Born of God

“They did not become God’s children in the usual human way. They were not born because some people wanted to have children. They were not born because of what any man decided. No! They were born from God.”

John‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬ ‭EASY‬‬

‭No matter the circumstances of our physical conception, we were born into this world due to the free will of our parents. Their choices and actions led to us being conceived.
But our spiritual rebirth comes from God.
Our DNA may be linked to our parents, but our spirit is a direct link to God, our Father, who transforms us, breathes new life into us, and shapes us for His holy purpose.

Dear Lord, I thank You for this new life that I have been born into. My physical birth was just a beginning. Through you, I have been born again into a new life with a greater purpose. Just knowing that you consider me your child makes me want to make you proud!
Amen

Becoming a Child of God

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—”

John‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our relationship with Christ begins with our faith. This stage is important because it leads to our salvation. But to truly be transformed, we have to not only believe, but receive. ‘Becoming children of God’ doesn’t mean we are instantly transformed. It means the transformation has begun.
We need to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we open our arms to Him and embrace Him we pull ourselves into a deeper relationship with Him. We evolve from being merely a forgiven sinner into a child, raised by The Father who teaches us to follow in His footsteps.

Dear Jesus, I can’t thank you enough for all you have done. As a sinner, I’m not worthy of your sacrifice, your forgiveness, or the future that awaits me in Heaven. To have all that is more than I could dream, but You go even further. Not only do you want a relationship with me, but You treat me as a Child of God, and You are shaping me in Your image as I make progress in becoming who You made me to be. I love You Jesus. I worship You. I receive You and believe in Your name.
Amen

Feeling Rejected

“He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.”

John‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Imagine the heartache that Jesus must have felt. Those that he loved and held so dearly, rejected him.

The pain of a broken relationship is amplified by the closeness, by the amount of love and devotion that you have for that person. Rejection is never easy, but it has less impact coming from a stranger than it does coming from someone you care about. There is no greater pain than the heartbreak caused by someone you care about deeply.

• Feeling like a disappointment to your parents.
• Wondering what caused your favorite coworker to give you the cold shoulder.
• Losing your connection with your best friend when they suddenly spend all their time with another friend without including you.
• Watching your children grow up, move away, and leave you behind.
• Learning that your spouse has betrayed you.

Nothing cuts deeper than the anguish caused by the loss of a relationship that we cherish.

Jesus was human. He had feelings and emotions just like we do. All he wanted was to bring his presence closer to us, to demonstrate how we should love each other, and to redeem us. But he was met with contempt, rejection, and hatred. The very people who he came to save, in turn wanted him dead. He came to Earth with arms wide open and people turned their backs to him.

We read about what Jesus did and what he said. The Bible is from many perspectives, but we don’t ever get to hear His narration. What was he thinking when this happened? How did he feel when he said that? What was he hoping for during this interaction?
What would his diary say on the days when the people who He loved so dearly pushed him away, or ridiculed him?

It’s heartbreaking to think of our Jesus enduring that. And it breaks HIS heart to see it when it happens to us.
When we feel attacked by those around us or hurt by the ones who know us best, we can turn to him because we know he has been there.

Dear Jesus, I am overwhelmed with emotion when I think of the way you were treated by those who you came to save. I’m so sorry they hurt you, Jesus and I’m so sorry for all of the times that I have done the same by some of the choices in my life when I turned my back on what you have instructed.
Lord, I am feeling rejected myself right now. Someone I love has shut me out and I feel so helpless trying to get through to them. Everything I say seems to fall on deaf ears and everything I do seems like it’s wrong in their eyes. I don’t know how to mend this relationship, Lord, but it means so much to me. Jesus, please help me to heal and restore this connection. Please soften their heart and open their eyes to see how much I care about fixing what is broken between us. I know that you have experienced this yourself, Jesus, and you know how much this hurts. I ask that you please help me reconcile this relationship. Amen

Keep Planting Seeds

“You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true.”

— ‭‭John‬ ‭4‬:‭37‬‬

I need to remember this. This is one of those positive thoughts that I need to keep in my head always. I may not be a big part of the lives of every person I encounter. I may not stick around to harvest. I may not feel that I have any influence at all.

But I can always plant seeds by my words and my actions. I can live my life sharing his love and someday, somewhere it will take root. That’s what Jesus wants to see.

That means that through our ordinary lives, we can be disciples. That means that we can find purpose in every single day, no matter how routine the day may seem. We just keep planting seeds.

Dear Lord, help me keep this fresh in my mind. Help me stay more focused on the people in front of me, than the task at hand, and remind me that the seeds I plant today, you will turn into a beautiful garden someday! Amen

Send Me

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God doesn’t force our purpose on us. He waits for us to step up to the plate.
We may not hear a voice out loud, like Isaiah did, but if we listen closely, we will hear it in our heart. He loves us so much that He invites us to step into these opportunities.
It’s ok if we question if we are able, or if we’re not even sure if we want to, at first. But show up, jump in, and watch His plan come together.

Dear Heavenly Father, I am ready to go. Send me where You need me today. Amen

Who Are You?

“And he confessed [truthfully] and did not deny [that he was only a man], but acknowledged, “I am not the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)!””

John‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ””

John‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Who are you?” they asked of John the Baptist. His answer was truthful, but not the customary response – providing your name, title, credentials…etc.
He simply replied that he is not the Messiah. And upon further questioning, he explained his role.
He is speaking his full truth. Because John understood the assignment.

He believed that his mission was the most important thing about him, and that fulfilling that objective is what defined him.

The “voice calling out from the wilderness” sounds so disembodied. We don’t need to know much about where the voice comes from, so long as the message is clear. And that explains why John answered this way. He fully lived his life around his mission – preparing the way for Jesus. And in doing so, he pointed that spotlight right on our savior, and not on himself.

How does this look in our lives today?
How do we acquaint others with what we represent?
“Hello! Allow me to introduce myself! I’m here to make straight the way for The Lord.”
Our mission is demonstrated through our actions. So every interaction we have with those around us is a way to display our purpose by doing whatever is needed in each situation to clear the way for Jesus.

Lord, help me live my life so focused on pointing the way to you, that I don’t need to describe a THING about myself. Let me be a voice calling out to prepare people’s heart for YOU.
Amen

When I meet Jesus

“The very next day, John saw Jesus coming to him to be baptized, and John cried out, “Look! There he is—God’s Lamb! He takes away the sin of the entire world! I told you that a Mighty One would come who is far greater than I am, because he existed long before I was born!”

John‬ ‭1‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Sometimes I picture what it will be like when I meet Jesus face to face. I’m 100% sure I’ll be crying and hugging him like crazy!

The Bible provides a lot of stories of people’s first encounter with Christ. Many introductions were initially met with skepticism. One of my favorite greetings is when John the Baptist first sees Jesus in John chapter 1. He has dedicated his life to preparing the way for Him. He baptizes in His name and tells everyone who will listen about the Savior who is to come. When he finally does see Jesus coming, he cries out with excitement!

In my mind, I picture this with the same energy as the movie Elf, when Buddy hears that Santa is coming to the department store. Buddy can barely contain himself as he jumps up and down, crying out, “SANTAAAAA! Oh my God! Santa HERE?! I know him! I KNOW him!”

John, who was already a devoted follower, must have been flooded with so much joy, enthusiasm, and adoration in that moment. He is eager to tell everyone, “See! This is HIM! I TOLD you he would come!!”

One day we will all be able to meet Jesus. Can you imagine what that moment will look like for you? What is the first thing you want to say to Him in person?

Dear Jesus, I know that someday I’ll see you face to face. I’ll probably be a blubbering mess, and I’m not sure if I’ll even be able to speak. Just in case that happens, I want you to know what I mean to say to you. Thank you so much for coming to live as one of us and leaving a legacy that shows us how to live our lives. Thank You so much for the sacrifice You made for me and for all of us. Thank You so much for the blessings that You have provided in my life – especially my favorite blessing of them all – my daughter. Jesus, I want you to know how much I love you. I want you to know how hard I try to follow you and to make you proud. And Jesus I just want to tell you how sorry I am for all of the times I’ve failed you by being hurtful to myself or others. And thank you for one more thing – your grace that covers all my sins. I know it will be hard to leave this life behind someday. It will be hard for me to say goodbye to those I love the most and even harder for them to let me go. But when that day comes, please comfort my loved ones with the knowledge that I finally got to meet my friend Jesus, and I am with You now. And I’ll see them again.

Amen

Go Anyway

And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.” Then I said, “Lord, how long will this go on?” And he replied, “Until their towns are empty, their houses are deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland; until the Lord has sent everyone away, and the entire land of Israel lies deserted. If even a tenth—a remnant—survive, it will be invaded again and burned. But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel’s stump will be a holy seed.”

Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When we sign up to serve, we get excited to make a difference. We look forward to doing volunteer work, knowing we can make a positive impact on someone else’s life. And after experiencing it, we know how rewarding it can be for us, as well.
But what about the days that don’t go as expected?
What if the people we are trying to help don’t want our help?
Or what if they show up to take what we are offering, but they have a bad or selfish attitude about it?

Go anyway.
We don’t show up for our satisfaction.
It’s ok if we walk away from the experience without seeing the fruits of our labor – as long as we planted the seeds.
We should not be discouraged or disappointed when this happens. God wants us to keep going anyway.
For how long? For as long as it takes.

Dear God, I’ve gone where you sent me and felt let down because the people that I served didn’t receive our offering in the way that I expected. I felt bad that it didn’t make more of an impact, and that they didn’t feel grateful, but I also felt shame for feeling frustrated about this. I want to keep going where you send me, but I want to go with a better attitude. Please Lord, help me have a more accepting attitude, no matter the circumstances. I know that I have to show Your unconditional love when I am planting seeds. The same unconditional love that you have shown me. Let me not forget that there have been times that I did not have the best attitude, even with all the blessings that you have provided.
Amen

Jesus = Life

“The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.”

John‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus gave life to everyone and to every thing that lives.
We’re not here by accident.
We’re not here by chance.
We are here and alive because of Jesus.

And he didn’t put us here so that we could merely exist. We weren’t meant to just eat, sleep, work, repeat.
He brought light to everyone.

Everyone.
Not just the good Christians.
Not just those who go to church every week, read the Bible every day, and pray consistently.
His light is for every single one of us.
No matter how far away from him we feel.
No matter what we’ve done.
No matter how unworthy of love we think we are.

His light is here when the darkness of the world surrounds us. That darkness can’t touch us when His light shines upon us!
His light shows us the way when we are lost.
His light guides us when we are following his path.

On the days when I feel like I am stuck in a rut, I will pray:

Dear Lord, You gave me life, and sometimes I’m so ashamed that I’m just going through the motions, day after day. God I don’t want to waste this gift of being, but sometimes I just don’t know how to really feel alive.
I turn to You now because I know that I don’t need to look anywhere but you to find a life worth living. Jesus, please shine Your light upon me so I can find my way back to where I belong. When I follow Your path I find enthusiasm again. Your light fills me with a sense of purpose and an energy in my soul that nothing else can bring. Let Your light show me the truth about the things that are distracting me from living a fruitful life, so that I may eliminate them from my life, or at least set healthy boundaries. Jesus thank You so much for this life and for Your light. Amen

Overcoming Unbelief

The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As a Christian, whose faith means the world to me, it’s hard to admit to having unbelief. I have faith in The Lord. I come to him when I’m troubled. I pray consistently and read my Bible. I go to Church every week. So how can I have unbelief? Where does it come from? How do I make it go away?

When someone I love is going through turbulent times, the Spirit works through me and I instantly have the words to reassure them, point them to Jesus, provide them with positivity and support, and pray over them from the depths of my soul. Normally I have the perfect verse that “I just came across a couple days ago!” (Seriously, it’s amazing how often He prepares me ahead of time!)

But things are a little different when it comes to MY life and MY obstacles. There are just so many, I sometimes get carried away. I’m just a simple girl who wants to live a simple life, but just when I survive one disaster, another catastrophe seems to be charging in.
Usually I’m pretty good at praying immediately. I invite him into my chaos. I let him know, that I know I can’t do it without him. I often go looking for an answer in the Bible.

But routinely, once I get past that initial reaching-out stage, I start thinking about what I should do next.
How do I solve this?
How do I recover financially?
Who can I turn to for support when I feel like I have no one?
How do I make this go away?

The more I think, and the more that I try to solve the problem myself, the more I worry.
I work harder.
I try harder.
I search for answers and
I research topics.
Because there’s got to be a solution….I’ve GOT to find the solution!!
I get myself all worked up until I find myself in desperation, reaching out and asking Him, “Lord, why haven’t you fixed this yet? You say you love me and your plans for me are good. Why am I always hurting? Why is there always something wrong that’s beyond my control, no matter how hard I try to get everything right in my life? Where are You, Lord? I asked you for help and I can’t see you working in this!”

THAT is my unbelief talking. For me, it starts with trying to be the fixer instead of waiting for The Fixer to fix.

My unbelief tells me this is urgent.
My unbelief tells me I have to move NOW.
My unbelief tells me I need to find the answer.
My unbelief tells me I’m alone in this – just like everything else I’ve ever been through.

But was Jesus ever in a hurry? How many stories are about Jesus rushing to help someone with a miracle? None.
Because He KNOWS His plan.
He knows what’s coming, and that it’s for your good.
He knows what His power can do.
And He wants us to trust that.

It’s our emotions that tell us we need the situation to end now.
Our comfort level tells us we can’t take any more.
Our worldly needs tell us how serious this issue is.

“At once the boy’s father shouted, “I do have faith! Please help me to have even more.””

Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬ ‭CEV‬‬

But I DO have faith. I just need a little more, Lord.
My faith tells me that he DOES love me.
My belief tells me that His plans for me ARE good.
My trust in Him tells me that He will NEVER abandon me.

Lord, I feel stuck in these circumstances and I can’t see the way out. But I know you are there. I know you are working on the outcome. You know that patience doesn’t come easy for me and my worries are always swimming through my head. Lord, help me focus on my faith in You, my hope, and my contentment with all that you have already provided instead of my current situation. Strengthen my faith as I wait for You and help me overcome any unbelief that begins to take root in my thoughts. I love You, Lord and I trust You fully to handle this troubled time that I cannot get through on my own. Amen