New Rules for Love, Sex, & Dating

New Rules for Love, Sex, & Dating... Video Series 4 parts

Awesome series! 

A New Kind of Fruitful

April 14, 2011

A New Kind of Fruitful

Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19).

Friend to Friend
Those years of infertility were a stormy time in my life, but then, a few years later, a tidal wave hit.
"Steve can you meet me for lunch? I have a little surprise for you."

I was so excited to meet Steve and tell him this unexpected news that I called him at the office and asked him to meet me for lunch. After several years of infertility treatment, we had become content with our family of three, but now it seemed Steven was going to have a little brother or sister after all.

I handed Steve a tiny wrapped package. He gingerly pulled back the paper and opened the lid to discover a baby pillow nestled in soft white tissue paper.

"Does this mean what I think it means?"

"Yes," I replied with tears filling my eyes.

My dream was coming true! There would be more children after all. While the baby was growing well inside my womb and the nursery was being planned inside our home, the dream came to a screeching halt. The baby died. I had a miscarriage. It was not the loss of a child that was to be. It was the loss of a child that was. For months I grieved her loss.

There are still times today when I look at the portraits of our family of three and I can almost see the shadow of a fourth. But one day there will come a time when my little girl will not be a mere shadow. I will hold her in my arms. Until then, it gives me great comfort to picture her healthy and whole and playing at the feet of Jesus.

During those summer months following our loss, a friend sang me this song.

God is too wise to be mistaken.

God is too good to b unkind.

So when you can't understand

When you don't see His plan,

When you can't trace His hand,

Trust His heart.

And as the years progressed, God began to show me what it really meant to "Be fruitful and multiply."

Being Spiritually Fruitful
God fashioned women to be child bearers. Our wombs, breasts, hips, and hormones were uniquely designed for conceiving and giving life. There is an inborn nature to nurture, and while we may not give birth to our own flesh and blood in a delivery room, we can still - must still - be fruitful and nurture those in our sphere of influence.

When God created Adam and Eve, He commanded them to "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;" (Genesis 1:28 NASB). In the New Testament, we see another kind of fruitfulness as Jesus sent out the disciples. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations," (Matthew 28:19). He could have said, "Be fruitful and multiply," which is exactly what they did.

Think for a moment about why little girls want to grow up and become mommies. We want to cuddle and care for, rear and raise, share and shape, teach and train. We want to pour our love into another human being in the hopes that they will give that same love in return.  

God has created women with a desire to nurture, but I think it goes much deeper than just having children. Most long to invest their lives in something that matters. Most of the time, that something is other people. The Bible calls that being fruitful. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit," (John 15:5).  He also tells us that the true sign of a Christian is that he or she will bear fruit (John 15:8).

Sometimes when our dreams of motherhood are shattered, we have to let them die and allow God to birth other dreams in our lives. As Dr. Pamela Reeves wrote in Parables of the Forrest, it is as if He is saying to us, "When you are letting go, remember that I am planting seeds of new life in you. Your grief is only for a season. My end is not death. It is always life. I am the author of life." Whether it is the dream of having one child, the dream of having seven children, or the dream that a child will turn out a particular way, we must all eventually give that dream to God. 

"Be fruitful and multiply." That is something every child of God can do!

Let's Pray
Dear God, I am overwhelmed with joy today! Thank You for allowing me to be a spiritual mother. Open my eyes to those whom You would have me birth into the Kingdom and those whom You would have me nurture into maturity. What an honor! What a privilege! 
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

When God Says "No"

April 13, 2011
When God Says "No"
Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth

"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).

Friend to Friend

Most of us have broken dreams, but they just happen to be different ones. Yesterday I brought you along on one of mine ... the dream to be a mommy to a houseful of children.  Thank you for joining me again as we continue. While this may not have been your particular struggle, the pain of broken dreams and the hope that God wants to give is still the same.

For years, my son Steven, continued to pray that God would give us another "Jaynes baby."  He prayed it every night.  When he was about five-years-old, I thought it was time to tell him to stop. But how do you tell a child to stop praying a prayer? This was something God was going to have to do because I did not know how.

One day, Steven and I were sitting at his miniature table eating our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when he looked up at me and said, "Mommy, have you ever thought maybe God wants you to have only one Jaynes baby?"

You can imagine my shock at this statement coming out of the blue from a near five-year-old. Once I regained my composure I answered. "Well, yes, I have thought that maybe that is the case. If it is, I am so thankful, because He has given me all I ever hoped for in a child wrapped up in one package - YOU!"

Then he cocked his little head like a robin and continued, "Well, what I think we ought to do is to keep praying until you're too old to have one.  Then we'll know that was His answer."

What a great idea!  Steven had no idea how old "too old" was, but he did know that God could do anything. If His answer was "no," he didn't have a problem with that. I told Steven "no" many times and he knew "no" did not mean, "I don't love you." "No" meant "no" because I was his parent and knew what was best for him.  I was the one having trouble with God telling me "no."

There was a song Steven used to sing that went:

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty

There's nothing my God cannot do.

The mountains are His,

The valleys are His,

The stars are His handiwork too.

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty

There's nothing my God cannot do.

The Lord taught me a great lesson that day.  Through Steven's childlike faith, I saw an example of the attitude of trust that I should have toward my heavenly Father who loves me and knows what's best, even when the answer is "no."  After all, if God said yes to every request, then He wouldn't be God at all...we would.

Let's Pray

Dear Lord, help me to accept when you say "no" with the trust that You know what is best for me. Help me to become a woman that doesn't ask "Why me," but rather "What now." Thank You for taking the pieces of my broken dreams and making them into something more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. 

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

I Want to Be a Mommy

April 12, 2011

I Want to Be a Mommy

Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth

"The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made" (Psalm 145:13b NIV).

Friend to Friend

I can still remember cuddling, rocking and singing to my favorite baby dolls when I was a little girl. I'd love them until their nylon hair was matted, their single outfits were tattered, and their painted cheeks were marred. I'd bandage their knees, kiss their heads, and teach them important life lessons.

Most little girls dream of one day being a mommy. In the hundreds of surveys I collected for the book, 5 Dreams of Every Woman...and How God Wants to Fulfill Them, to be a mommy was the number one dream. And of all the dreams of a woman, this one can be the cause of the most pain. Not being able to have children, rebellion of the children we do have, or losing a child due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or untimely death can be one of the most heart wrenching experiences of a woman's life. It hits at the very core of womanhood.

After I was married, my dream to be a mother began to grow. It seemed my arms ached to have a child to nurture, love, and pour my life into. When I was twenty-six, Steve and I decided it was time to increase our family of two. We conceived on our first attempt, and nine months later, Steven Hugh Jaynes, Jr. came screaming into the world. As I nestled that baby boy with a shock of thick black hair and long Bambi-like eye lashes against my breast, I knew I was holding God's first deposit in His great plan for my life - to be a mother. I had never felt more fulfilled in my life and I was certain I was "born to bear." When Steven was about two-years-old, we began praying for baby number two.

"Steven," we explained, "God is the one who gives babies to mommies and daddies, so we are going to pray that He will send us another 'Jaynes baby' so you can have a little brother or sister." 

This sounded like a good idea to him, so he added, "And God please send mommy and daddy another 'Jaynes baby'" at the end of our family prayers each night. Conception happened so easily the first time, we thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to show Steven how God answers prayer.

Six months passed, and there was no news of another Jaynes baby on the way. Then one year passed with no news. Then two years passed with no news.  During that time we began traveling down the frustrating road of doctor visits, infertility treatments and timed intimacy (which is anything but intimate.)  We also began building our dream home with bedrooms for four children and a children's bathroom with two sinks so the brood wouldn't argue about whose turn it was. When the house was near completion, I walked from room to room. "Please Lord," I prayed, "don't let us move into this house without the hope of children to fill it."  My heart felt as empty as those bedrooms that seemingly would have no children occupying them.

God did not answer my prayer as I had hoped. After many years of infertility treatment and heart-wrenching, faith-filled prayer, the children's bedrooms remained empty, the blankets unruffled, and the dream unfulfilled. It appeared there would be no more children. While Steven was everything I could have ever hoped for wrapped up in one package, my desire to have a houseful of little ones was not God's will. Was I thankful for the child I did have?  Absolutely, but that did not negate the desire in my heart to be a mother of many.

Sometimes life doesn't turn out like we had hoped, but let me assure you of this: "The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made" (Psalm 145:13 NIV). Join me tomorrow as I continue the lessons learned through my journey of infertility.

Let's Pray

Dear Lord, sometimes life just doesn't turn out like I thought it would, but I am trusting You.  I know that You know what is best for me.  I know that You have great plans and dreams for my life that I could never even imagine.  Help me to see Your plan and listen to Your voice.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

Meeting Henry

11 Apr 2011

Holly Good, Assistant to Lysa TerKeurst

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 (NIV)

Devotion:
He sat across the aisle from me, talking to himself. I had boarded a plane very early one morning in TX, after a weekend women’s conference where I was serving with Lysa. I casually glanced over at him and thought, “Oh boy, this will be interesting.” And I closed my eyes to settle in.

After several minutes, he realized he was in the wrong seat. He jumped up, grabbed his belongings and crossed the aisle to join me. And once again, I thought, “Oh boy, here we go.”

I was a bit nervous to be honest. We exchanged pleasantries and I closed my eyes again, waiting for the plane to take off. He continued to mumble to himself as he looked out his window.

Several more minutes passed. I tried to fall asleep. And then finally, deep in my heart I felt compelled to talk to my seat mate, even though there was still a part of me that begged for my eyes to remain closed; shut off in my comfort zone.

“Tell me about yourself,” I reluctantly smiled.

He told me his name was Henry. Then he started asking me just as many questions as I was asking him. With every answer I gave, he would kindly respond, “Well that sounds good.”

I looked around somewhat apologetically as Henry continued to dialogue with me in a very loud tone.

It was then that I profoundly felt three words rush into my mind, “This is Me.”

I stopped. I pondered. I swallowed. And I blinked.

“You, Lord?” I hesitantly questioned.

“This is Me,” I gently but clearly sensed again. And then, “Look at Me.”

I reflected for a moment and remembered, “‘…I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40.

My perspective abruptly softened. I looked at Henry with inquisitive eyes as he chatted away. I examined every detail on his face. I noticed his scruffy beard and bushy eyebrows and I looked deep into his eyes, which he told me did not work very well.

Henry was traveling to attend his grandmother’s funeral several states away. He was about to see his father, whom he hadn’t had contact with in 25 years. As our conversation unfolded, I learned that Henry had been born with a birth defect called Poland Syndrome. He had a small left hand with fingers that didn’t move and permanent paralysis in the upper left side of his body. He dropped out of high school several years earlier because students were not nice to him.

I listened with interest as we talked about his love of computers. I was captivated by his knowledge, and continued with a long list of questions. We happily shared my granola snack over an animated conversation as he talked and I listened.

All of my previous inhibitions had completely vanished.

The last words Henry spoke to me were, “People never talk to me like you have.”

I blinked back tears as I helped him read his connecting boarding pass. I gently smiled goodbye. But my heart was sad as we got off the plane. You see, I knew how close I was to being like everyone else. So very close. And how many times in the past I was like everyone else.

I had ministered to women the entire weekend, but I was resistant to talk to the fragile soul right beside me, begging for attention.

Meeting Henry changed me that day.

Meeting Henry taught me to pray daily for eyes to see deeper, ears to listen more intently and a heart to humbly embrace new perspectives.

Open the eyes of my heart Lord. I want to see others the way You do. Because when I do, I learn.

And the more I learn, the more I am drawn closer to the One who created it all.

Who might be your Henry today?

Dear Lord, I want to know You more. Help me to see beyond my normal routine and humbly embrace those around me with a desire to learn. Please teach me Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Drowning In or Drowning Out Distractions?

8 Apr 2011

Karen Ehman

“I will listen to what God the LORD will say;
he promises peace to his people, his saints —
but let them not return to folly.”
Psalm 85:8 (NIV)

I am the lightest of sleepers. And being awakened at night by noises is often a disastrous recipe for exhaustion. That’s why I love my white noise machine; a round, little electronic contraption that sits beside my bed. It’s my nightly sanity-saver.

Before I obtained this clever contraption, I lost sleep due to a snoring spouse or midnight-snacking teenager. As a result, I was cranky and cantankerous; frazzled and fruitless. As a sleep-deprived soul, I became unproductive, easily distracted and down-right ineffective at life.

Thankfully, now my nocturnal helper ushers me quickly to la-la land (and allows me to stay there) with one of its many options: waves crashing, birds chirping, or a thunderstorm gently rolling in. The steady, constant stream of soothing sound magically drowns out any background distractions.

I have found the same to be true with our spiritual lives. If we want to focus on the importance of listening to God though prayer, Bible study and time simply sitting still before Him, we must drown out all distractions.

When our screaming schedules, messy houses, unpaid bills, or idle pastimes such as television or the Internet aren’t intentionally blocked for a time, we will never reach the important stage of resting and receiving direction from God each day.

Jesus Himself was a master at drowning out distractions. A quick read through the New Testament will find Him often withdrawing to a lonely corner, getting up early to pray or locating a place of calm focus amidst a clanging throng of people.

Jesus purposed to find peace among the pandemonium.

Likewise in the Old Testament, the Psalmists often list peace, calm, and quiet as gifts given to those who earnestly seek the Lord and desire to walk in His ways.

Embedded in today’s key verse is such a promise to us as well: peace to God’s people. But the precursor to experiencing that peace is listening to what the Lord has to say. And for listening to occur, we have to be able to actually hear from God, focused and free from all that clamors for our attention.

So, just as I plug in my slumber device each night, we must also unplug for a time each day. Shut off the phone; the TV; the laptops and iPads. Ignore the dishes, the paperwork and the screaming schedules so we can drift off to a peaceful place where sweet Jesus is waiting — desiring for us to be still and listen long enough to actually hear Him speak to our hearts.

Drowning in so many daily distractions can keep us from hearing God’s voice. Let’s purpose together to drown out our distractions instead, and tune in to the life-giving Word. He is the only steady source from which we can ever find true and lasting peace.

Dear Lord, give me courage to unplug, determination to focus and patience to listen. I want to bask in Your peace and walk in Your ways. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Shocked by My Own Advice

7 Apr 2011

Lysa TerKeurst

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate
and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow
the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

The choice is mine. If I want to be a sold out somebody for God, I have to break away from the everybody crowd.

Today’s key verses are not easy for a girl who wanted nothing more growing up than to fit in. Don’t cause waves. Don’t stand out. Don’t stand up. Don’t rock the boat of norm in anyway. Just go with the flow in the same direction as everyone else.

But somewhere along my Christian journey, going with the flow started to bother me.

Verses like the one above in Matthew 7 and Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” started to mess with my status quo existence.

Conformed or transformed? The choice is mine. If I want to be a sold out somebody for God, I have to break away from the everybody crowd.

This is a message I shared with my son one day when he came to me scared. He admitted things had gone a little too far with his girlfriend and wanted help processing what to do. They hadn’t crossed every line but enough that he knew they were headed in a dangerous direction.

We sat on the back deck and processed the situation together. We read a list of empowering Scripture verses seeking to filter every part of this situation through God’s truth. In the end, he and his girlfriend came to the realization they needed to break up. It’s really hard to put things in reverse after certain lines have been crossed.

I walked back into the house after that conversation with two things running through my brain. I was thrilled my son came to me to talk about such a sensitive issue. What an honor to breathe Truth into his physical struggle.

But, I was also feeling a little panicked at the realities of parenting older teenagers. And that feeling led me straight to the pantry, convinced I needed some chocolate. I deserved some chips! As I loaded my arms full of treats, I was suddenly struck by a gut wrenching question. How can I expect my son to apply Truth to his area of physical struggle but refuse to apply it to my area of physical struggle?

Ouch. I was shocked by my own advice.

If I wanted to model what it looks like to live out truth in my physical struggles, I would have to break up with unhealthy choices. God made me to consume food, but food was never supposed to consume me.

Making healthy choices with my food would have to be part of my breaking away. I would have to distance myself from my distraction if I wanted to become truly transformed.

What’s your distraction? What’s the one way you can start to break away from the everybody crowd?

The everybody crowd says, “if it feels good it is good.” The everybody crowd says, “don’t deny yourself… that’s so old school.” The everybody crowd says, “everybody’s living it up – so should you.”

Conformed or transformed? The choice is ours. If we want to be a sold out somebody for God, we have to break away from the everybody crowd.

Dear Lord, I want and need to live apart from the everybody crowd. Free me of my distractions. Remove my insecurities. Help me to follow You with my whole heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Trusting God With Tomorrow

April 7, 2011
Trusting God With Tomorrow
Gwen Smith

Today's Truth
"The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say" (Exodus 4:11-12, NIV).

Friend to Friend
On the far side of a desert, high upon the Mountain of God, a voice called out to Moses from within a curious, fiery bush. He had been tending the sheep of his father-in-law's flock - minding his own business - going about his normal day-in-day-out tasks on the day that God spoke to him from the flames. On the day that God called Moses to a fresh and fiery mission. A mission of deliverance.

Once a noble prince of Egypt with the world at his feet, he had become a lowly shepherd with dust on his sandals. His crown had been traded in for a staff. The palace days were far behind Moses now. He fled them because of what he had done. Glancing to his left and right to be sure that no one would know what he was about to do, Moses took a horrible situation into his own hands and killed a man. He had murdered an Egyptian and covered the death with sand.

Fear and shame bombarded his heart so he fled - away from his dream-filled, royal future to a desert place of humble hiding. The door to his yesterdays was closed. Moses had moved on to a new place. His past was his past and he had no intentions of returning to it. His life was different now. Normal, not noble.

Then God interrupted Moses' new normal. He made it undeniably clear that His plans for Moses were different. Bigger. God's intentions were for freedom - the freedom of His people, the Israelites, who were captives - slaves to Egypt. God called Moses to face the pains of his past so that the Israelites could face a future of freedom. His plans of emancipation required that Moses obey Him, listen to His voice, follow His instructions and trust Him.

Moses quivered and doubted. He made excuses about why he couldn't do it. He felt completely unfit and unqualified for such a task. It was risky. But God met Moses at his doubts. He called him to courage and went on to use Moses as an instrument of deliverance, truth, power and freedom. Yes - Moses made mistakes along the way, but God was powerful in, through and in spite of each one. Through it all, God led as only God can. He led with power. He led with purpose. He led with love. And through Moses, God led His people to a new place of promise and freedom.

On the far side of Charlotte, North Carolina, high upon a mountain in a retreat center, a voice called out to me from within a curious and fiery story. I had been tending to my husband and children, to the laundry and the dishes - writing songs and leading worship at women's events - minding my own business - going about my normal day-in-day-out tasks on the day that God spoke to my heart from the testimony of another woman. On the day that God called me to a fresh and fiery mission. A mission of deliverance.

Once a sold-out, dream-filled God-girl, I had become a grace-embracing, yet disqualified-for-anything-big-because-of-what-I-had-done God-girl. My use-me-in-a-big-way-Lord prayers had been traded in for average, can't-have-a-dream-anymore faith-living. My God-dream days were far behind me. I had fled them because of what I had done in my junior year of college. Glancing to my left and right to be sure that no one would know what I was about to do, I took a horrible situation - an unplanned pregnancy - into my own hands and killed a baby. I robbed my baby of life when I had an abortion and covered the death of my precious child with sands of compartmentalizing and reason.

Fear and shame bombarded my heart, so I fled - away from God - away from my dream-filled, royal future to a desert place of heart-hiding. After a season of brokenness, God brought me to a place of beauty, forgiveness and healing. I was restored and redeemed by scandalous, merciful grace. But then the door to my yesterdays was closed. I moved on to a new place in Christ. My past was my past and I had no intentions of returning to it - or to the God-dreams that swelled my heart as a young, sold-out Jesus lover. My life was different now. Normal, not dream-worthy.

Then God interrupted my new normal. He made it undeniably clear that His plans for me were different. Bigger. God's intentions were for freedom - the freedom of His people, the women, who were captives - slaves to their life-wounds. God called me to face the pains of my past so that my Girlfriends in God might face a future of freedom when they hear my testimony. His plans of emancipation required that I obey Him, listen to His voice, follow His instructions and trust Him.

I quivered and doubted. I made excuses about why I couldn't do it. I felt completely unfit and unqualified for such a task. It was risky. But God met me at my doubts. He called me to courage and is using my broken-into-beautiful story as an instrument of deliverance, truth, power and freedom. Yes - I make mistakes along the way, but God is powerful in, through, and in spite of each one. Through each surrendered day, God is leading as only He can. With power - with purpose - with love. And I pray right now that this story - my story - will bring you to a new place of promise and freedom through the grace of Jesus Christ.

What fresh and fiery mission is God calling you to trust Him with, friend? Let me encourage you to stop with the excuses. I'm living proof that God will free anyone from her shame and can use anyone for His purpose. Step up to the burning bush - into God's presence. Listen to His voice. Obey. Follow. Take courage. Trust Him with your past and with your tomorrows. Allow His grace and love to decide what your mission should look like.

But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
Exodus 9:16 , NIV

Let's Pray
Dear God, With a trembling heart, I approach Your throne of grace today in reverence and humility - fully aware that You are holy and I am not. Speak, Lord. Show me the plans you have for me. Bind me to Your Word and to Your strength so I will have the courage to obey. May my brokenness be restored for the beauty of Your glory. Please help me to trust You with my today and tomorrows.
In Jesus' Name I pray, 
Amen.

Do you want to get well?

March 30, 2011
Do you want to get well?
 Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth
"Do you want to get well? Get up! Pick up your mat and walk" (John 5:6,8, NIV).

Friend to Friend
Do you want to get well?  That seems like a strange question, doesn't it.  But sometimes we can get so used to being soul sick, we don't even realize that we are not truly well. Sometimes the chains we wear shackled to our hearts become so comfortable, we get used to the pain and forget what it is like to be well. Perhaps some of us have never known. But the big question is - do you want to get well? Do you want to be free? Of course I do, I hear you say.  But do you really?

There was a certain man that Jesus encountered who faced the same crossroads in his life. In Jerusalem, men and women with various infirmities congregated at the Sheep Gate Pool. Surrounding the pool were five porticoes or shelters, where sick people clustered, waiting for the "moving of the waters."  They believed an angel of the Lord came down from heaven at certain seasons and stirred the pool.  When the people saw the waters ripple, they all made a mad dash to jump in. They believed that the first one to make it to the pool would be healed.

One man, an invalid, had been waiting by the pool for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw the man lying there and learned that he had been doing so for thirty-eight years, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6).

That seems like an unusual question - or does it?  Sometimes we get used to being "sick."  We become attached to our wounds. They become a part of who we are and we can't imagine life without them. For this man, healing meant a drastic life change. He would have to get a job, become a responsible adult, and stop lounging by the pool all day. Oh, we say we want to be free, but do we?

 Pain can become an idol. Not that we worship it in a good sense. But we worship it as an awesome force and allow it to control our lives. When we allow our past to control our lives and dictate our future, we are giving it the power of a god and making it an idol. Author Richard Exley wrote: "We can hug our hurts and make a shrine out of our sorrows or we can offer them to God as a sacrifice of praise.  The choice is ours."

Did the invalid want to get well? He had not asked for Jesus' help. It seems he clung to his illness and blamed it on those around him - a victim of circumstance.  "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred," he said. We don't know if he had lost the will to be healed, was afraid to lose the income of a beggar, or simply had accepted lameness as his lot in life. In any case, he came face to face with the one who could set him free.

The man never did answer Jesus' question. Jesus simply said, "Get up!  Pick up your mat and walk" (John 5:1-8). And he did.

Thirty-eight years is a long time to be immobile, and yet, in my own life there were some things that had held me back for the same amount of time. I was paralyzed by feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy because of messages from my past. Then Jesus asked me, "Do you want to get well?"

Satan wants to use our past to paralyze us.  God wants to use our past to propel us! The choice is ours. Girlfriend, let's pick up our mat and walk...better yet, let's run, leap, and dance for joy!

Let's Pray
Dear Lord, it's a simple question, but sometimes one that is difficult to answer. Yes, I want to get well, but I'm scared at the same time.  So I'm taking a deep breath and asking You to make me completely whole: spiritually, mentally, and physically. If there is something in my life I need to change to achieve health, I pray that You will reveal it to me and give me the courage to change.
  In Jesus' name, Amen.

How Did I Get To This Place?

27 Mar 2011

by Melanie Chitwood

“For by grace you have been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8, 9 (NAS)

One of the things I love to do is to recall the ways God has brought me to the place where I am in my relationship with Him. Have you ever done that? Have you ever reflected on the events and people God used in your past?

As I trace God’s activity in my life, I recall important people and pivotal situations contributing to my love for God. I remember my mom and dad who made going to church a priority. My grandmother’s gentle love spoke to me of the tenderness of God’s love. I recall my Aunt Kathy who listened and cried with me through the tumultuous teen years. My youth leaders proved week after week, even when they knew my weekends were filled with more drinking than Bible study, they would not give up on me, and neither would God.

A week spent at Young Life camp Windy Gap opened my eyes and heart to God in a new way. Sitting on a rock with the dark sky and glittering stars above, I thought about some of the empty places in my life. I spent my days trying to be pretty, smart and popular. But no matter how hard I tried, I felt like I was “not enough” of any of these.

The only escape from these feelings was found in the thermos of wine I kept hidden in my bedroom closet. Enough sips and I’d be filled up enough to believe, at least momentarily, that I just might be all those things I longed to be.

While sitting on that rock at Windy Gap, I acknowledged that what I got from a drink was temporary and only a shadow of what I really desired. My longings for significance and love could only be found in Someone who loved me and accepted me unconditionally. I knew that someone was Jesus.

I prayed a prayer that went something like this: Jesus, I don’t know everything about You, but I know enough to know You love me so much You died on a cross to take the punishment for my sin. Thank You for doing that. I want to be Your child, now and forever. Thank You for being my Lord, Savior, and Friend.

Remembering that defining moment and the steps which led me to Jesus fills my heart with gratitude. My love for Jesus is renewed, and I want to pursue Him once again as I remember the way He pursued me.

I encourage you to take time today or this week to remember the people and circumstances God placed in your life as He drew you to Himself. Will you pause at each place, thanking God for that person or situation? Thank Him that His love reached you and that His love will never fail.

Maybe as you read this devotion, you’ve remembered a time when you loved and followed God more wholeheartedly, but somewhere along the way you’ve pulled back or distanced yourself from Him. Will you pray today, recommitting your life to follow God?

I don’t know what your story is, but I do know God is pursuing you. Isn’t it amazing that even when we’re not aware of God, He is aware of us? He’s always working in our lives to draw us to His love.

Dear Lord, I am filled with thankfulness as I remember how You pursue me with Your love. Thank You for loving me first, even before I was aware of You. Thank You for each person and situation You put in my life that lead me to You. Reignite the fire of my love for You, causing it to grow stronger than ever. Let everything I am, do, and say point to Your unfailing love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Faith that Moves God’s Heart

Faith that Moves God’s Heart
Glynnis Whitwer

Proverbs 31 Ministries devotionals

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless…” 2 Samuel 22:26 (NIV 2011)

“Are you scared?” my daughter asked. Nibbling on fingernails, she glanced at the harnesses hung on pegs, then to the mountain and finally to my face to assess my take on the situation.

Shading my eyes, I looked up the same mountain to the highest landing, barely visible between branches. Within a few minutes we’d be there, strapped into harnesses and hooked onto a thin wire. Her apprehension was clear.

“No, I’m not scared,” I answered honestly. I trusted the harness and wires to keep me safe. I trusted the staff who’d done this with thousands of other people. Beyond explanation, I (the person who avoids wasting any adrenalin) had faith I’d be safe zipping through the canopy.

As I waited my turn to get trussed up, God whispered in my heart, “That’s the kind of faith I’d like you to have all the time — only in Me.”

That thought settled in my heart and begged me to explore it. My initial response was a tad bit defensive. Sometimes my faith is strong. Haven’t I leapt into situations trusting You to make a way, I asked God. Before I could start reminding Him of specific instances, the Holy Spirit nudged me to go deeper. So I did.

In the most honest places in my heart, I had to admit that often – even those areas I almost bragged about – my trust was in God and my exit strategy.

I trusted God, but I also trusted the strength of my arm or my ability to negotiate a positive outcome. It was like I said, “I trust You but just let me get this harness strapped on and hooked to the wire.”

I knew God was speaking about faith with no backup plan. Faith that really gets His attention — where there’s no harness or wire. No experienced staff. No net. There’s just God. I’ve tasted that faith, but not often enough.

God is calling me to a higher place of faith. It’s a place where I believe God can and will provide for me. And therein lies the hard place. I’ve anchored my life in the belief that God can do anything, but somehow feel presumptuous believing He will for me.

That’s doubt masquerading as false humility. And that, my friends, saddens God and limits His work in my life.

Scripture shows us God is moved by followers with faith. There’s not enough space in this devotion to list the miracles God performed when people had faith. Nor is there space to list those times when doubt made a difference.

God’s whisper challenged me to submit my unbelief to Him once again in my pursuit to become a woman of faith. My heart longs to be completely sold-out for Jesus, following Him without doubt. I want the same faith in God I had when I jumped off a platform 100 feet above the jungle floor and laughed with the sheer joy of soaring. Yes, that’s the type of faith I want in God. All the time.

Dear Lord, I declare today that You are faithful and worthy of all my faith. You never lie, will never leave and never break Your promises. Help me to be a woman who follows You with complete trust. Help my unbelief. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Navigating the Season of Unrest

By Amy Vogel

Everyday Christian devotionals

When placed in a situation where the scenery never changes, where life must be endured, rather than lived.   Being in the same spot emotionally and spiritually, like the Church of Smyrna from Revelation 2:8-11, is a slow, painful process. The word affliction in this verse is the noun thlipsis.  Its meaning in English is similar to compression – being constricted or pressed down from the outside.  In those times, we reach a point where we want change – NOW!  (And by any means necessary!) 

This happened to the Israelites.  They were in Egypt for over two hundred years as discontented slaves, crying out for deliverance.  They spent another forty-one years wandering in the wilderness after The Lord freed them from Egypt because of their open rebellion.  On multiple occasions, when they said they would prefer death to wandering, He obliged.

But it is not just the rebellious that suffer.  For example, King David, the “man after God’s own heart,” spent eight years on the run from Saul’s jealous, murderous rage.  He lived the essence of the daily grind, living in caves and constantly on the move, away from his best friend, first wife and promised future. 

During these restless times, it is easy to turn to sin.  David could have blamed God.  But instead, he wrote some of the most beautiful, God-honoring Scripture, including Psalm 7, 18, 34, 52, 56, 57, 59, and 142. These are his legacy and our clear example that, when we want out – we should dig in to God’s plan.

Practicing five disciplines, taken from the lives of the faithful Hebrews in Exodus and King David will keep us on the path God desires:

1.       The discipline of Faith:  Throughout Exodus, the Hebrews were not practicing the very first commandment by remembering all the Lord had already done for them.  As a result, they started rebelling.  Our faith is not built upon circumstances, but on the provision from God’s Hand.  If you are weary, take an opportunity to go back through all the times God has provided for you in the past.  That will return your hope that He will do it again in the future.

2.       The discipline of Community:  We were never meant to walk this journey alone.  We are creatures designed for relationship – with The Lord and His People.  Moses had Aaron and David had his men.  If you have a restless heart, instead of staying away from church, work on going again, to be filled through the pooling of your spirit with others.

3.       The discipline of Realism: When you read through Psalms David wrote on the run, he doesn’t pull any punches with God.  He doesn’t talk like he isn’t hurting.  He is real with God – and with others.  He doesn’t ever deny who God is or what He will do but he does ask why and when.   God never wants empty talk.  If you are worn out, tell Him - He is big enough to withstand any emotional storm we throw at Him.

4.       The discipline of Praise: In her book, The Prayer that Changes Everything, Stormie Omartian describes her ascent from the depths of her mother’s emotional and physical abuse.  The turning point was when she learned to praise God in all circumstances.  David drew from that well too – there is nothing like reminding ourselves Who God is and pouring out thanks to Him – to ensure we can keep going another day.  If you are hurting, find something, anything  to praise Him for.

5.       The discipline of Preparation: The forty years of wandering was the time God used to mold His People into the force they needed to be to take over The Promised Land.  The eight years David spent in the desert gave The Lord the chance to make him the King Israel so desperately needed.  No time or experience is ever wasted in The Lord’s Hands.  If you are drained, remember that He is using this to prepare you for blessing and give you strength for further obedience.

It can be the affliction of grief, poverty, illness, addiction, abuse or emotional instability – you might crave anything but the situation you are in.  But no matter how long it lasts, it is still just a season.  It is a blip on the screen compared to the heights we will reach in eternity. 

The forty years came to an end when the Hebrews reached Canaan.  The eight years ended with David’s coronation.  Your time of testing will end as well.  In the meantime, let us practice active faith in the midst of heartache – all the while longing for the day when heartache will exist no more!

Getting Up Again

Getting Up Again
Renee Swope

Proverbs 31 Ministries devotionals

“…though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again…” Proverbs 24:16a, (NIV)

I’ve always admired people who aren’t afraid to fail. You know the ones who don’t even consider defeat when they blow it; people who see a personal setback as just another goal to conquer.

I’m not always so courageous. In fact, I can be really hard on myself when I fail, and it doesn’t even have to be a biggie. You see, I have what I call a “meanie in me” who replays my mistakes over and over, reminding me of how badly I’ve disappointed someone, or how impatient I was with my husband, or how harsh I was with my kids, or all sorts of ways that I fell short that day.

But the greatest defeat comes when I allow a mistake, a bad decision, sin, or a broken relationship to convince me that I might as well give up. Perhaps you have also allowed failure to knock you down, tie you up with the ropes of regret and hold you hostage like I have.

When I surveyed over 1200 women for my upcoming book, A Confident Heart, I discovered that our past failures, and our fear of failing again, are two of the biggest triggers that make us doubt ourselves.

Today’s key verse, Proverbs 24:16, has helped me release the regret, guilt, fear and shame that have weighed me down and held me back. Take a minute to read it now and notice how it says the righteous will fall. That is right. Even those of us who have received the gift of Christ’s righteousness and redemption will fall down. But we were never intended to stay down.

Instead of giving up Jesus empowers us to get up again.

In getting up, we can apologize and ask for forgiveness. In getting up, we can choose to try again with our kids, in our jobs, in our ministries, in our marriages, and in all of our mistakes. Because we trust that although we fall, God will help us up. Listen to His promise in Psalm 37:23-24 and as you read it insert your name in the blanks: “The steps of ____________ are established by the Lord, and He delights in ____________ way. When ____________ falls, __________ will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds ________ hand.” (NASB)

When we get up again failure can actually help us become the confident women God created us to be because it makes us stronger and better — when we go to God for help. Failure can stretch us to do more than we think we can and push us to try other methods of doing things when one way doesn’t work.

Yes, failure can be hurtful but it can also be beneficial. Failure produces wisdom when we ask for it and maturity when we learn from it.

The truth is, following Jesus is not about avoiding failures and being perfect. It’s about accepting our weaknesses and becoming more dependent on God’s perfect love and power at work in us. So the next time you fail to be the woman He calls you to be, or the woman you expect yourself to be, ask God to remind you of this truth.

We will sometimes fail to be who we want to be but we will get closer to who we are meant to be every time we fall and then choose to take God’s hand so we can get up again!

Lord, I’m so thankful for Your grace that reminds me there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Because my steps are established by You, Lord, I will believe that You delight in me even when I fail or fall. Today, I want to take Your hand and trust Your heart as You pull me back up again and use my failures to help me become the confident woman You created me to be. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

When It’s Right in Front of You

When It’s Right in Front of You

By Stephanie Romero

Everyday Christian devotionals

There is an interesting passage of scripture where Jesus tells the disciples about who is going to betray Him.  It is found in John 13:18-30.  Although at times Jesus spoke in parables, here He says some pretty straightforward things.

“He who shared my bread has turned against me.”

“I am telling you now before it happens…”

“Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

“It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.”

Then we read that Jesus dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas.  So it would seem pretty obvious who would be the betrayer, wouldn’t it?  Yet we read that none of the disciples understood what was going on.  They didn’t seem to get it.

It is easy to read a passage of scripture like this and think, “What is wrong with those guys?”  It is so plain to see!  Yet how often do we not understand, even when it is right there in front of us?

We don’t understand why we are struggling to stay on top of the bills…yet we continue to splurge on items we really don’t need.  We don’t understand why our marriage is falling apart…yet we have developed a “friendly” online relationship.  We don’t understand why our kids have gone down the wrong path…yet we have compromised our own beliefs right in front of them.

Sometimes it really is right in front of us, yet we are just as ignorant as the disciples were when it came to understanding that Jesus would be betrayed. 

I guess we can’t be so quick to condemn them, can we?  What is right in front of your eyes that you need to see more clearly? 

Faith in the Unseen

By Valerie Lenon | Counselor and Life Strategies Coach

Everyday Christian devotionals

No matter what you go through, you are not alone. Though it feels that way sometimes, the key to making it through tough circumstances is holding fast to God and His Word. Did you know that one aspect of supernatural help which God has made available to you is angelic assistance? That's right! You are never alone. This exciting benefit of salvation is available to every Believer. Even though you can't see them, angels assist you in your daily life. Whether it is a financial struggle or protection from physical harm, angels are standing at attention, waiting to perform on your behalf. However, you must have faith in their supernatural abilities for their assistance to become a reality.

From the beginning of time, God assigned angels to do His bidding in the natural and supernatural realms of life. The Bible says, "For he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone" (Psalm 91:11, 12). When you have faith in God to never leave you or forsake you, you will have faith in whatever means He provides to assist you throughout life's journeys. Divine protection is a promise from God's Word. Stand on it and release your faith for it. Declare that you have angelic protection and open your heart and mind to the reality that angels are all around you.

The primary key to activating angelic assistance is speaking the Word of God. The Scripture says that angels hearken unto the voice of his Word (Psalm 103:20). In other words, every time you confess the Word in faith, angels are moving around and going to work on your behalf to bring to pass the Word that you have spoken.

Many Believers don't realize that they have angels waiting for their assignments. I believe that many of our angels are sitting around collecting dust on their wings! If you never give them an assignment and never call on them for help, they can't get much done. When you lack strength and endurance to get through troubling situations, or even when you just need assistance in any area of life, simply call on your angels. They will help you.

It would be ideal to be able to see your angels surrounding you, ready to guide you through the storms of life. But just because you cannot see them, does not mean they aren't there. Do not be discouraged simply because there is no tangible proof. Choosing to have faith in the unseen is part of your walk as a Believer (2 Corinthians 5:7). Having faith that angels accompany you is the same as believing God would never leave you alone.

I remember an encounter with angels that confirmed to me the reality of their existence. I was involved in a car accident that almost took my life and the lives of those with me. In those split second moments when I thought it was about to be over, I saw angels break into the natural realm as the car spun out of control and flipped onto its side. No one with me was harmed because our angels came on the scene. Because of years of declaring God's Word and declaring that my life is redeemed from destruction, angels were able to enforce the covenant of protection God made available to me.

Angels are heavenly beings ready to execute God's love and concern for your well–being. Just speak the Word of God and receive the comfort and guidance that He has charged His angels to provide. Dare to have faith in the unseen!