God had so much in store for Abram. He was going to change his name, and then make him the father of the nations. His descendents would be as numerous as the stars and they would be called the children of God. Abram was a major step in the process of restoring the relationship God had once shared with His people before the Fall.

Eventually from Abram’s seed would be born Jesus, the Messiah, who would fulfill that process. God had chosen Abram for all of this. But, Abram could look no further than his own wish to be a father. He said to God, “If you can’t grant me my heart’s desire then I don’t want anything else.”

Sound familiar? Is there something you have been fervently praying for which God has yet to give you? Are you so concentrating on getting that one thing that you are missing the big picture He offers? If so, then you may fall into the same trap Abram did. He tried to intervene with his servant Hagar and usher things along. “God said I could be a father. I’ll just help Him out by doing it my way. Surely He will bless that. I’m doing His will, right?” The result was Ishmael, not Isaac. Arabs and Jews have been in conflict ever since. They are still battling over God’s favor and promised land.

Too often we hear a message we know is from God—in a dream, in a sermon, in a hymn, from a friend—that seems to be an answer to prayer. We take it as a resounding “Yes”, then dash off to grab it without waiting for the instructions of how to obtain it God’s way. There may be steps He wants us to go through for our own good. But we jump the gun, then wonder why it turns out wrong. “But, God, I was so sure. . . .”

Or, like Abram, we are so bent on receiving that one thing, we miss out on all He is trying to give us along the way. We’ve squinted our eyes so tight in wishing we don’t see His presence in our lives and the little blessings He provides. Like a pouty child near Christmas we whine, “If you love me, really love me, you’ll give me this.” We miss the small ways He shows His love to us all the time.

We ask, “What will you give me?” instead of “Thank you for loving me so much  to give me _________. You fill in the blanks. Think of the blessings starting with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and ending with the last breath you just exhaled. Daunting exercise, isn’t it? If you can only come up with two or three, pray for God to reveal more to you. Then trust He will. It may take a while, they are so numerous.

Perhaps if we all concentrated more on His grace and mercy, and were thankful for what He has already bestowed upon us, then we’d be a step closer to receiving not so much what we desire, but what He desires for us, which is far better. And along the way, we just might get our “Isaac”—that which we so desperately wanted. Then, like Abram, even if God asks us to give it back to Him, we will have the faith to say, “Yes, Lord. Thy will be done. I trust in Your love and promise.”

Questions: What are you asking God for right now? Do you think you should also ask Him what He wants for you?

“He went without knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8b, NLT)

It’s a new year – a new beginning, new unknown territory. It can be a scary journey at times. Will I have the courage to step out into the unknown as Abraham did? Will you?

As I stand here with my toes on the threshold of the new year I know that God knows where He and I are going. Do I then go forward in faith’s victory to possess this new year…or remain frozen in victim’s defeat, allowing it to possess me?

As Jesus once said to a man whom He was about to heal, “Step forward.” (Mark 3:3b NKJV) Will I step forward believing and trusting for the answer to that which I need, remembering what God has done for me in the past? Or will I hang back in the shadows afraid to move ahead, forgetting God’s providence?

Just as God told Isaiah, He says to you and me, “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like Me.” (Isaiah 46:9, NLT)

God will again make His provisions available in the new year for it is in His plan for each of us. He says, “I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jer. 29:11 Msg)

As God led every step of the Israelites’ journey to the new land, so He still leads us today. When we take those wobbly steps into the unknown, what will this new land hold for us?

We may encounter…

* joys unspeakable

* smooth paths of guidance

* lush pastures of provision

* hilltop experiences

* spiritual blessings in abundance

However, we may also encounter…

* desert dryness

* valley mists and fogs

* wilderness wanderings

* gremlins hiding behind bushes

* paths with potholes and pitfalls

* steep uphill climbs and dangerous downhill slides

Challenges will meet us at every turn, some easier to handle than others. But God will work in all the ups and downs of those trials, heartaches, and blessings.

He does this for us because of His compassion and mercy. Jeremiah tells us, “Yet there is one ray of hope: His compassion never ends. It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His loving-kindness begins afresh each day.” (Lamentations 3:21-23, TLB)

Be assured that no matter what happens on your journey this year, He is the source of your fresh mercies every morning. He will never fail you. He will walk by your side along each rocky bend in the road and carry you through each heartache and loss. God will see you through to the end of next year. Will you live as Abraham? “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country.” (Hebrews 11:9a, NKJV)

We live our outward days on earth as in a foreign country, for we abide in God’s Kingdom of promise within us. Therefore, each day brings a new threshold into eternity. How can we not welcome it with willing feet and open arms?  I am ready to step into the journey of each new day of this year, greeting each one in faith and with God’s mercy.

Questions: How about you? Are you ready? How will you greet the challenges of your new journey?

“Christ did not sin or even tell a lie. Although He was abused, he never tried to get even. And When He suffered, He made no threats.  Instead, He had faith in God, who judges fairly.” (1 Peter 2:22, 23, CEV)

Our world is out for Number One.  We are taught to fight for ourselves at whatever cost.  It teaches us that no one is going to tell us what to do!  This is so contrary to what the Scriptures say in the verses above.

As women of faith who desire to be obedient to our Savior, we are asked the same.  Peter didn’t mince words.  He walked the dusty roads with Jesus and saw firsthand the living proof that life is about serving God and suffering for Him. In fact, if you recall, Peter certainly found himself in much persecution for righteousness sake.

Treated unfairly for being loyal to God?  God will bless you…He promises!

Ever found yourself saying, ‘But that’s not fair’?  You are right, life isn’t fair.  We learn it from the playground when someone takes the swing we want or push us in the dirt. High school is a tough road when we take a stand for truth and don’t fit in with the status quo. The workplace puts extra pressure for high performance, and it can be easy to get caught in the trap of building an empire of wealth and status.

Taking a stand for truth and righteous for God’s sake can sometimes lead to being treated unfairly.  It can make us stand there thinking “why me?” It is easy to rationalize that we don’t need any trouble, we have enough. Obedience to God is something people don’t always want to do, but as God’s chosen and special people we are called to do this despite  opposition. God will bless as we stand for truth and live proudly in who we are in Christ.  It is a heavenly perspective certainly in contrast to the worldly perspective. God walked in suffering shoes and understands our journey.

Peter must have known that all of us needed reassurance because he said it again in verse 20 of the same chapter.  “You don’t gain anything by being punished for some wrong you have done.  But God will bless you, if you have to suffer for doing something good.  Peter repeated it again in Chapter 3:14.  “Even if you have to suffer for doing good things, God will bless you.” He knew that the people all over the northern part of Asia Minor were suffering and needed to be reminded again of what Jesus did for us, and that He would bless them.

“So stop being afraid and don’t worry about what people might do.  Honor Christ and let Him be the Lord  of your life”. 1 Peter 14-15

The challenge, as women of faith, is this: how we will react to being treated unfairly for being loyal to God? As we honor Christ with our life and let Him be in control, can we trust Him with the next step?  Are you ready for His blessings? He promises!  Let me encourage you that we are in this together.  What Peter said decades ago were not only for the people of Asia Minor but for us all over the known world.  God will bless us as we stand for His cause!!

Father God, we need Your help.  It is hard to be treated unfairly and suffer for doing good.  We can only do this in Your strength because You walked in the suffering shoes.  You are our perfect example of Courage.  Thank you that You judge fairly.  Help us to let go and trust You in the days to follow.  Thank you that You bless us.  Help us today!  In the all-powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Questions: Was there a time when you suffered for your faith?  How did Christ help you to get through these challenges?

Does it feel like your life is under construction? Try our online study Golden Nuggets from Philippians.

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward”‘ (Exodus 14:15, NKJV).

Sometimes we pray and pray about something but nothing seems to change. Maybe God is saying the same thing to us as he said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Do something!” There are times in which we can be like little children sitting on the floor crying and just waiting for someone to pick us up and fix everything. The truth is that God picked us up at the point of our salvation, and He fixed everything at the cross. From there it is our responsibility to take hold of what has been accomplished for us, apply it to our lives and go forward.

Too often we think that God should be moved by our “need,” but God is not moved by need, He is moved by faith. Faith requires action. It starts by knowing what God’s promise is for you in your specific area of need. Get into the word and find the scriptures that speak the truth about the matter and start to saturate your mind and spirit with that truth. This is what it means to have our “minds renewed” (Romans 12/2).

By the power of the Holy Spirit, the word of God, and a decision on our part to go forward and take hold of the salvation promises that God has for us, things will start to change. Jesus said that it was finished at the cross, now it is for us to take up the cross and follow Him into victory!

“Then He touched their eyes, saying “according to your faith let it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29, NJKV).

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26, NKJV).

Questions: What does it mean to have our minds renewed? What causes God to be moved?  How would you describe faith?

Are you hiding behind secrets? We want to pray for you..

“You have searched me Lord, and you know me” (Psalm 139:1).

Secrets are powerful. They have to the power to destroy a friendship if a promise to keep a secret is broken. If something is kept a secret that should be told in order to keep someone from harm, it can be detrimental.

We all have secrets. We all have something we don’t want someone to know about ourselves. Admitting those hidden things seems impossible. They eat away at us; keep us from being honest with the ones we love.

Frank Warren, the creator of postsecret.com – a website that lets people post their own secrets – says that there are two kinds of secrets. There are secrets we keep from others, and ones we keep from ourselves.*

There are no secrets we can keep from God. Nothing in your heart is hidden from Him. This is both comforting and scary. God knows the things you don’t want anyone to know. That can be scary, but the comforting thing is that he sees those things in the depths of your heart and still loves you unconditionally.

Secrets are especially rough when we won’t talk to God about them because of our shame. The secret then holds you captive.

I had a secret that I couldn’t even admit to myself for months. I didn’t talk about it to God or the person I hurt. Keeping the issue bottled inside wasn’t good. The secret was holding me captive. Eventually, I admitted my failure to myself and the other person. When they forgave me without hesitation, I realized that God had seen the depths of my heart and forgave me just as quickly as my friend had.

If there is a secret you need to admit in order to move forward in your walk with Christ, surrender it to God. He already knows. He will guide you in where to go next. Don’t let the hidden things hold you captive. He knows and understands. Rest in that assurance.

*Note: Postsecret.com is a public art project. Not all secrets are suitable for all audiences.

Questions: What secrets have been holding you captive? Have you admitted them to yourself and God? Have you surrendered the secret to God, letting Him do what he wants with it?

Are you afraid to ask for help? Are you seeking God? Take this study.

“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

Have you ever really wanted something? Wanted it so desperately that you were willing to spend whatever time, energy or resources it took to acquire it? Imagine seeking God in that manner.

Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in a field or a pearl of great value – worth selling everything we own, in order to buy it. Zechariah prophesied that there will be a day when, “[T]he inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going’” (Zechariah 8:21).

Of course, it’s easier to be a follower than a leader; easier to wait for someone else to make the move to go against the flow of culture and risk everything in order to find eternal life. Yet when I read these words from Zechariah, I feel God calling me to be the first one to set out on this holy quest; the one that beseeches God for forgiveness and encourages others to do the same. I hear the call to be the one who humbly seeks God’s face, to know and be known by Him, and by example, urges others to drop whatever they’re doing in order to discover His will.

I sense within my heart the need to say, “I myself am going to seek God, won’t you come with me?”

Almighty God, thank you for the promise that I will find You when I seek You with all my heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Give me the courage and the strength to seek after You regardless of who goes before me or if anyone else follows.  Amen.

Questions: Is anything holding you back from seeking God now? Why is seeking God of greater value than any other thing?

Feeling lonely and unloved? We’re here. Talk to us.

Still, it is the day-to-day moments we steal along the journey that thrill me most. Regardless of the time of day, He meets me when I am ready, dropping whatever He is doing to focus on me alone. In the car surrounded by the traffic of impatience; a sleepless night gazing at the moonlight; embracing the morning sunrise. He meets me there, whispering in my ear and listening to my concerns. He caresses my hair with a gentle breeze. He tilts my face upward, reminding me of where I will always find my answers.

He never breaks his promises. He waits patiently if I temporarily place my hope of a better future in those around me, then wipes away my tears of disappointment when they occasionally let me down. He goes before me to carve out my path. He walks beside me to provide companionship. He walks behind me to protect me from looking back with regret. He opens doors of opportunity and closes doors that bring pain. He prefers for me not to learn the hard way, but still holds me when I do. He allows me to misplace my anger toward others and direct it His way.

He overlooks my grumpy days. He knows I forget to say thank you. He works around my laziness, and condemns my fears for holding me back. When I ignore His voice of guidance, He waits until I am ready, gently tugging on the heart until I get strong enough for the next journey. Somehow, He shines through my imperfections without making me feel shameful for them.

Like the gentleman who bends tenderly down on one knee to announce to the world, “I adore you and long to spend forever with you, starting today.”  That is all I need to know. I do not deserve such love, but I accept. I accept. Always, I accept.

Dear God, thank you so much for the way that You love us, as if we are your one and only. Teach us to watch for Your signs of affection, to recognize Your gentle caresses in our daily lives. Teach us to rest in Your love, and Yours alone; understanding that our other relationships can only be blessed once we are right with You. Above all else, thank you for asking us to join You for the rest of eternity. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

TAKE THE NEXT STEP: You have captured God’s heart

Questions: Are you excited about the thought of being with your Heavenly Father?  How are you getting ready?

About the author Janet Morris Grimes

What does your soul crave? Take this study.

“Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long” (Psalm 25:4&5).

Kathy thought about the New Year as she filed away the boxes of last year’s paperwork. There were things she would like to do differently in this new year. Oh, there were the usual things most of her friends were claiming as their New Year’s Resolutions:

•    Lose weight
•    Stop smoking
•    Take more time for relationships
•    Set goals

The list went on. The office was filled with laughter and the prospect of hope for change that a new year would bring.  Yet Kathy knew, in a week or so, the chatter would turn to the broken resolutions and very few of the hoped for changes would become a reality. She wanted something more for her life.

That night Kathy picked up her Bible and read Psalm 25. It was full of hope and an expectation of change that only God could bring to her life. She read it through a couple of times and underlined some verses that seemed to jump off the page, bringing fresh hope to her heart.

“Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long” (Psalm 25:4&5).

The second time she read it through it struck her… here was her New Year’s resolution! This would be the prayer of her heart everyday in this New Year. She grabbed a recipe card and wrote out the words, letting them soak into her soul. This was the change she wanted in her life…to keep her focus daily on the path God wanted her to walk in hope and in faith.

Take a little time over the next few days and read through Psalm 25 yourself. Consider reading it every day for a week and ask God to make the promise of hope come alive to your heart. Write verses 4 & 5 on a card or a sticky note and place it where you will see it regularly. Memorize it and let it soak into your soul and change your life.

Father God,
Thank you for the promise of hope You bring to my heart and my life. I do lift up my soul and my life to You now. I want to trust in You more fully this year. Tune my ears to hear Your voice more clearly. Teach me Your path and guide me in Your truth. In these changing days I need to discern Your ways for me. Help me to put my hope  in You, not just occasionally or when I am in a hard place, but every day all day long. Thank you that You are God, my Savior! I ask this in the strong name of Jesus, amen.

Questions: Do you crave to be closer to God?  How do you plan on growing closer to God this year? Read Psalm 25.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP: Hannah: a study in contentment

About the Author Gail Rodgers

What giants are you facing? Take this study.

Isaiah 61:1-3 explains Jesus’ mission: bring good news to the poor, comfort the brokenhearted, proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed, and tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’S favor has come.  He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, blessing instead of mourning, and praise instead of despair.  They will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for His own glory.

In light of Jesus’ mission, I reread the faith chapter, Hebrews 11, describing the action taken by those whose allegiance was to the Lord and Him only. They obeyed, believed, chose to share oppression rather than freedom, kept their eyes on the One who is invisible, and “their weakness was turned to strength.”

Following Jesus, no matter what, into a hurting world is overwhelming.  Hebrews 12:12 encourages us: “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.  Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.”  Keeping our eyes on Jesus and doing what He asks will actually make us stronger.

The call is to believe Him, put our faith and trust in Him, give Him our allegiance and take action.   As Paul concludes the book of Hebrews, he writes:

o    Keep loving each other
o    Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers
o    Remember those in prison as if you were there yourself
o    Remember those being mistreated as if you felt their pain in your own bodies

Those words do not reflect feelings, they reflect actions.

And His promise…Hebrews 13:5ff
“I will never fail you
I will never abandon you

So we can say with confidence,
The LORD is my helper
So I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”

And the benediction…Hebrews 13:20, 21
“Now may the God of peace – Who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with His blood – may He equip you with all you need for doing His will.  May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him.  All glory to Him forever and ever!  Amen”

Lord, thank you for the price you paid on the cross to save my soul.  Thank you for Your heart for and mission to reach the broken, oppressed, forgotten, distraught, hungry, poor, exploited, incarcerated…the marginalized.  Open our eyes, that we might see the world around us from Your perspective.  Strengthen our tired hands and weak knees.  Give us the courage to ask You to reach our world through us.  Give us the courage to take action.  In Jesus’ Name and for His sake, Amen!

Questions: Ask the Lord how, even today, you can be His hands and feet in a hurting world.   If you sense there is an obstacle, something holding you back, what is it?  Ask Him.

About the Author Donna Mitchell

“We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

When you make a promise, are people willing to take you at your word? Or do colleagues seem to insist on getting the simplest promises in writing?

Russell Bishop, an “Author, Executive Coach, and Performance Improvement Consultant” who by all appearances has no particular religious convictions, explores the topic of the importance of giving and keeping your word in a recent article in the Huffington Post:

For many people, the area of personal integrity has become more than blurred when considering what it means to make a commitment and give your word. Have you ever noticed how easily people can make a commitment and how much more easily they can go about breaking that commitment?

If you make an agreement with someone else, and then choose to break it, some part of you notices and keeps score. That goes something like: “agreement made, agreement broken.” “Another agreement made, another agreement broken.” And sooner or later this turns into, “even when I say I’m committed, it probably isn’t real.” And then you begin to lay the groundwork for “none of this is really matters anyway.”

I’m suggesting that you consider just how easy it might be to tell one “little white lie” today which then paves the way for another later on. Pretty soon, the person inside who notices and keeps score begins to say something akin to: “Breaking commitments? Speaking half truths? That’s just who I am. But I am a good person. No, really, I am.”

Is this a trap that can fall into? Not just regarding lying but also other sins. Christians recognize that we are sinners; but when we begin to identify ourselves by our sins (ex, “Lying is just part of who I am”) instead of relying on the Lord to be at work in our lives to transform our hearts and deeds, and trusting in His power to make subtle but life-altering changes, that can prevent us from becoming the kind of people the Lord desires.

Can you identify the process Mr Bishop describes? How can we seek to break out of this trap?

Related reading:
Lies Women Believe: Truth … Or Consequences
When All Else Fails, Tell the Truth