How Being Deeply Rooted in God’s Love Will Bless You Every Day

The Bible says that when you and I are deeply rooted in God's love we will experience a fullness of life and power from God. That's a blessing to celebrate. #Godslove #PowerofGod #Blessings #Faith

I love trees! There is just something about watching trees reach higher into the heavens each and every year. I love the bright green and occasional blossoms of spring, the rich deep green of summer, and the reds, oranges, and yellows that paint the leaves in the fall. And I’m always a little sad to see the bare branches as they stretch their lanky arms into the frosty air during the winter.

Our neighbors have a couple of huge maple trees that spread a beautiful canopy over our yards providing shade and comfort for people, birds, and squirrels.

One of the things that always fascinates me about large majestic trees is the fact that the root system below the ground is typically two to three times large than the tree we see above . . . roots needed to make the tree stable and provide it with essential nutrition and water.

I think that’s what Paul was getting at when he wrote:

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And 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 3:17–19

If you and I hope to experience the fullness of life and power we want and that God wants for us . . . we need to sink our roots deep into His tremendous love.

Rev and I have been blessed to know many deeply rooted people of faith. Friends who have inspired us with their reliance on and love for the Lord.

And do you know what they all had in common?

A love for God’s Word, a commitment to prayer and worship, and the desire to simply “be still and know” the Lover of their soul.

A Prayer to Be Deeply Rooted in God’s Love

Father, Thank you for the beauty of creation and for the countless lessons You teach us through the things You have made. Thank you for Jesus. And thank you for Your Word and for the ways Your Spirit assures me of Your love. Thank you for telling me that because of my faith and Your love, Jesus has made His home in my heart. Thank you for wanting me to know and experience the width, length, height, and depth of Your faithful and unfailing love. Thank you for wanting me to live each day empowered by You.

Please prompt me by Your Spirit to make spending time in Your Word and in prayer and worship a priority. Help me pause . . . to “be still and know” Your will for me. Surround me with Your love and give me everything I need to stand strong when the storms of life try to uproot me.

And Lord, I pray this for the people I love. May we all know and love You fully, may we experience Your strength and power to withstand temptation and trust Your will. May we all celebrate the blessings of Your love every day. You are the Lover of our souls . . . may we be all that You created us to be. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

5 Ways Being Deeply Rooted in God’s Love Will Bless You

Being deeply rooted in God’s love will…

give you strength to trust God’s will.
help you weather life’s storms.
give you what you need to experience God’s love.
help you obey even when it’s hard.
fill you with faith and hope.

Are you tired of feeling shaken by every storm that blows by?

Sink your roots down deep into God’s love. A love that the Life Application Bible Notes add is:

Wide – it covers the breadth of our own experience and reaches out to the whole world.
Long – it continues the length of our lives.
High – it rises to the heights of our celebration and elation.
Deep – it reaches to the depths of our discouragement, despair, and even death.

God’s love is faithful and unfailing.

His unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 117:2

The deeper our roots the more you and I will be “made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

On today’s note write:

Deep roots that grow down into God’s love give me strength.

May God bless you today as you grow in His love through His Word, prayer, and worship. May you “be still and know” the Lover of your soul.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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How God Showed Me My Need for His Grace, Mercy, and Love

5 / 6 / 214 / 15 / 21

Sometimes people are so busy being church-going moral and "good" that they miss their need for God's grace, mercy, and love. Learn how God showed me the truth. #God'sLove #BibleStudy #Faith #CountingMyBlessings #Truth

I’ll never forget the moment I realized that I wasn’t an observer of Eve picking and taking a bite out of that piece of fruit that brought sin upon us all . . . I was guilty. I was Eve.

You see, I’d remembered a specific moment when the enemy had tempted me to doubt God’s goodness and act outside of His will for me. At the time, it didn’t seem like a big deal. In fact, most everyone thought my choices were good and honorable. But God wanted me to wait . . . and I didn’t trust His timing.

Years later, the Lord revealed the truth to me through a dream.

A dream where like Peter, I walked along the shore with Jesus.

And He asked me…

“Do you love me more than these?”
John 21:15b

I replied…

“Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”
John 21:16

Twice more He asked me and twice more I replied. And then I woke up with His words on my heart…

“Feed my sheep.”
John 21:17b

And as I lay there in bed that morning pondering and praying about my dream . . . the Lord brought to mind the truth of my sins. I was a doubter—like Thomas, I’d gone along with the crowd and denied Him—like Peter, and I was prone to give in to temptation—like Eve.

I was not the “good little church girl” I thought I was. I needed and continue to need forgiveness. I need God’s grace, mercy, and love. I need Jesus.

The Lord is faithful.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8–9

By God’s grace, I’ve experienced the blessing of God’s forgiveness and that’s the reason I tell my story. I will tell you of my flaws and failures, my weaknesses and worries, my foolishness and frailties . . . so I can tell you about His amazing grace, tender mercy, and unfailing love.

A Prayer Thanking God for His Grace, Mercy, and Love

Lord, thank you for showing me the truth about my sin. I am so ashamed that I ever thought I was “good.” Please forgive me. Just thinking that I could obey Your will or that I could have excused faults makes me now realize that I was guilty of the sin of pride. You allowed me to KNOW the TRUTH of who I am that I might enjoy the blessing and freedom found in Your love and forgiveness.

I know everything is a gift of Your grace. Thank you for patiently leading me through Your Spirit. I prayerfully ask that You will give me the courage and strength I need each day to follow wherever You lead me. I ask that You will help me love and care for others as You want me to. And I pray that with Your help, I will boldly proclaim the truth about Jesus. Thank You for Your grace, mercy, and love. I praise You. I worship You. I love you. Amen.

It can be hard to boldly proclaim our love of Jesus. In the current “cancel culture” it takes courage to tell people about the blessings of knowing and loving Jesus.

John wrote because he wanted everyone to know that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God.

He began with…

In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1

In the last chapter, he wrote…

The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
John 20:30–31

And he closed with…

This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate. Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.
John 21:24–25

He loved the Lord and he testified that you and I might know and love Him too.

When we humbly know our need for forgiveness and we know the blessing of God’s grace, mercy, and love . . . we want to share the Good News.

On today’s note write:

I need God’s grace, mercy, and love today and every day.

God bless you today as you celebrate and share His Good News!

Click here to read the rest of John 21.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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3 Awesome Reasons for Joy Found in Jesus’ Love

3 / 25 / 213 / 3 / 21

Jesus' love is made clear in three stories He told - stories of God's willingness to search for, wait for, and forgive anyone because He loves them. #BibleStudy #Parables #JesusLove #CountingMyBlessings #BlessingBloggers

Jesus went out of His way to show people that He loved them.

And because as He said…

The Father and I are one.
John 10:30

Jesus made the point that He was showing them God’s love for them.

A love that is proclaimed in the stories Jesus shared in Luke 15.

The Lost Sheep
The Lost Coin
The Prodigal Son

Jesus made it clear that God seeks out sinners and when they are found . . . He and all the hosts of heaven . . . REJOICE!

I love the messages of these parables.

The parable of the lost sheep tells us that the Lord seeks out those who are lost because of their own foolishness.

The parable of the lost coin explains that He seeks out those who are lost because of the carelessness of others.

And the parable of the prodigal son helps us know that He waits with open arms for those who are lost because of their own rebellion.

3 Reasons for Joy Found in Jesus’ Love

God is always pursuing those who are lost.

He has given each of us the freedom to trust Him or reject Him but He never does the rejecting. He is always doing whatever He can to find those who are lost.

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?

Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it?
Luke 15:4, 8

God is watching and waiting for those who have rejected Him to return home to Him.

We believe that going our own way is freedom but the truth is freedom is found in Christ Jesus alone. The truth is the joy we want is found in returning to the Father through Jesus’ love.

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
Luke 15:30

And then…

God throws a joyful party whenever one of His children comes home to Him.

But those who are self-righteous are in danger of missing out on the joy of celebrating God’s gift of forgiveness . . . both in the giving and in the receiving.

In Jesus’ story, the father left the party to seek out and plead with prideful older son to join the celebration because the Father seeks out both the unrighteous and the self-righteous. He wants everyone to experience His mercy, grace, and love.

The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him…
Luke 15:28

A Prayer to Experience Joy in Jesus

Lord, Your grace overwhelms me. You have given us the ability to make our own choices fully knowing that sometimes we will lose our way because of foolishness, carelessness, and rebellion. But even then, I see how You have worked in my life to guide me back to You.

When one of Your children returns from a time of rebellion, You are there watching and waiting with open arms, a forgiving heart, and the gift of freedom and joy.

Father, I am sorry for failing to faithfully follow Your will. I humbly come to You, and I thank You for seeking me, finding me, and forgiving me.

I ASK that by Your grace, You will give me the desire to SEEK You above all else and that You will help me forgive as I have been forgiven.

Thank you for giving me the gift of JOY. And all I have is because You have blessed me through Jesus’ love. I thank You and praise You. Amen.

Warren Wiersbe wrote:

Sin promises freedom, but it only brings slavery (John 8:34); it promises success, but brings failures; it promises life, but “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23)

The truth is . . . all we need forever and eternally is found in Jesus’ love.

On today’s note write:

Jesus’ love gives me JOY!

May God bless you today with the joy that is found in Jesus!

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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How to Give God Glory with Your Flaws and Scars

12 / 2 / 1912 / 1 / 19

How God taught me a lesson through my chipped candle holder that He is able to shine through our lives even though we have flaws and scars. #God'sStrength #BibleVerses #WWGGG #CountingMyBlessings

Have you ever had good intentions turn into regret?

It can happen in all kinds of ways…

Your words were misunderstood.
Actions misinterpreted.
Or simply an accident you can’t undo.

I’ve experienced all of the above but most recently it was the last one that the Lord used to teach me a lesson.

It all started the morning I decided to put up our Christmas decorations. I gathered the fall stuff up and boxed it away.

But before I carried the Christmas boxes upstairs, I decided to clean some of our year-round items … things I dust often but only “clean” occasionally.

And that’s the reason why I took a close look at this large glass candle holder that sits in a featured spot on our kitchen island. I bought it specifically for this house and that space.

I love it!

As I took a closer look, I realized it was covered with fingerprints and remnants of seasonal “dust” – so, I decided to carry it over to the sink and give it a good scrubbing.

Did I mention that it’s large?

Well, it’s heavy, too!

Once I added water and soap, it was awkward, slippery, and hard to handle.

And that’s when the rim bumped the edge of the counter. I heard a crack and a clink. The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach was confirmed by the chip of glass that glistened up from the bottom of the sink.

After the initial “OH NO!” I ran and grabbed some super-glue hoping a little magic would make it as good as new.

But I was wrong. Although the chip fit the space perfectly and the glue held tight … the scarred edges were still unpleasantly noticeable.

As the day went on, I checked out the flaw every time I walked by the counter. All I could think about was that it was no longer unblemished. I considered replacing it with a new and “perfect” duplicate.

And I continued to do some serious self-loathing because I hadn’t been more careful.

I thought about it as I went to sleep and it was on my mind when I woke up the next morning.

But by God’s grace, He replaced the negative thoughts from the day before with something new…

“In this sinful world you will receive bumps and bruises. Some will even leave you wounded and scarred. But I want you to remember every time you see the flaw on this candle holder … that the light still shines even though it’s damaged.

And in the same way … you can shine the light of my love even with your flaws and scars.“

How to Give God Glory with Your Flaws and Scars

Of all the miserable things that can happen in this life … my damaged decor item falls way down on the list of things that are upsetting. I’ve experienced worse in the past and I’m sure you have too.

And yet, I love how the Lord used this one to not only remind me of an important lesson for today. He gave me a lasting reminder for the future.

A reminder to shine His love for His glory even though I will never do it flawlessly…

Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:16

Friends, our flaws and scars do not disqualify us. In fact, it might possibly be those very things that help us shine the Lord’s light in unique and personal ways. It may be that…

The scar of betrayal enables us to love the person who is in pain after being betrayed.
The scar of repentance that led to forgiveness reminds us that the Lord wants us to forgive others.
The scar of former fear helps us love the person who is experiencing fear right now.
The scar of having walked in grief strengthens us to walk with someone who is grieving.
The scars of worry, guilt, shame, rejection, and loneliness … help us love hurting people in a broken world.

God can help us use our flaws and scars to love the people around us who are struggling and in pain.

Not on our own.

Well, at least not on my own…

But with God’s grace.

In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.All power to Him forever! Amen.
1 Peter 5:10–11

I have to admit that I struggle to stay on that “firm foundation.” I need God’s help which is why I’m so thankful He gave me this tangible reminder.

I’m also thankful for Paul’s honesty in writing about his struggle. I’m glad we don’t know the actual source of his “thorn in the flesh.”

Some think it was a physical ailment, others wonder about an ongoing disability. Some question whether it was the result of persecution and the problems he endured.

I’ve even wondered if it might not be the continuous taunting of the enemy attacking Paul’s heart and mind for persecuting Jesus’ followers before the Lord reached out to him on the road to Damascus.

Whatever it was, God wanted you and me to be able to see ourselves in Paul’s tri-fold plea for deliverance and hold tight to His loving response…

God 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 12:9

And God’s grace is enough. It’s all we need.

God’s grace is enough for us to shine the light and love of Jesus to a broken and hurting world. Enough for us to use our scars to remember that everyone is wounded … everyone needs to know His grace, mercy, and love.

His grace is enough to give us everything we need to glorify Him … even with our flaws and scars.

After writing words of God’s promise to give him all-sufficient grace, Paul said…

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
2 Corinthians 12:10 (MSG)

Paul didn’t deny or ignore the flaws and scars, he invited God to use them to make him stronger … to help him. He wrote in his letter to the Ephesians…

Once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
Ephesians 5:8–9

You know, a funny thing happened as I looked closely at my flawed candle holder…

I saw light shining right through the middle of the chipped glass.

And I realized I really am thankful for this daily reminder of God’s sufficient grace, mercy, and love.

Whatever happens … the things I do that cause me pain, the things done by others or the problems I experience because the world is broken by sin, the Lord is able to give me everything I need to shine the light of His love.

And He’s able to give you everything you need too!

By His grace may we shine His light for His glory through our flaws and scars!

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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Leave your prayer requests…

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

I’m so excited to tell you about my new book!

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20 Important Things Jesus Said About Love

9 / 23 / 199 / 22 / 19

God created us with a need for love ... a need He wants to fill in us. And Jesus had a lot to say about love. Here are 20 verses about God's love and ours. #LoveQuotes #Faith #JesusQuotes #Blessings

It sure can get confusing…

What’s that?

All the things culture tries to tell us about “love.”

Seriously! If society has it right, then why are there so many broken families, fragile relationships, and hurting people.

The idea that love is a “feeling” to be expressed any way we’d like as long as “no one gets hurt” just doesn’t work. Why? Because we’re connected to each other through our relationships and when we go outside of God’s intention and protective plan for love … someone always gets hurt! Always!

We all need love!

God created us that way!

Why?

Because He loves us and wants to have a relationship with us; so He created a need within us that He wants to fill.

Simply said … God created us with a need for love … a need that would lead us to His perfect unfailing love.

Maybe one of the reasons we are so divided and full of pain is because we are listening to the wrong voices telling us about love.

Over the past few days, I’ve gone straight to the words of Jesus, the One who lived the perfect example of love. I wanted to know what He had to say about God’s love and ours.

And I found…

20 Important Things Jesus Said About Love

What Jesus Said About Love – God’s Love

1. God Loves People … You and Me.

“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. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.”
John 3:16–17

2. God Loves You More than You Can Imagine

“I am in them and You are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent me and that You love them as much as You love me.“
John 17:23

3. God Loves and Cares About Your Daily Needs.

“If God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”
Matthew 6:30

4. God Loves You Enough to Search for You When You are Lost.

So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.”
Luke 15:3–5

And Waits for You When You Wander Away.

“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”
Luke 15:20

5. God’s Love is Sacrificial.

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.“
John 15:13

6. God’s Love Forgives.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Luke 23:34

7. God’s Love will Never Leave You.

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

8. God’s Love Gives Life that Lasts Forever.

Jesus told her, “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

9. God’s Love Lightens Life’s Burdens.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.“
Matthew 11:29–30

10. God’s Love is Preparing a Place for You and Me.

“I am going to prepare a place for you?When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.“
John 14:2b–3

What Jesus Said About Love – Our Love

1. Love for God and Others is the Most Important Commandment.

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.“
Mark 12:29–31

2. Love for God Looks Like Obedience.

“If you love me, obey my commandments.”
John 14:15

3. Love is the Identity of the Follower of Jesus.

“You must love each other as I have loved you.If you love each other, all men will know you are My followers.“
John 13:34b–35 (NLV)

4. Love Follows Where Jesus Leads.

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24

5. Love is Sacrificial.

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”
Matthew 16:25

6. Love is Humble.

“God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.”
Matthew 5:5

7. Love is Merciful.

“I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Matthew 9:13

8. Love is Peaceful.

“God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.”
Matthew 5:9

9. Love Even When It Seems Impossible.

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.“
Luke 6:27–28

10. Love Like Jesus’ Love lasts forever.

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13

I don’t know about you, but I’m sitting here squirming a little. Those first verses about love – God’s love and how perfect and complete it is … well, they bless me like crazy! They explain how God created a need for love in each of us so He could fill it with Himself. Glory!!

But then there are those next verses about love … the way you and I are supposed to love God and the people around me … and well, I see how far I fall short.

Which is why I’m not only thankful that love is forgiving; I’m thankful Jesus also said…

Love doesn’t leave us on our own. God’s love gives us the Help we need to love others.

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.”
John 14:16

So, to go back to where we started.

Culture looks at love as a feeling.

The dictionary says this about love:

an intense feeling of deep affection.
a great interest and pleasure in something.
feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to (someone).

But the Bible describes it as so much more than the way we feel.

With God’s love in our hearts, love becomes a part of our character that shows itself in the way we act. Love becomes the way we talk … it’s what we do.

It’s the highest calling! One we can only fulfill with the Lord’s presence and help.

I’m praying your life is full of love … the kind of love Jesus talked about.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

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

I’m so excited to tell you about my new book!

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 Prayers that Thank God for His Amazing Grace

12 / 1 / 177 / 29 / 20

I can’t say it’s necessarily the way I was taught as a child … it just seemed to evolve over time.

I knew God had fully taken care of my salvation through Jesus sacrifice and that through faith in His amazing gift my eternal future was secure…

But my here and now — that was influenced by God’s favor given in response to my behavior.

I had childish faith!

Faith that believed God loved me more when I was “good” and less when I wasn’t.

Which is one of the reasons why I love the following quotes so much:

“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not!” ~ C. S. Lewis

“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

It took a lot of bumps in the road that send me deep into His Word before I finally believed I could completely trust God’s awesome amazing grace and love! Grace that covers my past and yours. Grace that forgives without any help from you or me. Grace that is undeserved and simply to be received with gratitude and joy.

It’s grace that changes our behavior, not our behavior that gains grace.

So, I’m hoping you’ll join me as I turn to God’s Word for a daily dose of grace — praying and praising Him for this awesome and amazing gift.

5 Prayers that Thank God for His Amazing Grace

Ephesians 2:8–9

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Father, thank you for Jesus, Your perfect gift of grace. I know my eternal future is secure because all You have done for me through Jesus. You have made me yours forever. Nothing can remove me from Your hand. (John 10:29) I am safe and secure in Your unchanging love. How can I begin to thank You?! With my life. I give You my all. I love You, Lord. Amen.

Romans 6:13b–14

So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Father, how I have struggled to understand the freedom You give. Forgive me for believing I live under the Law’s requirements. Thank you for Your patience in teaching me Your truth. When my heart and mind are set on You — when I am fully surrendered and living for Your glory, then and only then can I know true freedom. By the power of Your Spirit help me keep me surrendered and grateful … and fully alive to serve and glorify You. Amen.

Hebrews 4:16

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Father, it overwhelms me that You want me to enter throne room in prayer. It is in that holy place where I have learned to “be still and know You.” (Psalm 46:10) It is there I have found Your mercy that forgives my foolish selfishness and Your grace that saves me. Thank you for Jesus, our example … who understands who I am, loves me, and helps me. Amen.

Romans 5:6

And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For, in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

Father, You are kind and good. It is impossible for anyone to deserve what Jesus has done. Your grace is free, undeserved, and unconditional. There is nothing I can ever do to repay You for all You’ve done and all You continue to do in my life. I am saved by Your grace alone and in humble response I humbly thank you and offer myself to You. With Your Spirit’s help, may I live this day for Your glory. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Father, Jesus is Your grace with flesh on. He revealed your love to us and Your Spirit reveals Your mercy, grace, and love in countless ways every day. Thank you for Your presence in my life. Your grace is truly amazing! In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Make an intentional effort as you go throughout the day to stop and celebrate God’s amazing gift of grace. Praise Him for the fact that there is nothing you can do to earn or deserve it.

God gives His grace simply because He loves you that much.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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Stop Worrying! It’s Not Good for You

3 / 29 / 175 / 9 / 18

Stop worrying! It’s not good for you!

It’s bad for your health – mentally, physically, and spiritually.

But it’s easier said than done, isn’t it?

Life happens and there are plenty of things to worry about.

And with practice, you can turn worrying into a fine art as you try to foresee and prevent any and all possible problems.

I know what it’s like to be an expert worrier. “What if” questions dominated my thoughts.

So…

Take my word for it – or don’t – worrying doesn’t help anything. It is pointless and unproductive.

In fact, the negative effects of worry are so bad for us. It’s really not worth it.

The Bible has a lot of verses about worrying…

“The Lord Himself will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forget you. Don’t be afraid and don’t worry.” Deuteronomy 31:8

He [God] gives [people] the ability to accept their state in life and enjoy their work.They do not worry about how short life is because God keeps them busy with what they love to do. Ecclesiastes 5:19–20

“Don’t be afraid! Don’t worry! I have always told you what will happen. You are my witnesses. There is no other God but me. I know of no other Rock; I am the only One.” Isaiah 44:8

^“Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds.You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.” Matthew 6:26–27

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. Philippians 4:6

Without qualification . . . you and I are not to worry about anything.

Why? Because worry is a lack of trust. The more you and I trust God, the less we will worry.

It’s just that simple.

Well, simple to say . . . not so simple to do.

And Paul said in Philippians 4:Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.Then you 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.

I was a very little girl when I first heard those words and even though I’ve them repeated often, I still struggled with fear and apprehension.

I worried about succeeding at school, my parent’s approval, the health and safety of people I loved, and what friends and teachers thought about me.

And it didn’t get any better after Rev and I got married and had children.

I worried about being the “perfect” mom, wife, daughter, and friend. I worried about never having enough time to accomplish everything. I worried about my children’s physical, mental, and spiritual health.

I don’t know, it just always seemed like there was more than enough to keep me busy worrying.

Then about a dozen years ago, God lovingly showed me the truth.

Even with all my worry . . . I couldn’t prevent some of the very things I’d worried about from happening.

So, for all my efforts all I’d done was hurt my health and ruin my mood.

I ended up on medication to treat anxiety and had to abandon my fight for perfection because let’s face it, an anxious and stressed out mom is hardly “perfect!”

Worry is worthless!

It didn’t prevent a child’s rejection, an extended life-threatening illness, a premature birth, divorces, and death.

But God…

Two of my favorite words.

But God showed His faithfulness, carrying us through crisis after crisis with His strength and love.

And I learned to worry less because as God carried us through I began to trust Him more. It’s like an outward growing circle – more trust -> less worry -> more trust -> less worry -> more trust!

Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. Psalm 40:11

For His unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord! Psalm 117:2

God is loving and faithful.

Yes, bad things happen. That’s why we worry. But focusing on potential problems is shortsighted thinking. God has an eternal plan for us. One that goes far beyond our temporary troubles.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 2 Corinthians 4:17

So, when I’m tempted to worry. I will trust God’s faithfulness and love.

And I will pray His promises.

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

Father, I trust your faithful love and mercy. Please forgive my doubt and help me trust you not only with my eternity but with today and tomorrow. Amen.

We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him. They are the people He called because that was His plan. Romans 8:28

Father, I know You have a plan for me and Your plan is good. Even when my day has problems with Your help my heart will be at peace because You are with me. Amen.

My God will use His wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need. Philippians 4:19

Father, You promise to give me everything I need. You’ve given me Jesus and in Him, I more than enough to forever say, “It is well with my soul.” What more could I need. I will trust in You. Amen.

God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. Psalm 18:30

Father, I surrender all my worry and anxiety to You. I believe. Help my unbelief. With Your help, I can trust that everything You do is perfect and all Your promises are true. I can face each day with You, my shield and protection.

Please show me where I’ve failed to surrender to You. Forgive me. And help me, for I can face and do whatever You ask through Jesus, who gives me strength and courage. It is in His name I pray. Amen.

And with God’s help, I will stop worrying. It’s not good for me and it’s not good for you.

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Important Truth You Need to Know About Controlling Your Temper

3 / 20 / 178 / 22 / 19

Do you have trouble controlling your temper? The truth is ... it's not impossible to manage our anger we just need to know the 5 helpful steps to get there. #Faith #Proverbs #ParentingTips #AngerManagement

Ooh, she was angry. I don’t know why. I don’t even know who.

But I could hear her shrieks coming from down the street. She was angry and wanted everyone to know it.

I don’t know whether it worked for her or not but temper tantrums and angry outbursts typically cause more problems than they solve.

We tend to think of tantrums as a toddler problem but…

A temper tantrum is an unplanned, unintentional expression of anger, often with physical and verbal outbursts.

So, based on that definition…

When was your last tantrum?

The last time you let everyone know that you were NOT happy? You were feet stomping, hands flailing, purple-faced angry?

Who was the recipient?

Your spouse.
Your children.
Your parents.
Your child’s teacher.
Your boss.
Your server at lunch.
Your neighbors.

I get it, they’re ugly and you’re squirming a little.

The truth is, even if you and I don’t want to call them temper tantrums any time we lash out in anger ranting at the closest victim . . . we can name it anything we want, it’s still a temper tantrum.

[Tweet “Temper tantrums are unattractive in children and downright ugly in adults.”]

They are able to ruin a perfectly good day for both the tantrum thrower and the recipient.

Look at what King Solomon said about controlling your temper.

People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.
Proverbs 14:29

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
Proverbs 15:1

Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.
Proverbs 29:11

As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.
Proverbs 30:33

Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.
Ecclesiastes 7:9

Causes trouble.

Oh no.

Foolish.

Ouch.

Labels you a fool.

Double ouch.

Okay, you’re convinced. You’ve decided it’s time to start controlling your temper but now what.

How can you and I stop the habit of our angry outbursts?

5 Helpful Ways to Start Controlling Your Temper

1. Before you throw a lose your temper … breathe.

Count to ten, count to fifty – anything to slow down and take time to calm down.

“When you own your breath, nobody can steal your peace.” ~Author Unknown

2. Before you respond in anger … be quiet.

Refuse to scream and shout. One of the best teachers I ever had used to speak in a whisper when she was angry. She could quickly get our attention and rarely raised her voice.

“Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart.” ~Unknown

3. Before you reward anger, yours or anyone else’s … stop.

The person, child or adult, venting is often satisfied just to get an angry response. Do your best to remain calm. Memorize a scripture verse or quote to mentally recite when you’re tempted to react with anger.

“When things begin accelerating wildly out of control, sometimes patience is the only answer. Press pause.” ~Douglas Rushkoff

4. After you lose your temper … confess.

We’re all going to “lose it” once in a while. As hard as it is to admit, anger happens. Stop the cycle by remembering Ephesians 4:26–27

When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day. Do not give the devil a way to defeat you. (NCV)

5. Work out your anger with the Lord … repent and apologize.

Ask God for His forgiveness and go to person on the receiving end of your anger and ask for an opportunity to talk about it with humility and without excuses.

“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.” ~Benjamin Franklin

I’m so thankful Jesus showed us a better way to deal with each other without anger by speaking truth respectfully.

You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
Matthew 5:43–44

“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
Luke 6:31,36

How I wish I could control my anger and love people perfectly.

It’s hard, isn’t it?

But I’m not ready to give up or give in. With prayer, practice, and Holy Spirit power we can do a better job of using our words and controlling our tempers.

Finally, Quotes to Inspire You

“Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” ~Ambrose Bierce

“The greatest remedy for anger is delay.” ~Thomas Paine

Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
James 1:9–10

It is wise to direct your anger towards problems — not people; to focus your energies on answers — not excuses. – William Arthur Ward

Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that war within you.
James 4:1

“Anger is one letter short of danger.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good.
Romans 12:21

Friends, anger is a valid emotion.

You and I will get angry on occasion. It’s what we do with it that matters. Because when anger takes control it has the power to make us do and say things we don’t want to do or say. And that’s a problem.

So when it comes to controlling your temper … count to ten, speak softly, remember God’s Word, confess and apologize.

What’s your best tip for pushing pause and controlling your anger?

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

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

I’m so excited to tell you about my new book!

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 Best Advice for Learning About Life the Easy Way

3 / 6 / 173 / 6 / 17

There are those who say when you learn something the hard way you really learn it.

I suppose it’s true.

There is something about the lessons learned through pain that makes them stick.

I’ve never been a fan of learning the hard way. Not the one to enjoy challenging consequences . . . I listened to advice, followed the rules, learned from the mistakes of others, and lived controlled and cautious.

But there will always be thrill seeking individuals who feel the need to test the rules to find out if they really apply to them.

Whether you’re cautious like me or a thrill seeking boundary pusher there are lessons that can only be learned through experience . . . the hard way.

Things like…

No matter how hard you try you can’t make everyone love you.
Just because everyone is doing something, doesn’t make it right.
No matter how badly you’ve been hurt it’s important to forgive others.
Unkind words may not break bones but they leave scars.
You are stronger and braver than you believe.

Having learned both ways . . . I will always choose easy when possible.

So, I’ve come up with a list of things I want to do to make wise choices and avoid life’s unpleasant consequences when I can.

The Best Advice for Learning About Life the Easy Way

1. Pay Attention

Although it may seem obvious, too many of us are simply going through the motions of life instead of truly embracing it. We get so focused on personal busyness and challenges we fail to notice the countless things we could be learning from those around us.

So, look around. Notice what’s going on in the lives of your extended family, your friends, neighbors, coworkers, on the news, etc. Always ask, “What can I learn from this?”

It may be something to do as often as it is a NOT TO DO. And remember to learn from your own mistakes. Why repeat painful consequences if you can avoid them?

Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge. Proverbs 18:15

2. Search for Help

The Bible is a storehouse of wise counsel for life. God’s truth is timeless and His commands are intended to bless and protect us not to spoil our fun.

And, Google is another friend. Information is available with a mouse-click. It won’t give you wisdom, but it will give you facts and examples. Search the words . . . “how to,” and you’ll find over 13 billion links to “how to” information. Fill in the blank and you can find help for almost anything.

My child, listen to what I say and treasure my commands.Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Proverbs 2:1–4

3. Ask a Mentor and Be a Mentor

Go to a trusted and wise advisor for advice and direction. We can learn so much from each other. Expertise isn’t required . . . because experience is a very effective teacher.

And be a mentor. Sharing what you’ve learned and the ways God has worked in your life can help prevent pain for someone else.

I can’t imagine the painful lessons we were spared because people took the time to mentor Rev and me.

Dear friends who helped us with…

parenting advice.
tips on nutrition and health.
inspiration for our faith.
wise financial counsel.
helpful homemaking tips.

Mentors help make smooth the journey and give comfort when the road is rough.

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The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Proverbs 27:9

“Mentoring is: Sharing Life’s Experiences and God’s Faithfulness” ~Janet Thompson

4. Take Notes

I keep journals everywhere. I have journals for post ideas. Prayer journals. Blessing journals. I’m thinking of starting a Life Lessons Journal where I stop and reflect on the day.

Some questions I’m asking…

What did I learn today?
What might I have done differently?
What went well?
What didn’t?

I want to confess my failures, know what to change, and celebrate my successes.

Obey my commands, and you will live. Guard my teachings as you would your own eyes. Remind yourself of them; write them on your heart as if on a tablet. Proverbs 7:2–3

5. Pray and Pray Again

Ask God for wisdom and guidance.

James wrote:

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5

I love that you and I can ask God to help us pay attention, search for help, find a mentor, and take notes. That we can confess our mistakes and ask Him to help us learn from them. And we can ask Him to show us His better way.

Our loving God doesn’t want us to learn about life the hard way . . . so He gave us His Word full of truth to help and guide us.

Not because He wants to spoil our fun or make life less thrilling but because He loves us.

He wants us to know and follow His will.

The Lord is good and right; He points sinners to the right way. He shows those who are humble how to do right, and He teaches them His ways. All the Lord’s ways are loving and true for those who follow the demands of His agreement (Covenant). Psalm 25:8–10

Life will never be perfect.

You and I live in a fallen world and there will be plenty of moments that will teach us hard lessons, but with God’s help, we can avoid some of them. I’d like to avoid as many as possible.

I believe His ways keep us safer and happier and as far as I’m concerned safer and happier is better.

By God’s grace and with His help we can learn life lessons the easy way.

What do you think?

Where do you need His counsel to make better choices?

Ask Him. Your loving Father wants to help.

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15 of the Best Quotes about God’s Amazing Extravagant Love

2 / 3 / 177 / 29 / 20

I don’t know about you but some days I just don’t feel very lovable. It might be something as simple as a bad hair day. It’s hard to explain . . . it’s just a blah feeling I get once in a while.

Rev always has a way of making me feel better.

I can say, “I don’t feel very lovable (cute, adorable, put together) today.”

His answer is always the same…

“I’ll bet you do.”

Then he wraps his arms around me in a big ol’ hug. (Our kids think we’re kind of “cheesy.” We probably are.)

It’s funny, the thought hit me today about how awesome it is that I can go to my heavenly Father anytime, day or night, and say, “I don’t feel very lovable today. I’m sorry. I messed up. I failed you again.”

And His answer is always the same…

“I’ll be you do!”

Because…

Nothing you or I do can makes us unlovable.

God’s love isn’t about what we do or don’t do. Unlike our imperfect love, God’s love will never end or disappoint.

His love is perfect not because of who we are but because of who He is. He is love.

And He loves you and me with amazing extravagant love.

15 of the Best Quotes about God’s Amazing Extravagant Love

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

Think about that for a minute. Let it sink in.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

God Himself gave His life for you and me.

“The maker of the stars would rather die for you than live without you. And that is a fact. So if you need to brag, brag about that.” ~ Max Lucado

He didn’t wait for us to get it right, to meet Him part way, to do anything—first.

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

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

The Apostle Paul wrote the following to Timothy.

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 13–14

No sin is so great that God’s love is not greater still.

King David – adulterer, murderer, and man after God’s own heart wrote about God’s unfailing love.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1

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

A Father who is always watching and waiting for His lost children to return to Him.

While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for his son. So the father ran to him and hugged and kissed him. Luke 15:20

Children made His own through Jesus.

But to all who did accept Him (Jesus) and believe in Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They did not become his children in any human way—by any human parents or human desire. They were born of God. John 1:12–13

He loves each child as a one of a kind unique treasure.

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. ~ St. Augustine

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. How precious to me are Your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with You. Psalm 139:14, 17–18

So, for just a minute more…

Soak in these beautiful quotes about His love.

“God loves us as we are…not as we ought to be. because we are never going to be as we ought to be.” ~ Brennan Manning

“Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. … He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken.” ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“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

My friend, you are cared for and loved more than you know by the one and only, perfect, sovereign God of the universe . . . that is amazing extravagant love.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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Leave your prayer requests…

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

I’m so excited to tell you about my new book!

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!

You Need to Know the Best Way to Stop Worry Now

1 / 23 / 171 / 23 / 17

I can’t tell you how many nights I spent wide awake worrying about everything.

So, I want to tell you something I wish I’d learned years ago.

You’re probably not surprised by my penchant for worrying. It’s the natural byproduct of fear and I had perfected the fine art of being afraid.

I worried when…

I had unexplained aches and pains.
Our children were sick.
People were impossible to please no matter how hard I tried.
Unexpected repairs messed with our budget.

I worried about…

Our Children
Rev
Illness
Death
Rejection

I worried about things I couldn’t change or control.

Seriously, what’s the point of worrying if you can do something? No, my best worrying happened when I felt helpless.

And feelings of helplessness typically hit me in the quiet hours of the night.

Maybe you can relate.

I was a worry addict and like many addicts, I had to hit bottom before I accepted that worried living—ain’t no way to live!

The Apostle Paul offered great advice about worry – well, about not worrying.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Philippians 4:6

You Need to Know the Best Way to Stop Worry Now

♥ Pray

It may seem like I’m oversimplifying things and I know I always go straight to prayer but I believe prayer is that important.

You see, I chose worry over prayer because I believed lies like…

My problem was too trivial to bother God with it.
My fear was too great to surrender it to God.
My concerns were things that happened to someone else.
Deep down I worried that God may not want to or worse yet couldn’t prevent it.

For me, worrying was a trust issue! Maybe it’s a trust issue for you, too.

I hit bottom. All my worry hadn’t helped me or prevented several of the bigger things I’d spent waaaay toooo much time worrying about. At the bottom, I realized I had a decision to make…

Was I just going to trust God with my eternal destiny or could I trust Him today, believing that my eternity began the moment Jesus entered my heart.

So, I turned to…

♥ His Promises

I started clinging to two of my favorite verses from Isaiah…

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. Isaiah 40:28

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read through the Bible in the last 12 years because I have to know all I can about God. So, I read and reread both the Old and New Testament to know the faith-filled people who trusted God’s love and surrendered all to walk with Him in the daily.

That daily walk of faith defeats worry because when I’m tempted to worry now, I turn and take my worries to the heavenly throne room, trusting God will hear and meet every need. Prayer helps me to…

♥ Trust His Love

I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.And 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 3:14–19

Trusting God’s love makes it possible for me to trust that He will always…

♥ Act for Good and His Glory.

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

By God’s grace, I seldom worry these days. I would love to tell you it was like flipping a switch. You know, one of those holy moments where everything changed and I never worried again. I can’t.

So friends, be patient the road to a life without worry is not a super-highway. But God will not fail you as you travel it. He will faithfully meet your every need even if He asks you to live through the very thing you fear.

Ooooh, I didn’t like several of the mile markers along that winding road but God never left me. He faithfully comforted me and gave me strength. And ultimately gave me His peace that goes beyond understanding.

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6–7

That sums it up, doesn’t it?

Let me ask you a question . . . just something to think about.

How would your relationships look if you stopped worrying?

Your relationship with your…

spouse.
children.
parents.
friends.
coworkers
etc.

What if you decided to do what you can and trust God with the rest?

Then, when you’re tempted to worry . . . turn and run to the throne room in prayer, grab hold of His promises, trust His love, and know without a doubt that God is always at work for the good of His children and for His glory.

I’m praying for you. If you have a specific worry you’d like me to take to the Lord, leave it in the comments or leave a prayer request on our Blessing Counters Pray Page.

You can do this.

Believe me, if God can deliver this worrier He can deliver you!

Leave your prayer requests…

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

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Why It’s Better for Rule Followers to Surrender to Love

7 / 22 / 167 / 22 / 16

I’m a first-born rule follower. I like rules. I understand rules. Rules make sense.

If you do A and B happens and you definitely don’t do X if you want to prevent Y from happening.

It’s simple like math.

Rules are black and white.

And following the rules pleases people . . . especially parents, teachers, and people in authority.

Rule followers understand following the 10 Commandments. And most importantly they have to be careful they don’t fall in line with the Pharisees and obey God to earn whatever it is they believe He can give them.

It’s a little harder for those of us who like to follow the rules to understand the idea of surrendering to love because…

Love is less like math, less black and white.

Love seems gray. Because as imperfect people you and I have experienced imperfect love.

Let me explain –

Have you ever had your heart broken? Beth Moore asks it this way in Living Beyond Yourself, “Who didn’t love you? Who didn’t love you that was supposed to love you?”

If you’ve given your heart away to someone only to have it crushed; you understand the problem of surrendering to love. You see once you have trusted someone enough to love them if they hurt or betray you . . . your walls of defense go up. A self-preserving decision that says, “I don’t ever want to feel like that again.”

We’ve all been hurt by someone.

And that makes it almost impossible to grow up without some brick and mortar being added to our defensive walls. And that means going forward most of our love relationships will have an element of self-protection and lack of trust.

Too often you and I paint God with a “human” brush.

He asks us to surrender completely to His perfect love . . . we wonder, “Can I really trust His love, or is He just like all the others?”

Add in the world’s adversity and affliction . . . how often have you been asked, “If God is good and loving, why is there so much pain and suffering?”

And the old lie Satan has been whispering since the garden, telling us God is holding out on us and if He really loved us He’d want us to be happy.

It’s easy to see how you and I can become rule followers trying to earn a right relationship with God.

In many ways, rules just seem easier. They make sense. Obey the rules and avoid the consequences of pain and suffering. Obey the rules and reap the rewards.

It’s supposed to work, isn’t it?

Even if we don’t admit it . . . many of us hold on to a bit of that belief just in case. (Look at the doctrine of every other world religion that teaches a message of good works to earn paradise.)

There’s a huge problem with that message because we won’t obey the rules perfectly and no matter how hard we try to follow the rules there is no guarantee we’ll avoid pain and suffering. In fact, the opposite is true.

Jesus said, In this world, you will have trouble. John 16:33

And “trouble” sends us right back to the thought, “If God is good, how can He allow..?”

A loving God and a world in trouble can leave you and me with a “crisis of faith.”

What do you do when you have a faith crisis?

Jesus said we should ask, search, and knock.

“Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Matthew 7:7

Stillness and God’s Love

Going to God in stillness—asking, searching, and knocking you will find in book after book and page after page. In Old Testament and New…

God’s love has never changed, never faltered.

“Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:6

O my Strength, to You I sing praises, for You, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. Psalm 59:17

For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100:5

God loves first, last . . . always.

God is love.This is how God showed His love to us: He sent His one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through Him.This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us. He sent His Son to die in our place to take away our sins. 1 John 4:8–10

He will not love us less if we fail or more if we obey because love is who God is.

You and I don’t need a protective wall with Him. We can trust His perfect unfailing love completely.

And because we can trust Him we can surrender everything to Him.

Surrender to His Love

I used to focus on verses in the Bible that talked about love and obedience.

I show kindness to thousands who love me and obey my commands. Exodus 20:6

But I had it backwards.

Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said, “There is one more thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.” Mark 10:21

Jesus knew this man’s heart. He knew he would choose to walk away, but He loved him anyway. He loved him before he surrendered . . . before he followed.

I pray each day and ask God to help me surrender . . . not to the rules, but to His perfect love. That He would help me simply…

Be still and know . . . Him. Psalm 46:10

Because the more I know Him the more I want to surrender to Him.

I know following the rules seems easier. It makes sense. You and I want to earn that reward. But our loving Father doesn’t work that way. He loves us first and most and you and I can trust Him completely.

Now it’s time for…

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