Beautiful Things - Gungor Lyric Video

Beyond Suffering

http://media.willowcreek.org/

Blessings - Laura Story (with lyrics)

Blessings

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the achings of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

Song lyrics by Laura Story

Broken Places

"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure." 2 Corinthians 4:7a (NLT)

I knew there were secrets. I pressed gently, but she shied away. I prayed she would tell me when she was ready.

The phone call finally came.

"Can you come get me?"

When I arrived I found her battered and we drove to get medical help. On the way she spilled her secrets. Her mother was often beaten. She and her siblings were secondary targets. Leaving home had been her only escape. She had returned to visit, only to find her brother being abused. She stepped in and crushing blows followed. Her father finally stopped when she begged for her life.

Shana came to live with us until she found a safer environment. In those two months we often stayed up late talking. Her greatest fear was that she would always feel broken.

We prayed together that she could move beyond her father's actions.

Paul, an apostle in the Bible, also knew what it was to be bruised and battered. He was imprisoned unfairly. Beaten.

He once described himself as a chipped clay jar, saying, "We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed." Paul had discovered something valuable. There was a light inside that fractured jar healing the hurting places on the interior, then shining through the broken places so that the world could see.

That treasure, nestled in the center of the clay, was Jesus.

As time passed, Shana began to see herself through that light. She wasn't just a battered daughter; she was a woman with purpose. The wounds inflicted by her earthly father took time to heal, but as they did she was led to share her story.

Her message, one she would shout from every mountaintop, is this:

You are loved.

You are made for more than this.

God can and will heal the broken parts of your heart.

Today Shana is a mom and a wife. The treasure inside of this woman illuminates through the once-broken places in a powerful way. She has adopted a son and fostered other children who came to her home with their own broken places, her hope to love them to wholeness. Children trust her because she understands their pain, but also because of the light and love they see inside of her.

Maybe, you were bruised by an earthly parent's words or actions. Can I tell you something? Those words, those actions, they do not define you. You aren't limited by the chips and cracks in the outer shell.

There are thousands, like Shana, like me, who were once chipped and broken. God blazed His light through those cracks, not just healing us, but allowing that light to lead others straight into His loving arms and these truths:

God sees you.

He loves you.

He's reaching to make you whole again.

Dear Lord, I can't change another person's actions or the past, but I can open my heart to the treasure of You. You are the light in the darkness. You are reaching for me today and I am reaching back. Thank You for a fresh beginning inside of me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Reflect and Respond:
Your family may have been far from perfect, but Christ offers a family tree, one with a new and beautiful legacy.

Read Ephesians 1:18. Make this paraphrased scripture your prayer today:
I ______________ pray that my heart will be flooded with light so that I can understand the confident hope Christ has given to me, for He has called me as His own to give a rich and glorious inheritance.

Bible Verses:
Psalm 147:3, "He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds." (NLT)

Psalm 34:18, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed." (NLT)


Excerpt from Proverbs 31 Ministries. Written by Suzie Eller
www.Proverbs31.org

Lindsay McCaul- If It Leads Me Back

If It Leads Me Back Lyrics by Lindsay McCaul

Left in pieces
walking through a world
 that grieves us.
Don't let all my pain and weeping be in vain.

Down in the valley,
here where You found me. 
I'm holding on for every breath.
Cause You are all that I have left.

I will face the storm.
And surrender all I have.
If that's what I have to do.
If it leads me back to You.

I would walk a thousand miles.
And crawl if I have to.
If that's what I have to do.
If it leads me back to You.

Leads me back to You.
Leads me back to You. 

Here's my heart
with every broken part
I give You.
Here's my fear when all my faith is wearing through.

Here in the valley, put Your arms around me.
Not gonna walk away, I know
You'll never let me go.

I will face the storm.
And surrender all I have.
If that's what I have to do.
If it leads me back to You.

I would walk a thousand miles.
And crawl if I have to.
If that's what I have to do.
If it leads me back 

And where You go.
I will follow.
I will come with You.

And where You lead.
Where You take me.
I will come with You.

So I will face the storm.
And surrender all I have.
If that's what I have to do.
If it leads me back to You.

I would walk a thousand miles.
And crawl if I have to.
If that's what I have to do.
If it leads me back to You.

Leads me back to
You.

Lindsay Mccaul, Take My Hand, Lyrics..

If God Loves Me, Why....?

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Soon after I surrendered my life to Christ, I started struggling with painful things from my past that made me doubt God's promises for my future. I wondered: If God loves me, why has He allowed so much pain in my life?

If He loved me, why did God allow my family to be broken by adultery and divorce, shattered by confusion and chaos, shaken by alcohol and drug addictions and so much more? And why didn't He stop me from the pain I brought on myself, or keep me from the darkness of depression?

One afternoon I found the courage to tell my friend Wanda about my doubts and questions. I was surprised she didn't give me a pat answer, but looked at me with understanding in her eyes and told me she was sorry. Then she shared her story, which included many disappointments and heartbreaks. Yet, I didn't sense doubt or pain in her words. Instead, I sensed confidence and hope.

Turning the pages of her Bible to Jeremiah 29, Wanda read today's key verse as a promise to me: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (v. 11)

She then told me God wanted to heal the pain of my past and use what I'd experienced to pave the way to His plans for my future. But I didn't want God to use my pain or my past. How would any of it do anything good for anyone, especially me?

Have you ever felt that way about your pain or your past? Have you ever asked: "If God loves me, then why...?"

These are the kind of questions that can linger in our hearts when we've been wounded and disappointed. And hurts that aren't healed can lead to bitterness and bondage.

Yet, in the security of a relationship with Jesus, God invites us to ask hard questions and look for answers that usher us into the depths of His redeeming love and healing power.

Can I whisper some hope into your heart today? If you are living and breathing, your purpose has not yet been fulfilled. No matter what you have done or what has been done to you, God does have a plan for your life.

So, how can you discover those plans? Let's read the premise that follows the promise in Jeremiah 29. After God declares He knows the plans He has for us, He says, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (v.12-13)

We find God's plans when we surrender ours to Him each day. It's a moment by moment process of coming to Him, talking to Him, believing He listens and letting Him love us into a place of hope and healing.

God's love is not a quick-fix for our wounds, but it has the power to redeem and restore us into confident hope. When we allow the Holy Spirit poured out like Living water to go deep into our pain, He can heal our hearts from the inside out.

As we process the pain of our yesterdays and live through the disappointments of our todays, doubts may still creep up, threatening to steal our hope. But each time that happens, we can stop and seek God in that place. We can ask Him to show us His purpose by revealing what is true about who we are and what we have been through to make us start doubting.

Then we can ask Him to help us re-define our future, not through the filter of our past and pain, but through the power of His life-giving truth. And do you know what happens when we do that moment by moment, day by day, doubt by doubt? God tells us in Jeremiah 29:14, "I will be found by you...and will bring you back from captivity."

We find Him again and again. We find the One who longs to lead us out of captivity to our doubts into a place of freedom and hope. I know this is true because I have walked it, wrestled with it, resisted it and finally surrendered to it.

God's love is not only unfailing, it redeems and restores. His Truth cuts to the core of our struggles, bringing purpose to our pain, redemption from our past and hope for our future!

Lord, heal my hurts and give me hope as I learn to trust the plans You have for me. I'm coming to You and seeking You with all my heart today. Please set me free from my doubts and lead me into a place of confident hope. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Reflect and Respond:
"If you are living and breathing, your purpose has not yet been fulfilled. No matter what you have done or what has been done to you, God does have a plan for your life."

Bible Verse:
Psalm 71:5, "For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth." (NIV) 

Excerpt from Proverbs 31 Ministries
Written by: Renee Swope
www.Proverbs31.org 

Hiding My Tears

"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8b (NLT)

For years I kept my tears far from the eyes of anyone else. I simply refused to cry. Hiding my tears started with one little tooth.

"Just tilt your head back, close your eyes and I'll yank it out on the count of three ... ready? 1 ... 2 ... 3!"
I was only six, too little for that sharp surge of pain that rushed through my mouth. So of course it was only natural I burst into tears.

"You big cry baby!" That's my dad for you. The big heroic tooth extractor laughed.

All I could do was whimper amid muffled sobs, "But it hurts!" I nursed the gaping hole in my gums with a soggy paper towel. My historic moment of bravery turned into one pathetic flop. I had proved myself an official wimp.

That day sealed the deal. Crying became a strictly private and pretty much non-existent affair ... even into my adult years. Any time I felt tears coming, like a dam about to burst, I forced them to stay where I thought they belonged: hidden deep within my soul for no one else to see.

When I stumbled across these two treasured lines my perspective on crying changed: "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8b (NLT)

I couldn't believe it. Someone else wanted to store my tears! And in a far better place than the corners of my heart. Isn't it amazing to think each droplet we've shed over our years of experiences {including losing our first tooth} has been collected in a precious bottle? Held near and dear to our Father's heart.

You see, God doesn't laugh when we cry. He doesn't tell us to toughen up or turn the page on our tears like they don't exist. Instead, He picks us up on His lap and wraps us in His loving arms as we pour out our hearts to Him. Our Lord loves for us to let Him in on our deepest felt emotions.

I wonder what might cause your tears to flow right now—unanswered prayers ... unmet promises ... uncertainties of life—they are seen and saved by the One who comforts and cares for your every need.

Whatever is holding you back, may I encourage you? Open the floodgate of your heart and release your tears, sit quietly with the Lord and listen. Journal. Or take a walk and give your tears to Him. His arms are open and He is waiting for you to come to Him.

Dear Lord, thank You that You created me with tear ducts and all. Keep me from hiding my emotions out of fear of what others might think. Grant me the courage to cry, knowing that You will be there to comfort and console my heart in all of life's circumstances. Your love never fails and I am so very grateful. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Reflect and Respond:
Was crying an acceptable thing in your family growing up? Reflect on ways in which your perspective on tears was shaped based on your upbringing.

What keeps you from expressing your emotions fully and freely around those you love? Ask God to show you what might be blocking or hindering your ability to be vulnerable.

Bible Verses:
2 Corinthians 1:3-4, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." (NIV)

Psalm 62:8, "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (NIV)



Excerpt from Proverbs 31 Ministries
Written by Ali Smith

www.Proverbs31.org

Seek Communion

"They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine" (Hosea 14:7).

The day closed with heavy showers. The plants in my garden were beaten down before the pelting storm, and I saw one flower that I had admired for its beauty and loved for its fragrance exposed to the pitiless storm. The flower fell, shut up its petals, dropped its head; and I saw that all its glory was gone. "I must wait till next year," I said, "before I see that beautiful thing again."

That night passed, and morning came; the sun shone again, and the morning brought strength to the flower. The light looked at it, and the flower looked at the light. There was contact and communion, and power passed into the flower. It held up its head, opened its petals, regained its glory, and seemed fairer than before. I wonder how it took place--this feeble thing coming into contact with the strong thing, and gaining strength!

I cannot tell how it is that I should be able to receive into my being a power to do and to bear by communion with God, but I know It is a fact.

Are you in peril through some crushing, heavy trial? Seek this communion with Christ, and you will receive strength and be able to conquer. "I will strengthen thee."

Excerpt from Streams in the Dessert, by L. B. Cowman

I Quit

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV)

My heart is stirred today to say it's time to quit.

Not ministry.

Not a relationship.

But quit being critical of someone I love very much. The crazy thing is, I'm not a critical person. But I've found myself slipping into a pattern of giving this person what they give me.

They criticize.

So, I've started criticizing back. A lot.

And I'm feeling very convicted this morning that I need to model a different attitude and approach to life.

Last month, my pastor said something very convicting in his sermon, "Jesus didn't die so we'd be sorry. He died and then He was resurrected so we'd be changed."

Changed.

There is a big difference between being sorry and being changed.

To be sorry means to feel bad. It's a temporary little prick of the heart.

But change only comes when we're repentant. Being repentant is a deeper conviction to actually correct and transform our behavior—our habit—our wrong tendency.

In 2 Corinthians 7:10 we learn, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow leads to death." Leaves no regret—those are powerful words.

I want to live a life of no regrets.

And I think today is really good day to address something that could lead to a big ol' pile of regret.
So, each time I'm feeling the need to criticize I'm going to see it as a call to flip my words to encouragement.

I might still need to address some issues with this person but I will do it by pointing out their strengths and the responsibilities that come with those strengths rather than constantly focusing on their weaknesses.

For example, "You are an influencer! Have you noticed when you are happy others are happy but when you are negative it really affects those around you? I need your help to keep things positive today. Do you think you can accept this leadership role? How can you be a positive influence in this situation?"

I'm not naive enough to think this will be easy. I will need grace. They will need grace. But at least if I'm aware of how I need to change, change can be set in motion.

Are you up for quitting some old habit, negative attitude, or wrong tendency? I know I am. The next time we're presented with an opportunity, let's remember the words of my pastor, "Jesus didn't die so we'd be sorry. He died and then He was resurrected so we'd be changed."

Dear Lord, I'm ready to quit. Instead of critical words, I want to speak kind and encouraging ones. Will You please help me make this shift? In Jesus' Name, Amen.


Reflect and Respond:
There is a big difference between being sorry and being changed. To be sorry means to feel bad. It's a temporary little prick of the heart. But change only comes when we're repentant.

Are you up for quitting an old habit? Here's a good one to start with: each time you feel the need to criticize, flip your words to encouragement.

Bible Verse:
Proverbs 16:24, "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." (ESV)

From Proverbs 31 Ministries
Written by Lysa TerKeurst 
www.Proverbs31.org
 

Letting God Fill My Empty Places

"You God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1, NIV

It was a source she'd come to depend on. A place she went to get her needs met. But it was never enough; every day she came back for more.

Filling her jar with water, the woman looked up and heard Him ask her for a drink. Then He offered her something in return: living water. Unlike the water she came to get that day, He said the water He offered would satisfy her so deeply she'd never thirst again.

But she had a hard time believing His promise. "You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?" (John 4:11) She asked.

What she didn't realize was that Jesus wanted to satisfy a deeper thirst in her heart — a longing He'd created to lead her heart to Him: the One and only Source that could satisfy her soul.

All He needed to draw with was His Spirit, for it would draw her near to Him. And as far as the depth of the well, it was her heart He was looking into. She was the only one who could stop Him from reaching the parts that needed Him most.

I know that place of needing Jesus to look into my heart and show me the emptiness only He can fill.
Like the woman at the well, I've depended on other means to get my needs met. Yet when I look to them, instead of Him, they are never enough.

I've looked to people: family and friends, bosses and boyfriends, teachers and mentors, my husband and kids. I've longed for their approval and the affirmation that comes with it.

I've also looked to possessions and positions and accidentally put my hope in recognition. I've thought "if only I had or could..."

But no matter how much I do or get, it's never enough to fill me up. And it's not supposed to be.
Why? Because the empty places in our hearts were created to be filled by God alone. The deepest thirst of our soul can only be quenched by Him.

We see this deep thirst even in King David, who had everything: the highest position, unlimited possessions, and great power, yet none of it was enough. He described himself as parched and thirsty for God:

You God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water. (Ps. 63:1)

Then David went on to describe what he experienced when he drank deeply of God's love:

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live
and in your name I will lift up my hands. (vv. 2–4)

And the same thing happened to the woman Jesus met at the well that day. She drank deeply of His love and was filled to overflow, and we can be too.

Just like the woman at the well, God put a longing in our hearts that was intended to lead us back to Him. Only His unconditional acceptance, approval and affirmation can fill the empty places in our hearts - the deepest thirst of our souls. Until God's love and acceptance is enough, nothing else will be.

Dear Lord, show me the empty places in my heart and ways I try to fill them. Then lead me back to You and show me how I can position my heart to be filled and fulfilled by Your promises and the power of Your love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.


Reflect and Respond:
Only God's unconditional acceptance, approval and affirmation can fill the empty places in our hearts - the deepest thirst of our souls. Until God's love and acceptance is enough, nothing else will be.

Ask God to help you identify your empty places and show you how HE can fill them.

Bible Verses:
Psalm 143:8, "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." (NIV)

Jeremiah 2:13, "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." (NIV, 1984)

From Proverbs 31 Ministries
Written by Renee Swope
www.Proverbs31.org

But I Have A Right To Be Angry

"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires." James 1:19-20 (NLT)

I had been lied to, betrayed and hurt. I was angry, and thought I had every right to be.
Day after day, anger crushed my desire to forgive. Although I had asked God to fill my heart with mercy, my mental list of reasons I should be mad kept overriding my empty prayers.

It was as if voices in my head were arguing with each other. One tried to convince me I was correct in feeling angry; the other tried to persuade me that mercy was the right choice.

For months, the loudest voice was the one that aligned with my damaged emotions, and unfortunately the one I listened to. Yes, I have a right to be angry. Anyone would agree.

Listening to the voice of bitterness and unforgiveness, I started lashing out in my actions with impatience and unkindness. Oh, I could play the good-Christian-girl for a while, masking my feelings. But if something was said or done to trigger my suppressed hurt, hostility and resentment would catapult to the surface.

Reading our key verse from James one morning, I felt God urging me to realize the misleading direction my emotions were taking me, and damage they were doing. I couldn't help but notice how it says "everyone" should be slow to speak and slow to anger.

This truth from God's Word left no room for my excuses or righteous indignation, even though I felt like my anger was justified for being wronged. And then a few verses later, I read James 1:22: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (NIV).

I knew that from a worldly perspective, I had every right to be angry. But from God's perspective, my anger was adding to the sin of the situation. My unforgiveness was keeping me from living out the reality of the Gospel in my own life—by extending the same mercy and forgiveness God has given me through Jesus.

Through the words of James, God softened my heart, making me aware that although I said I'd forgiven this person with my words, I had not forgiven with my heart and it was time to do so and move on.

In every area of life, including managing our most powerful emotions, God tells us to be quick to listen (to Him and others), slow to speak and slow to become angry. As we apply these practices in our relationships, we become 'doers' of His Word, not just 'hearers' and that leads to the righteousness God desires in each of us.

Dear Lord, please forgive me for harboring anger in my heart. Equip me with a supernatural ability to forgive those who have hurt me and to guard my heart when old emotions threaten to surface. Strip my heart of anger and replace it with joy. Thank You for Your mercy. Help me be more merciful because of You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.


Reflect and Respond:
Have you felt justified in your anger towards someone?
Today, might you ask God to help you sincerely forgive them with your whole heart, so you can be freed from the bondage of negative emotions?

Verses:
Ephesians 4:26-27, "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." (NIV)

Ephesians 4:30-31, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." (NIV)

Excerpt from Proverbs 31 Ministries
Written by Tracie Miles

www.Proverbs31.org

Pure

Your love is pure
Your love is precious
Your love is all i need
Your love surrounds me
Your love astounds me
Your love is everything.

I run to you
My heart is weak
I cling to you
Your all i see
It's my hearts desire
To be close to you
Here in your arms
I'll find my strength.

Your love is pure
Your love is precious
Your love is all i need
Your love surrounds me
Your love astounds me
Your love is everything.

I run to you
My heart is weak
I cling to you
You're all i see
It's my hearts desire
To be close to you
Here in your arms
I'll find my strength

Kari Jobe, 'Pure,' song lyrics


"neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:39

Thank you Jesus, that nothing can separate me from Your love. In that pure love I find comfort and security when my heart is weak and broken. In Your Precious Name I pray, Amen.

When Life Breaks You

"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see." Hebrews 11:1 (MSG)

It was a hard year. Heart-breakin' hard.

A dream I nurtured for ten years went up in flames. This hope wasn't a passing flight-of-fancy. It was a promise I fully believed was from the Lord.

Staying the course and believing for so long was exhausting. And thrilling. Yet in a flash my dream died. My heart was burned and the ashes seemed a proper place to fall.

Sad and unresponsive to encouragement, I stayed there a long, long time. My hands {emptied of hope} filled with fists of ashes.

I knew I needed to get up; I just couldn't muster the elusive 'oomph' to do it. Grief was the only emotion that felt natural; sorrow was comfortable.

Yet I knew, wallowing in the embers would be the death of me as well. And here's the sweet thing: God knew this too. He unwaveringly kneeled next to me, extending a helping-hand up. He promised: This isn't the end. Give Me the ashes; I'll do something with them. Something beautiful.

He spoke this message in hundreds of ways. But it wasn't until He was silent that I heard Him at a concert.
It was barely noticeable. Permanently engraved on the girl's foot in front of me, the swirly feminine font contrasted with dark masculine ink: Beauty for ashes.

And there He was. Our God of redemption and resurrection, speaking His timeless message once again.
For me. For you. Give Me the ashes; I'll do something with them. Something beautiful.

That was several years ago. And I wish I could tie up my story with a pretty bow. Say that I unclenched my fists; gave God the soot. Have been happy-go-lucky since then. But I won't. Cause I can't.
I want to be real. And real is the fact that it's taken every day between then and now to see redeeming qualities from the heartbreak. To be honest, I still don't see much beauty from such devastation.

But like I said, I want to be real. And real is also my trust ... my faith ... in a God who makes life worth living. When I can't get a handle on my emotions or wrap my mind around the questions, I'll stay committed to...

Take Him at His Word, despite circumstances. Believe He a creative Creator. Hope for what is unseen.
I'll continue to look for His goodness, our firm foundation, even if it's from a pile of ashes. Because truly, the most beautiful thing I see from these years and this pain is a faithful God.

One who stands by. One who redeems – all things. One who creates masterpieces out of muck.
A God who took the most hopeless situation and the ultimate death ... and resurrected hope. Resurrected our Hope: Jesus.


And there is the spark we need to light a new fire in us to Give Me the ashes; I'll do something with them. Something beautiful.


Dear Lord, I can't see how good will come from my pain. But You are my creative Creator and I know You can work masterpieces out of muck. Today, I recommit my hope and faith in You, and I'm looking up to You. Thanks for kneeling beside me so faithfully. In Jesus' Name, Amen.


Reflect and Respond:
Have you opted to stare at the ashes, rather than gaze at God? This could be the day you Give Me the ashes; I'll do something with them. Something beautiful.
The most beautiful thing we can see from hard years and much pain is a faithful God. One who stands by. One who redeems - all things. One who creates masterpieces out of muck.

Verses:
2 Corinthians 1:3-4a, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction ..." (ESV)

Psalm 3:3-4, "But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill." (ESV)


From Proverbs 31 Ministries, Written by Samantha Reed
www.Proverbs31.org

Opening a Deep Well

 

Lately, it's been difficult for me to write. Instead, I have been sharing writings of others on my blog. These various authors have encouraged me,  inspired me, or I've identified with their feelings and emotions or they offered insights that I treasured to share.

Over the years, writing has been therapeutic for me. When I read this quote from Henry Nouwen this morning, it encouraged me to continuing writing, even if it's only in my journal for no one else to read but me. 

I hope, in the near future, some insights will emerge from the deep well that I will again share. 

 

Until then, may this quote from Henry Nouwen encourage you to write.

"Writing is not just jotting down ideas.  Often we say:  "I don't know what to write.  I have no thoughts worth writing down."  But much good writing emerges from the process of writing itself.  As we simply sit down in front of a sheet of paper and start to express in words what is on our minds or in our hearts, new ideas emerge, ideas that can surprise us and lead us to inner places we hardly knew were there.

One of the most satisfying aspects of writing is that it can open in us deep wells of hidden treasures that are beautiful for us as well as for others to see." - Henry Nouwen

 

Here - Kari Jobe - Acoustic Version - Album Where I Find You

We're Never Alone

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love." John 15:9-10 (NIV)

Miss Emma's wrinkled hands cupped my chin — her palm a reservoir for my tears. I walked down the hallways saying tearless goodbyes to 119 other residents, and yet my farewell with her released a levy of emotions.

The scattered pieces of my heart felt like they were blown about by the scurrying of nurses' footsteps and doctors' orders resounding off the walls of the nursing home.

I couldn't just abandon her. It felt utterly wrong to leave her alone, forsaken in this dark place.

Her family, or lack thereof, had rendered her anchorless; adrift in the lonely seas of a 120 bed facility. My first "real" job at "The Brick" would have been bleak if not for Miss Emma and a few others.

I didn't allow many details of this place further than the surface of my heart. Stories repeated ten times each day. Routines of medicine and meals and the meandering of hallways. Yet one name, one person chiseled deep into my heart: Miss Emma.

I perched on the edge of our goodbye, on the edge of her bed, hesitant to leave her. "Who'll sit in the sunshine with you? Who'll listen? Who'll sing hymns with you?"

Worry wrung my heart. Visions of Miss Emma, alone... lonely... made my jaw tense and ache with pain for her. A square punch by sadness will do that to a girl.

But not her. Beautiful brown saucers brimmed with confidence. I waded in the refreshing waters of her eyes, rich pools of wisdom.

"I'll be fine sugar ... I'm never alone. Don't you realize the One who created the sun sits with me? He listens always, hearing my prayers and needs. His presence is in the very words we sing to Him.

Child, we're never alone."

Tucked away from the world, Miss Emma changed mine. She lived tightly knit to the Vine. Abided in Jesus' love through His Word and worship and prayer. Miss Emma dwelled in this truth:

Christ beside me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me. ~St. Patrick

Though abandoned by her earthly family, she rested in the knowledge that her Heavenly Father never would leave her. Indeed, He made a home in her so she could nestle in Him.

Might we lay down in this comforting truth today as well? Curl up in His love by writing a Scripture verse on our heart. Lean into God's sure presence through lifting our voice in praise. Abide in His peace with a time of prayer ... sharing and listening.

Christ is within us, before us, behind us. And as Miss Emma so confidently knew, He will never leave or forsake us. We're never alone.

Dear Lord, thank You for calling us Your children. And for making a home within us, so we may rest secure in You. Because You are our dwelling place, we are never alone. In Jesus' Name, Amen.


Let this truth fill your heart today, chasing away the loneliness, fear, and hurt:

Christ beside me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me. ~St. Patrick

Excerpt from Proverbs 31 Ministries by Samantha Reed
www.Proverbs31.org

What Love is This?

You never change,
You are the God You say a word
When I'm afraid
You calm and still my beating heart
You stay the same,
when hope is just a distant thought
You take my pain
And You lead me to the cross

What love is this,
that You gave Your life for me
And made a way for me to know You
And I confess
You're always enough for me
You're all I need

I look to You
I see the scars upon Your hands
And hold the truth
That when I can't
You always can
I'm standing here
beneath the shadow of the cross,
I'm overwhelmed
that I keep finding up that ours

What love is this
that You gave Your life for me
and made a way for me to know You
And I confess,
You're always enough for me
You're all I need

Jesus in Your suffering
You were reaching Y
our thought of me
Jesus in Your suffering
You were reaching
Your thought of me

What love is this,
that you gave Your life for me
And made a way for me to know You
And I confess,
You're always enough for me
You're all I need

What love is this,
that You gave Your life for me
And made a way for me to know You
And I confess,
You're always enough for me
Always enough for me
Always enough for me

Lyrics by Kari Jobe

Britt Nicole: All This Time (Official Lyric Video)

God, I’m a Little Mad and a Lot Confused

“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2 (NIV)

When God doesn’t seem to be answering our prayers it can be hard. Sometimes, down right awful.

One minute I’m determined to trust God.

In the next, I feel myself slipping. The “why” questions tumble in so hard. My heart hurts. My eyes leak. And in those raw moments I just feel a little mad and a lot confused.

Ever been there?

I don’t want to oversimplify what to do in these times. I know from prayer requests I’ve received over the years many of us are facing really tough issues. Situations where the answers aren’t easy or clear cut.

But I have discovered a few things that help me when God seems silent …

Press in to God when you want to pull away.
When I really want to hear from God but He seems silent, I sometimes find I want to disengage from my normal spiritual activities. Skip church. Put my Bible on my shelf. And let more and more time lapse between prayers.

But the Bible says we will find God if we seek Him with all our heart. Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (NIV). All my heart includes the parts that are broken. Bring it all to God.

He can handle your honesty and will respond. But we have to position ourselves to go where truth is. Go to church. Listen to praise music. Read verses. Memorize verses. And keep talking to God.

Praise God out loud when you want to get lost in complaints.
In the midst of what you’re facing, find simple things for which to praise God. I don’t mean thank Him for the hard stuff. I mean thank Him for the other simple, good things still in the midst. A child’s laugh. A bush that blooms. The warmth of a blanket. The gift of this breath and then the next.

Psalm 40:3 reminds me God will give me a new song when I make praise the habit of my heart and mouth. “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD” (NIV).

Put yourself in the company of truth.
That friend that speaks truth? Listen to her. Stay connected to her. Let her speak truth into your life even when you’re tired of hearing it. Stand in the shadow of her faith when you feel your own faith is weak. Let her lead you back to God time and time again.

Proverbs 12:26, “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor …” (ESV).

It’s okay to feel a little mad and a lot confused. Our God is big enough to handle our honest feelings. But don’t let your feelings lead you away from God or away from His truth. Press into Him. Praise Him. And put yourself in the company of truth.

As you stay with God in these ways, you will become ready to receive His answer when it comes.

Dear Lord, thank You for hearing every ‘why’ my heart sends up to You. Forgive me when I retreat from You and Your Word. I want to trust You more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Excerpt from Proverbs 31 Ministries, by Lysa TerKeurst

Mandisa - Just Cry

Just Cry

Why you gotta act so strong?
Go ahead and take off your brave face
Why you telling me that nothing's wrong
It's obvious your not in a good place
Who's telling you to keep it all inside
And never let those feelings
Get past the corner of your eye

You don't need to run
You don't need to speak
Baby take some time
Let those prayers roll down your cheek
It maybe tomorrow
You'll be past the sorrow
But tonight it's alright
Just cry

I know you know your Sunday songs
A dozen verses by memory
Yeah they're good but life is hard
And days get long
You gotta know God can handle your honesty
So feel the things your feeling
Name your fears and doubts
Don't stuff your shame and sadness, loneliness and anger
Let it out, let it out

You don't need to run
You don't need to speak
Baby take some time
Let those prayers roll down your cheek
It maybe tomorrow
You'll be past the sorrow
But tonight it's alright

Just cry
Just cry

It doesn't mean you don't trust him
It doesn't mean you don't believe
It doesn't mean you don't know
He's redeeming everything.

You don't need to run
You don't need to speak
Baby take some time
Let those prayers roll down your cheek
It maybe tomorrow
You'll be past the sorrow
But tonight it's alright
But tonight it's alright

Just cry

Why you gotta act so strong
Go ahead and take off your brave face

Lyrics from the song, 'Just Cry," by Mandissa.

Meredith Andrews - You're Not Alone (Live Video HQ)

healing is in your hand_ Christy Nockels

bittersweet surrender

The most intimate part
of my heart

Betrayed

Loss
of trust
hopes
dreams

Mourning

Illusions
dissipate

Swirling
emotions

 Anger
Sadness
Despair
 
Longing
for answers

Why?
When?
Where?
 Who?

Reaching up
for God
This is too much
to carry

God reaches down
to carry me
through

Surrendering
false securities

Healing begins
in me

Lean

"Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?"- Song of Songs 8:5

Some one gained a good lesson from a Southern prayer meeting. A brother asked the Lord for various blessings--as you and I do, and thanked the Lord for many already received--as you and I do; but he closed with this unusual petition: "And, O Lord, support us! Yes support us Lord on every leanin' side!" Have you any leaning sides? This humble man's prayer pictures them in a new way and shows the Great Supporter in a new light also. He is always walking by the Christian, ready to extend His mighty arm and steady the weak one on "every leanin' side."

"Child of My love, lean hard,
And let Me feel the pressure of thy care;
I know thy burden, child. I shaped it;
Poised it in Mine Own hand; made no proportion
In its weight to thine unaided strength,
For even as I laid it on, I said,
'I shall be near, and while she leans on Me,
This burden shall be Mine, not hers;
So shall I keep My child within the circling arms
Of My Own love.'
Here lay it down, nor fear
To impose it on a shoulder which upholds the government of worlds.
Yet closer come: Thou art not near enough.
I would embrace thy care;
So I might feel My child reposing on My breast.
Thou lovest Me? I knew it.
Doubt not then;
But Loving Me, lean hard."

Excerpt from 'Streams in the Desert.'

Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

I Wouldn't Have Chosen This, But ...

If you love pain, raise your hand.

Disappointment? Rejection? Loss?

What! No takers? Yeah. Me neither.

No one likes to go through hard times, rough patches, or difficult circumstances. None of us would choose pain, suffering, rejection, or loss.

But ...

God is in the business of taking those things that we would never choose and turning them into something for our good. Here are some examples.

Joseph wouldn't have chosen to be sold into slavery by his brothers (Gen. 37). Or to be wrongfully accused and thrown into prison (Gen. 39). But ... God used it to feed a hungry nation (Gen. 41).

Daniel wouldn't have chosen to have his country taken over (Dan. 1:1) or to be forced to live in the palace of the invading king (Dan. 1:6–7). He wouldn't have chosen to be betrayed by his coworkers or to have to choose between his faith and his life (Dan. 6). I am sure that if Daniel was writing his own story, he wouldn't have picked to be thrown into a den of hungry lions (Dan. 6:16–18). But ... God used it to turn the heart of a pagan king and to show a nation God's power and mercy (Dan. 6:25–27).

Mary wouldn't have chosen the public humiliation of becoming pregnant out of wedlock. She wouldn't have picked to risk losing her fiancé either (Matt. 1). Later in life, she never would have chosen to watch her son die on a cross. But ... God used it to offer redemption to sinners, hope for the hopeless, home for the lost.

These stories aren't just stories. They are hard evidence that God means what He says when He promises He can redeem any disappointment, challenge, or difficult circumstance.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

God's promise is that He is able to work all things—including hard things, painful things, sad things, uncomfortable things, and scary things—to our good.

This doesn't mean that God causes things to "teach us a lesson" or that we will always be able to see the purpose for a trial. It also doesn't mean that God is reactionary, waiting to see what happens and then scrambling to make something good out of it. Even when we can't understand why something is happening, God's promise is that we can rest in knowing that He is busy working so that the end result will be for our good.

I've seen this promise hold true in my life many times. For example:

I wouldn't have chosen for my parents to divorce. But ... God has used it to give me a passion for strengthening my own marriage and the marriages of those around me.

I wouldn't have chosen to have a baby with serious health problems in the womb. But ... God has used it to strengthen my faith in him and to allow me to minister to others with serious health scares.

I wouldn't have chosen to suffer with chronic headaches. But ... God has used it to increase my dependence on Him, to press me into prayer, and to remind me that when I am weak, He is very, very strong.

What about you? Are their circumstances in your life that you wouldn't have chosen? Have you seen God working them for your good?

Written by Erin Davis, http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/

Fearless

If that's the way you love 
you've got to learn so much  
If that's the way you say goodbye  
Then this is how it ends 
and I'm alright with it  
You're never gonna see me cry 
'cause I've cried
 
So go on,
go on and break my heart  
I'll be okay, 
there's nothing you can do to me  
That's ever gonna bury me
 
So go on, 
go on and leave, my love  
Out on the street, 
I'm fearless  
Better believe I'm fearless, 
fearless
 
If this is how it hurts
it couldn't get much worse  
If this is how it feels to fall  
Then that's the way it is, 
we live with what we miss  
We learn to build another wall 
till it falls
So go on, 
go on and break my heart
I'll be okay, 
there's nothing you can do to me  
That's ever gonna bury me
 
So go on,
go on and leave, my love  
Out on the street, 
I'm fearless  
Better believe I'm fearless, 
fearless
If it's between love and losing
And to never have known the feeling,
I'd still side with love
And if I end up lonely
at least I will be there knowing
I believe in love
Go on,
go on and break my heart
I'll be okay,
I'm fearless
Better believe I'm fearless,
fearless
Go on,
go on and break my heart
I'll be okay,
there's nothing you can do to me
That's ever gonna bury me
So go on,
go on and leave, my love
Out on the street,
I'm fearless
Better believe I'm fearless,
fearless
I'm fearless
So go on and leave, my love
Go on and leave, my love
Go on and leave, my love
Better believe I'm fearless,
fearless
Fearless,
fearless

Lyrics by Colbie Cailatt

Colbie Caillat - Fearless - Live Walmart Soundcheck

Promises, Promises

I recently finished reading the book 'The Shelter of God's Promises,' by Sheila Walsh. This is an excerpt from the first chapter.

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God." - II Corinthians 1:20

Do God's promises hold true in the darkest nights?

When everything falls apart - do God's promises hold true?

What does He promise us?

Can we trust God to keep His promises?

This is the shelter of all God's promises: God not only keeps His promises but He longs to keep us in them.

God does not change nor do the glories of His person and the salvation engineered for us. God's promises are as dependable as He is, because they are Him.

Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind."

God cannot lie. When God makes a promise, He can never break it.

This is the primal struggle on earth before we are able to move on to receive God's promises. We have to separate promises that may never be kept from God's promises, which will never be broken.

We have a lifetime of experiencing deception, corruptions and embellishment on one side of the scale and a simple profound promise on the other: God cannot lie.

Our human experience does not sync up with this heavenly truth.

I wonder if we have such a hard time believing this, resting in God's promises, because we have been lied to so many times, because so many earthly promises are broken. Culture has driven us to think of promises as personal fulfillment, when God's promises are not about us, but about Him and being saved by Him. God's promises are an expression of His holiness.

Though we break God's heart at times, He loves us and says, "You can shatter me like My Word on the stone tablets. You can leave me in pieces, and I will still love you. I will hold onto you. I will create a place, a cleft in the rock for you, to keep you and on which you can steady yourself and stand." 

God keeps us not only to give us a future, but also to reflect His glory. He keeps His promises to us because He cannot help Himself, He cannot lie, and He is full of love for His creation.

Our faithlessness does nothing to diminish God's faithfulness. Whatever God says, we can stake our lives on. Christ came to show us who our Father is. In Christ all promises of God are fulfilled, for no matter how many promises God has made they are "yes" in Him. (II Corinthians 1:20)

The Father is truly the only Promise Maker who is an earnest Promise Keeper.

A promise from God is a promise kept.

There are His promises and His unbreakable commitment to keep them.

There is Christ.

There is yes.


Psalm 119:50 - My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promises preserves my life.

The Source of Abundant Joy

In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us —Romans 8:37

Paul was speaking here of the things that might seem likely to separate a saint from the love of God. But the remarkable thing is that nothing can come between the love of God and a saint. The things Paul mentioned in this passage can and do disrupt the close fellowship of our soul with God and separate our natural life from Him. But none of them is able to come between the love of God and the soul of a saint on the spiritual level. The underlying foundation of the Christian faith is the undeserved, limitless miracle of the love of God that was exhibited on the Cross of Calvary; a love that is not earned and can never be. Paul said this is the reason that “in all these things we are more than conquerors.” We are super-victors with a joy that comes from experiencing the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.

Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. Let’s apply that to our own circumstances. The things we try to avoid and fight against— tribulation, suffering, and persecution— are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. “We are more than conquerors through Him” “in all these things”; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn’t know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. Paul said, “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4).

The undiminished radiance, which is the result of abundant joy, is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can change. And the experiences of life, whether they are everyday events or terrifying ones, are powerless to “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

Excerpt from 'My Utmost for His Highest,' by Oswald Chambers

Four Friends Every Girl Needs

Excerpt from 'Lies Young Women Believe,' Written by Erin Davis

On Tuesday I fessed up to my feelings of loneliness and detachment stemming from a lack of deep,
intimate friendships. So many of you responded that you feel lonely, too, even if you have many
people who you would describe as "friends."

Should we accept our lonely state or do something about it? I vote for option B. In fact, I want to encourage you to do the hard work (and it is hard work to find new friends) to create an inner circle with each of these four types of friends.

The Intercessor
My friend, Dree, is this person for me. I know that I can call Dree any time, day or night, and ask her to pray and she will do it, and she won't stop praying until I call off the dogs. The number one thing that has sealed my friendship with Dree has been the fact that I know when Dree says, "I will pray for you," she means it. That has been like finding a pot of friendship gold in my life.

The Challenger
It doesn't always feel like fuzzy friend stuff ... but it is a good thing to have a friend in your life who is more concerned about seeing you be all that God wants you to be than she is about saying what she thinks you want to hear.

In the Christian life, accountability is not optional. James 5:16 tells us we are to confess our sins to
each other. Keep reading and you'll find that James 5:19–20 says, "My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." Friends who let you continue in your sin aren't doing you any favors, but a friend who brings you back to the truth ... now that is a friend worth having.


The Kindred Spirit
C.S. Lewis says that you know you've made a friend when you can say to the other,
"What! You, too?"

This is that friend who has shared experiences with you. This is the friend who is the most fun to spend time with because you like the same things, have conversations the same way, and have lots of shared experiences to draw from.

But the thing about this friendship is that usually it is seasonal. Girls, I think you have a tendency to only look for kindred spirit friends. I think it's great for you to have friends who are like you, but our same age friends aren't likely to hold us accountable because they are struggling with the exact same stuff.

Which is why you need the fourth type of friend ...

The Mentor
Titus 2:3–5 says, Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.These are important lessons:

How to love our families (current or in the future).
How to be self-controlled.
How to be pure.
How to be kind.
How to respond to authority.

And who should be the teachers? Other women. That means you need an older woman in your life
to help you live out your Christian faith in really practical ways.

Part of the reason so many of us feel lonely is because we have traded in deep friendships with a
few in favor of shallow friendships with many, and frankly the return on our investment stinks.

Will you join me in seeking out the kind of friends who you can do more than spend time with, but
Part of the reason so many of us feel lonely is because we have traded in deep friendships with a
few in favor of shallow friendships with many, and frankly the return on our investment stinks.

Will you join me in seeking out the kind of friends who you can do more than spend time with, but
who you can pray with, learn from, and be challenged by?

http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com

The Surrendered Life

I have been crucified with Christ . . . —Galatians 2:20

To become one with Jesus Christ, a person must be willing not only to give up sin, but also to surrender his whole way of looking at things. Being born again by the Spirit of God means that we must first be willing to let go before we can grasp something else. The first thing we must surrender is all of our pretense or deceit. What our Lord wants us to present to Him is not our goodness, honesty, or our efforts to do better, but real solid sin. Actually, that is all He can take from us. And what He gives us in exchange for our sin is real solid righteousness. But we must surrender all pretense that we are anything, and give up all our claims of even being worthy of God’s consideration.

Once we have done that, the Spirit of God will show us what we need to surrender next. Along each step of this process, we will have to give up our claims to our rights to ourselves. Are we willing to surrender our grasp on all that we possess, our desires, and everything else in our lives? Are we ready to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ?

We will suffer a sharp painful disillusionment before we fully surrender. When people really see themselves as the Lord sees them, it is not the terribly offensive sins of the flesh that shock them, but the awful nature of the pride of their own hearts opposing Jesus Christ. When they see themselves in the light of the Lord, the shame, horror, and desperate conviction hit home for them.

If you are faced with the question of whether or not to surrender, make a determination to go on through the crisis, surrendering all that you have and all that you are to Him. And God will then equip you to do all that He requires of you.

Excerpt from My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

Unmet Longings

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

Have you ever wanted something so badly your heart ached with each thought of it? It seems life would be so much better if you had that. There would be more happiness.


More contentment.

More fulfillment.

More satisfaction.

More peace.


We can envision ourself with this thing, this person, this opportunity. And all things are better. So, why doesn’t God give us this longing of our heart?


Because He wants us to willingly release it to Him.


Ouch.


Not the answer we want. Why would God let the aching desire linger and not make things happen? He could. He’s certainly able. But when He doesn’t it seems unfair. Not good. Confusing.


It’s easy to get down when we’re constantly let down.


We hope this thing will happen… we’ll meet this right person… we’ll get this job… we’ll finally be healed… we’ll get that chance… we’ll see that family member turn their life around. Time and again it doesn’t happen. That’s when it’s easy to slip.


We can so easily slip into feeling a little distant from God because we feel hurt by God.


That’s what happened when the man I thought I was going to marry told me he met someone else. That’s what happened when I didn’t get the job I was so certain was going to be the answer to all my financial problems. That’s what happened when my son didn’t get into the charter school we were so certain would have been perfect for him.


But, in each of these things, I eventually had to make a choice. I could either become consumed with my unmet longing or comforted by trusting God.


As an offering of trust, we must give up that which could so easily bring us down.

Not give up as in discouraged surrender. But give up as in placing this desire in the hand of God and saying, “Either way, I will see Your answer as the good answer and walk in trust.”


Remember the Scriptures promise, He rewards those who honestly seek Him: “And without faith is it impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)


Sometimes I get so consumed with seeking my unmet longings, I don’t earnestly seek Him. But then I miss out on His reward. And His reward is the only thing that will fill the void in my heart.


Yes, I still struggle with unmet desires.
But not as much today as I did yesterday.
And that is good. Not easy. But good.

Written by Lysa Terkeurst, Proverbs 31 Ministries, www.Proverbs31.org

Perfect Peace

Stay close by My side
Keep your eyes on Me
Though this life is hard
I will give you perfect peace

In this time of trial
Pain that no one sees
Trust me when I say
That I will give you perfect peace

And you'll never walk alone
And you'll never be in need
Though I may not calm the storms around you
You can hide in Me

Burdens that you bear
Offer no relief
Let Me bear your load
'Cause I will give you perfect peace

Stay close by My side
And you'll never walk alone
Keep your eyes on Me
And you'll never be in need
Though this life is hard
Know that I will always give you perfect peace
I will give you perfect peace

Perfect Peace song lyrics by Laura Story

Isaiah 26: 3-4 - You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.

Abigail's Choice

“Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.” Proverbs 18:12 (NLT)

Marriages were often arranged in Abigail’s era, and I wonder if this was true of hers. On paper her husband Nabal seemed like a “catch.” He was wealthy, a good provider, and he liked to have fun and throw parties. But behind the scenes his self-control and integrity was seriously lacking, causing those closest to him to suffer.

Here is what we know about Abigail’s husband Nabal from the Bible in 1 Samuel chapter 25:1-41.

He is wealthy — that’s partly due to David’s protection of his land and flocks. (vv. 2, 7-8)

He’s crude, and mean in all his dealings. (vs. 3)

He sneers at guests who come in peace, and questions their character. (vv. 10-11)

He shouts insults. (vs.14)

He’s stingy, not returning favors or repaying kindnesses showed him. (vv. 16, 21)

He is so temperamental that people dread talking to him. (vs. 17)

He thinks more highly of himself than he ought. (vs. 36)

He drinks too much. (vv. 36-37)

Basically, Nabal was a self-centered, ill-mannered guy who didn’t recognize God’s provision or blessings in his life. And if you read his story, you’ll see he was foolish enough to insult the most powerful man around (King David) but more importantly, he was foolish enough to insult the one true God. God let Nabal face the ultimate consequence of his character — death (vv. 38-39).

Imagine yourself paired up in marriage to such a foolish, arrogant, sharp-tongued man as this. (I hope you have to imagine, and have not lived this.)How would you react towards him? What do you think living with him might do to your personality, or your character? Might you grow depressed? Would you become withdrawn or timid? Would you nag him to do better? Would you grow bitter, angry and become argumentative back? Or, would you perhaps just “let yourself go” and decide not to care about anything?

Let’s look at Nabal’s wife Abigail, from that same passage in the Bible:

She is smart and sensible. (vs. 3)

People look to her for wisdom and leadership in times of trouble. (vv. 14, 17)

She is decisive and wastes no time worrying, pitying her situation, or fussing at those who cause her trouble — instead she takes action to improve the situation. (vv. 18, 23)

She is generous, (vv. 18, 27) even willing to lay down her life for others. (vv. 22, 24)

She is humble (vv. 24, 41) and quick to ask forgiveness. (vs. 28)

She speaks eloquently and tactfully — with a knowledge of God — as she gives one of the longest speeches by a woman recorded in the Bible. (vv. 24-31)

She looks out for the well-being and reputation of others — even Nabal’s. (vv. 25, 31)

She trusts God, holds her tongue, and waits patiently for the right timing. (vv. 36-38)

Abigail has always been one of my favorite women in the Bible. She has it all — wisdom, character, courage, faith, eloquence, graciousness. She possesses both inner and outer beauty. But her life with this man Nabal was no picnic, and that’s really why I admire her.

How many times did Nabal get drunk and say or do something demeaning to her? Yet she chose not to let her spirit die. How many times did she wish for revenge, though not seek it? How many times did he berate her, yet she wasn’t paralyzed by his insults? How many times did his foolishness cost her greatly, or those she cared about? Yet she chose not to count the costs to herself when she put her life on the line to spare his life and the other men’s. Abigail’s praise worthy character ran deep, which tells me her reverence of God did as well.

After Nabal’s death, she married King David and they had a son. David would have seven other wives in his lifetime, but only Abigail earned his complete respect. Only she had a positive influence on him.

Abigail challenges me to choose differently — to be humble, wise and courageous. Her example teaches me that I can choose how I will allow my circumstances to shape my character. While Nabal’s life clearly shows that haughtiness goes before destruction, Abigail’s shows that choosing humility and wisdom allows God to shape my character and my circumstances. And it makes room for God to be glorified in both.

Excerpt from Proverbs 31 Ministries, Written by Rachel Olsen

www.Proverbs31.org