God Sees Our Potential
by Vonette Bright
**Are you struggling with a feeling of being left out and friendless? Do you need someone to pray for you? http://thelife.com/interactive/share.html
Moondance Alexander didn’t seem to fit in.
This 12-year-old was awkward, friendless, fatherless and shorter than her peers.
She admitted, “My friend roster is at an all-time low.”
But her mother told her she was destined for something special.
The young girl proved that was true when she trained an equally awkward horse to be a championship jumper.
It’s a great picture of our heavenly Father’s point of view of you and me.
God sees your potential even when others don’t. Even when YOU don’t! He knows what He has created you to be.
By seeking His path for your life, you too can be destined for something special.
Dear friend, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Believe it. I do.
To help discover God’s plan for your life, go to www.journeyofjoy.com
Life Lesson: Time management
Are you still growing spiritually?: Check your compass and let God lead you
You are special to God!
Question: Are you seeking God’s path for your life? Have you invited Him to lead you?
About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/vonette
I stand with you, Wendy, in prayer, claiming the promises of God in Matthew 18:19! May He be glorified in and through us, His daughters, on this blog! May His purposes for us be actualized in our homes, in our neighborhoods, and in our towns! And, may all glory be unto Him! Thank You, Lord Jesus, for lifting Wendy’s spirit, that it may soar again! You are the Faithful One! In Your holy Name, Amen!
Hello ladies,
This time with a smile on my face. Thank you for praying for me and lifting me up when I felt so heavy hearted.
The Lord is good and faithful. Reading scripture, particularly Psalm 51 and 62, 63… God has ministered to my soul.
Where the enemy tried to use a previously weak area in my life to bring me down and temporarily succeeded, God is stronger and more able to help me up again.
Psalm 62:1-2 says… “I wait quietly for the Lord, my victory comes from him, he is my rock and my salvation and my fortress where I will never be shaken”
The word says when we walk in sin we are to confess to him and to one another as believers and his forgiveness brings healing. By confessing here of my weakness and the struggle that I was experiencing I know that God brought healing to me quickly and I have found my hope again.
Thank you Marilyn and Linda for your love and support across the miles. God used you both in a special way, I am grateful.
I will also have to look at taking a supplement to support my body physically during the monthlies.
May the Lord continue to work thru people who love and serve him, caring for others who are in need. We all have a time when we are in need, a time when we can give and also receive. God uses all our situations for his glory, he sees our potential and the potential for his hand to work in our lives.
Thank you Jesus for never giving up on us but for seeking us out so that your plans can be realised in our lives as we learn to obey and follow you. Be exhalted Jesus, our Saviour.
We adore you.
I pray now for the ladies on this site who are needing a touch from you Father, you know, I pray for your grace and mercy to work in their lives, bringing each one closer to you. In Jesus name, amen.
Precious sister, Wendy, I praise God for His tenderly ministering to you during this time of discouragement! He is so compassionate, and it breaks His heart to see one of His children down-hearted! You are a beautiful lighthouse for the Lord, Wendy, and Satan can’t stand that! You bless us so here, sharing His wisdom and love with your sisters! God bless you, dear one, for seeking power in unified prayer, trusting Him for delivery! May the Lord continue to soothe your spirit, dear Wendy, and restore your joy in Him! You remain in our prayers!
Thank you for your prayers L and M. For the love of Christ that shines from you. For your compassion and wisdom that comes from God.
M as you rightly said, satan obscures our vision. Looking back now I confess I allowed negativity to brood in my heart and chose to believe many lies this past week. I allowed the enemy to bowl me over and felt defeated and did not stand up in faith. I entertained thoughts which were not from God. I placed my eyes on me and not on the great I AM.
Reading Psalm 51 this morning I was again relieved that God forgives my sin and renews me heart as I confess my sin to him. I confess that I have sinned by believing lies from the enemy. For not trusting God and all that he has done. Yes I am weak but God makes me strong. What God has done satan tries to undo – I fell but i stand up again in the strength that Jesus is my helper and my shield. I confess too that by withdrawing into a shell and experiencing hopelessness, I shut myself off from those who are trying to love me and care for me. The Lord has provided me with a beautiful family and with friends who care and love – in the emotional “crash” I do not see the reality of that. I confess this hurts others which I do not see at the time. I confess this wrong doing and receive forgiveness. I pray for my loved ones and the confusion this brings them.
I pray that this experience will teach me yet again to be found in Christ alone and that my true self-esteem is found in the truth of Gods word and in his love. In reality, the focus needs to be on trusting Father God and believing in him, seeing the good he does in relationships and through situations. For his name sake.
Thank you for helping me to stand again and to clear my vision. May God too meet you at your point of need. May God bless you.
Joining you in prayer, Linda, for our dear sister, Wendy . . .
Precious Lord, You are our great Comforter in times of discouragement, holding us close as our hearts become heavy. Satan watches as we near these times, magnifying our disappointments and obscuring our vision of You! We ask You, Lord, for Your loving Presence to be felt and enjoyed again by our sweet sister, Wendy! In her brokenness, Lord, remind her of Your great love for her, and how You have been pleased with her faithful witness to You! Bring back her joy of salvation, her spirit of thanksgiving, and fill her with Your Spirit, we pray! Reassure her of her place in Your heart, and how this is where her true self-esteem originates! Bathe her in the warmth of Your love, and restore her hope in You, Lord! In the matchless Name of Jesus, Amen!
Dear Heavenly Father I just bring Wendy before You right now, Jesus you see how she is feeling down, defeated, worthless,unlovable, useless and the list could go on and on but Lord we know In Your Eyes she shines like Gold! She is Your Child , A Child of The King!!! You Fearfully and Wonderfully made her just the way she is. Help her to put all her faith, trust & hope in You. Lord let her feel right now Your Loving Arms Wrapped ever so tightly around her, daily remind she is loved by you and all of her Christian sisters & brothers! She belongs to the biggest most Loving Family Ever! All of us ladies on this site reach out right now and give her a big hug as we love her like she is our sister. Bless her Lord encourage her uplift her spirits and don’t let her EVER, EVER Have Low Self Esteem Again. Just allow her to keep reminding herself that she is A CHILD OF THE KING!!! Hugs Linda!!!
This devotional hit a chord, from a young girl I often felt that i don’t fit in, not really belonging. Sometimes felt invisible.
It has been an inner struggle for many years. Yes i have overcome much and grown in many ways, and Jesus has become my source of strength. I have grown close to Jesus and he has been the centre of my life, the reason for being even when others mocked and ridiculed my faith and my stand.
However this past week i had an emotional crash – normally the strong one for others, encouraging and giving to others – i had nothing left to give. It even felt that the Lord had tossed me one side, tho i do know that is not Gods character. Perhaps the feeling that now even God has turned from me has caused me to lose hope, to crash.
I struggle in relationships and it seems people generally do not care unless you are giving them something that benefits them.
I recognise that as a believer one has to keep on giving and loving, and being filled up from the Father, somehow things in my relationships are out of balance. Low self esteem is something i know the enemey uses to bring one down – easy to identify – not so easy to overcome especially during the monthlies.
Please lift me up in prayer. I need to find my hope in Jesus again. I am empty inside.
Thanks.
Hi Ladies, well today Pat I could have just copied and pasted what you had to say as that is just me all over again except if I feel too uncomfortable I will just get up and go home. I would much prefer to go with someone whether it be to church, ladies group, pot luck, baby shower whatever it maybe I just can’t walk in alone and sit there alone, but get me together one on one with someone and I am fine. But it is my desire even at the ripe old age of 57 to still be doing & being who God would desire me to be. Two Songs come to my mind they are:
“Oh To Be Like Thee”
1. Oh! to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
* Refrain:
Oh! to be like Thee, oh! to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
2. Oh! to be like Thee, full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinner to find.
3. Oh! to be like Thee, lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer, others to save.
4. Oh! to be like Thee, Lord, I am coming,
Now to receive th’ anointing divine;
All that I am and have I am bringing,
Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine.
5. Oh! to be like Thee, while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love,
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
“Just To Be Thine Hand Extended”
Just To Be Thine Hand Extended Reaching Out To The Oppressed
Let Me Touch Him, Let Me Touch Jesus
So That Others May Know And Be Blessed
Sorry for my posting being so long! Hugs Linda!!!
good day to all,
Vonette, thank you for this devotional. as i started to read the first line, i could hear my self answering to the Lord. am i struggling with a feeling of being left out? no. friendless? no. need someone to pray for me? inequivitably, without a doubt. then as i read further i realized that the 12 yr. old was me. i had been that 12 yr. old until i was 48! from a very young age i had been a ‘loner’(hard to imagine when i grew up with 8 siblings, me being the the oldest girl). i was an introvert child and adult, always in the background, never wanted anyone to notice me, not one friend all the way through. lots of acquaintence’s mind you, no friends. that is the past and that is where it will stay. i have a friend in my life today, a true friend in the purest form–Jesus Christ! my life, the gift from the Lord that i almost friverously through away, has done a 360 degree. today my life has a true Christian friend with whom i share my joys of serenity and peace with. we are both youths in our spiritual growth and rely on each other’s comfort and support. but, Jesus is the number one source of why i am still here in the flesh. God knew from the get go that I had potential and I know that God truly gives us miracles because I look at each day since I accepted Christ and am truly humbled that the real me, the one that God saw, is now His child. i started saying from around the age of 35 that i really didn’t know what i wanted to do when i grew up. it became a standing joke with those who knew me. well, i am blessed to say that i do have purpose in God’s Kingdom and I live each day giving thanks to the only One who never gave up on me. I believe the construction of my path has begun. to all who struggle, do not give up because we only have one earthly life as i always was taught. i have been given a second one and i take His hand without question.
Dear anon, you remain in our prayers! It is good to hear from you, to know how God is working in your life! Depending on the wounds, and our heart’s readiness to forgive, our healing time can be delayed, even sabotaged. If a transgression is regularly being re-visited, dwelled upon, it causes re-injury, and it can infect the heart. Sins are difficult to forget sometimes, but if our memory of them provoke feelings of hurt/anger still, then forgiveness is not complete. You have mentioned several times about concerns over ‘being misunderstood.’ You seem to be certain that people do not understand or accept you. While it is possible that some may not — none of us is going to be fully understood and accepted by everyone we meet — my thoughts are that you may be very sensitive, and could be presuming their attitudes. Anon, are you getting the help of Christian counseling for your difficulties in this healing process? It would be very beneficial for you, as it could help you understand the ‘whys’ of your perpetual feelings of ‘being misunderstood.’ God is on your side, dear sister! He wants you to have victory over these obstacles. Pray to Him for a mentor to come alongside of you, and walk with you through this extended trial. And, ask Him to reveal to you any reluctance on your part to move forward. Sometimes, we feel safer in a cage, afraid of coming out and being exposed, seemingly unprotected. But, God has promised us to never leave us nor forsake us, and you can trust Him when He reaches into the cage and asks you to take His hand! God bless, dear sister!
Hi Pat! I understand your uneasiness in a group of people, as I, too, am not one to feel comfortable in that setting! Never being one to enjoy ‘parties,’ I much prefer small, intimate groups of 6 or less. As I love people, spending time one-on-one is precious to me. I have found that when I am in settings of larger groups of people, finding someone who appears unengaged and focusing on getting to know that person takes my mind off of feeling uncomfortable. I have met some pretty interesting folk with this approach! :) I’m not caught in these situations very often, and so I’ve learned how to use these few times that I am, to reach out to someone else, who seems to be in the same boat! When you are feeling lonely, reaching out to someone else is the best medicine!
Thank you sisters, for those who prayed for me in the past. This was an excellent devotional, and the Lord knows I needed to hear it. Please pray with me, that these words would sink in. Some of you know I have been going through a big healing time, which has been so difficult, and hard to describe. God has been merciful & sent ppl here & there along the way, but there were also many times I felt so alone. As some of you know, there were some rifts b/w myself & others along the way, and it hurt me so much.. I felt so misunderstood, and sometimes have to ask God even now for help and strength to get over the hurts. God has been so merciful, and He truly loves us when no one else does or can. He truly does see the beauty He put in us, yes when others might miss it. That is something I have been struggling with. Although we know in our heads, it is sometimes hard when others (Christians) mistreat you still. I need to forgive them & continually go on to seek Him… but it is hard sometimes. I pray for strength and wisdom, power, and the grace to find the church He wants me to be in, and as much as possible, not be misunderstood so much. I ask for His help to forgive those I need to, and truly move on from those things. God has helped me, but I do ask for more. Thank you for listening. Thank you for this message, I needed to hear it and be reminded of how much God loves us, and thinks of us, even when no one else might be. And that He sees something usable within us, despite how we might seem rough on the outside. God, thank you, that You can see something in us that we can’t. Often we see ‘ugly’ things Lord, but You see potential. THank you for your mercy. God, have mercy on us, and use us… help us and these women on this blog.. use our lives and help us with our problems. protect us, and keep us safe O Lord. God, guide us, and make us to live at peace with each other. Lord, we love You, and bring us closer. God, you are our God, and may it be true. In Your Name Jesus, Amen. Help us today.
I can surely relate to this topic as I am not good in a crowd of people, and really can’t talk when there is a group of people around. I wish I could, because it does get lonely sometimes.. But I really try to be the kind of person God wants me to be and I pray every day that I will. We all have our different personalities and each one is special in his eyes.
Thank you for today’s devotional. I am sure lots of us ladies deal with today’s topic. I went to the online site (www.journeyofjoy.com) to read what it had. I read a story about Michelle. The last line of her prayer for leading others to Christ was: “Make me the kind of woman you want me to be.” I could really relate to that. Yes, Lord, make me the kind of woman you want me to be. Thank you, Michelle.
good devotional today
sharon
Great encouragement, Vonette! There is a saying . . .”Though man can count the seeds in an apple, only God can count the apples in a seed!” He supplies the power, if we supply the willing heart! Enjoy the Lord’s Day, dear sisters-in-Christ!