Don’t Be Troubled

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” – John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Stop allowing yourself to become upset by people and by circumstances.

Jesus gave us a gift. The gift of peace of mind and peace of heart.

We can embrace this gift and choose every day to move around and carry this peace with us wherever we go and through whatever we encounter.

If we choose to stay focused on Our Lord and the gift that He has provided, we live in contentment, regardless of our situation. We don’t need to feel annoyed, bothered, or troubled.

We can allow our circumstances to shift our mindset, or we can cause our mindset to change our circumstances.

Dear Jesus, I am so grateful for Your gift of peace. This is a blessing that is so underrated in the world of nonstop busyness and constant stimulation by our surroundings in the world that we live in today.

Lord, sometimes I forget that this peace is available. When I feel anxiety, worry, and fear creeping in, please remind me that I have a choice to make. I can focus on You and Your words: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” or I can focus on my troubles and stay stuck in the pit of uneasiness and panic that I have fallen into.

Lord, I choose Your peace. Every chance I get, I’ll hold on to this wonderful gift. Amen

Get Up

Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” — ‭‭Luke‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s never too late.

It may seem like you’ve lost the fight and by all earthly standards, it’s impossible to pull yourself out of your current circumstances. That’s how it always seems before a miracle, because it wouldn’t be a miracle otherwise now, would it?

But we, as Christians, are not limited to what most people perceive as possible or impossible. When we turn to God, we have an opportunity to ask Him for a miracle. What’s holding you down does not have to defeat you.

Get up.

Dear Jesus, I pray that You would lift me up from whatever is holding me down. Lord, breathe life back into these bones. Amen

For They Will Be Comforted

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” – Matthew‬ ‭5:4‬ ‭MSG‬‬

NOTE: this was painted following a tutorial on YouTube. I just put the paint where the tutorial showed me to and added the verse. Original tutorial by 121 Art

https://youtu.be/lJ5u2eL88E4

It’s ok too hurt.

To feel the pain, or even the anger, of loss.

It’s ok to cry – to scream if you need to.

When we let ourselves feel the grief and sorrow that rips through our hearts, God will comfort us. He will embrace us and hold us close in his presence until we run out of tears, no matter how long it takes. One by one he will help us put our broken pieces back together and bring healing to our hearts.

Lord, I need to talk to you about this loss in my life. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get over this on my own. It hurts so bad. Take this pain, Lord, and help me to heal so I can begin to live again. So I can be me again. Amen

Turn to Me Now

The Lord said: It isn’t too late. You can still return to me with all your heart. Start crying and mourning! Go without eating. – Joel‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Sometimes when we feel stressed out, our first instinct is to find a way to comfort ourselves.

When things feel beyond our control we may turn to food that we crave, or a night out with friends to cheer ourselves up.

When we go through hardships, we can relax by meditating or taking a long, hot bubble bath to wash away our anxiety.

When we feel useless or unworthy, we may set goals for things we want to change in ourselves, take up an interesting hobby that highlights our skills and talents, or make new friends that see our value.

We do these things to try to make ourselves FEEL GOOD.

Sometimes, we choose positive ways to lift our spirits, and sometimes we find ourselves giving in to bad habits that we know will chase away the blues for a short time.

When we are searching for something to lift our spirits, we should be searching for answers in the Bible. And when we’re seeking something that can numb whatever pain we’re feeling, we should be seeking His presence.

Lord, there was a time that I would run to find a cigarette when I had a day like today. A time when I craved a margarita when I went through a trial like this. A time when I knew that a GIANT bowl of ice cream was what I needed to get through something like this. Lord, I’m running to you now. Only you.

I know that it’s never too late and I’ll never go too far. I know you’ll never stop loving me, that you’ll always accept me as I am today. I don’t have to be perfect first. Lord, thank you for always being the one I can turn to when I am in need. 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.”

Your Grief Will Turn to Joy

“You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.”‭‭ John‬ ‭16:20b‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We WILL experience loss in our lives that will tear us apart inside. But even our grief, our sorrow, and our heartbreak can turn to joy.

God wants us to see and to celebrate what comes after the pain. It doesn’t make the pain that we are feeling at this moment any less, but it makes it more bearable to know that we can trust God and believe that we will rejoice again. To know, without a doubt, that He is going to bring blessings again that will flood our hearts with happiness. And to understand that this joy will come through Him. Through His presence in our lives, through His grace that covers our imperfections, and through the fulfillment that we gain when we continue on His path, even through our tears.

When my heart is heavy with grief, I will pray:
Lord, I am lost in my grief right now. Please pull me out of this darkness and into Your light. Hold me close and help me shift my focus to see the plans that You have in store for me. Lead me back to the joy that I can find only in You.      Amen

Light Shines

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

— John 1:5

Sometimes it takes a little bit of darkness to make us appreciate the light.

Driving through your neighborhood to see Christmas lights isn’t quite as dazzling in the morning, and it’s not nearly as breathtaking to gaze at a beautiful, star-filled sky during your lunch break.

God shines His light in so many beautiful ways throughout our lives, but sometimes we miss it. We can overlook it when we are completely surrounded and constantly stimulated by bright, sunny days. 

So when we are suddenly plunged into a time of darkness, this is the time to look to that light.

Appreciate the light. 

Embrace the light. 

Focus on the light. 

It’s there. It’s always there. 

Take the time to pause and take in the magnificence and glory of the Light of the World. 

That darkness that is trying to overwhelm you is no match for His Light. 

Thank You, Lord, for shining Your light into the darkness around me. When I turn to You, You chase the shadows away. Amen

The Light of the World

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
– ‭‭John‬ ‭8:12‬‬ NIV

Sometimes during a bad storm, the power goes out. There’s a storm going on, and we’re surrounded by the darkness. What is the first thing we do?

We want to find our way to a source of light! A cell phone, a flashlight, a candle…
And even though a storm is raging all around us, we feel a little bit of relief when we have that source of light in our hand. Eventually the storm will pass, and the sun will shine again.

Jesus is that source of light for all the storms we face in the world. When we feel surrounded by the darkness of our problems, our worries, and our mistakes, He can bring us back into the light and restore peace where there was turmoil. If we continue to follow Him, we never have to feel alone in the dark again.

When I feel the darkness closing in, I will pray…

Dear God, thank You for bringing hope when I am in despair. You light up the darkness in my life. You turn my pain into contentment, peace, and even joy! Please shine your light on the choices that I make today. I want to reflect Your light for others to see, so that You may also chase their darkness away. Amen

He Chases My Darkness Away

“You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light.”

– ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭22:29‬‬ NIV

The darkness inside of me, the darkness surrounding me, the darkness that wants to swallow me – God turns it all into light.

There have been times in my past when I was so lost in the darkness that I couldn’t find my way. The light seemed so far away and so often I would stumble and fall. Living a life of bad choices, surrounded by people content to live in the darkness, I often looked over my shoulder to see the light, off in the distance, and wondered what it held for me.

“I can’t go back,” I thought. “It’s been too long, I’ve strayed too far away, I’ve made too many mistakes…” I thought that I was confined to the shadows and that I could never break away.

But His light has always been inside me. And as I draw nearer to Him, he has chased all the darkness away. I can stand up tall and walk in the light. I can see the path He has set for me.

When I am feeling lost in the dark, I will pray:

Lord, bring me back into the light. Please drive out this darkness that surrounds me. Be the lamp that guides me on my path. I will follow You, Lord.  Amen