How to Trust God’s Love When You are Suffering

How do you trust God's love when you feel like He is the One who is allowing your pain and suffering? 5 ways to trust God's "no" when it's hard. #StrengthinSuffering #TrustGod'sLove #Faith #Hope #CountingMyBlessings #WWGGG

What do you do when you feel like God is the One who is allowing your pain and suffering?

You’ve prayed to get well, to be free of pain, for a healed relationship . . . for the desire of your heart.

The Bible says, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” Psalm 37:4

You’ve done your best to do “good.” You’ve tried to obey His commands. Maybe you’ve even dedicated your life to serving Him in ministry. You’ve made every effort to “delight” in Him.

Yet for reasons beyond your ability to understand, no matter how much you pray in faith . . . God seems to be saying ‘no!’

And you can’t seem to shake the one thought that keeps repeating . . . it’s not fair!

To make things worse, like salt in a wound, everywhere you look, people who don’t even seem appreciative, have the very thing your heart longs for and you find yourself giving in to jealousy, tantrums, and self-pity.

So, you add whining and complaining to your prayers, like a child trying to get a parent to soften and give you what you want.

But nothing changes…

You wait and pray and wait and pray some more but you’re still sick. Still in pain. Still single. Still longing for a child, a job, a home, a _________.

This may be your story. It has been mine.

I had a heart’s desire years ago and I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it . . . God’s ‘no’ was simply unacceptable. I pouted, complained, whined, and refused to trust that God had a better plan for me.

Without giving you all the ugly details, I’ll tell you I learned a very big lesson the hard way.

Praise God for His forgiving grace, mercy, and love. He patiently showed me His better way. He taught me that I can trust His “no” even when it’s hard and I don’t want to. He taught 5 important truths . . . reasons I can trust His will even when it’s not my desire.

How to Trust God’s Love When You are Suffering

5 Reasons Why You and I can Trust God’s “No”

1. Trust God’s NO because EVERYthing God allows is filtered through His love.

Love is God’s character and He cannot do anything that is outside of who He is. He sees the big picture of our lives and always knows and does what is best for our eternal future even though we don’t understand and it doesn’t feel like it.

Joni Eareckson Tada once wrote…

“Real satisfaction comes not in understanding God’s motives, but in understanding His character, in trusting in His promises, and in leaning on Him and resting in Him as the Sovereign who knows what He is doing and does all things well.”

Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.
Psalm 143:8

2. Trust God’s NO because His goodness covers EVERYthing He allows.

God is good! Everything He does is good! You and I live in a sinful broken world and often have to live out the consequences of that truth. But although this life can be hard, God is always at work for our good in ways that will give Him glory.

All He does is just and good, and all His commandments are trustworthy.
Psalm 111:17

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Romans 8:28

3. Trust God’s NO because He sees the beginning from the end and may be saying “no” to protect you.

You and I make God too small. He is everlasting. He knows your past and your future. He knows the lives you will touch and knows how best to bless you always keeping your eternal future in mind.

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.
2 Peter 3:8

4. Trust God’s NO while you do what you can and leave the rest to Him.

It’s important for you and me to get up each day and focus on what we can do. It helps me to focus on counting my blessings and remembering what I have rather than dwelling on what’s lacking. My goal is to do my best with the Spirit’s help to trust God’s plans and purposes one day at a time remembering they always include love . . . very big love. And because of His love, He will give me what I need to endure whatever He allows.

“Harness the power of today. Seize the blessings of today! Make something happen, enhance your life, make someone laugh, help a friend, love, love, love!” ~Steve Maraboli

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:22–23

5. Trust God’s NO as you lean deep into His love through prayer and study of His Word.

When life is hardest . . . I need God the most. So, I turn to Him through His Word and prayer, and by His grace, I begin to rest in His love. With the Spirit’s help, my experience has been that when I lean into the Lord in faith, He is faithful to give me what I need to live that day.

The Lord also keeps safe those who suffer. He is a safe place in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will put their trust in You. For You, O Lord, have never left alone those who look for You.
Psal, 9:9–10 (NLV)

“I won’t tell you it will be easy. It won’t.”

Walking through a valley of grief and heartache is an arduous journey but it is not one we have to take alone.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Psalm 23:4

Satan will consistently use your pain, your broken heart to tempt you to doubt God’s love, give up, and to try to take care of things on your own.

Martin Luther said that his tactics have never changed … the lie is still the same as it was in the Garden…

“The sin underneath all our sins is to trust the lie of the serpent that we cannot trust the love and grace of Christ and must take matters into our own hands” ~Martin Luther

I have learned the hard way – that God’s ways are best. I’ve lived out the consequences of falling for the enemy’s lies, and I’ve come to believe with all my heart that God’s grace saturates everything He allows and His protecting hand of mercy surrounds anything He denies.

This isn’t fatalism. It’s faith!

Whatever you are facing today, remember…

God will walk with you through this valley. You can trust His goodness and love … He has proven just how much through His Son, Jesus. You are not alone!

He promised…

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me.
2 Corinthians 12:8–9

I love this quote from Babbie Mason in Trust His Heart…

God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don’t understand.
When you don’t see His plan.
When you can’t trace His hand.
Trust His Heart!

My friend, Horace Williams, has written an awesome new book,
The Furnace of Affliction

In The Furnace of Affliction: How God Uses Our Pain and Suffering for His Purpose, Horace Williams Jr. tackles this challenging topic. Based on the Word of God, insights from other leaders, and his studies, he addresses several key points, including:

How pain develops our faith
How pain determines our path
How pain delivers comfort, joy, and peace
And how pain deepens our commitment to God.

Packed with personal stories and scripture to support his points, Horace shares his insights on the problem of pain. His candid and straightforward communication style engages the reader as he addresses this critical topic for the body of Christ today.

I really loved this book. I’ve known Horace for a number of years but there was so much of his story I didn’t know. God has allowed pain and problems in his life and Horace is turning it into an opportunity to give God glory. This book is both powerful and inspiring. It even offers study questions at the end of each chapter to help you personalize your own journey.

Finally, leave a comment and tell us how you are learning to trust God’s love even when you’re suffering.

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

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You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

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Pray When You Need to be Confident of God’s Goodness

5 / 22 / 205 / 22 / 20

The most common question about faith is "How can I believe in God's goodness when He allows suffering?" When doubts arise it's time to turn to Him in prayer. #Prayer #GodisGood #BibleStudy #Faith #WWGGG #CountingMyBlessings

Do you trust God’s goodness?

We say God is good, but do we really believe it?

I recently shared this on social media…

After you have suffered a little while, [God] will restore, support, and strengthen you.
1 Peter 5:10

And an individual responded by saying … “a load of nonsense.”

I don’t think you or I would say it like that but if we’re honest, we have our doubts. We wonder … God will you let me suffer like this indefinitely? Are you really good?

We want to trust those words God’s goodness completely but sometimes when we’ve prayed and prayed and asked God to help and then we have what seems like an endless wait something happens. Occasionally in the wait, worry is followed by a little doubt and before we know it we’re questioning God’s goodness.

And that’s when I need to pause and ask for His help.

Because I need His Holy Spirit to give me confidence that God’s goodness is personal. I need His help to know God sees me, forgives me, provides for me, and that He has a plan and purpose for my life. I need His Spirit’s help to remind me of His perfect love when I grow impatient in the waiting.

I need the Spirit’s help to know with everything in me that . . . God is good!

Jesus said,

When the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
John 14:26

That’s what I need … maybe you do too! That reminder of God’s promises of His love and goodness.

So, that’s where I’m going today …. to God’s promises and I’m praying them back to Him because the more turn to Him through His Word and prayer, the more confident I become that He is who He says He is.

I’d love for you to pray with me…

Pray When You Need to be Confident of God’s Goodness

Everything God made is good. That includes you!

God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good!
Genesis 1:31

Lord, Everything You make is good. Your Word says, in the beginning, it was very good. And through Your love, You suffered and died to forgive my sins and give freedom to the goodness You created in me. It also says that because of Your goodness and love, You will give me everything I need. maybe not everything I want … but everything I need. Help me believe that, Lord. Help me trust Your promises and give me patience and peace when worry creeps in and doubts arise.

God loves you. Always and perfectly. You are His child.

The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are His children.
1 John 3:1

Father, You call me your child. I was an orphan, lost and alone and You adopted me. Through Jesus, You made me part of Your family. That defines Your goodness. There is no way to sufficiently thank you.

When I am tempted to focus on my current problems, please help me focus on Your grace, mercy, and love. Help me remember what an awesome blessing it is to be called Your child. You are my Father and You are good. Help me love You with all that I am and by Your grace, help me live each day with the confidence that Your will is always for my good.

God sees and knows everything about you.

“You are ‘God who sees me,’” because she said to herself, “Have I really seen God who sees me?”
Genesis 16:13

Father, You are the God who sees me. Thank you! Nothing is hidden from you.

Like David, I can say, “You know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” (Psalm 139) And Jesus said, You even know how many hairs there are on my head. (Matthew 10:30)

I can have peace for today and hope for the future when I remember that I am constantly under Your watchful care.

God is good, kind, and merciful to you.

The Lord is kind and shows mercy. He does not become angry quickly but is full of love. The Lord is good to everyone; He is merciful to all He has made.
Psalm 145:8–9

Father, Your Word tells me You are kind and merciful, patient, and loving.

I want to trust and follow wherever You lead … but I have to admit, I fail. I don’t love You and trust You with all I am. I don’t love my neighbors as I love myself. I get angry. I worry. I procrastinate and I find comfort in things. Please forgive me. I need your merciful goodness. By Your grace, please help me do better. Help me trust Your perfect will for me. Help me faithfully live confident of Your goodness, kindness, mercy, and love.

God is ready and willing to forgive and help you. His perfect love never fails.

O Lord, You are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for Your help.
Psalm 86:5

Father, This promise fills me with hope. You are always ready to forgive those who come to You. You don’t want me to live with the guilt that so often creeps in. You don’t want me weighed down by the past. Your plan for me is a life of freedom through Your goodness and grace.

Through Jesus, You endured my punishment. The price for my sins has been paid. Help me quickly bring my sins to You in repentance, trusting Your promise of unfailing love and forgiveness. Help me live free of doubt and worry … trusting You are faithful to do what You say You will do.

God is your provider. Don’t be afraid or worry. He will meet your every need.

“Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to Him than any birds! Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”
Luke 12:24, 27, 31–32

Father, You don’t want me to be afraid or worry. You want me to live free of anxiety and doubt. You promise that You will meet every need.

Please forgive me for too often believing my wants are needs. By Your grace help me trust You. Make me satisfied with what You want for me. Help me help others out of the abundance You provide. Be my heart’s desire. With Your help, I will seek Your Kingdom above all else. Help me trust Your goodness without worry or fear.

God meets every spiritual need and gives you everything you need to live for His glory.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:2–3

Father, through Your goodness and love You meet every one of my spiritual needs. You make it possible for me to know You. You show me Your will. You hear my prayers. You comfort and strengthen me. You give me hope for the future and the peace I need today.

Thank you. Forgive me for foolishly and selfishly doing things on my own, for thinking my way is better. I’m sorry, Lord. With Your help, I surrender this day to You. I will follow where You lead and trust Your will as You reveal it to me. You are good, Father. May I live today covered by Your grace for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

God is good!

His love for you and me is personal. He provides for every physical and spiritual need. His unfailing forgiveness is always available. He sees, knows, and cares. He is good.

You and I can be confident of God’s goodness!

And just a quick follow-up to tell about the comment to my social media post. I responded by telling him I was sorry that he felt that way but that based on my experience, God is faithful to restore support and strengthen when we need Him.

That began a dialogue where I’ve been able to share my testimony and tell him why I believe in God’s goodness.

I’m so thankful that when I begin to doubt … His Spirit draws me back through the truth of God’s promises.

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

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5 Verses to Pray When You Doubt Your Value

1 / 23 / 201 / 24 / 20

If you doubt your value today because someone has failed to love you well or you are lacking something you need to be lovable ... I'd love to pray with you. #DoubtSelf #Unlovable #GodLovesYou #VersesandPrayers #WWGGG #CountingMyBlessings

I believe we all want to be emotionally healthy … and there are several things required to make that desire a reality.

Those things are a need for love, security, and significance.

The need to be valued!

And I believe we are hardwired by God with this need for two very important reasons…

He is love and He loves us.
He wants us to know and experience His love because we are precious to Him.

The Lord has placed a craving within us that He alone is able to satisfy.

We can chase after people, possessions, power, professions, and popularity and never feel the love, security, and significance we so desperately want.

And maybe, we’re not supposed to.

It’s especially difficult in our relationships with people, isn’t it?

We want to be loved. We need to be loved.

It’s how we’re made.

So, we seek love from people … longing for perfect relationships with spouses, children, parents, siblings, and friends. Oh sure, we try harder with some than with others. But we all have someone or several someones whose love we will do almost anything to get and keep.

But there’s a problem…

People will never love us perfectly no matter how hard we try or what we do. People will let us down. And truthfully, there will be times when we will let them down as well.

So, if you and I seek our value from the approving love of other people … you will always doubt your worth and so will I. If we’re trying to find self-worth in any temporary thing this world has to offer … we will always be left wanting and disappointed.

So, I’m going to the Lord today and asking Him to help us KNOW how much He loves and values us. I’m asking Him to remind us that we are precious to Him. And I’m asking Him to assure us that when it comes to the perfect love we need in order to be emotionally healthy … His love is more than enough!

If you doubt your value today because someone has failed to love you well or because you believe you’re lacking something you need to be more lovable … I’d love for you to pray with me.

5 Verses to Pray When You Doubt Your Value

Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.
Ephesians 1:4–5

Father, it’s hard for me to get my brain around this promise.

You say I was on your mind before You spoke creation into being … before You made a grain of sand or a star in the sky. You say You chose me in Christ Jesus to be Your child and that You wanted me so much it gave You great pleasure.

It gave you pleasure to sacrifice everything to make me Your own. Pleasure. Father, that is unimaginable impossible to explain love.

Implant this on my heart that I might never doubt my value again. I am Yours and that makes me precious and treasured … and loved.

Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:9–10

Father, I’ve heard it said that no accomplishment could make You love me more and no failure could make You love me less.

Who loves like that?! People can be so quick to reject and slow to forgive.

But You made me and call me a masterpiece. And You not only didn’t reject me but You forgave me completely and made me a new creation through Jesus. Not through what I have done but through what He has done for me.

How can I ever begin to thank you? I can’t thank you enough but I can live to bring You glory and love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
Romans 8:38

Father, it’s clear to see the enemy is alive and at work in our world. We experience attacks on our health, our homes, our careers, and our relationships.

But Your Word says “NOTHING” can ever separate me from Your love. Nothing the enemy does. Nothing I’m afraid he’ll do. Not even if he turns the powers of hell against me. YOU LOVE ME ALWAYS AND FOREVER! And You take care of me. Even when today is painful and difficult … I trust that You are at work in and around me. I am Yours. I am safe. I am valued and loved.

Cast all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].
1 Peter 5:7

Father, I love this promise. You have the deepest affection for me and watch over me carefully and nothing can change that.

You invite me to bring all my worry and anxiety to You. I wonder how often I unnecessarily carry a burden that You want to carry for me. I’m sorry Father, please forgive me and help me remember You are worthy of my complete trust. You are faithful to keep Your promises. You are my loving Father, who calls me Your precious pearl. I am overwhelmed by Your love.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Lamentations 3:22

Father, I am the beneficiary of Your faithful love every day. I am covered by Your grace and mercy. I am safe in Jesus … not just today but forever and always. You call me Your child. Your friend. Your masterpiece. Your beloved. You call me precious. You call me valued. You call me LOVED!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Amen.

Friend, I’m emotional. I look at life through a lens of emotions and sometimes the way I think about myself is determined by the way someone has treated me or something they’ve said to me. I can sometimes base my value, on any given day, on the way I feel physically, the number on the scale, or the imperfections I see in the mirror. And yes, I can even occasionally allow my circumstances to distort my thoughts about my value and worth.

But all of those things are lies of the enemy.

Anything that tempts you to doubt your value … anything that makes you question God’s love is A LIE!

Look at the above verses inserting your name in the blanks.

Even before He made the world, God loved __________ and chose __________ in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.

For __________ is God’s masterpiece. He has created __________ anew in Christ Jesus.

Nothing can ever separate __________ from God’s love.

He cares about __________ [with deepest affection, and watches over __________ very carefully].

The faithful love of the Lord [for __________] never ends! His mercies never cease.

Nothing can change His love for you. No words, thoughts, or circumstances. No flaw, failure, or frustration. NOTHING!

When the enemy tempts and taunts you, when circumstances are hard, and when you doubt your value…

Remember.

GOD IS LOVE! And HE LOVES YOU!

You are perfectly precious to Him.
You always have been and you always will be!

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

When You Need to Remember Who You Are In Jesus

1 / 19 / 204 / 3 / 20

I ran into a wall of discouragement this week. I needed a reminder of God's love. Maybe you need to remember who you are in Jesus, too. Read this... #GodisLove #GodLovesYou #Faith #YouareLoved #WWGGG #CountingMyBlessings #Hope #Blessings

I have the January blahs! I began the year with all the normal enthusiasm that comes with a fresh start.

Three weeks ago, I had a writing plan that excited me, a healthy diet and exercise plan that seemed doable, books I couldn’t wait to read, family and friends who delighted me … I was full of optimism and happiness.

This week, I ran up against a wall of discouragement for no apparent reason other than a bunch of little things piled up one on top of another and I started to feel “less than.”

Not enough! Less than I want to be! Less than I believe I should be.

I decided I need a quick reminder of who I am in Christ. Maybe you need a reminder of who you are in Jesus, too. So … here we go!

Who You Are In Jesus

You are wonderful!

Yes, you!

When I feel like I have the last few days, I can quickly think of a dozen ways I am definitely NOT wonderful.

Most of the time I go straight to the superficial . . . to appearances. And all I see are my imperfections.

I see spots, blemishes, wrinkles, and sagging skin. I have lumps and bumps in places I don’t want them and well, you get the idea.

I’m also well aware of my flaws when it comes to my thoughts, words, and actions.

I could share a long list of things that are not wonderful but I’ll spare you.

I relate to these words from Paul…

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
Romans 7:18–19

It’s reassuring to know that a pillar of faith, like Paul, did not hold himself up as the ideal of Christian perfection but let us know that we are not alone in our struggle.

And when you and I recognize our “less than” perfect qualities and characteristics we can embrace the words that follow…

What a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord!

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 7:24–25a, 8:1–2, 8:38–39

That’s grace! That’s love!

That’s who you are in Jesus.

It’s good news!

Because of Jesus, God looks past our flaws and failures with eyes of grace and love and He sees the wonderful you and me … He created us to be!

Whether you and I feel like it or not, we need to repeat the following often…

1. GOD MADE ME WONDERFUL.

I praise you because You made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What You have done is wonderful. I know this very well.
Psalm 139:14 (NCV)

I love the way the MSG. says it…

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

It’s not about our feelings. Whether you and I “feel” it or not.

God says in His Word that we are made in an “amazing and wonderful way” … unique and one of a kind. Perfect for His plans and purposes. Out of all the possible DNA combinations, God chose 46 or 47 specific chromosomes just for you.

There are 8,324,608 possible combinations of chromosomes and each one contains dozens to thousands of different genes. The total possible combination of alleles (variations) for those genes in humans is approximately 70,368,744,177,664. This is trillions of times more combinations than the number of people who have ever lived. ~Reddit.com/AskScience

Who you are…

“You weren’t an accident. You weren’t mass-produced. You aren’t an assembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on the earth by the Master Craftsman.” ~Max Lucado

2. And It’s Okay to Celebrate Being Wonderfully Made

Obsessing about our flaws and faults simply robs us of our peace and happiness.

I believe that’s something high on the list of things satan wants for us because if he can steal our peace and joy, he can stifle our ability to fulfill God’s plans and purposes for us.

Jesus said…

The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
John 10:10

Jesus’ purpose is to give us a full and satisfying life.

When we stay focused on all we have and who we are in Jesus, we have everything we need to live the life He wants for us.

David followed the “amazing and wonderful” verse with…

I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
You know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, You watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before You, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
Psalm 139:15–16

What a creation!
Known. Loved. Planned.

And in Jesus … Forgiven. Redeemed. Child of God.

That’s you! That’s me!

We are not known for our flaws and faults.
You and I are God’s marvelous creation! God’s loved and redeemed children!

So, it’s time to look at things in a new way, to know who you are in Jesus. So…

Stop and Celebrate Who You Are

Make a list of your greatest strengths and abilities. You’re kind. Smart. Funny. Musical. Artistic. Athletic. Strong. Caring. Helpful. Make a list of everything you do well.
Make a list of things you like about the way you look. Just do it. Beautiful eyes. Cute nose. Strong arms. Dimples. Curly hair. Curvy figure. Find a minimum of 5-10 you can celebrate.
Ask your closest friends to help you make your list. They love you. You’ll be surprised by the blessings they see in you and the things they love about you.
Spend less time focused on yourself and more time loving others. Avoid lengthy sessions in front of the mirror and ask God to forgive your failures. Then focus on loving your people. You will feel better about yourself. I promise.
Refuse to compare your appearance, gifts, or abilities with anyone else’s. Comparing is the thief of joy and peace. Don’t do it!
Take occasional breaks from social media. Everyone puts their ideal on social media. If you find yourself discouraged while scrolling through posts . . . walk away for a while.
Do your best and be at peace about the rest. Live today with enthusiasm. Then put the day behind you and start again tomorrow.
Reject negative self-talk. Stop it! If it’s sin, confess it, receive forgiveness and celebrate God’s grace.
Do something positive every day to become the person you want to be. Let God work in you to grow you for His purposes. Learn something new. Exercise. Eat a healthy diet.
Limit your time with toxic and negative people. You can’t avoid them all but you can lessen their ability to discourage and defeat you.
Be patient with yourself – think long term. Expect progress, not perfection. One of my favorite sayings is, “Baby steps are still steps.”
Cherish values like honesty, integrity, kindness, etc. Follow the Golden Rule and treat others the way you want them to treat you.
Speak a minimum of five positive and encouraging things to yourself every day. Remember Stuart Smiley’s quote, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”
Do one nice thing for yourself every day. Take a long bath. Read a chapter of your favorite book. Light a candle. Use your good dishes. Celebrate today.
Pursue a close relationship with the One who created you. Spend time in prayer and Bible study. Ask Him to help you become the best version of the person He created you to be.
Ask God to help you see yourself the way He sees you. He loves you so much! The God of the universe calls you precious.
Remember how very much God loves you. Memorize His promises to speak truth to your heart when you feel discouraged.
Remember – God looks past the surface to the heart. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Verses to Memorize:
Remember How Much God Loves You

Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. Ephesians 1:4

But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8

But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. Ephesians 2:4

The Lord your God is with you; the mighty One will save you. He will rejoice over you. You will rest in His love; He will sing and be joyful about you. Zephaniah 3:17

See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

Finally, it’s important to…

HAVE AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE.

All of those things that discourage and annoy you are temporary.

Your soul, the person God made you to be in Him, the person created in His image … that person will live forever.

You are God’s beautiful creation! You are someone to celebrate!

I needed that reminder today. Maybe you needed it too.

If so, you may want to write this down…

God loves me. He made ME for His glory, for His plans and purposes, and for eternity. It’s time for me to celebrate His grace, mercy, and love by remembering who I am because of whose I am. I belong to Jesus!

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

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I’m asking God to bless you today!

When You Need to Know You are Precious to the Kingdom

12 / 16 / 1912 / 24 / 19

Jesus said…

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.
Matthew 6:33

He taught His followers to pray…

May Your Kingdom come!
Matthew 6:10

And I realized, I wasn’t sure I knew what to say if someone asked me to explain the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven.

So, I decided to do a little research and thought you might be interested to know what I learned.

The term the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven are used more than 80 times in the New Testament, most often by Jesus Himself. One of Jesus’ earliest proclamations was…

“The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
Mark 1:15

The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are synonyms.
The Kingdom of God is the Spiritual realm over which God reigns supreme.
The Kingdom of God is the fulfillment of God’s will on earth.

The basic meaning of the word kingdom in the Bible is God’s kingly rule — His reign, His action, His lordship, His sovereign governance.

Jesus specifically taught a couple of things about the Kingdom through parables … and although I’ve read these verses countless times, I learned something new this week.

In Matthew 13, Jesus is quoted as saying the following about the Kingdom…

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
Matthew 13:44

And…

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”
Matthew 13:45–46

Did you notice the difference in these verses?

In the first one, the Kingdom is the treasure but in the second, the Kingdom is the merchant.

In the first verse, Jesus is telling His followers that the Kingdom of God/Heaven is the most valuable thing they could have.

The Life Application Bible Notes say…

The man who discovered the treasure hidden in the field stumbled upon it by accident but knew its value when he found it. And although the transaction cost him everything, he paid nothing for the priceless treasure itself. It came free, with the field. Nothing is more precious than the Kingdom of Heaven, yet God gives it to us as a gift.

As you and I receive God’s gift of Jesus and surrender our all to Him in faith, God gives us everything we need. EVERYTHING!

How can we KNOW? How can we trust that promise?

Because of Jesus’ second description of the Kingdom.

There Jesus said the Kingdom is like the merchant.

The Life Application Bible Notes say here…

Jesus is displaying another aspect of the Kingdom. [Here] the Kingdom pays the ultimate price to possess the pearl, the price God was willing to pay to redeem us.

YOU ARE THE PRECIOUS PEARL OF GREAT VALUE!

I always thought the pearl of great value was faith … like the great treasure in the field I thought it was what I should seek. And this week I realized that Jesus was saying that I am the pearl of great value and so are you.

God saw you and He gave up everything to save you!

You are so precious to Him!

Verses to Remind You How Precious You are to God

Need a reminder? Stop and put your name in the blanks in the verses that follow:

This is how God loved __________: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

God created __________ in His own image. In the image of God He created __________.
Genesis 1:27

__________ is God’s masterpiece. He has created __________ anew in Christ Jesus, to do the good things He planned for us long ago.

God showed His great love for __________ by sending Christ to die for __________ while still a sinner.
Romans 5:8

I know the plans I have for __________,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give __________ a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; __________ you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
Matthew 10:30–31

“My grace is all __________ needs. My power works best in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

Since God did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for __________, won’t He also give everything else?
Romans 8:32

See what great love the Father has lavished on __________, that __________ should be called a child of God!
1 John 3:1

If you’re not feeling precious and abundantly loved by the Father, the Lord of all, go back and read these verses one more time.

Because you are the precious pearl of great value. You are precious to the God of the Universe … Creator, Redeemer, and Comforting Holy Spirit. You are so precious to Him that He gave up the glories of heaven to become like you … a human being in every way except sin, so He could suffer your punishment and mine.

That’s how precious we are to Him.

And that’s the message of Christmas, isn’t it?

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through Him,
    and nothing was created except through Him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and His life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.

So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
John 1:1–5, 14

Celebrate Jesus! The One who calls you precious. The One who loves you so much He gave up everything so He could give you everything.

And so … He invites you, and me, to SEEK the Kingdom of God above all else.

Because it is life’s greatest treasure.

We are invited by God Himself to surrender all of the things we think we want or need and to make it our heart’s desire to KNOW and TRUST FATHER GOD through HIS SON, JESUS.

And I think that makes Christmas the perfect time of year to offer ourselves at the manger and make a commitment to SEEK the KINGDOM of GOD today and every day for the rest of our lives.

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

Father, It is Finished – Please Forgive Me

4 / 19 / 194 / 19 / 19

It is finished. How can we call it Good Friday? Because Jesus' sacrifice that day is Good News for the lost and broken ... people like you and me. #GoodFriday #Easter #Jesus #CountingMyBlessings

I have a hard time getting my brain around all that this day we call “Good Friday” embraces.

When I think about the betrayals and denials, trials and lashes, a crown of thorns and crowds shouting “crucify Him” … all pieces of the day that Jesus suffered and died.

How can we call it … Good Friday?

Because Jesus’ sacrifice that day is Good News for the lost and broken … for people like you and me.

People who need forgiveness. So, I’m praying…

Father, It is Finished – Please Forgive Me

Father, Your Word says…

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:10

Your love overwhelms me … humbles me.

I am so undeserving of Your grace and mercy.

I imagine myself in the worst parts of that day. Oh, it’s easier to think that I would have been standing with John and the Marys … that I would have faithfully followed Your Son to the foot of the cross.

But I wonder, would I have been strong enough or would I have followed the crowd? Would I have been stood strong on Your truth or listened to church leaders, the ones with power and prestige.

That’s how I end up overwhelmed…

Because of Your amazing grace and unfailing love You suffered and died for them, for me!

You sent Your Son to suffer and die for…

Pharisees and Sadducees
High Priests and Temple Leaders
Caiaphas, Herod, and Pontius Pilate
Soldiers and Guards
Betrayers and Deniers
Tax-collectors, Adulterers, and Cheaters
Sinners

People like me!

So today, as I approach the foot of the cross and hear His words, “It is finished!” And my heart and mind cry out, “Father, forgive me!”

I’m so sorry!

I believe Your Word that says…

Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Romans 3:23

And…

The wages of sin is death.
Romans 6:23

I believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, that…

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12

I believe that by You grace…

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.
Galatians 2:20

And that I have been made right with You, Father, by placing my faith in Jesus Christ. That this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Based on Romans 3:22)

I trust Your promise…

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Romans 10:9–10

And Jesus promise…

I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.
John 11:25–26

Which is why I’m overwhelmed, Father.

It is by Your grace that I am saved. Grace given to me through the undeserved suffering and death of Your Son, and my Savior, Jesus.

Thank you!

Because of Jesus’ “It is finished!” Because of Good Friday, I can say, “Please forgive me!”

And hear Him say, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Thank you, Father! That is Good News!

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

5 Verses to Pray When You Need to be Sure of God’s Love

2 / 14 / 192 / 15 / 19

The cards, flowers, chocolate, and “I love yous” have all been shared.

And yet, I wonder how many of us are left longing because someone left us wanting … failing to fill us up the way we expected, hoped or believed we needed.

God's love is more than enough when life is hard and people let you down. Here are 5 verses to pray when you need to be sure of God's love. #GodisLove #GodLovesYou #Prayer #Bible #Faith

I keep thinking about Jenny Lind’s song in The Greatest Showman…

All the shine of a thousand spotlights
All the stars we steal from the night sky
Will never be enough
Never be enough
Towers of gold are still too little
These hands could hold the world but it’ll
Never be enough … for me.

And my heart keeps thinking…

Maybe it’s not supposed to be.

Maybe there really is nothing that can fill up that hole in our hearts and maybe it has less to do with them and more to do with us.

If you’re like me … you take that “never enough” feeling and blame yourself. You feel unworthy. You wonder what you should have done differently. You dwell on every little flaw and fault and desperately want someone to make it better.

But the expectation isn’t fair, really!

Because no one … NO ONE … can fill the hole in our hearts that God created for Himself.

God’s perfect love is the only thing that can satisfy us … His is the only love that truly is ENOUGH!

And yet, even though I know that is true with every bit of my being, I still have times when I’m a little too introspective and needy … times when I find myself lacking because I’ve questioned how God could love a total mess like me.

You too?

Today, I’m asking God to help me seek Him first when I need the assurance of love. I’m asking Him to fill me to overflowing with His perfect unfailing love.

5 Verses to Pray When You Need to be Sure of God’s Love

God is love. God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:8b–10

Father, You are love … REAL LOVE! And you showed us just how You love by sacrificing everything for us … for me.

The truth is Father, I don’t feel very lovable most of the time. I know I’m a mess. I fail You and the people I love every day. Those who love me … let me down and I feel unlovable.

But then You remind me that Your love is not determined by how I feel or what I do, Your love is an amazing and undeserved gift. You give me everything I need today and promise me that I will spend eternity in Your presence. Your grace, mercy, and love overwhelm me. Thank you! Amen.

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.
2 Thessalonians 2:16–17

Father, Jesus said … He must return to You so that You would send the Holy Spirit. The One who comforts me and gives me hope. The One who strengthens me and guides me with Your truth. The One who gifts me with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” The One who makes possible any good thing I say and do.

I can’t imagine living even one day without Your Spirit’s help. Thank you for loving me so much that I don’t have to figure this life out on my own. Thank you for a love that will never leave me or forsake me. Amen.

May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Ephesians 3:18–19

Father, please help me keep my eyes on You … even when life is hard. When people and circumstances have disappointed me. Please help me run to You quickly, when I need Your forgiveness because I’ve messed things up again!

Your love is deep and high and long and wide. It is beyond my power to understand even when I keep my heart and mind focused and seek You first. When I don’t … oh Father, it’s ugly.

I need You! Forgive me. Help me. And grant me the fullness of life and power that only Your love can give. Amen.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38–39

Father, how I need to carry these words in my heart constantly.

Nothing can separate me from Your love! NOTHING!

You were separated from Jesus as He suffered on the cross for me so I would never have to experience the misery of being separated from You.

Your love sustains and strengthens me. When the enemy taunts me with fear and worry, help me remember that You are with me and You are greater than anything this world can throw at me.

Nothing can separate me from Your love! Nothing!

Thank you! Thank you! Amen.

Each day the Lord pours His unfailing love upon me and through each night I sing His songs praying to God who gives me life.
Psalm 42:8

Every day, Father, You faithfully pour Your perfect love over me. Nothing in this life compares to Your love. And yet, You have graced us with relationships that give us a taste, however imperfect, of the spectacular beauty found in this gift You call love! Thank you!

May I live each day telling others about Your love. May I be blessed to show them Your love, and although I know I do so imperfectly … please, speak over them the truth of who You are and how much You love them.

And Father, may I spend every day for the rest of my life singing songs of praise and thanking You for who You are … for You are LOVE!

In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

You can be sure God loves you!

Your heart may be bursting with the love of family and friends today.

Or…

You may be hurting and longing because love has let you down.

Whatever your heart feels…

You can be sure of God’s love!

He died for you! He lives for you! Nothing can separate you from His love … not today – not ever! His love fills the heavens and earth. And through His love He is giving you all you need to live each day.

Now that’s a truth to hold on to! AMEN?!

This Week’s Friday Favorites

Highlight Posts of the Week!

I Dare You: Buy the Flowers by Kaitlyn Bouchillon @ It Just Takes One

I Dare You: But the Flowers

by and @ Kaitlyn Bouchillon

He Calls You Beautiful

by Leah Hughes
@ Life, Love, and Littles

AND the…

Faith ‘n Friends Link Party

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I’m so glad you’re here!

This is a place to share faith, make friends, and have fun.

I’d love to connect with you on social media!

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Deb Wolf
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No More Rules Link Party

Add 1-2 of your favorite faith/life posts.
Then just make friends and have fun.
You know they love it when you stop by and say “hello.”

I would really appreciate it if you would
Grab my Link Party Button above and link back to CMB.

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Thank you so much for partying with us!
May your week be blessed with faith, love, and friendship!

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and pray over the list left by our friends.

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Have you visited the Faith ‘n Friends Link Party Board on Pinterest? It’s a great place to catch up with past posts you may have missed here at the party and/or save them for a future read! If you’d like to become a contributor to my Pinterest Group Boards – email me at deb@debwolf.com with a link to your Pinterest home page.

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Thank you and God bless!

When You Need to Be Sure God Loves You

2 / 11 / 192 / 11 / 19

Love…

It’s a fickle thing, isn’t it?

We don’t want it to be. In fact, most people are desperately looking for a love that is guaranteed to last.

Oh, we promise to love our spouse forever but nearly half of all marriages end in divorce. We hope our families will remain united and loving from one generation to the next but we all know that doesn’t always happen. We believe our besties will see us through no matter what but…

Love is a fickle thing. Imperfect people love imperfectly. But God loves you perfectly. Here are 4 Ways that will show you just how much! #Godislove #Bible #Faith #ChristianCommunity #BlessingCounter

So, have I cheered you up yet?

You’re probably thinking … what in the world is wrong with her. Aren’t we supposed to be all warm and fuzzy as we talk about love this week?

Well…

You know I wouldn’t start this discussion if I couldn’t give you hope and tell you about the perfect unfailing love that is forever and no matter what…

God Loves You Always and No Matter What

The other night I found myself wide awake for a couple of hours pondering and praying about what to write here … a relatively common occurrence for me.

Anyway…

I didn’t sense any clear direction so I finally gave up and went back to sleep.

But the next morning as I sat and read my scheduled Bible Reading, God whispered … “this is how much I love you!”

4 Ways You Can Be Sure God Loves You

1. God loves you – He sees you. He hears you. And He rescues you when the time is right!

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey
Exodus 3:7–8

God’s people had been suffering under slavery and genocide. And it was time to act. Moses had been raised in the house of Pharaoh and understood the ways of the Egyptians.

But God had also allowed him to live for years as a shepherd and nomad to teach him all he needed to know to lead the Children of Israel through their wilderness wanderings.

Whatever you are going through, whatever has you burdened and enslaved … when you cry out to God you can be sure He sees, He hears, and He is preparing a way to help you.

2. God Loves You – at the perfect time He saved you.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
John 3:16–17

God not only showed how much He loves … He proved He is the very definition of love.

Perfect self-sacrificing love!

Love that saves and promises a future filled with hope.

And what does He ask in return?

That you and I would believe in His one and only Son, Jesus!

I love the way the Life Application Bible defines belief…

To believe is more than intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. It means to put our trust and confidence in Him that He alone can save us. It is to put Christ Jesus in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny. Believing is both trusting His words as reliable and relying on Him for the power to change.
Life Application Bible Notes John 3:16

God’s love not only provides for our eternal future … His love provides a way to make today better, too.

3. God loves you – He gave you His Holy Spirit Inspired trustworthy Word so you might be able to know Him.

For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love.
Psalm 33:4–5

I believe the Bible is a miracle.

The Bible was written:

over a 1500 year span (from 1400 B.C to A.D. 100)
over 40 generations
over 40 authors from many walks of life (i.e. – kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars)
in different places (i.e. – wilderness, dungeon, palaces)
at different times (i.e. – war, peace)
in different moods (i.e. – heights of joy, depths of despair)
on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe)
in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek)
~ Bible Facts – All About God

And…

Through all those details … from Genesis to Revelation, the message. of the Bible points to one single message … God loves you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus!

There will always be people who try to “edit” it’s words and their meaning. Argue the accuracy of the message because of time and translations. Dispute the motives and intentions of those who put the canon together. Debate inaccuracies and inconsistencies. And challenge it all based on “science.”

But that eliminates the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter wrote:

You must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
2 Peter 1:20–21

I believe … that same Holy Spirit is the one who still affirms, “the Word of the Lord is right and true!”

4. God loves you – He will give you everything you need each day.

Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”
Exodus 4:11–12

Moses response was…

“Lord, please! Send anyone else.”
Exodus 4:13

The Life Application Bible Notes say…

It is easy for us to focus on our weaknesses, but if God asks us to do something, then He will help us get the job done. If the job involves some of our weak areas, then we can trust that He will provide words, strength, courage, and ability where needed.

Whatever God asks or allows He will give you and me everything we need one day at a time.

I”ll admit, I have to remind myself often that my needs are not determined by my wants.

The Life Application Notes offer a great set of questions to ask when you feel like you don’t have what you need…

Is this really a need?
It is really good for me?
Is this the best time for me to have this?

Even when you and I answer “yes” to all three questions, it’s important to remember that our greatest needs are spiritual and eternal. And God’s “no” or “wait” may be exactly what we need to grow closer and more dependent on Him.

God’s grace, mercy, and love!

Love between imperfect people is … well, imperfect.

But God’s love…

Sees, hears, and rescues.
Saves from sin, death, and satan’s power.
Is in His Word so people might know Him.
And meets the needs of His children every single day!

That’s not just how much He loves people … God wants you to know, that’s how much He loves you!

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

The Wonderful Truth about Who You are in Jesus

10 / 18 / 187 / 29 / 20

I don’t know about you, but I can be my own worst enemy.

Why is it so much easier to think about what I’m not rather remembering who I am?

And you’d think after years of experience with this bad habit, I’d have learned a thing or two about consistently taking negative thoughts captive and replacing them with God’s truth.

That I’d be better at thinking less about who I am and more about whose I am!

So, I’m making a list. One I can grab any time I need a truth pep talk.

Seriously, I don’t believe God wants me to sit around dwelling on who I’m not when He has given me all I need to remember who I am in Him.

Maybe you struggle too! Maybe you, like me, need a regular reminder that…

We have the presence of His Spirit.

Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

Think about that for a minute. You and I have the Spirit of the Living God dwelling within us! And I for one, am ready to quit pushing His voice to the background while I waste time listening to the lies that defeat and discourage me.

It’s time to make a more permanent change. So, I’m making a list of God’s promises to help me. I hope it helps you too!

And as you read through the list of verses, put your name or a personal pronoun in each blank…

The Wonderful Truth about Who You are in Jesus

Who You are in Jesus:

♥ You are Known – God Thinks about You

How precious are your thoughts about ________, O God. They cannot be numbered! Psalm 139:17

♥ You are Loved

I am writing to ________, who has been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ. Jude 1:1

♥ You are a Child of God

But to _________, who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become a child of God. You are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. John 1:12–13

♥ You are a Friend of Jesus

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command … Now ________ is my friend, since I have told you everything the Father told me. John 15:13–15

♥ You are a New Creation

If _________ belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NCV)

__________ has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

♥ You are Chosen and Holy

Even before He made the world, God loved ________ and chose _________ in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. Ephesians 1:4

♥ You are Chosen and Loved

God loves _________ and has chosen you to be His own people. 1 Thessalonians 1:4

♥ You are Dead to Sin and Alive in Christ

When He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God. So ________ also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Romans 6:10–11

♥ You are a Citizen of Heaven

________ is a citizen of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. Philippians 3:20

♥ You are God’s Masterpiece

For ________ is God’s masterpiece. He has created ________ anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

♥ You have God’s Peace to Guard Your Heart and Mind

Then ________ will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

♥ You have Strength for Life

________ can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

♥ You are Victorious

Can anything ever separate ________ from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ________ through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:35, 37

♥ You are Forever Safe in God’s Love

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate ________ from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither ________ fears for today nor _______ worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate ________ from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate _________ from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38–39

You know it’s funny…

When you and I focus on ourselves, on our faults and failures, it’s easy to get lost in the negatives … in what we’re not. But when we take those heart and mind discouraging thoughts captive and replace them with the truth…

The truth of who you are in Jesus.
The truth of who I am in Jesus.

Then and only then do we have everything we need.

Because we are known and loved, a child of God, a friend of Jesus, a new creation, chosen, loved, and holy, a citizen of heaven, and God’s masterpiece. And we have everything we need to live fully alive in His presence. We have strength, peace, victory, and we are forever safe!

Forever!

Whew! I need to keep this close and change my thoughts more quickly because in Jesus … it is well with my soul. And it’s well with my heart and mind, too!

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

Verses to Pray When You Need to be Sure God Loves You

8 / 9 / 187 / 29 / 20

Earlier this week, I shared a post about an email exchange I had with a reader who said…

“I’ve had a problem all of my adult years. I’ve been unable to feel God’s love.”

You can read the rest here.

I could relate to her email … I’ve had times when God felt distant and I doubted His love, times when life didn’t make sense and answers seemed distant.

Something I learned this week is that most of you can relate to the faith/feelings conundrum, too!

My earlier post shared a list of things I believe you and I need to know and do when the enemy taunts us with doubts that discourage and overwhelm us.

Be Honest with Yourself and God.
Take Your Doubts to God in Prayer.
Live Your Faith Until You Feel God’s Love.

Today I want to focus on #2 and pray…

Verses to Pray When You Need to be Sure God Loves You

God loves you!

Psalm 13:1–2

O Lord, how long will You forget me? Forever? How long will You look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

Father, thank you for showing us the honest men of faith throughout Scripture. Even David, “the man after God’s [Your] own heart” experienced times of doubt, times when You seemed distant.

I believe You want me to be honest about my feelings. I believe You want me to come to You with anything that troubles my heart or mind. I believe You hear my prayers and I believe You love me.

Thank you, Father! Please hold me close. Give me a sense of Your presence and love. “Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief.” In Jesus name. Amen.

God loves you!

Romans 8:38

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us
from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither our fears for today
nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the
powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

Father, Your Word tells me that You are love and You are with me … nothing in this world can separate me from Your perfect unfailing love. Forgive me, Father! Although I know Your Word is truth, I am still prone to fear and worry — things that distract me and tempt me to doubt Your promises. But Lord, no matter how I feel, nothing can ever change who You are. You are LOVE! I can trust You … today, tomorrow, and forever. Thank you! Amen.

God loves you!

Psalm 86:5–7

O Lord, You are so good, so ready to forgive,
so full of unfailing love for all who ask for Your help.
Listen closely to my prayer,
O Lord; hear my urgent cry.
I will call on You whenever I’m in trouble,
and You will answer me.

Father, thank you for every word of hope and promise, for faith-filled prayers of people like David, for examples that show me I can come to You with the rawness of my life … with my regrets and worries, doubts and fears. You love me and hear the cries of my heart. Thank you. Lord, may I remember to pray without ceasing, and may I come to You with my praise and gratitude more than I cry out for solutions and intervention.

You are love. Perfect love.

By Your grace and the power of Your Spirit, help me trust Your promises. Remove my doubt and fill me with the truth of Your Word. I will hold Your promises in my heart and remember that You are: patient and kind, forgiving and merciful, holy and just. Your love is a fact greater than my feelings. Thank you! Amen.

God loves you!

Lamentations 3:22–23

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.

Father, thank you for Your never-ending, unfailing love. Thank you for mercy that will never stop no matter how I feel or what I’ve done. Thank you for giving me a fresh start each morning.

I surrender my feelings to You today. I give You my doubts, my fears, my insecurities. Fill my heart and mind with Your truth. Help my faith to grow and may my feelings overflow with heartfelt love for You … the One who loves me most and best as You cover me with underserved mercy and grace. I love You, Lord. Thank you! Amen.

God loves you!

Psalm 23:6

Surely Your goodness and unfailing love
will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

Father, You are good. Your love never fails. And because of Your perfect goodness and love, You pursue me. You work in my life in ways that are always for my good and for Your glory. Open my eyes that I might see the mighty and beautiful things You are doing in my life. Fill me with the things of Your Spirit – with faith, hope, and love.

Give me an eternal perspective Lord, full of hope and promise knowing that I can trust You completely. Whatever my feelings, nothing will change who You are … Holy and Perfect Lord of lords and King of kings, Creator, Redeemer, Comforter, Father, and Friend.

Thanks and praise now and forever. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Friend, the truth is … our hearts and minds deceive us. We’ve been told to “trust our guts” even though we know gut feelings are less than reliable.

But we have someone in our lives who is perfectly reliable. Someone who loves us so much He died to show us…

I read the following in my Life Application Bible Notes this week…

If the Bible makes no other point, it shouts this one: God loves us! His love had no beginning and is incredibly patient. All we need to do is respond, not try to earn what is freely offered.

God has said in many ways, “I love you. I have demonstrated that love to you by all I’ve done for you. I have even sacrificed my Son, Jesus, to pay the price for what is unacceptable about you—your sin. Now, live because of my love. Respond to me, love me with your whole being; give yourself to me in thanksgiving, not as payment.” [The price has already been paid!]

Live life fully. In the freedom of knowing you are loved!

No matter how you and I feel, the fact is … God loves you!

Have a wonderful weekend and rest in the Father’s perfect love!

Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

Things You Need to Know When You Don’t Feel God’s Love

8 / 6 / 188 / 13 / 18

Earlier this summer I received the following email from a reader…

I’ve had a problem all of my adult years. I’ve been unable to feel God’s love. He is always very remote for me. I have almost constant feelings of guilt. I try to be a Christ-like person, but too often fall short in my thoughts. I have a very difficult time getting rid of unChirstlike thoughts, When someone hurts me, I try to forgive, yet I ruminate on the injury. I just can’t stop the thoughts so I feel like I’m displeasing God. I feel his disapproval. I read scriptures to help me. I have many memorized. I have whole chapters of scriptures memorized. I pray and read the scriptures daily. I do good things, yet those feelings remain. I attend church every Sunday.

I just wondered if you had any suggestions. Maybe it’s lack of faith on my part and I just need to accept that God loves me as I am.

I replied to her email with the following…

I’m so often humbled by God’s timing as He works in our lives. I found myself nodding as I read through your words because I can so relate to times when I long for an extra measure of the feeling of God’s love and He seems silent.

One thing I know for sure – God loves you and He is with you! You are seeking Him and He promises that He will be found by those who seek Him. And that He is with them.

I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me! Jeremiah 29:11–13

“Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

These are the verses I hold close when I don’t feel God’s love or His closeness in my life.

I’m certain of this as well. It is Satan, the enemy of our souls, who wants you to doubt God’s love and presence; he is the one who wants you to doubt God’s forgiveness and continue to struggle with guilt.

God promises that if you and I repent … He forgives us. He promises His love and presence. I remind myself that even when I don’t feel Him with me. He is.

A Scripture I turn to and trust is Psalm 139.

O Lord, You have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!

I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from Your presence!

You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in Your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered
I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
You are still with me!
v. 1–7, 16–18

You are are seeking Him and doing all the things you should be doing to grow closer to Him. You are doing the things that honor Him and please Him. Try not to let your feelings get in the way – He is pleased with you and He loves you! You can trust His promises.

Thank you so much for reaching out! It is always a blessing to hear from one of my readers.

God bless you! Deb

I’ve thought about this email exchange often since and wondered if you might also have times when God seems silent … when you don’t feel His love. So, I made a list of things I want to do when my feelings and faith fall flat.

Things to Do When You Don’t Feel God’s Love

1. Be Honest with Yourself and with God

I love that you and I can turn to the pages of Scripture and find many examples of men and women who honestly struggled as they walked with God. Even David, the “man after God’s own heart” honestly voiced His feelings of emptiness and longing.

O Lord, how long will You forget me? Forever?
How long will You look the other way?
How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
Psalm 13:1–2

2. Take it to God in Prayer

And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. 1 John 5:14

You and I can be confident that God wants us to seek Him, to grow in faith, to trust His love, and to experience His loving presence. When we pray to know and love Him more, we can be assured that He will not only hear our prayers … He will work in our lives to grant our request.

3. Live Your Faith Until You Feel God’s Love

When you and I can’t feel God’s loving presence – it’s important to remember feelings are just that … they’re feelings. They are not necessarily the truth.

God is always with us. So, even when our faith feels small—God is near.

I love the account in Mark 9:17–29 – Jesus’ disciples had been trying unsuccessfully to deliver a boy from an evil spirit.

As Jesus approached them, the father of the boy pleads, “Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

Jesus answered, “What do you mean, ‘If I can’? Anything is possible if a person believes.”

And then my favorite part…

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

Jesus responded by healing his son.

I believe the most important thing you and I need to remember is…

God’s love is a fact not a feeling!

God is love! 1 John 4:8

Our feelings don’t, they won’t, they can’t, change God’s love.

While you and I were still sinners – God sent Jesus!

God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:9–10

He promises His love is never-ending.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:22–23

And that nothing can separate us from His love.

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38

So, where does that leave you and me?

Thanking and praising God – for His faithful forever love!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

That’s a prayer and a promise to hold close to our hearts each and every day!

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

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When You Need to Know You are Forgiven and Loved

4 / 23 / 184 / 24 / 18

I need God’s forgiveness!

No matter how hard I try, I mess up the obedience and love part of my life every single day!

I don’t obey God the way He wants me to. I don’t even obey Him the way I want to.

I tell Him how much I love Him but with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength … I fall short again and again.

Remember Paul’s words…

I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Romans 7:18

Yeah, that’s me!

Maybe, like me, you ask God for His forgiveness but continue to beat yourself up over your weaknesses and failures … especially those things you keep on doing even though you know better and desperately want to stop.

If so…

Let’s take a look at God’s word of truth…

When You Need to Know You are Forgiven and Loved

The first thing you and I need to remember is God is the perfect Father…

♥ God made you and loves you so very much!

He does not hold your sins against you. He wants to forgive you … so much so, that He sent Jesus to suffer your punishment and mine. He suffered and died to pay the price that set us free!

“I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you. I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.” Isaiah 44:21b–22

Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ.
Oswald Chambers

♥ God wants us to surrender our failures to Him.

Why?

Because when you and I confess and repent…

We agree with God that our failures are sins that go against His will.
We take an honest assessment of our lives and realize our need for Him.
We acknowledge our sorrow for what we’ve done or what we’ve failed to do.
We ask Him to give us the desire and help we need to obey Him in the future.
We admit that we are totally dependent on God … we need Him.

Confession and repentance are the flat-out falling of the sinner before the Savior. It humbly recognizes that He is King of kings and Lord of lords, that He is God and well, we are not.

And the good news is…

If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9

And it’s not only a washing away the marks of sin, but it’s also … the power of the Holy Spirit to change stony, stubborn hearts into kind, responsive hearts.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Ezekiel 36:26–27

How cool is that?!

♥ You and I are more than just forgiven; we are new creations!

Through Jesus death and resurrection and through the power of His Spirit, you and I have a new perspective and a new heart.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17

We are being made new every day. We have a new covenant … a promise, written on our hearts that gives us a personal relationship with the God of the universe.

We belong to God!

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1a

If you’re like me, though, you still have past failures/sins that haunt your thoughts and wear you down.

If so, this is the best news of all…

♥ Sins that have been confessed and repented are forgiven and gone for good!

We don’t need to wallow in self-loathing and memorialized guilt.

Even when our faith is weak, our conscience is sensitive, and memories haunt us God’s word affirms that through Jesus every confessed sin is gone for good!

I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Psalm 32:5

His love is as high as the heavens and His forgiveness is as far as the east is from the west.

He does not punish us for all our sins;
He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
Psalm 103:10–12

I love this quote!

“Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.” ~ George MacDonald

That’s it! LIFE! NEW LIFE! REDEEMED LIFE!

♥ You and I can LIVE celebrating God’s forgiveness and love.

Jesus is both willing and able to forgive us. It’s not some reward He holds in front of us trying to get us to do better.

It’s a gift of love.

Love confirmed on a cross two thousand years ago.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Love so complete it has one desire…

“The desire of His heart is always restoration – not condemnation. When we truly repent, God will forgive us.” Mary Southerland

When you and I struggle with guilt. When it’s hard to let go and move on … stop and remember just how much God loves you.

He is greater than your feelings.

He is your loving, forgiving, heart changing Giver of LIFE!

That my friend is a reason to celebrate with joy!

Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
Psalm 32:1 and Romans 4:7

And if for just a moment you’re thinking…

You don’t understand. You don’t know what I’ve done. You don’t know how far I’ve fallen away. How I’ve ignored and neglected Him.

Read these words from Charles Stanley…

“When you stray from His presence, He longs for you to come back. He weeps that you are missing out on His love, protection and provision. He throws His arms open, runs toward you, gathers you up, and welcomes you home.” ~ Charles Stanley

One of my favorite parables is the story of the Prodigal Son.

The image of the Father watching and waiting for His son to return home. The picture of Him running to embrace the child who had rejected His love and squandered His blessings.

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20

That’s the Father who loves us!

May you and I keep returning home in humble repentance knowing we are forgiven and loved … the celebration of LIFE is just beginning!

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

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I LOVE hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

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This is for You – the One Exhausted by Life

2 / 26 / 182 / 26 / 18

Yes, I’m talking to you! You’ve poured yourself into your family and friends. You’ve worked your tail off and you’ve got nothin’ left.

You are poured out! Exhausted by life!

If you’re like me … you feel guilty, too.

Because you love your people!

And even though you’re running on fumes … there’s no quitting, no giving up. You will keep doing what you need to do no matter how hard it is.

So, I’m sharing the best advice I’ve been given over the years … the things that helped me most. Well, they helped when I remembered to do them.

3 Helpful Tips for the One Who’s Exhausted by Life

When You’re Exhausted by Life

1. Fill Your Spiritual, Physical, and Emotional Tank

Spend time alone with God

It’s easy for me to set my quiet time aside when life gets crazy . . . but that’s when I need it most. When I’m exhausted by life, I need time alone with God most.

I love both the BibleGateway and YouVersion Apps. They are full of reading plans and devotions that will fit any season of the year or of your life.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Eat a healthy diet.

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” ~Jim Rohn

When I’m exhausted I crave sugar and junk food. Gotta love that sugar rush. Right?! But I’ve learned I have more energy and feel better when I stick to a natural diet plan full of fruits, vegetables, and protein.

Take time to rest.

It’s better to cross a few activities off your list than to regularly deny yourself the sleep you need. And if you have little ones that get up during the night … do your best to nap when they do or go to bed a little earlier. I was always tempted to try to get something done when they were sleeping but the truth is most things can wait … get some sleep!

“Sleep deprivation is an illegal torture method outlawed by the Geneva Convention and international courts, but most of us do it to ourselves.” ~Ryan Hurd

Set aside time for fun with family and friends.

There is something about laughter that energizes me like nothing else. It’s a wonderful way to put stress aside and forget what’s troubling me . . . even if it’s just for a little while.

“How would your life be different if… you decided to give freely, love fully, and play feverously? Let today be the day you free yourself from the conditioned rules that limit your happiness and dilute the beautiful life experience. Have fun. Give – Love – Play!” ~Steve Maraboli

Simplify where possible.

Rev and I simplified and organized before, during, and after our move last year. We love it! Keeping our surroundings simplified gives us less to take care of and worry about. We used the Kon-Mari method and asked one simple question of every item in our home … Does it bring me joy?

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” ~Hans Hofmann

Fill your day with worship

Praise God for who He is and for all He does. Turn on your favorite worship tunes and sing with your heart and mind focused on just how very much your Father loves you. A simple act of praise and worship can fill your spirit with joy, energy, and God’s all-sufficient grace to do what you need to do.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:1–3

When You’re Exhausted by Life

2. Set Clear and Specific Boundaries

Know God’s will.

Know God’s yeses and nos. Know what He approves and what He doesn’t. Ask Him to make His will evident in your life and then follow where He leads you.

“My dreams had to be His dreams, the ones He placed in my heart. They couldn’t be the ones I thought I should have, or needed for the purpose of making other people like me.” ~Stormie Omartian

Know and live your priorities.

You can’t be and do everything for everyone. Write a mission statement and live by it. Plan. Set goals. Know your best “yes” so you can say no when necessary.

“You have a purpose in life. You know in your heart what’s most important to you. In fact, your mission and values are expressed every day, by how you live–you just may not realize it.” ~Stephen Covey

Be willing to say “no.”

Saying “no” is hard for me. I don’t like disappointing anyone. But living out too many yeses stresses me out and makes me cranky and miserable. Most people would rather hear my “no” now, than deal with my crankiness later.

“I know saying ‘no’ is hard now but you’ll only have to feel bad for a little while. If you say ‘yes’ you’ll worry and feel bad until the event, through it, and probably long after. I think I’d rather shorten the misery.” ~A Very Wise Friend

Guard your heart and mind.

Limit your time on social media and the news, and avoid gossip altogether … both personal and celebrity. Choose your entertainment carefully. Consider the possibility that what you are putting into your mind may be a huge source of your stress and anxiety.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

Set happiness boundaries.

Simply put … you are not responsible for someone else’s happiness and they are not responsible for yours.

Trying to please everyone is a recipe for stress and frustration. You can’t control other people’s happiness. Live for God’s glory and let the rest play out as it will. ~ Me

When You’re Exhausted by Life

3. Live for God’s Glory

Live for an audience of One.

Living for God’s glory has as much or more to do with my attitude than it does my actions. I want my attitude to come from a heart’s desire to glorify God in everything and then follow through with actions that follow His will. It’s a huge goal. One I am only able to even begin to do…

When I keep my eyes on Jesus and make obedience my heart’s desire … I can do all things through Christ because He gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 (NCV)

With Jesus’ help, I can do what I need to do and say no to all the things I don’t! And with His help, I can know which is which!

“I don’t believe there is one great thing I was made to do in this world. I believe there is one great God I was made to glorify. And there will be many ways, even a million little ways, I will declare His glory with my life.” ~Emily P. Freeman

Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name goes all the glory
for Your unfailing love and faithfulness.
Psalm 115:1

So, if you’re someone who read the title of this post and said, “Yes, I’m exhausted by life!”

Don’t give up!

It takes determined and intentional effort which I know is hard when you’re tapped out … but you can do it and oh, it is so worth it!

Write the 3 tips on a note card and use them as a bookmark in your Bible…

I will make choices to fill my spiritual, physical and emotional tank.
I will set clear and specific boundaries for myself.
I will live each day for the glory of God.

With God’s help and by His grace you and I can have the wisdom and strength we need to live today for His glory!

“We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to live all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about.” ~ R. C. Sproul

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10 Ways God’s Love is Perfect, Unconditional, and Unfailing

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John wrote, “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” 1 John 4:16

Not just that He loves but He is love!

The Bible says God’s love is perfect.

The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Exodus 34:6

Unconditional.

But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:4–5

And unfailing.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

It’s amazing, isn’t it?

No matter what you and I have done. No matter where we’ve been. No matter how we feel.

Maybe you need to hear these words today…

You are loved – perfectly, unconditionally, and unfailingly.

God loves us simply because love is who He is. Love comes first!

But…

Even though I know the verses and the songs I still have days’ when I don’t feel very lovable. When memories of missteps and failures leave me doubting.

So, I’m taking His Word and making it personal. Maybe it’s the encouragement you need today, too.

10 Ways God’s Love is Perfect, Unconditional, and Unfailing

God’s Love is Self-sacrificing

This is how much God loved (insert your name): He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. John 3:16 (NLT)

God Made Me in His Image

God spoke:“Let us make (your name) in our image and likeness. Genesis 1:26 (NLT)

God Calls Me by My Name

He says, “Don’t be afraid because I have saved you. I have called you by name (your name), and you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 (NCV)

God Calls Me Good

God looked over everything He had made (your name); it was so good, so very good! Genesis 1:31 (MSG)

God Knows Everything About Me

You know me (your name) inside and out, You know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Psalm 139:15

He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! Matthew 10:30

God Cares About My Circumstance

Is anyone crying for help? God is listening; If (your name) heart is broken, you’ll find God right there. Psalm 34:17-18 (NLT)

God Has Plans for My Future

I say this because I know what I am planning for you, (your name)” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

Nothing Can Remove God’s Love for Me

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate (your name) from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38–39 (NLT)

God’s Love For Me is Forever

Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens. Psalm 89:2 (NLT)

God’s Love Gives Me Life

So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in Your strength and glory. In Your generous love, I am really living at last! My lips brim praises like fountains. I bless You every time I take a breath; My arms wave like banners of praise to You. Psalm 63:1-4 (NLT)

A full life today and eternal life in His presence.

Perfect LOVE

“Nothing can separate you from God’s love absolutely nothing. God is enough for time, God is enough for eternity. God is enough!” ~ Hannah Whitall Smith

Unconditional LOVE

“God wants us to know that His love is unconditional, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us while we were still unlovable sinners. We didn’t have to get clean, and we didn’t have to make any promises to God before we could experience His love. His love for us has always existed, and because of that, He did all the giving and sacrificing long before we were even aware that we needed His love.” ~ All About God

Unfailing LOVE

“God’s unfailing love for us is an objective fact affirmed over and over in the Scriptures. It is true whether we believe it or not. Our doubts do not destroy God’s love, nor does our faith create it. It originates in the very nature of God, who is love, and it flows to us through our union with His beloved Son.” ~ Jerry Bridges

What a blessing to know that no matter how you and I feel, even when we fail and doubt, God’s love is perfect, unconditional, and unfailing. That is something to celebrate!

How will you celebrate God’s love today?

For additional verses to encourage you, check out … 90 Bible Verses about Love.

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5 Verses to Pray When You Are Overwhelmed

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When you are overwhelmed - PRAY! Verses and prayers that will help you surrender your overwhelmed feelings and trust in God. #MentalHealth #Hope #FeelingOverwhelmed #WWGGG #CountingMyBlessings

“Sometimes when we get overwhelmed we forget how big God is.”
~ AW Tozer

It’s true, isn’t it?

When hurricanes hit literally or figuratively it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

One of the things I tend to forget when my life feels out of (my) control and I’m tangled in a web of confusion and frustration is that God is bigger than my overwhelming storm.

So often, I end up wondering why I let anxiety spin out of control when the peace of God’s presence is only a prayer away . . . knowing that He is able to calm my anxious heart and give me hope.

I’m holding these verses and prayers close for the next time I’m feeling overwhelmed…

5 Verses to Pray When You Are Overwhelmed

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on Him
because He cares for you. (NIV)

Father, You are Lord of all creation. Everything is under Your command and control. And yet, Your Word says You see me. You know the number of hairs on my head. You’re are able to handle the greatest problem and care about the smallest detail. Thank you! I am overwhelmed about _________. I want to surrender my worry and trust that You walk before me to guide me, beside me to strengthen me, and behind me to guard me. Help me, Father. In Jesus name, Amen.

Psalm 55:22

Give your burdens to the Lord,
and He will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. (NLT)

Father, It’s hard to breathe. Busyness and anxiety deplete me. I’m exhausted. And I’m sorry because I know that’s not Your plan for me. So, here I am laying my burdens at Your feet. Show me Your will and make me a better steward my time, my money, and my relationships. I need You, Father. There are so many commitments vying for my time and attention. Help me make wise choices. I can’t do it all but I can with Your help, accomplish Your plans and purposes for me. Amen.

Psalm 142:1–3a

I cry out to the Lord;
I plead for the Lord’s mercy.
I pour out my complaints before Him
and tell Him all my troubles.
When I am overwhelmed,
You alone know the way I should turn. (NLT)

Oh, Father, sometimes I’m overwhelmed by life that just happens to me but too often I’m overwhelmed by circumstances of my own making. Forgive me. I want to make wise choices. So, I come to You for mercy . . . humbled that I can come to You even when I’m overwhelmed by my own choices. I turn to You, asking You into every detail of my life trusting You will guide me by the power of Your Spirit. Amen.

Isaiah 40:28–29

Have you never heard?
    Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
    No one can measure the depths of His understanding.
He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless. (NLT)

Father, When I am tired; You are not. When I am overwhelmed; You are not. When I don’t know what to do; You know and guide me. When I am weak; You are strong. Thank you, Father. This truth is too great to fully understand; yet, is gives peace to my overwhelmed mind and heart. I can rest in Your promises and love. Amen.

Romans 8:37–38

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. (NLT)

Father, One thing is important . . . when I am overwhelmed, Jesus is the Rock on which I stand. Nothing can change that. Whatever happens in this life . . . Your love wins and lasts forever and always. Nothing can ever take it away. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Father, You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(Oceans by Hillsong United)

Lay your overwhelm down and trust the One who loves You and able to help You through and give you His peace. You are His and He is more than able.

What verse do you hold close when you’re overwhelmed?

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