The Measure You Use

Jesus said: Don’t judge others, and God won’t judge you. Don’t be hard on others, and God won’t be hard on you. Forgive others, and God will forgive you. If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated. – Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭37‬-38 ‭CEV‬‬

“Give and it will be given to you,” sounds like what you expect to hear when they pass the collection plate. But Jesus is having a conversation about how to treat others, and how we want God to treat us.

Jesus is telling us that what we give, whether it’s judgement, condemnation, or forgiveness, is coming right back at us!

Do we want to be measured with harshness for our mistakes and flaws? No, of course not! So we need to be very mindful of how we look at others.

We want God to shower us with His grace, so we can’t give our forgiveness sparingly.

We love when God shows us His blessings, so we can’t be picky about our acts of service, or stingy with our kindness.

The MESSAGE version sums this up so well…

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” – Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭MSG‬‬

“Giving, not getting, is the way.” ♥️

Give your time.

Give your patience.

Give your affection.

Give your gentleness.

Give compassion.

Give grace.

Give a little bit of joy.

You will never go wrong if you give these things.

And give these things FROM YOUR HEART.

Dear Jesus, I hear what you’re speaking, and I want to give like You do. I want to give with my heart wide open. Jesus, as I step out into the world today, help me stay mindful of the impact that my words and actions can have on those around me. Help me keep my spirit light, my mood positive, and my words kind. Remind me that I must show the same respect, the same grace, to everyone I encounter – friends and enemies alike.

Amen

Be Positive

“With tender humility and quiet patience, always demonstrate gentleness and generous love toward one another, especially toward those who may try your patience.” – Ephesians‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Lord,

I just wanted to start by saying Thank You for providing me with something today…

something that I didn’t have yesterday,

and something that I hope I will have a little more of tomorrow. Optimism is not something that comes naturally to me, but I’m trying, Lord. I’m trying to leave hurtful experiences and struggles in the past.

Lord, pour your positivity into me and help me face every situation with love and kindness.

No matter WHAT I face.

No matter WHO I face.

Soften my guarded heart so that my words come from a gentle and affectionate spirit.

Lord, cloud my judging eyes and give me a clear vision of your peace and love. Let me see the world through eyes of compassion and grace, not through eyes that are wary due to scars from the past.

Amen

Every Kind of Trouble

One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. — 2 Chronicles 15:6

Sometimes God allows us to experience a little bit of distress to bring us closer to Him. We can’t solve problems that come from God through earthly measures. We need to go to Him for our solutions, because if we are in a situation that God has allowed, then only He can resolve it.

God I’m going through something that I can’t handle without you. I know that You have plans for me, God, and that you will work everything for my good. Please help me find the good in this. And while I am in this suffering, God, please give me the strength to endure. I surrender to Your plan, even when…especially when… I am in turmoil. Amen

The God Who Sees Me

Hagar found herself in an impossible situation. What had she gotten herself into? Not too long ago, she thought she had it made. She was going to give birth to Abram’s first-born son. She felt way more important than the servant girl she had been in the past. While she was feeling special, she may have let it go to her head a little bit. She’d made a few mistakes and behaved badly.

Now Sarai was furious with her. And Abram wouldn’t even come to her defense.

They were the ones that put her in this situation! Couldn’t they see what this was doing to her? Would anyone understand what she was going through?

Hagar was so desperate for escape from her situation that she fled into the desert – pregnant, alone, and empty-handed.

After talking to the angel of The Lord, Hagar realized that someone DID understand her.

Someone DID hear her cries of distress.

Someone DID see every tear she cried.

Someone DID look at her with love and compassion.

El Roi. The God Who Sees Me.

That contact between them was enough to send Hagar back, knowing the abuse that she would face.

That connection was enough to give Hagar hope that the situation would be better one day.

Father, thank You for seeing me and loving me. Thank You for knowing me and understanding me. When I’ve been wronged or when I’ve done wrong myself. Thank You for giving me enough hope to keep going when I feel the urge to run away from my problems.

And Lord, please open my eyes to see the ones who are feeling insignificant. Open my ears to hear the ones who are crying out in distress. Work through me to reach someone who needs to be seen. Amen

Today’s reading:

Genesis‬ ‭16:6-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

6 “Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.

7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur.

8 The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied.

9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.”

10 Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”

11 And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress.

12 This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”

13 Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?”

14 So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael.”

Greater is He

“You are from God, children, and you have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” – 1 John‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭TLV‬‬

What a feel-good verse!

So much inspiration packed into one passage. Let’s break down some of this positive message.

We belong to God –

We don’t belong to this world, to the people in it, or even to ourselves.

We.

Belong.

To God.

We come from Him; and everything in our lives that truly matters also comes through Him.

We have already won a victory –

With Him, we can overcome anything and anyone. He fights our battles and conquers our enemies.

His spirit lives in us!

He’s not just in our thoughts when we read the Bible or worship Him.

It’s not just a feeling in our hearts when we perform an act of kindness. His Spirit dwells in you. It is a part of us that we carry with us wherever we go.

He is greater than anything we will face!

He’s more powerful than everything that stands against us.

Everything that brings us down.

Everything that threatens to tear us apart.

Everything that feels like it has an unbreakable hold on us.

Even our own fears, sadness, and anxiety.

Our God is greater.…

And He lives in us.

And we belong to Him.

And He has already defeated our enemies.

Holy Spirit, I feel you working inside me. Help me live this day in a way that is worthy of Your presence. I am in awe of Your greatness, Your power, Your victory over it all. As I go through my day, I will share the positive energy of Your power that I carry within me. Amen

Your Own Agenda

Sometimes we get frustrated with God‘s plan for our lives. Either we see that He’s not going to provide what we want, or He doesn’t provide it quick enough for our liking. The pain of unanswered prayers when we have our hearts set on something can leave us feeling broken, useless, and even downright desperate.

When this happens, we have a choice. We can pray about it, do the next right thing, be patient, and trust in His timing and His plan.

Or we can take matters into our own hands and come up with our own plan.

When we knowingly step off the path that God has set for us, things are bound to get messy, as they did for Sarai and Abram. They decided to follow their own hearts’ desire, but they didn’t like the aftermath that was caused by their actions.

They decided not to wait for the Lord to provide what He had promised, and they tried to take control of the situation. Not for the purpose of fulfilling God’s plan for their lives, but to gain what they desired. A son. A family.

I’m sure the vision in Sarai’s head was nothing like what she ended up with. Instead of feeling like the highly respected woman of the household, Sarai felt disrespected in her own home by her own servant. Instead of a surrogate who would hand over her child to Sarai, she was faced with a woman who was becoming the mother that Sarai had longed to be, a woman who was starting a family with Sarai’s own husband! How dare this woman think she could take Sarai’s place!

Well, you put her right in your place, sis!

This is what happens when we decide to do things our way. Consequences.

Now Sarai is enraged, and Abram knows he has made a mistake. He has once again let down his beloved wife. Seeing that this situation is not going to work, he throws his hands up and tells Sarai to handle it however she sees fit.

Sarai allowed her pain, anger, and jealousy to take over and she treated Hagar so badly that Hagar ran away. We don’t know exactly what Sarai did to her, but we know that just before this, Hagar was feeling pretty special and was enjoying her new status as Abram’s second wife, thinking that she was the mother of the child that was promised by God. Sarai must have been pretty harsh to have caused Hagar to leave all that behind.

Even though God forgives us for straying off of His path, we have to live with the consequences of those mistakes. Sarai had allowed her circumstances to control her actions and her treatment of others. Hagar was being abused. Abram’s household was in an uproar. They were all suffering the consequences now.

Sometimes we tell ourselves that we know what God wants for us, when it’s really what WE want. Things will never go as planned when we put our agenda before God’s Plan.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. – Proverbs‬ ‭3:5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We have to surrender to what He wants, and follow where He wants us to go. We have to trust what He tells us, and listen to His commands until what He wants for us and what WE want for us, become the same. And we have to wait for His timing.

When I feel the urge to do things my own way, I will pray:

Dear God, please give me the patience to wait for Your timing. I know that You have a perfect plan for me, and Your plan is way better than any plan I could ever dream of making for myself. I don’t want to make a mess of things, so I choose to follow Your path. Amen

TODAY’S READING:

Genesis‬ ‭16:1-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

1 “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.

2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.

3 So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)

4 So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt.

5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”

6 Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭16:1-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

My Shield and My Reward

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. ”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭15:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God is telling Abram not to worry about those who wish to harm him. God is ready for anyone who decides to mess with Abram. He will protect him from his enemies.

Abrams great reward for having faith, and taking action based on that faith, was God himself. And everything that comes with having a relationship with God.

His presence,

His love,

His approval,

Hope,

a future full of blessings…

Lord, when I’m afraid, thank You for reminding me that you’ve got me covered.

Amen

He Defeats Our Enemies

“And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭14:20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Melchizedek gives praise to our Lord for delivering Abram with this seemingly impossible victory. And Abram acknowledges this by immediately giving a tithe to the High Priest.

God defeats our enemies for us.

No matter who we are up against.

No matter how the odds are stacked against us.

How can we honor God with our achievements?

When we look like the winner who had an incredible success, how can we shift the focus to give that glory to God?

When He fights a battle that I never would have won on my own, I will start my prayer with this verse:

Blessed be God Most High, who has defeated my enemies for me! Thank you, Lord, for helping me succeed. All glory to You, God.

Amen

He is the God Who Makes Me Strong

“He is the God who makes me strong, who makes my pathway safe.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭18:32‬ ‭GNT‬‬

Our paths won’t always be free of obstacles, but He will guide us through safely.
Our lives will never be completely trouble-free, but He will arm us with the strength to prevail.
Our journey may seem littered with potholes and roadblocks, and we may even begin to question if this is really the road that God intended us to travel.

This verse reminds us of three key things:
– He is God. This is all under His control. And He wants the best for us, who love Him.
– He gives us strength. And power. And victory. We can overcome any obstacle with the strength that He provides.
– He makes our pathways safe. He guides us and delivers us. He helps us navigate through the trials and tribulations. Even when it looks like there’s no way – He MAKES a way.

When I think that I’m not strong enough, and I’m tempted to stop moving forward on my journey, I will pray:

Thank you, Lord, for arming me with Your strength and then aiming me in the right direction. I love you, Lord, and I will follow Your path for all the days of my life! ❤️ Amen

Be Still.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
– ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭46:10‬‬ NIV

Be still.
Wait.
Listen.
Stop the frenzy.
Calm the chaos inside of you.
Breathe.
Be still.
And know that He is God.
And He is bigger than all of your problems.

Lord, when I feel the weight of all my problems and I’m feeling overwhelmed, please remind me to slow down. Please remove my fears and fill my heart with Your peace. Amen

 

NOTE: this was painted following a tutorial on YouTube. I just put the paint where he told me to and added the verse. Original tutorial by Stay Creative Painting with Ryan O’Rourke https://youtu.be/ATdJfj4sZRk