Are you consumed with worry? Let us pray for you.
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Whenever we find ourselves eaten up with worry, fear, anxiety, or devoured by the pressures of the day, God tells us to take note. Being consumed is a red flag and God gives us directions for just such times.
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:7).
There is an enemy of our souls and his goal is to devour us. God tells us to be alert. Take note when you are being consumed by something. Scripture tells us the enemy of our soul comes to kill, steal and destroy and we are to be watchful. Being consumed by fear, worry, gossip, a particular temptation or the pressures of the day will, at best, steal from you and rob you of peace in your soul and joy in the moment. At worst it can destroy health and relationships and your fellowship with the God who wants to help you.
So what do you do when you realize something is just eating you up? You resist as the scripture says. How do you resist? You begin to see worry as a call to prayer, inviting God into your circumstance to direct you and give you wisdom. You resist worry through prayer. (Phil. 4:6) You resist fear through Scripture, knowing God has said that He has not given us the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). You stand firm in your faith knowing that the consuming downward spiral you find yourself in is not your Heavenly Father’s plan for you.
God cares about you. Remember: Your worry is a call to prayer. List the things that tend to devour you. Release them from your heart and mind by giving them to God in prayer.
Ask God to take the things on your heart and to give you His peace in return. Be prepared to ask for His strength to resist your worries each time they threaten to overwhelm you. Exchange your worries, in prayer, for God’s peace.
Father in Heaven, thank you for showing me that worry is really a call to prayer. Help me to be alert and to run to You when I am being eaten up with worry or fear. Thank you that I can throw my cares into Your lap and stand firm in Your promises. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Questions: As mentioned in the devotional, what do you do when you realize something is just eating you up? How do you resist fear & worry?
About the Author Gail Rodgers
Are you hurting? Try this Bible Study called “God Knows Our Needs”:
“Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed from that moment” (Matthew 9:22).
What a jolt of reality I had at a breast cancer support meeting tonight. First a lady with short hair walked in, followed by a bald lady, and then a lady with the tiniest bit of hair. One young woman had her first chemotherapy treatment that day and soon made an exit to vomit.
As the women talked and asked questions about the side effects of chemotherapy, such as sores in their mouths, and problems with digestions, diarrhea and constipation, I felt myself getting sick. My head throbbed, and my knees wobbled like Jell-O. Before long, I sobbed, and someone passed me a box of tissues.
I noticed a table with Valentine’s Day decorations and all kinds of refreshments in the hallway. How could anyone possibly eat Valentine’s Day cookies and have a soft drink during this type of meeting? Why did I eat dinner earlier? I felt sick to my stomach. Stop the merry-go-round. I want to get off.
I wish I weren’t going through this. I wish I could hide under a blanket, wake up, and have this behind me. I wish I were free of cancer or had healing power, but God alone has that power. His healing may be physical, or he may simply help me peacefully accept my circumstances. I’m convinced he knows which is better for me.
We all face similar struggles. We may think we’re hanging on with only a shred of faith. It helps to remember that Gideon, David, Samson, the prophets and many others were not born with an unshakable faith. Their faith grew day by day. Hebrews 11 says their weakness was turned to strength and they became powerful in battle. It’s okay to admit we are scared, sick, weak, or powerless. God will meet us where we are.
Father, please tell me, “Daughter, your faith has made you whole.” I also ask for emotional healing from the trauma of cancer. May I join the ranks of those who turned from weakness to strength through faith in You. Amen.
Reprinted from Yvonne Ortega’s book, Hope for the Journey Through Cancer.
Used by permission of Fleming H. Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, copyright 2007. All rights to this material are reserved. Materials are not to be distributed to other web locations for retrieval, published in other media, or mirrored at other sites without written permission from Baker Publishing Group.
Questions: What “cancer” are you struggling with today? How can our weak faith be strengthened at a time when one is hurting so deeply?
About the author Yvonne Ortega
Are you stressed? Try this online study for some insights.
“Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name” (Genesis 2:19, NKJV).
God commanded Adam (and all mankind by extension) to have dominion over the earth, to tend and keep it. We see God respect the authority that He gave Adam when Adam named all the animals. God did not challenge or undermine Adam by questioning the names he chose, it simply says that “whatever Adam called them, that was their name.” We see this principal again in the New Testament where Jesus tells His disciples “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Jesus said that all authority had been given to Him and that in His name we have the authority and dominion on the earth. The question is often asked “why does God allow so much suffering?” Is it possible that the condition on the earth is connected to how well we have taken our responsibility to use our God given authority to tend and keep it?
What if we were to take responsibility for binding evil and loosing God’s blessings in our homes, neighborhoods, cities and nations through prayer? Do you think we could make a difference? It is said that “evil prevails when good men do nothing.” God has given us the tools and the authority, let’s “keep the earth” in the way that pleases Him, blesses us, and causes good to prevail.
“The heavens, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men” (Psalm 115:16, NKJV).
“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you lose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19, NKJV).
Questions: What is our responsibility in taking care of the earth?
About the Author Emmie Stanley
Are you facing a “giant” today? Take this online Bible study to help you.
Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EST.
“And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose” (Matthew 9:23-25).
Get out of here so I can work! Oh, how we hate distractions and noise, both things that pull our concentration away from the task at hand. In our passage today, the ruler had sought out Jesus and told him his daughter had died, but he believed Jesus could bring her back to life. “Jesus, come into my house and do the impossible,” he asked. But the crowds would not believe. It wasn’t until they were turned out that Jesus chose to perform this miracle. Why? We can only speculate, but I see an analogy here.
There are times I call on Jesus. I want him to come fix my life, or my thoughts, or revive a new spirit within me. I open my heart and ask Him to come in and heal me. Perhaps my spiritual house is full of other distractions – hurt, anger, frustration, pain. The nagging is still in the back of my mind – things can’t change, this is the way it is, why hope? Maybe it is coming from well meaning friends, or the TV, or my own desperation. Maybe these negative thoughts come from a more evil force that trembles at the name of Jesus?
All I know is before I can see Jesus in my life reviving me, I need to clear that ruckus away. I must give Him control over the situation so I can concentrate on His healing power alone. He stands patiently, knocking on the door of my heart. I am here. Waiting. The beauty of it is I can also see Him helping to clear all the garbage away. His Truth is the broom to sweep away all that doesn’t honor Him.
Can’t you just see Jesus at the ruler’s house calming him, saying it is okay, showing the hecklers the door? Even when we have barely enough strength to call on Him, He will come and do what is necessary to prepare us for His change in our lives. If you need a miracle, if you need revival, ask Jesus to help you clear away the obstacles that are preventing you from receiving it. It may take time, but His timing is perfect
Question: What have you swept under the rug that you need to get out of your “house”? What do you need Jesus’ help to clear away so you can receive His healing in your life?
About the Author Julie Cosgrove
Do you need encouragement? Talk to us.
Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EST.
“Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
How our world needs encouragers, people who will inspire us with courage and hope. Do you know of someone like that?
Mr. Turner, an elderly gentleman in our church, was such an encourager to me. He would leave reassuring notes in my mail box that said, “We believe in you!” Sometimes he’d phone and say, “If ever you need to talk, remember Mrs. Turner and I are here for you.”
When I arrived at their small townhouse, Mrs. Turner would serve me a cup of tea. Mr. Turner would position himself so he could hear me better. Then they’d listen intently. They never minimized my pain. They had no pat answers. They admitted that sometimes it is difficult to understand God’s ways. What I remember most about our visits is how valued I felt. Listening to them pray for me, boosted my spirit and gave me hope to believe that God was still with me and He would see me through this.
I want to be an encourager like that, don’t you? These are some ways we can do it:
- Value others as God does. You will then treat each person with dignity and respect.
- Listen carefully without bringing in your own stories.
- Make a choice to build people up. “God never allows us to see another person’s faults so we may criticize them, but only that we might intercede (pray) for them,” writes Oswald Chambers.
- Praise them for the strengths you see in them.
Father, I thank you for each person who’s encouraged me on my faith journey. I want to encourage someone else today and build them up in the faith.
Questions: How can you be an encouragement to someone you know? Make a list of some ways that you can start being a deliberate encourager.
About the Author Helen Grace Lescheid
Do you have questions about what is truth? Ask us.
Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EST.
“I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first” (Rev 2:19).
Some in the church in Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) had managed to keep themselves separate from the evil that was going on in their church, but others were following a woman who called herself a prophetess and had misled people into sexual sin. God proclaimed judgment on this woman, “I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling” (Rev 2:21). God promised the same to her followers unless they repented.
Sometimes we find ourselves in the first group, simply following God to the best of our ability, doing what is right in the midst of wrong teaching. We might even be looked down on or ridiculed for not being as “enlightened” or for not understanding these “deep secrets”. If that is where you are, then the message for Thyatira is for you: hold on to truth.
“Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come” (Rev 2:24, 25).
You know the truth: that Jesus died for your sins and He alone makes you righteous, that life is not about pleasing ourselves but pleasing God who sacrificed all for us. Don’t worry about what is going on around you. Jesus will return. God will judge those who do evil. As for you, simply hold on until then.
Gracious God and Father, help me to walk in love and faith and truth. Thank you that You know my heart. Keep me safe from the lies that come at me from every side. Help me to hold on to the truth until You come. Amen
Questions: How does knowing Jesus will return give you hope? How can we encourage each other to hold on to truth?
About the Author Suzanne Benner
Is your love in short supply? We can pray.
Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EST.
Spontaneous feelings of love spring from our hearts when we think of some of the dear people in our lives. Then there are others who are not so easy to love. They challenge our sense of justice, our patience and even our Christian faith as we grappled with how to love them.
The Bible clearly outlines the characteristics of love. One phrase stands out today:
“Love is patient and is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
It’s easy to call to mind those who challenge our patience and love. There might be those at work or at church who are spreading rumors; or that neighbor who just seems to want to make life miserable for everyone around. What about the one who acts in a way toward their family that disgusts you or even the politician who represents you and makes decisions contrary to your beliefs? Even some family members can be trying, leaving us feeling justified in withholding our love.
Yet here God clearly outlines the characteristics of love. His Word says the world should know we are Christians by our love. Love should be the hand-rail that will steady us in all our relationships and dealings with the world around us. Yet how is it possible? One can not just turn a blind eye to injustice, mistreatment and gossip.
The springs of love are within God. Love does not naturally exist in our own hearts when challenged by things that grate on us. God tells us exactly what is required of us when we face this dilemma in our hearts. Listen to His wisdom:
“And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly
To love mercy
And to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
It makes sense. Our responsibility is simply to walk humbly with our God. We need to allow Him to keep our hearts soft with mercy while striving for fairness. This will make a difference in the situations where people seem so irritating. His Holy Spirit gives us the patience and the ability to be kind and to look for fairness in our dealings. This approach would help bring balance to situations that may be getting out of control. This love makes sense. It brings perspective. It doesn’t suggest a “door mat” response yet it holds out hope when mercy and fairness, from God’s heart, fill ours and helps us deal patiently with some of the hard people in life.
prayer & reflection
Father in Heaven, You have called me to love the world around me. It’s not an easy thing to do. Thank you that You not only spell out how but You also offer the resource of Your mercy and Your wisdom to bring balance to circumstances that seem so out of balance. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit today and let Your love flow through me so others see You through me. In Jesus’ name, amen
Questions: Who in you circle of acquaintance would benefit by receiving love from you today? How could you show love to some of the hard people in your life?
About the Author Gail Rodgers
Does someone need the comfort of your home? Here is an online Bible study .
Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EST.
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mathew 25:40).
After leaving the home of His childhood and the companionship of His family, we have no record of Jesus having a home of His own. In fact, while explaining the cost of following Him, He said, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
And yet we know of one home where He loved to visit, where He felt free to “drop in” unannounced, and where He deeply loved His hosts. It was in this home that He sought quiet refuge just days before His trial and death.
After Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem upon a young donkey, His disciple Matthew records, “He…went out of the city to Bethany where He spent the night.” Did Martha, Mary and Lazarus talk quietly that night with their precious Jesus, guessing that this may be their last visit with Him before the horror to come? Did Martha have hot soup and warm bread for the family supper?
What welcome would you have given Jesus? What food would you have prepared? He no longer walks physically among us, but He boldly taught that we can serve Him just as did His Bethany hosts: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.”
Hospitality can call up visions of elaborate meals or richly furnished guest quarters, but Jesus said we can be Bethany hosts whenever we serve others with an attitude of humility and joy, whenever we make our homes, whether large or small, places of refuge for those who need comfort. Why not use this Holy Week to invite “the brothers of Jesus” into your home and thus experience the presence of God?
Lord Jesus, open my eyes to those around me who need the comfort of my home. May I be generous in my hospitality and loving in my care.
Questions: Why do you think hospitality is such a scary word to many women? How can you build simple hospitality into your life in the next few weeks?
About the Author Marilyn J. Ehle
Do you feel unloved? Look at this lesson and discover God’s love for you.
“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1).
Endure is a powerful sounding word. As I looked it up in the dictionary and pondered how the definition correlated to God’s love for us, a phrase leaped out at me: “without flinching.”
God’s love endures our fickleness, persists through our unbelief, remains during our rebellion, continues endlessly, and it does all that without flinching.
The steadfast love of the Lord is something that we can rely on completely. It never comes to an end.
Psalm 136 is a litany of praise for God’s mighty acts and goodness. Each of its 26 verses end with the response, “His love endures forever”
Something happens in my heart when I read that Psalm. Each time “His love endures forever” chants in my brain, it goes a little deeper. It adds layers of strength to my belief that it is true, solidifying my resolve to live in the hope and confidence that God’s love brings.
Claim this truth for yourself. Cling to it during your dark struggle. Nothing can endure longer or stronger than God’s love for you.
O God, we join with the psalmist saying, “Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. We give thanks to Him who alone does great wonders; His love endures forever. We give thanks to the One who remembered us in our low estate; His love endures forever. We give thanks to the One who freed us from our enemies; His love endures forever. We give thanks to the One who gives food to every creature; His love endures forever. We give thanks to the God of heaven; His love endures forever”(Psalm 136:3, 4, 23 – 26).
Questions: Why do we sometimes question God’s love? What can we do to remind ourselves again that “His love endures forever”?
About the Author Suzanne Benner
Healing Within the Body of Christ (Part 5 of 5)
Have you been hurt? Take this study to learn how to deal with pain so that bitterness doesn’t take root.
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
Step 5: Be willing to plant stakes in the ground
When we recognize there has been hurt in our church, we must be willing to take a stand to say what will be different from this day forward. So often we experience hurt within the church walls and we retreat for awhile, only to return to find a new vision or a new program. A “forgetting what is behind” attitude can spring up without ever acknowledging why we got to the hurtful point we did.
If there is one thing we have learned throughout history it is that history repeats itself. The struggles with pride and accountability, tending the seeds of our heart, and not recognizing our enemy, are all day-to-day struggles. We will not mature and move ahead in our journey with God as a church unless we recognize where we have been in hurting times and plant some stakes to serve as markers to check us when we begin to spiral into the same patterns. Ask yourself:
“Am I willing to acknowledge my part and take steps to prevent a repeat?”
When conflict threatens your heart and your church, as it will, seek first to be intentional about raising the prayer banner. This invites the Spirit of God to be at work in the lives of those involved and minimizes our tendency to lean on our own understanding. It moves us toward recognizing afresh our utter dependence on God. God alone is the hope of the hurting church.
If you are part of a church that is experiencing hurt and conflict, confusion and disorder, God gives a measuring stick to determine what value system is at work.
Two kinds of wisdom…
James 3:13-17 talks about the two kinds of wisdom. One that does not come from heaven and one that does. The one not based on heavenly values is centered on earthly, unspiritual values with envy and selfish ambition at the core. Not hard to spot. The trademark of love will be missing as well.
The wisdom based on heavenly values will be pure, peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
This higher value system can be reached by applying these five steps (see this devotional and the previous parts in the series) based on the foundation of love. It’s love that comes from the heart of our Father God to our own individual hearts. Then the world will see our trademark and glorify God in Heaven.
Tend your heart wisely! The state of your soul, the health of your church, and a watching world needing Jesus depends on it.
Father God, I thank you for my church. I pray that You will work in me and through me to display Your love and Your wisdom within my church. Help me to do my part to keep my heart pure, peace loving and considerate so that You will be honored in this community by our trademark of love. In Jesus’ powerful name I pray, amen.
Questions: When someone has hurt you, what is your initial response? Where do you first go for comfort?
About the Author Gail Rodgers
Soul Cravings: Seeking
Is it possible that God has been actively seeking you, possibly even for a lifetime?
>Watch
Do you crave destiny? (Part 2)
Destiny? Is this really me? Was I really born for great things?
>Watch
