devotional that will inspire you to get into the Word? What about Bible memorization? (I know this is one I am personally working on.) All of these things will keep us continually feeling close to our Heavenly Father. My challenge for you and me today is this…take intentional steps today to keep yourself from feeling separated from God. And once in a while, give Him a wink! ;)


Stephanie

Join Justeina and listen in to this 6 minute radio broadcast teaching you how to deal with those overly needy people in your life.

The first step for you and me in this process of guarding our finances this holiday season is realizing that we are just stewards, not owners. If you and I are going to manage our resources according to the bible we have to get it straight within our hearts who the true owner of those resources is. We are only stewards. Only the manager over the things entrusted to us. If you and I try to take over and claim ownership of our money, time, and resources it will lead us astray every time and many times bring destruction and defeat. Psalm 24:1 tells us, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.”


A steward is just a manager of someone else’s property. They manage the property according to the owner’s wishes. An owner holds all rights to that thing. They are the legal titleholder and proprietor. What about you? Do you seem to fall into the mindset that you are the one that holds all rights to your money, time, and resources? Do you claim yourself as owner? Owner of your home, car, children, and business? Owner of your gifts and talents? We have to be very careful and very clear that we are only stewards, only managers. God is the true owner of everything you and I have. He is the one that should get the final say on how it should be managed. And trust me he has lots of advice for us on how to manage money in his word.

Think about the overwhelming mindset of the culture in which we live. “I worked hard for it and it’s mine!” The mindset that says it was my talent and hard work that earned this wealth and I should be able to do with it what I want to. Mine, Mine, Mine. This is the resounding word we see everywhere we look. You and I can also fall into this same seductive “mine” mentality. Scripture tells us to remember the Lord our God, for it is he that gives us the ability to produce wealth. Romans 14:12 says, “So then we will all give an account of ourselves to God.” We will certainly have to give an account to our “my money is my money” attitude if we have one. As we take on this attitude we begin to live beyond our means, confuse desires with needs, and rely on credit cards to sustain our “my money” lifestyle. Being a steward is adopting an attitude that says I have been made manager over these resources and I need to manage them wisely.

I really want to challenge you to think how different you would manage your money and resources if you truly did believe that God is owner and giver? As we close today’s study allow God to do an assessment over your life. Allow him to show you the areas that you are still trying to hold onto as owner instead of steward. It could be over your money, your home, your job, your children, or your gifts and talents. As long as you and I continue hold our grip on our resources as owner we will never be able to manage them as the steward that God expects us to be. When we take the appropriate role of steward, it is sure to bring God glory, and will certainly help you better guard your finances throughout the holidays.

xoxo
Justeina

For our final look at Romans 4, we will be breaking down verses 17-21.

"We call Abraham 'father' not because he got God's attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn't that what we've always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, 'I set you up as father of many peoples?' Abraham was first named 'father' and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, 'You're going to have a big family, Abraham!'

Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, 'It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child.' Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That's why it is said, 'Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right.' But it's not just Abraham; it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God."

Abraham had every reason from human point of view to give up.

Take this to thought for a moment. Abraham and his household lived in an area with much traffic and met many travelers each day. We can assume that as the travelers passed through and Abraham met them on their way, they would exchange greetings. Abraham would instinctively tell these travelers his name (which means "father of many"), and since a name meant something during this time period, people would no doubt respond with, "Oh great! How many children do you have?!"

Of course, Abraham would have to respond, "None." We can assume that Abraham would hear the confusion from the travelers exchanges. Or walking by the tents at night, he would hear his servants whispers about how a man named "father of many" had no children.

Yes, Abraham had every reason from human point of view to give up.

Yet, Abraham believed God when he said that Abraham would have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Why?

His faith sprang from the promises of God. It was not irrational or baseless, but an assurance from evidence into the security of God's Word and promises. He concluded that the certainty of the divine promise outweighed every natural improbability.

Where in your life are you focusing on the natural improbability?
Are you believing in God's promise(s) for your life?

Abraham was first named father and then became a father. He dared to trust God to do only what God could do.

Yes, Abraham was 100 years old and certainly beyond the ability to have children. And yes, Sarah had been infertile for decades. But he didn't focus on that. V. 22 says that he "plunged into the promise."

Plunged. To immerse, to enter with sudden decision upon an unfamiliar course of action (dictionary.com).

I get this picture of running full on and doing a cannonball into the water. Just going for it, without looking back. Immersed.

As much as Abraham plunged in, neither did he shut his eyes to the unfavorable circumstances. I believe this is a trap for many, including myself. You try to convince yourself that if you ignore the problem or pretend it doesn't exist, it will go away. That's not biblical and certainly not what Abraham did. He carefully considered his age and Sarah's infertility...and realized that God's ability outweighed their inabilities.

Are you closing your eyes to an unfavorable circumstances instead of looking to God, the One for who nothing is impossible?

Abraham's faith did not become weak or doubt.
did not become discouraged by natural weakness.
was fully assured that God would do what He promised.

We must be people of faith! In Hebrews 11, it says that faith is a conviction of things not seen. Does that not represent Abraham completely?!

The word "faith" is used 5 times in this passage. This word has an emphasis that is was faith that secured what God has promised. FAITH.

What promise(s) have you received from the Lord?

Christmas is coming! You can see it and smell it everywhere you turn. The stores are all full of Santa Clauses, pine trees, colorful lights, pumpkin pies and spiced cider. With the Holidays approaching quickly, we need to make sure we have a healthy mindset of the joy of giving while also being honest about our financial ability to give. So often families find themselves with a whopping credit card bill after Christmas that follows them around for months to come. All the stress and strain added to a marriage and family all for just one day of giving glee. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing feeling to be able to give generously to the ones you love. But when you really think about it, today’s culture leads us to believe that we not only have to give generously to the ones we love, but even the ones we hardly like! (what? you didn't think i'd say that?)


We start to feel obligated and before we know it we are giving to our neighbors, teachers, coworkers, our third cousin we hardly know, all our children’s classmates, and we even keep a few extra gifts handy…just in case someone we don’t expect gives us one. We fall into this vicious cycle all the while causing our financial status to plummet further and further into chaos.

I want to spend the next few weeks talking about the balance between giving generously and being content to refuse to give under compulsion. What would change for you this year if you really did throw off that feeling of obligation to buy things beyond your means for the ones in your world? Would the end result of your holiday shopping sprees be different this year if you chose to use wisdom from God’s word rather than following the cultures standard? I imagine your answer is that it would be. What a freeing thing it would be to not spend all next year paying off what you couldn’t afford, but had to have this year. Just like you I could use a few reminders myself about the true meaning of Christmas. With a little direction from God and a lot of heart checks by us, we can have a holiday of giving without finding ourselves in bondage to the bills that follow. So be sure to check the blog every Monday over the next few weeks for our series called: Guarding Our Finances Through the Holidays. Until then just be praying and asking God to direct your steps and open your eyes to HIS plan for this year’s Christmas holiday!


xoxo

Justeina

In Part 4, we will be taking a look at V. 14-15.

"If those who get what God gives them only get it by doing everything they are told to do and filling out all the right forms properly signed, that eliminates personal trust completely and turns the promise into an ironclad contract! That's not a holy promise; that's a business deal. A contract drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer and with plenty of fine print only makes sure that you will never be able to collect. But if there is no contract in the first place, simply a promise—and God's promise at that—you can't break it."

We've all seen a contract...and the fine print that goes with it. With the fine print there are loop holes. What Paul is trying to paint in this picture of a contract is that with fine print, we will never be able to fulfill the contract. We won't be able to hold up our end of the deal.

Our relationship with God is not a contract or a to-do list.

Went to church on Sunday...CHECK.
Put money in the offering...CHECK.
Did my good deed for the day...CHECK.

That is a list of works, not a relationship. A contract eliminates personal trust and relationship. You could never attend enough services, or give enough money, or do enough good deeds to set you right with God, because that isn't relationship.

When I was spending some time over these verses, I got this idea in my mind. Not that I would know personally, but I know there was a time in our history where people could trust each other by their word and a handshake. Today you would never see such personal trust but rather would see people pushing a contract to seal the deal. God doesn't want a signed contract from you, but to take His hand and trust Him at His word.

God wants a personal relationship with you!! Think about the following question for a moment...

Do you remember that first moment when you believed in Him. When you had that personal moment with God?

That was God choosing you, and you accepting His grace. That is a promise.

The person who trust in works nullifies the work of Christ on his behalf. I don't know about you, but I would rather have Christ working on my behalf than trying to get all the work done myself in vain. And yes it would be in vain. With a contract there are penalties for neglecting to fulfill what is there. Since you would never be able to hold up your end of the deal, you would inevitably face penalties.

Think about that for a moment. If it wasn't for God's grace, we would face penalties. How sweet is His grace.

For a moment, let's look at what Jesus has to say about this. In Luke 18. 9-14, Jesus tells a parable of a Pharisee and a tax collector.
"He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Here is a Pharisee, a man thought by all righteous. And there to the side, a tax collector and one known for his sins. Yet in this picture Jesus highlights the humility of the tax collector. When I try to imagine the scene, I can't help but be shaken. The tax collector couldn't even lift his eyes to heaven while at that same moment a Pharisee is thanking God that he is not like that tax collector. We look at that picture and instantly side ourselves with the tax collector, but I know at times I've seen the Pharisee in me.

I don't want to be known for works but lack grace. I want to be known as someone who coupled the grace given freely to me with works of love.

Who do you see in you? Answer honestly. Is it the humbled sinner saved by grace? Or the self-exalted deemd right by works?

This coming week, examine the motives behind what you do. I know as a result of these verses, I want to carefully examine why I do what I do. And I want to live my life according to His promises and not by a to-do list.

Reflection Questions:

1. Looking at how circumstances affect you, would you say you have been a victim or victor?

2. After reading Romans 8:38-39, how does this make you feel about God's love for us, even amidst suffering?

3. When you have gone through areas of suffering in your own life, have you personally seen God use them into a greater intimacy with Him?

Today we continue our look at Romans 4, breaking down V. 8-13.

V. 8-11
"Do you think for a minute that this blessing is only pronounced over those of us who keep our religious ways and are circumcised? Or do you think it possible that the blessing could be given to those who never even heard of our ways, who were never brought up in the disciplines of God? We all agree, don't we, that it was by embracing what God did for him that Abraham was declared fit before God?
Now think: Was that declaration made before or after he was marked by the covenant rite of circumcision? That's right, before he was marked. That means that he underwent circumcision as evidence and confirmation of what God had done long before to bring him into this acceptable standing with himself, an act of God he had embraced with his whole life."

Here we enter that part about works, or in Abraham's case, circumcision. Was Abraham deemed righteous because of his obedient act of circumcision?

V. 9 says that Abraham was declared fit before God because he embraced what God had done for him. Now was this declaration made before or after he was circumcised?

BEFORE. Abraham wasn't circumcised till at least 14 years after the promise God had given to him, and 24 years after his relationship with God began.

Abraham's circumcision was evidence of his faith and came after believing.

V. 12-13
"And it means further that Abraham is father of all people who embrace what God does for them while they are still on the "outs" with God, as yet unidentified as God's, in an "uncircumcised" condition. It is precisely these people in this condition who are called "set right by God and with God"! Abraham is also, of course, father of those who have undergone the religious rite of circumcision not just because of the ritual but because they were willing to live in the risky faith-embrace of God's action for them, the way Abraham lived long before he was marked by circumcision.That famous promise God gave Abraham—that he and his children would possess the earth—was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God's decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed."

In v. 13, Paul says that the promise given to Abraham was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was given based off of God's grace...His decision to put it all together.

The promises God has given us: that He will supply all our needs, unconditional love, life abundantly (just to name a few) aren't promises we can earn. They are promises God makes to us out of His grace. We simply enter into it.

The word "promise" that is used in this verse comes from the Greek word "epangelia." It represents that God's promise was not based on merit, but grace alone. (I think it's incredible how one word can sum up an entire passage).

Are your works evidence of your faith?

Works are my no means null. In fact, James 2.14-16 says, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?"

Works should be an overflow of our faith in God. Does an act or deed come out of a task, to mark it off, or as a natural part of your relationship with God?

Do you believe in God's promises for you?

I know for me, it's easy to believe that God's promises are true and eternal, but at times I have struggled to except them personally. I think it can be easy to believe God's promises for others, but fail at believing them for ourselves.

To fail to believe God's promise for YOU is to fail in trusting God completely. We must embrace God's promises. Embrace, not earn. We could never earn God's promises...there is nothing we have done or ever will do that will secure God's promises for us. Wow. Praise God it's out of grace He has chosen to put it all together for us!

I pray that you will begin to examine the heart behind what you do. I'm really excited about the verses we will be looking at next time, so check back in a few days!

Challenge Questions:
1. We have seen that without our priorities in place, we will NOT complete the tasks that God gives us. In what areas do your priorities need realigned today?

2. Are you caught in the captivity of activity? What are some things you need to scrape off your plate, so you are truly available to obey God's leading for you?

3. What are some practical ways you can start having a consistent time in your Word and prayer?

Homework: Read Chapter nine, Lies Women Believe...About Circumstances

WHY IS ENTHUSIASM SO IMPORTANT?


Enthusiasm is able to energize you. One of the greatest obstacles keeping us from finding out what God has designed us for and keeping us from going forward with that plan is just a lack of energy. Let’s face it, by the end of the day we have no energy, no motivation, and nothing pushing us forward. When we become enthusiastic we will be strengthened, invigorated, and empowered to keep going forward. In my own life I can remember when God began to open up doors for me to teach a bible study at my church. I had a huge desire to write and teach tugging at my heart. Even so, I wondered how in the world I would have the energy to teach a bible study after working all day long. The answer was my enthusiasm for teaching the word of God. I was so excited about teaching and devoted to it that even when I began to feel weary, that enthusiasm would begin to recharge me and drive me forward. It is what kept me coming back each week to teach. That doesn’t mean I didn’t feel tired, it only means that my enthusiasm for the women I was teaching made me diligent to keep coming back to meet with them. So many people will burn out when it comes to living out God’s purpose for their lives whether it is ministry, raising a family, a career, a big dream, simply because they have lost their enthusiasm and zeal for that cause and they become weary and burdened by the task. Regain your enthusiasm and you will regain your energy!

Enthusiasm and zeal will also inspire and stir you to live beyond yourself. When we begin to get enthusiastic about living life for God it will cause you to be inspired to step out in ways that seem beyond you. It will force you to take action. That word zeal comes from a Greek word that means “to boil”. When we become filled with enthusiasm over something it is eventually going to boil over into us taking action. That desire to teach was boiling up in me until I finally took the first step of going to my church and asking to start a bible study. I could have waited until someone came to me and asked me to help lead, but that may have never happened. No one else knew this enthusiasm for teaching was in me until it grew so great that it inspired and stirred me to start a class. Had I not had that zeal boiling on the inside of me, I would have never been inspired to step out beyond my comfort zone into the unknown. And as a result, so many lives besides my own may have gone untouched. The unique thing about the class I stepped out to teach is that God used my enthusiasm for His word and combined it with my enthusiasm for fitness and health and it created a weight loss bible study that was able to transform lives! And eventually turned into a book.

Along the journey of finding out what God has designed you for, you are sure to hit roadblocks. Problems are going to rise and things won’t always be smooth. There are going to be times that could cause you to doubt you are headed in the right direction. Of course in those times you do need to seek God to be sure you are heading in the right direction, but if the answer is yes, your enthusiasm for what God has called you to can help you to overcome problems. That excitement and devotion will push you toward seeking God for solutions to the problems rather than just throwing in the towel and giving up.

You will also find that your enthusiasm is contagious. Your enthusiasm will entice others to become involved too. If you have ever been around someone that was full of enthusiasm you will know exactly what I mean. I have a dear friend that sells kitchen supplies similar to pampered chef products. She is so enthusiastic about what she does that it almost convinced me to not only buy the products, but to start selling them for myself. Then I was reminded that I can’t cook, nor do I enjoy cooking so I probably wouldn’t have the same enthusiasm as she and would never be able to convince others to buy the product from me! But her enthusiasm was contagious. You will find that your can be too. God will use your enthusiasm to encourage others to want to get involved. I pray that you allow your enthusiasm to push you forward into all that God has planned for your sweet life. Dare to Dream sweet sisters!!!

xoxo
Justeina

For this part of the study, we will be looking at V. 4-7,

"If you're a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don't call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it's something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.

David confirms this way of looking at it, saying that the one who trusts God to do the putting-everything-right without insisting on having a say in it is one fortunate man:

Fortunate those whose crimes are carted off,
whose sins are wiped clean from the slate.
Fortunate the person against
whom the Lord does not keep score."

Growing up my dad taught us to work hard. I had my first job at twelve years old! I believe in the value of hard work, and I would assume many of you do as well. V. 4 is by no means saying that hard work is a bad thing. But the idea behind this verse is that of trust.

Do you trust in works to set you right?

The problem enters when we do just that. We must realize that no matter how hard or how long we work, there is a point when work is not enough.

Paul says there are three things that set us right with God:

Seeing that the job is too big for us.
Understanding that only God can do it.
Trusting God to work.
This is what sets you right with God. By God. Sheer Gift!

A gift we cannot earn, but a gift we receive out of grace.

Do you find yourself getting caught up in the ability of your own hands rather than trusting God to do what He says He will do?

Beginning in V. 6, Paul points to another well-known man of the Old Testament. He looks to David to support this claim of faith.

David was indeed a man after God's heart, but he also is one known for his mistakes. Yet even so, in Psalm 32 (where v. 7 is originally found), David is found not guilty before heaven. Paul looks to a man who botched it up (as we all have) and points out his acceptance into heaven. He is pointing to this place of faith which leads to righteousness.

David was found righteous apart from his works because he acknowledged his guilt and cast himself in faith upon the mercy of God.

In a few days we will look more at works as we continue in v. 8. I would encourage you to take time for a careful examination of your life.

Do you find yourself getting caught up in the ability of your own hands rather than trusting God to do what He says He will do?

V. 4 says even if you do a good job...

Even IF, it's not enough. It's not a wage, but a gift.

One of the first steps to living out your purpose and getting out what God has placed in you is to find out what excites you. The word enthusiasm according to the American Heritage Dictionary means: Great excitement for or interest in a subject or cause. Compare that to a similar word zeal which means: Enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance; synonym: passion. So what are you enthusiastic about? What do you feel passionate about? What are you willing to work in tireless diligence for? Scripture makes it clear that we are to be enthusiastic and full of zeal in life. Romans 12:11 says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Ephesians 6:7 says, “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” So as you and I talk about enthusiasm and zeal we are talking about an excitement, devotion, and diligence towards something. We really do need to strive to have enthusiasm and zeal in our lives. John Maxwell quoted:


“One of the greatest things you can do is to get excited about your life and start to live enthusiastically day after day after day; your whole world will improve. If you wait to get excited until some lucky outer event happens - guess what? If you wait, what does life do? It waits. And if you hold back until a more appropriate time to get excited what does life do? It holds back. If you’re going to hold back on enthusiasm, develop lots of patience, because you’re going to wait a long time for an exciting life.”

This quote described my life to a tee. I was waiting for something to change in my life before I chose to be excited or enthusiastic. I thought, “ If something could just change I am sure I would be filled with enthusiasm and zeal!” But for awhile nothing did change and so neither did my enthusiasm. In the meantime, I waited and so did my life! Before we are really able to seek out God’s purpose for our lives we have to begin to live out life with enthusiasm. Something very important to remember about enthusiasm is that it isn’t a by-product, it’s cultivated! So I want to ask you today...what are you excited about? Next week I will share with you what will happen in your life once you do apply zeal. This week I challenge you to begin to ask yourself what it is that you are passionate about, what excites you and what you are willing to give all diligence to in your life. 

xoxo,
Justeina

Study Questions:
1.After reading Romans 6, what are some practical steps you can take today to experience freedom from sin’s hold?
2.By humbling ourselves before a loving and forgiving Father, what will He then do for us? (James 4:6, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”)

Daily Challenge:
Quiet yourself in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and show you any sin problems you need to confess. Then enjoy the spiritual vitality that you'll experience afterwards!

Homework:
Read chapter 5, Lies women believe… about Priorities

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Jesus was constantly telling people throughout the New Testament to TAKE HEART! What you and I can be sure of is that if Jesus is telling us to Take heart that must mean there is a chance that we have lost heart somewhere along the way. I just wonder how many of you have ever lost heart. You may be reading this devotion now and you are dealing with some things in life that are making you tired, weary, discouraged, dealing with grief, and ready to give up. That’s exactly what it means to lose heart.

When Jesus tells us to take heart it means to: be encouraged, to have hope, to be bold and confident, to not give up, to be of good cheer, to have courage, and to CHEER UP! Whether we take heart or lose heart is simply a choice we make. The way Jesus uses the phrase take heart here in John 16:33 is as an imperative verb. That means that he is saying taking heart is an action, it’s something we do, and that it is a possibility in our lives based off the choice we make…but it doesn’t become a reality until we actually make the choice.

There is a very good reason that Jesus tells us we will have to take heart. In John 16:33 Jesus makes very clear to us that in this world we WILL have trouble and tribulation. If you like memorizing promises from God you can memorize this one. I wonder how many times we find this promise in our promise books? The fact is that you and I will experience hardship in life. We will deal with pain and grief and loss. It’s part of living in a falling world. We shouldn’t be too surprised when some trial or tribulation makes its way into our lives, it’s part of what God has already warned us would happen. But we do get to choose how we respond to those trials. We can choose to take heart.

There are a few things to watch out for that can cause you to lose heart throughout a trial.

1. We can listen to the wrong people
2. We can let the problem make itself bigger than God (Are you telling God how big your
problems are or are you telling your problems how big your God is?)
3. We can believe rumors

So how do we take heart? The first step is to pray persistently. Just because God tells us trials will come doesn’t mean we just give in to them. Jesus uses a story in Luke 18 about a widow that continued to go to the judge and ask for justice to teach us how to pray. She went back time and time again and pleaded with the judge and finally the judge gave in and granted her request. Jesus wasn’t comparing the woman and judge to us and God but in fact contrasting it. He was saying if this woman who was a poor widow could get a judge to hear her and bring her justice how much more will a loving God respond to his children. God does respond to our persistence in prayer, so keep asking him.

The second step to taking heart is choosing to trust your God. John 14:1 tells us “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” I have a question for you: Are you trusting God or….Are you trusting God to do what you tell him to do.

You and I have got to get to the point where we can say God I Trust you and not just God I trust you to fix my problem just like I tell you to. We have to be careful to understand that even though we are told to pray persistently we may not always get the answers just exactly like we wanted them. So many times we tune into a message or devotion ready to hear promises to you that God will do this and God will do that. Now God is clear in his word and does promise us many things but the most important promise he gives you is that he will be faithful no matter what you are facing. So take heart dear one….

John 16:33 Message
I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply
at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take
heart! I’ve conquered the world.”