God has been trying to help me recognize and understand the distractions in my life. In fact, I’ve learned: “Whatever is not your assignment is your distraction.” You might think this would be a simple lesson, but I have found it to be a difficult one. Every day we have opportunities before us, but which to choose? How do we ...
There is an awful law at work in every Christian. It is a stumbling block for both the instigator and the witness. We would be lost if God’s Word didn’t help us understand the battle within… “What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if ...
Trust isn’t earned by showing off only your Sunday best. “You see, God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” This was the final explanation Jesus gave to the woman at the well (John 4:1-26). She was already fascinated that a Jewish man would speak to a woman, much less one from Samaria. But He ...
This article first appeared on The Inspired Woman blog | by Daphne Delay I heard in my spirit, “That’s just silliness.” My mind was transitioning from the day to the start of our midweek service at church, and as worship began and I mentally disconnected from the pulls of my day, that’s what I heard — and it made sense. ...
Why is it that no matter how much we learn about God’s love for us, we struggle with our identity? Because who we are in Christ is the very target the enemy wants to muffle, disable, take-out, or at the least, wound. Every time I think about our enemy, the devil, I can’t help but picture an army at war. ...
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 It’s good to put ourselves in remembrance that we are not alone. And specifically, we’ve been reminded that because God has chosen our hearts to be His home on this earth, we need to always be more God-Inside-Minded. So why is He with us? Well, besides the fact that He loves us ...
In Part One, we said, “Our lives aren’t small, but we might be living small.” In other words, Christ isn’t small. On the contrary, He is magnificent! And surprisingly, He chose to make our hearts His home. So what does this say about us? Concerning this very thing, Paul tried his best to shake the Corinthians into thinking and seeing ...
“…and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23). God with us. What an amazing revelation! With all the paintings and descriptions of God on His throne, we tend to have an image of God as someone far up and far off. The Bible describes Him as the “King of Glory” because His dwelling ...
Part 1 | Part 2 Recently, I talked about the importance of discretion. And I made statement I want to clarify: A lack of discretion is a sign of insecurity. We can blame ignorance on our lack of discretion (Oh, I wasn’t thinking…. or I didn’t know…) but I can tell you from first-hand experience that insecurity might be the ...
Part 1 | Part 2 I recently posted a status on Facebook and Twitter that received a lot of attention: I can think some things… I can know some things… But I don’t have to “say” everything I think and know. #discretion This is an area I still want/need to grow in. It’s a crazy temptation to want to tell others ...
I recently read through the story of the man by the pool of Bethesda. It’s an account I have pondered before; an interesting story about a man who had suffered with an infirmity for 38 years when Jesus found him. We aren’t told what his infirmity was, but I can’t help but think about the condition I was in when Jesus ...
Have you ever noticed how certain words will resonate with you, while others don’t? I think it’s different for everyone because of our upbringing, experiences, maturity, education, geography, etc. But as a Christian, I’ve noticed this with God’s Word too. For example, one person will cling to Jeremiah 29:11 (For I know the thoughts I think toward you… thoughts of ...
You and I control our peace. No one else… One morning, while on a pre-dawn walk with my husband, I felt a little grumpy. Mainly because it was early! I had been trying to find the perfect time to exercise because I know I need it, but my schedule (by my choice) limited my options. So as we started out, I ...
Do you remember the story of the man with the withered hand? The Bible says Jesus went into the synagogue and noticed the man. He had a weakness–his hand was deformed. We’re not told if it was like that from birth or possibly from an accident. But Jesus said to him, “[Stretch] Hold out your hand” (Mark 3:5). And when the man ...
You know I care about helping people find a “self to live with” through an understanding of who we’ve been made to be in Christ. But I was quite surprised to discover the scriptures use the word self quite a bit in the negative–not the positive. For example, you’ll find words like: self-confident, self-seeking, self-condemned, self-sufficiency, self-imposed, and self-willed. Yuck. Those ...
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 You are the keeper of your heart. Sometimes, we’re unaware that the trials we are facing are directly related to the things we are allowing. Jesus said, “And some [seed] fell among thorns, and thorns sprang up with it and choked it… Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when ...
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Jesus made it very clear: the SEED is the Word of God and the GROUND is man’s heart. In the parable of the sower, Jesus went on to explain there are four types of heart (or soil) that the Word will land upon, and three of the four produce little or no ...
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 In three different accounts, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we find Jesus explaining the parable of the sower: “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as ...