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."