Be careful that you haven’t made Satan into a deity. He isn’t a God. He isn’t omnipotent, omniscient, etc. He can’t hear your thoughts. He can’t read your mind. He isn’t everywhere. He isn’t God’s equal or even a worthy opponent.
About 5 years ago, I realized that the enemy had a position in my life that was absurd. As 2018 began I sat down and wrote a blog post about it. I didn’t realize at that time the direction my theology was heading but looking back now it was the beginning of God opening my eyes.
I couldn’t tell you the last time I “rebuked the devil”. It’s no longer a part of my vocabulary. It’s probably been almost 5 years since I said anything of the sort. I don’t blame all my shortcomings on the enemy. I don’t make him the scapegoat because things aren’t going my way.
And I believe that it’s brought a refreshing perspective and a greater sense of accountability to my spiritual life.
And this next part is gonna sound a little strange and perhaps you’re not ready for it but honestly, Satan doesn’t really exist in my life. He’s not important. If my life is a movie, he’s the extra that walks by during a crucial scene and you don’t even remember what he looks like.
Does he exist? Yes, I believe he does. But the whole point of my relationship with Jesus is that Satan’s existence is not my problem. I walk in the light and Jesus deals with my enemies. I believe there’s a protection that comes with this relationship. I also believe that anything that makes its way to me can only do so if it passes through God’s hands.
So, actually, whatever I have to walk through is something God allowed. And the only power Satan has is whatever permission God has given him and whatever power I give to the enemy myself.
Do I pray for God’s hand and protection over myself and loved ones? Yes, of course. But I don’t acknowledge Satan at all in my everyday life. And the day I made the decision to do so changed my entire spiritual walk.
I’ve definitely had some hard days and a few difficult seasons since I made that decision but instead of speaking that the devil was at play, I simply spoke to God about what He wanted me to take away from the experience.
I’m not fighting the devil. I’m not concerned that he will carry out some evil plan against me. I won’t even entertain the thought.
I guess he probably still runs his mouth or does whatever he’s allowed to do but I don’t speak to him and I don’t speak about him unless it’s in this manner. The enemy doesn’t have any significance in my life.
Why would he? Why would I choose Jesus and then exhaust myself with the devil’s nonsense?
I’m walking this road with a God who goes before me and behind me. If God wants me to walk through something there isn’t anything I can do but grab His hand and go. It might not be easy. It might hurt. But it’s the way things are designed.
I’d just like to encourage you to prayerfully think about this concept.
Every detail of my life, every struggle is between me and God. I have my eyes permanently fixed on Him.
The rest is just noise. He holds all things and controls all things.
And if we don’t believe that…what in the world are we doing professing to trust in Him and put our lives in His hands?
God bless you on your journey.
My inbox is open.
💜🙏- Cassie
Imperfect Love
I keep seeing this quote that says, “The Bible says that love never fails, so if it fails, it wasn’t love.” And it is so inaccurate.
There are many types of love. There are four different words in Greek.
-Eros- physical, marriage
-Philos- warm friendship/family
-Storge- brotherly affection
-Agape- sacrificial/unconditional love of God
And this particular type of love in 1 Corinthians is referring to Agape love.
Agapē is the word that describes God’s love. We are shown examples in John 3:16, Matt. 22:37 and encouraged to love one another (John 13:34) with agapē love. Agapē is the word for love used in 1 Corinthians 13. And I believe it’s where this well meaning quote above comes from.
We are called to use the example of how God loves us as the template for loving others. Unconditionally, if possible, but not without boundaries. Humans and the world we live in are both flawed.
Someone could have loved you very much and failed you. They could have also hurt you very much because they didn’t really love you. There are no absolutes when it comes to human love.
Sometimes love walks away because it has to, think of parents giving children up for adoption because they know it’s best. And in my case, an absent father who felt it was best not to disrupt my life while I was growing up. As an adult, I can respect his perspective and the factors in his decision making. But as an adult and a mom, I cannot relate to him. It’s hard to imagine not being a present parent. I love my kids. And I don’t want to miss anything in their lives if possible. He loved me in a different way. And while I was growing up, it didn’t feel like love. And sometimes, it still feels like he failed me in some ways. But I now know that he loved me.
Another example is walking away from a difficult relationship because it’s unhealthy, toxic, etc. The perspective of the person being left in this case, might feel slighted, failed. But the other person could still love them very much.
Love isn’t a weapon. It’s also not some super glue that holds every relationship together. Love shouldn’t be used as a manipulative tool. “If you love me, you wouldn’t leave, you’d tolerate my behavior, etc.”
God’s love is the only perfect love. It’s the only love that will never fail you.
Human love can be messy. But it should feel safe and healthy. Love yourself enough to guard your heart.
🙏💜- Cassie
Lost in Translation
Yesterday there was quite a lively debate among our followers. As I reading through most of it I was so happy to see the exchange of beliefs and ideas. It came from a post saying God’s Word is not going to change for different generations. And it isn’t.
There was some mention of certain translations being the only true Word. I read several translations including Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew. I love the NIV. But I don’t cling to it like Jesus personally handed it to me. I think it’s important to note that King James Version came way down the line after Jesus walked the earth. And it was basically King James deciding he didn’t like the Geneva Version. (And there were several versions before the Geneva.) And he brought together his own group of “experts” to do so. Think about it, what if a U.S. President said, I don’t like these versions of the bible everyone is using. I’m going to be making a Biden version or a Trump version? Would that be well received? By some, yes. By others, not so much. But what if they said it was the only version we could freely use? That’s sort of what happened with King James.
Listen, I have a KJV. It’s not my favorite. I don’t look down on people who use it. But I also don’t insist that the other versions I prefer are “the only true Word of God.”
The new testament as we know it today was written several decades after Jesus walked the earth. And it was translated from mostly Arameic. The original manuscripts looked something like the photo above. And the Bible has been translated so many times into many different languages. And honestly, things do get lost in translation. So, I think it’s necessary to read and compare different translations. And then draw a line prayerfully back to the original words used, the Arameic (that Jesus spoke), and also the Greek and Hebrew. Jesus also quoted the Bible He grew up with several times in the new testament. It’s the Jewish Septaguint. It’s important to understand that the Bible you’re holding has been translated into the language you speak by qualified scholars and theologians. And that hopefully, they did their best work. But it is irresponsible to believe that there is no reason to be open minded to reading original manuscripts and comprehending prayerfully for yourself.
God bless,
Cassie
He Might Say No
Hey. Sometimes God says no. Sometimes you can pray your hardest and it doesn’t go your way. And it’s not because you don’t have enough faith. It’s not because you aren’t a “good enough” person. It’s because God’s will isn’t always ours. And if God says no, He will help you learn to accept that eventually. If you allow Him to do so.
Let’s stop teaching people that our faith can bend God’s will. That’s not how it works. That’s not how any of this works.
Doesn’t the Bible say “If two or three agree on anything, they’ll get it?” Yeah. But that particular scripture is in reference to church discipline, not bending God’s will.
I think of certain prayers as activating or setting in motion things that are already in God’s will.
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10
Pray without ceasing? Yes. That means don’t ever stop having a prayer life. Don’t ever stop talking to God. Tell Him what worries you. Tell Him your hopes, your dreams, your fears. Ask Him for guidance. Pray for the people you love. Pray for the people you don’t like. Keep the lines of communication wide open. It means never stop praying. It doesn’t mean praying for something fifty times will change God’s mind.
It’s okay if you don’t understand that. But I pray that you will begin to try to wrap your heart and mind around it.
Prayer is beautiful. Prayer is effective in many ways. But when you start teaching people that they aren’t being healed or having “Victory” because of their own lack of faith or their inability to measure up, that’s a problem.
Some things do not line up with God’s long term plan for your life. And God is the ultimate giver and taker of life…figuratively and literally.
If you belong to Jesus…Stop giving the enemy so much power. Satan cannot stop God. He is not an equal match. He is not the scapegoat for every bad thing. He is the antagonist in the story of your life…at times. But it’s because God’s allowing a difficulty for some bigger picture reason.
Now, if you’re not covered by the blood. You’re on your own. And the enemy of your soul might have a free for all or perhaps he’ll leave you alone entirely since you aren’t really a hassle for him. But in the end, you will be eternally separated from God.
Every minor/major issue is not “the devil”. I know it’s hard to accept that God’s plan for your life doesn’t always match your vision.
People, things, and opportunities will all enter and exit your life as God sees fit. And yes, Sometimes we make bad decisions and we suffer the consequences.
But here me clearly and loudly:
Sometimes you will make all the right decisions and do all the right things. Sometimes you will pray all the right prayers, and beg God for the end result you desire…and He will not give you what you want. And that is because He knows best and He is God.
And life will be so much easier if you can embrace this truth.
How do you know this, Cassie?
Because when I was 24 years old, I watched my 27 years old husband code in front of me. And I sat across the hall begging God, bargaining with God and proclaiming that he was “too young to die”.
And then, I felt God gently and without a word speak into my soul. He’s already gone and everything is going to be okay.
And that definitely did not feel okay. And I didn’t embrace it immediately. But, as life continued to unfold, I saw God’s hand.
And my personal belief is that if He had lived, it would have been because it was God’s plan. It would have been because God still had earthly work for him to accomplish.. It would not have been because I prayed hard enough, had more faith, or was a “better Christian”.
And this thing that’s not okay, it may never feel okay, but once you catch a glimpse of how God works everything out for your eventual good…you’ll be okay, too.
I know you’re prayed out. I know you’re desperately trying to clean out every nook and cranny of your heart and mind. I know you are trying to be a prayer warrior. And I know it’s exhausting.
I prayed for one thing specifically for several years. And eventually it felt like God was over me trying to skip over it “Are you still asking me to just disregard the reason I want you to walk through this and just let you off the hook? You’re not going to dismiss this opportunity to learn something and grow expeditiously because it’s hard. No ma’am. Lean on in girl.”
I know that’s probably not how you hear God. But it’s how I hear him. I believe that God speaks to my spirit and tells it like it is.
So I decided that for this particular life class, there is no out, no detour. And I don’t really like it and I’m pretty sure God knows that. But He’s far less concerned with me not wanting to go through it than He is with me becoming the person He created me to be.
So, I’m not asking God for a detour anymore. I’m just asking Him for open eyes and a clear path.
So lean in. He might say no. And it might pull the rug out from under you. But one day, you’ll understand.
And everything really is going to be okay.
🙏💜 Cassie
“We ask all things in Jesus’ mighty name and submit them to our Father’s Perfect Will in Heaven…Amen.“
9.11.99
“Today would be have been my 22nd wedding anniversary. It’s a weird day for me. It’s a monumental day for our country. It’s hard for it to slip by without me noticing. And all the flags remind me of how 5 years, 9 months, and 19 days later, the police chief laid a folded one in my lap as I sat graveside in the unbearable summer heat. It’s a day that reminds me of overwhelming loss.
I can’t escape it. And I’m so thankful that I’ve never tried to. It’s really difficult to ignore the story of my life unfolding. It’s also not very healthy. I learned early to take every single day just as it comes.
And this week, an old friend passed away. He was also a devoted officer and awesome guy. He and I go way back. And I didn’t realize that I would take his death so incredibly hard. I keep thinking about his wife. No matter how much time passes, he’ll still be gone and she’ll still be figuring out how to get through the hard days.
People that have never been affected by a life shattering event like to gloss over the lasting impact. They bounce between judgemental points of view like “You moved on too fast or are you still not over that?” It’s the worst. Don’t be one of those people.
Dates and similar circumstances trigger trauma and grief. It’s normal. And if all you do is get through today, congratulations, you are doing great. I always try to focus on a happy memory. Something funny, a joke, a trip, a good day, it always helps. And if I feel the tears coming, I let them. It’s good for the soul.
Loss is part of life. It’s a lesson that everyone has to learn eventually. And I truly believe that time does not make it easier. Not one bit. I hate that cliché. It gets easier because you embrace it. It gets easier because you decide to learn how to live with it. It gets easier because everyday that you meet the grief at the door and welcome it in…You get stronger.
And the good news is that everyday isn’t hard and that God is ever so faithful. He’s shown me that His plans are good. He’s shown me that if He deems it necessary to break you. He’ll put you back stronger than before.”
Praying for you,
Cassie 💜🙏
Pocket Full of Rocks
When Jesus said that Love is the greatest commandment…when He said all the Law and Prophets hang on Loving God and Loving Others. He wasn’t trying to give us a fuzzy quote to hang in our living room. JESUS CHRIST was commanding us. He was telling us how to live and walk with/like Him. IT WASN’T A SUGGESTION. EVERYTHING HANGS ON THOSE TWO THINGS… that means everything else depends on us doing those two things. He doesn’t even need to give us any further instructions. Just do those.. you love God and love others…then your actions, speech, and attitudes reflect that. If you don’t, it will be obvious to everyone who truly understands what Jesus was about and what He requires of us. If I love you, I’ll be honest with you. If I love you, I’ll treat you with respect. I’ll also acknowledge and value that God created you and that you have to work out your own salvation. And because I love God, because I walk around bearing His Name and His likeness…because I FOLLOW JESUS, you won’t have to wonder if I am doing the TWO MOST IMPORTANT THINGS HE ASKED ME TO DO. And if you don’t immediately get that from being in my vicinity…then by all means…let’s sit down and talk about that. I’m not perfect. Thank Jesus for His grace… I’m pretty done with this going through the motions stuff and jumping on every “Christian” bandwagon that comes by. Most of these causes, arguments, ideals…didn’t even come from Jesus.
I wonder if Jesus wouldn’t be exhausted down here currently from drawing lines in the sand because humanity walks around with a pocket full of rocks and cannot wait to throw one….or five.. all while having a Bible verse in their bio or on their page.. I HAVE SPENT 2 AND A HALF YEARS DIGGING OUT FROM UNDER ALL THIS SUFFOCATING “RELIGION”. I’m about ten seconds from never referring to myself as a “Christian” again. (Jesus won’t care by the way, He never told us to do that.) Because honestly, I don’t wanna be associated with how some Christians are acting. I understand why Jesus flipped tables. Be blessed. 🙏 The faith that saves us is actually supposed to change us.
Love in Christ,
Cassie
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
It’s Okay to Love Yourself
A few days ago I posted a question on the She Rises page story and on my personal Instagram and Facebook stories. The question was “What’s your biggest challenge as a Christian woman?” I got a lot of interesting answers. Some of them were expected and some of them were not. I decided I would take the next few weeks and address some of them.
I also decided to start with the ones that seemed to be the most common challenge…body image and loving ourselves.
It’s funny how as Christian women we can be kind and loving to every one, except ourselves.
It’s definitely something I’ve struggled with at some point in my life. I think it’s safe to say that every woman has as well. I will say that the older I get the less it’s been an issue for me. Have I overcome it entirely? Well, no, because there’s always a bad day here and there. But honestly, I don’t think it’s something I would say I have a struggle with anymore. And maybe that’s because somewhere over the last two years I made it a point to be nice to myself and to love myself. I also cleaned out my spiritual closet.
Body image is a different machine altogether. And it’s roots grow deep. I remember being on the school bus when I was about thirteen and a boy told me I was ugly. I didn’t ask him, or even like him. But bless his heart, he decided to give me his unsolicited opinion. He then went on to name all the other “ugly” girls in my grade. I remember being shocked by the names he was listing. I thought they were all pretty. I remember thinking that he was rude. And I remember that I didn’t think he was cute at all. But I didn’t tell him. I was raised better than that. Lol.
But I remember that when I got home, I wondered if he might be right. Then later on that afternoon I decided that what he said didn’t matter because he didn’t seem to be a very nice person. And judging by the list he made, I wasn’t in bad company. It seemed like his idea of ugly and mine, were very different. Also, I didn’t like him at all. He was just… Ugh.
Eight grade logic. It’s actually not bad. I’ve always been smart.
I’m sure I didn’t think I was all that pretty. I was a middle schooler. And those were not my best years. But I wouldn’t trade them for anything. So, maybe I didn’t think I was all that pretty. But I certainly did not think I was ugly. And neither were any of the other girls he named.
If I would have liked him. It probably would have hurt my feelings. I would have cared if he didn’t think I was pretty.
I believe that was the moment I truly learned that beauty was certainly in the eye of the beholder. And I also believe that it’s hard to find beauty in anything when there’s bitterness or ugliness in the heart.
I said all of that to say this… “You can’t love something and not think it’s beautiful in some way.
When we truly love ourselves, our body image drastically improves.
Just for a second, think about all the things and people that you love. And pick one of them, now name a few reasons why you love this person, this thing.
Now, do you possess any of those same qualities? I bet you do and I bet that if it’s a person you care way more about the inside than the outside.
And that’s the best way I know how to help you with body image. It won’t matter how much weight you lose. Trust me I’ve been overweight and too skinny and “just right” and hated myself all the same in each body. It all starts on the inside. Once you get that right, it overflows onto the outside.
Once you start being nice to yourself, in speech and action, you’ll see what I mean. Open your Bible and read what God says about you. And then start saying it to yourself.
Psalm 139:14 says that God created your inmost being, knitted you together in your mother’s womb, you are fearfully and wonderfully made, that God’s works are wonderful. And our souls know this.
But we forget that we are a beautiful masterpiece created by a loving God.
The Bible says more things like this:
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
God loves you. He looks at you and delights in you. He knows that you are not perfect. He knows you are struggling. Ask him to help you.
Now, I know from your replies that some of you have been mistreated. Some of you have been hurt in a way that I cannot fathom. The other day I was ministering to a young lady and she was telling me some of the horrible things that her ex husband used to say to her. And later when I was alone, I cried because I was so hurt for her. I was so hurt that someone said those things to her. And none of those things were true. And the person saying them, needed a lot of help and was obviously very broken. I’m not making excuses for them. I’m just stating facts.
So, whether you are struggling because of something someone said to you or you are struggling because of the things you say to yourself. Remember this, you are never going to feel good about yourself as long as believe anything about yourself that does not line up with what God says about you.
You are never going to feel good about yourself as long as don’t speak life and kindness to yourself.
I’m thirty nine years old and I wish I would have learned this lesson twenty years ago.
And if you give this a try and you still can’t seem to have a healthy body image or love yourself then please reach out and talk to someone you trust.
And “flaws”… if you even want to call them that, they make you unique and they set you apart from the unrealistic, cookie cutter beauty standards of this terribly lost world.
God’s idea of beautiful, well, its you. And if it’s a heart issue and you need a new outlook or a better attitude… well He can certainly help with that, too.
Regardless of why your body image isn’t great and you are struggling to love yourself the way you should, remember that you are your own worst critic. Stop being so hard on yourself. For the most part, I bet you are doing the best you know can. . And if aren’t, then do better. Just a little bit at a time.
Pick one thing you like about yourself. And focus on that for a few days. Pick one thing that you want to let go of, some hurt, some issue with someone or yourself. Now, prayerfully ask God to help you heal and forgive. Ask Him everyday until you feel yourself healing.
Keep on doing this for the next month, and then for as long as it takes to clear it all out. It won’t happen overnight, but eventually you’ll start to see yourself differently.
I’m praying for you. God loves you. He wants you to love yourself. And so do I.
Forgiving My Father
Our time lines are about to be flooded with awesome photos of the best dads out there. The ones who work hard and provide. The ones that show up.
And I love that. I have that in my life, too.
But I’d like to take a moment to say to those of you who don’t have that kind of relationship with your father that I see you. And God sees you.
This month in particular is bittersweet for me. It brings the joy of both my sons birthdays. And it brings the anniversary of the day I became a widow. And then in the midst of all that is Father’s Day and my late Father’s birthday.
June and I have a complicated relationship. Kind of the like the relationship I had with my father for the first twenty years of my life.
And let me just say that forgiving him and reconciling that relationship was one of the best decisions I ever made. God taught me so much through that relationship. I’m so glad I reached out to him all those years ago.
It was hard. I was scared. I wasn’t sure how he would react to me calling him up out of the blue. I mean, he knew where I was and I knew where he was… and for alot of years we had people communicating on our behalf. Isn’t that ridiculous?
So much wasted time. Every situation is different. I’m not saying that you should reach out to someone toxic or dangerous. But my dad was neither of those. He was just a really nice guy who was trying to do the right thing.
He stood back and let another man raise me. A really good man by the way. He didn’t want to come in and out of my life. So he made a decision or maybe the decision was made partly for him, and he stayed out of my life.
Now no one ever asked me what I wanted. And I never got a choice about it until I turned eighteen and started to realize that I wanted a say in it. I wish I could say that I immediately reached out but it took me a couple more years to muster up the courage to call him up.
But one night I did call him right up out of the blue. It was fall and I remember standing on the porch in the chilly night air and saying “I’m just gonna call him and see what he says.”
I won’t go into a lot of detail about that first conversation because it’s so very special to me. But I will tell you that it was clear that he never expected that phone call from me to ever happen.
I remember that once I told him who I was it took us a both a few minutes to get our bearings. If you’ve never had to call a stranger and say, “This is your daughter.” You won’t understand the magnitude of waiting for a response. I remember my heart almost pounded out of my chest.
I can still hear his voice say “Oh, wow, Cassie. I’m gonna need just a minute.” And I remember saying, “Yeah, me too.” I still tear up when I think about it.
And he was so awesome. And that just made me like him so much… and later it made me so mad at him. I know that seems crazy but it’s true. See, once I realized that he was so awesome, I was really upset that I missed out on having him in my daily life growing up. It would have been so different if he was awful. But he wasn’t.
And we worked on building a friendship and it wasn’t always easy. He was over 1200 miles away. He was on the road with his band. He had a life. I had a life.
There were lots of tear filled conversations, mostly me crying and trying to work out twenty years of feeling abandoned. And him trying desperately to figure how to make up for it. He couldn’t. I learned eventually to release him from the responsibility of making up for it.
I hope he eventually stopped feeling guilty about it. But I never asked him, so I don’t know.
A few months after that first phone call, I found myself standing in front of him one night before his show. It’s something I’ll never forget. I had pictures of him growing up. But I had not seen him since I was about two and I couldn’t remember him at all.
So there we were. It was surreal. Music was the thing that took him away from me. But somehow it was also the thing that connected us. I watched him play that night and I couldn’t believe how talented he was.
I wouldn’t take anything for the fifteen years or so I got before he passed away. They weren’t perfect. There were times when we both could have tried harder. But I got to have a relationship with him.
He passed away about five years ago. And there are some things that I didn’t say. There are some things that he didn’t say.
But there are so many things we did say.
So, if you find yourself wondering if you should find your father, call your father, forgive your father. My advice is to do it. Life is short. And we can’t always be without regret, it’s part of life. Maybe it will go well, maybe it won’t. But at least you can say that you tried.
My dad was awesome and talented. He was so intelligent and such a deep thinker. He would give me such amazing advice. I grew up drawn to music. Before I even knew why, I had and still have a love and appreciation for it. It’s because of him. It’s the thing that always reminds me that I’m my father’s daughter.
I’m so thankful that God opened my heart toward him. I’m so thankful I forgave him and had the chance to get to know him for myself.
I don’t know if you think you want to do the same thing. I don’t know your situation or what kind of person you would find yourself dealing with… but I will tell you to pray about it and let God lead you. Forgiveness is such a gift. It’s a beautiful thing to forgive someone. It’s so beautiful to say it to someone who feels like they don’t deserve it. It’s beautiful to watch them accept it. 💙
It’s a reflection of God’s love. He forgives us when we don’t deserve it. And forgiveness does not always mean reconciliation. Sometimes you can’t have a healthy relationship with people, even if you want to. But you can forgive them and you can tell them.
Because one day you’ll wish you said what you wanted to say before it was too late to say it. I know this to be absolutely the truth. 💙
I’m praying God will lead in the direction and that you will be able to do whatever it is you need to do.
Love in Christ,
Cassie
“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” Malachi 4:6|niv
He Saves Us
“You feel sad because you think you’ve lost something. But actually you should be happy because you’ve been saved from it.” -unknown
“Sometimes He saves us from people, sometimes things. Sometimes God snatches us up and out of the way of harm. Sometimes He rescues us from circumstances.
▫️
But I know sometimes it feels like He doesn’t. The Bible tells us we will have trials. But I believe that whenever I must endure something difficult or uncomfortable, that somehow that season is saving me, too, in some way that I cannot comprehend in this flesh.
▫️
Perhaps the hard times save me heartache because I learn from them. They teach me to trust God, to let go. They remind me I’m strong, fierce, brave. So I will always believe that God has a beautiful, bigger picture. And I will cling to the knowledge that His best will always find me eventually.”
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me to remember that anything that makes its way to me, must first pass through Your hands. Help me yield to your plan, your guidance, your discipline, your direction. Thank you for your love and grace.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Romans 8:27-37|NIV
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Mini Morning Devo
“Stop thinking about it so much. You’re breaking your own heart.” -unknown
“It’s really difficult when we are hurting not to think about it. We wonder why we are having to endure heartbreak, or pain. We find ourselves replaying conversations or scenarios.
▫️
But it’s so important to think about the good things to come. It’s important to focus on healing and let God do His work.
▫️
The Bible says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8| NIV
▫️
Focus on the lovely things that God has given you and Praise Him for the healing only He can give a broken heart!” 💜
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please help me to remember that you made my heart and you know best. I pray that you will help me yield to the healing you want to do in me and help me let you do it.
In Jesus Name,
Amen