Devotionals – Page 12 – Oh Lord Help Us

God’s word, Holy Spirit, nourishment, soul, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Feed: Nourishing Our Spirit with The Daily Bread of The Word

DevotionalsApril 10, 2019April 10, 2019

Just as we need to feed our natural bodies with wholesome food, we must nourish our spirit with the daily bread of The Word of God.

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 34:8

Folks, I’m sorry to announce this, but I’ve become one of those kinds of people. You know, the ones who take pictures of their food…and post them on social media. I know, I know. This used to annoy me too. I would scoff when I saw pictures of friends’ meals and think, “Don’t you have anything better to do with your life than to make us jealous of all the delicious food you’re eating?!”

I happened to be in a financial wilderness season when those kinds of judgmental thoughts ran through my head. At that time, I was having trouble putting food on the table for my two young children, my husband, and myself. I didn’t have the budget to buy healthy food, much less the time to actually prepare it from scratch.

Setting The Table…

But over the course of a few years, the Lord has brought us out of that dessert place and into a season of abundance. Through this journey, He’s been sharing with me the gift that He intended our food to be. I’m so thankful for how He has helped me heal and strengthen my body by putting things into it that are healthy and whole. And I’m simply amazed at how God has made it possible for us to thrive by eating the pure, whole things that He has provided in His creation.

Blessed by what He has given me, like a good meal, I’ve had the urge to share it with others. Thus my sort of informal food blog on social media! And the more I’m learning about food and its connection to health and wellness, I can’t help but notice all of the parallels between the natural food we put into our physical bodies and what we feed our spiritual bodies. So, now that the table is set, let’s dig into this dish, shall we?

Appetite…

God created all of us with an appetite, both physically and spiritually. So, the question becomes, what are we hungry for? When it comes to physical nourishment, if we eat a steady diet of junk food, our taste buds grow accustomed to eating things that are unnaturally sweet, rich, salty…you name it. Although these unnatural foods might taste good on the tongue, they do internal damage. Sugars destroy our teeth; chemicals clog our pores and alter the makeup of our cells. Unnatural fats harden the arteries of our heart. And no matter how much junk food we eat, we are still hungry. Still thirsty. Still not satisfied. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul warns against this kind of carnal gluttony:

Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

Philippians 3:19

When we try to satiate our cravings with junk food, we find ourselves lethargic, overweight, and unhealthy. However, when we cut out the junk, our taste buds change. Instead of grabbing a candy bar, we reach for a piece of fresh fruit or a handful of ripe berries. And once again, we can appreciate the natural sweetness that God designed. When we’re not gorging ourselves on empty calorie foods, our appetite changes as well. We begin to crave the good, whole, pure foods that God created to fuel our natural bodies. And when we eat the right things, we feel better, get leaner, grow stronger, and have more energy. We’re more alive.

Spiritual Starvation…

And the same holds true for our inner spirit. In this fallen world, many have confused earthly pleasures with spiritual fulfillment. This brings to mind the heartbreaking story of a world-renowned chef who recently committed suicide. He hosted a very popular television show where he traveled the world in search of unique and delicious cuisine. In each episode, he found himself in some of the most beautiful places on earth, enjoying what looked to be some of the most delectable delicacies under the sun. But there was a palpable sadness, loneliness, and disillusionment to the way he approached his experiences.

Despite being replete with gourmet food and gorgeously scenic destinations, this man’s earthly journeys and culinary discoveries could not fill the emptiness in his heart. His tragic story highlights the importance of this scripture:

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Matthew 4:4

Until our spirit is filled with Christ, our appetite for things of the world will only grow but never be fulfilled. Without the Lord, and His Word, we can have all the choicest foods in the world, and still experience spiritual starvation.

Until our spirit is filled with Christ, our appetite for things of the world will only grow but never be fulfilled. Without the Lord, we can have all the choicest foods in the world and still experience spiritual starvation. Click To Tweet

Feed The Spirit…

So, if we don’t want to starve, what should we feed our spirit? First, we have to choose to leave behind the lusts of the flesh. This can be challenging in a world that constantly appeals to our sinful appetite. When we crave and binge on worldly “entertainment,” we quench an unwholesome spiritual appetite.

Shows, movies, and music that are filled with filthy language, terrifying scenes, sexual immorality, and the like, fill our spirit with sinful desires. Desires that draw us back into our flesh and pull us further away from Christ. Just as binging on junk food slowly deteriorates our physical health–eventually leading to sickness and death, indulging in sinful “entertainment,” steadily erodes our spiritual growth–eventually leading to spiritual death.

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

James 1:15

Filled with Daily Bread…

On the other hand, when we feed our minds and hearts a healthy diet of good things, our spirit man gets filled to overflowing. We can relish scripture, taste sweet fellowship with loving family and friends, feast on messages that encourage our faith and drink in music that helps us draw closer to the Lord.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:6

Beloved, when we draw our sustenance from our “daily bread”–which is the Word of God–we build up our spirit man. And just like with natural food, we can’t expect to feel full if we eat only once a week. To maintain our physical strength, we must eat multiple times throughout the day. So too with our daily bread. We must feed on the Word daily and pray continually. When we have the Bread of Life, Jesus, living in our hearts and minds, we will have the strength we need to walk this straight and narrow path of faith.

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:35

What kind of diet do you feed your body and your spirit? Have you feasted on your daily bread of the Word today?

Leiliane Fagundes

All scripture references from The King James Version of The Bible.

guidance, God’s will, peace, renew, transform, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Renewing: Training Our Minds to Seek the Will of God

DevotionalsApril 9, 2019April 9, 2019

We strive toward our own plans but we must allow God’s word and voice to direct us, daily. This provides a supernatural renewing and calm to our minds.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1-2, CSB

Relocate the Trashcan

I get bored easily. When this happens I relocate things around the house as I clean. My husband has learned to accept this about me. Too many times he has come home from work only to find the couch has yet again been relocated to a new spot in the living room. Please tell me I’m not alone in this?!

On this particular day, I found myself doing this very thing in my kitchen. It was time to find a better place for the trashcan. It was originally by the back door, but everyone kept running into it, so it had to be relocated. I decided to move it on the other side of the kitchen beside my refrigerator. The flow of my kitchen instantly became more functional. The trashcan had finally found its new perfect home. My kitchen finally felt clean and organized.

Training My Brain

Do you know what muscle memory in the brain is? Well, I do now! Even though I loved the new location of the trashcan, my brain seemed to still have trouble finding the new spot. I can’t tell you how many times I went to throw away trash by the back door. Naturally, I knew it would take a few days for my brain to get used to the new flow, but I never thought it would take this long!

After about two weeks or so of still having issues with finding the new location, I found myself seriously considering moving it back to its old spot. I figured, just give my brain what it wants, right? Instead, I resisted the temptation and stuck it out another week. Lo and behold, my brain accepted the new location of the trashcan! I no longer find myself throwing trash away by the back door! Hallelujah! It’s as if I never had any issues with the switch. It sounds like a silly analogy to use, but it works perfectly for what the apostle Paul is talking about in Romans 12:1-2… “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind“.

Renewing Our Minds

I had to train my brain to find the new location of the trashcan. In the same way we, as sisters in Christ, need to train our minds to find the will of God, instead of our own. This will seem frustrating at first, just like it was for me; because, let’s face it, we all naturally want what feels comfortable. Yet, Dear Sisters, God is calling us to a much better place! One that will make the flow of our lives function more smoothly, and operate WAY better.

If we choose to open our hearts and let God’s word saturate our minds, then we can begin the transformation required to function properly in this world. Walking in the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God provides immeasurable peace and joy that our souls crave. We might be born into sin, instinctively desiring to follow the world, but we are also God’s creation that He made to desire Him.

Walking in the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God provides immeasurable peace and joy that our souls crave. We are born into sin but we are also God’s creation that He made to desire Him. Click To Tweet

Ask, Seek, and Knock, Ladies…

Finding God’s will provides us with an understanding of what renewing should take place in our lives in order to function efficiently and effectively as His followers.

In Matthew Chapter 7 verses 7 – 12, Jesus teaches His disciples to ask, seek and knock. Ask God for help. Seek God first in everything. And knock continuously on the door to God’s Kingdom. If we seek Him, we will find Him…

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Matthew 6:33, CSB

Today, Dear Reader, if you are struggling like me to find the new location of the trash can, then DON’T GIVE UP! We have all felt this way at one point or another. Today’s a new day! Ask God where He wants you. Seek God in all you do. Knock like crazy on the door to His Kingdom. And when He answers, Dear Friend, follow Him. His will is always worth pursuing.

Prayer of Renewal

Father, I need your guidance and direction in order to find where I will function best in my life. I know your will, Father, is good and pleasing and perfect for me. Lord, give a renewing of my mind that chases after your will daily. Thank you for patiently waiting for me. Thank you for forgiving me when I willingly choose to test the waters outside your will. God, keep my feet from wandering from the path you have relocated me to be. Protect me and give me your supernatural strength to face the unknown. I trust you, Lord! As I travel outside my comfort zone into this dark world, I have peace knowing your light will lead me to where I need to be. I pray all these things because of my Savior, Jesus Christ; without which none of this would be possible. Amen.

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

Pslam 119:105, CSB

Perminder Klair

discernment, God’s guidance, peace, prayer, reckless, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Prayer: Avoid Living Recklessly by Inviting the Lord’s Daily Leading

DevotionalsApril 8, 2019April 8, 2019

When prayer isn’t a daily part of our lives, it causes us to live recklessly. Lacking prayer causes us to fall asleep to the Lord’s leading.

I was standing in Home Depot with my husband when I received a text from our daughter. She relayed a glorious, long-awaited answer to prayer for a beloved friend. I wanted to shout HALLELUJAH and dance a happy dance in praise to our almighty, merciful God! (We didn’t shout, but Gary and I had us a little praise service in the hardware aisle.)

I wonder, sometimes, why we don’t pray more than we do…

Necessity

As I was pondering this topic my mind was taken back to an article I read years ago by Ruth Graham, wife of Rev. Billy Graham. The Grahams had five children and Rev. Graham traveled around the world preaching the gospel the majority of each year.

For many years, Mrs. Graham did not have an hour or two per day for prayer. Instead, Mrs. Graham prayed as she washed dishes, prayed as she cooked meals or vacuumed. She prayed without ceasing, at all times, during every part of the day. Prayer had been a vital part of her life since she was a young teen; she was convinced it was a necessity.

In Matthew 26, after the Lord’s Supper takes place, Jesus takes the disciples out to Gethsemane.

‘Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”

Matthew 26:36, ESV

Most of you know this story. Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John while the other disciples were expected to pray, (minus Judas, who had left the supper to betray Jesus). Jesus became very troubled and sorrowful, even to death. He asked the three, the men who were closest to Him, to watch with Him. Jesus then went a bit further still, and fell on his face before the Father, wrestling in prayer.

And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And He said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again, for the second time, He went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.’

Matthew 26:40-42, ESV

Friends Who Pray

You’ve guessed where this is going, haven’t you? Even if you didn’t know this story, you’re fairly familiar with even the best of human intentions.

Sadly, when Jesus returned the third time, He found them sleeping. So, Jesus went back to prayer alone, “saying the same words again” to His Father. When He returned to His disciples, He said to them:

‘Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.’

Matthew 26:45-46, ESV

It is a difficult concept to ponder – Jesus wanting company, Jesus wanting His friends to be near Him as He struggled with conflict in prayer. We can’t fathom Him wrestling with His will about doing His Father’s will. After all – He was God.

But Jesus was also man. The Man, Jesus, knew taking on the sins of the world meant separation from His Father. Asking for that must have felt like more than He could bear. Jesus needed His friends to pray with Him, to be near Him. We, too, have experienced the need of friends praying with us.

But they fell asleep…and one could ask, who could blame them, really? It was Passover Celebration. They were exhausted. Jesus was doing and saying strange things to them, (He actually washed their feet!) Now He, their Teacher and Master, was behaving as though He was troubled about something. The cumulative effect was overwhelming to the point of – well – physical shutdown.

What Lay Ahead

If the Holy Spirit decided to run a video of me revealing each time I fell asleep, either literally or figuratively, when He has instructed me to pray, I would be deeply ashamed. Or what about the times I told someone else I would pray for them and then forgot?

However, the beauty of this story is not that Jesus berated the disciples or shamed them. Aside from inviting them to join Him as His friends, He was attempting to warn them. They still needed to learn that only through prayer would they be prepared to face what lay ahead; that night and the days to come.

Because without prayer, we are powerless, (Romans 6:6; Ephesians 6:10-18). Without prayer, we can be reckless.

What better example can I offer than Peter? Peter, who had been snoozing, was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes when traitorous Judas arrived with the band of soldiers and officers of the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus. Despite repeated warnings from Jesus, like us, unprepared Peter did not expect the lightning strike of the serpent. Therefore, he responded in his flesh…

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?’

John 18:10-11, ESV

Reckless

Sometimes recklessness can feel like boldness. Peter probably felt courageous pulling out a sword to protect Jesus! However, Jesus rebuked him and healed the ear. Had Peter been in prayer, He would have known the mission of our Lord.

We’re no different. We can mistake courage and boldness for recklessness, but in our hearts, we know. How do we know? If we have a relationship with the Father, and His Spirit lives within, He isn’t going to keep it a secret, girl! Believe me! There will be no peace within.

Without prayer we respond to shame and failure with sin and denial.

Without prayer, we respond to shame and failure with sin and denial. But if we have a relationship with the Father, He isn't going to keep silent! He will guide us! Click To Tweet

Purpose for Prayer

Then they seized Him and led Him away, bringing Him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not”…another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about”…and the Lord turned and looked at Peter…and he went out and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:54-62, ESV

What a revealing picture we have here! Peter, missing Jesus’ purpose for praying, behaving recklessly, now following at a distance. He’s ashamed and frightened; he’s feeling like a failure.

Then Peter, brash, impetuous, proud Peter denies his Lord and Master… not once, but three times – the same number of times that Jesus reminded him to pray.

Can we dare not pray, dear sisters? Do we dare risk living without God’s discernment in this present evil age?

How can we take the chance of our daily actions becoming reckless? And risk denying our Lord?

There is too much at stake.

Evie Shaffer

Anxious, anxiety, stress, joy, kindness, hope, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Anxious: Casting Our Worries on God to Allow His Kind Consolation

DevotionalsApril 7, 2019April 7, 2019

Anxiety is something many people deal with. When we are anxious it is important to bring it to God, and when those around us are struggling we need to come alongside them with kindness.

I have dealt with anxiety for much of my life. It has been one of those issues that seems to ebb and flow. The past several months have been among the most anxiety-ridden of my life. I have been allowing the weight of stress, busyness, and fear to take over. It’s made me forget who I am and Whose I am. However, I am finally learning that I need to get in front of my anxiety and not allow it to rule over my life.

Cast It Away

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7, NIV

I heard a small portion of a talk that Christine Caine did on Anxiety. She spoke of this verse in 1 Peter and the meaning of the word cast. I looked it up for myself and this is what I found…

To throw something forcefully in a specific direction.

To cast means to not only throw but to throw forcefully. This is what scripture tells us to do. To throw our anxiety forcefully in the specific direction that is Jesus. Throw it on Him. Why should we do this? BECAUSE HE CARES FOR US.

This struck a chord in me. Jesus cares so much about us that He is not only willing to take on our anxiety, He is commanding us to cast it on Him.

Consolation from the Lord

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.

Psalm 94:19, NIV

When we are anxious we can expect the Lord to console us to the point of overwhelming joy. In order to receive this joy and consolation, we have to surrender our anxiety and rest in Him. This is not in part but in whole.

We can’t just give God pieces of our anxiety that are convenient to part with. We have to give Him all of it. When we do this He WILL console us so that we can have joy. We were not meant to deal with our anxiety within our own power but within God’s.

When we are anxious we can expect the Lord to console us. We were not meant to deal with our anxiety within our own power but within God's. Click To Tweet

Helping Our Anxious Loved Ones

Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

Proverbs 12:25, NIV

When someone we know is going through a time of trial and anxiety is present in their life, we need to step up. We need to be there to offer a kind word. Whether this is encouragement, advice, or simple validation of their feelings. Our kindness can make a huge impact on their lives. During times of personal anxiety, I had people speaking truth and kindness to me. Anxiety weighs us down, but kindness has the opportunity to lift us up.

So I challenge you, don’t be complacent. Check on people. Especially if you know they struggle with anxiety. I know first hand that sometimes I am so anxious and worn down that I don’t have the capacity to grocery shop, or even pour myself a bowl of cereal. We are so quick to offer meals, words, and kindness when people have physical ailments. Imagine what would happen if we did it for the people who deal with mental health issues.

Simple acts of kindness can go a long way. So check on people, offer them a kind word, maybe even meet a need in their life. You have no idea what a difference you can make when you offer kindness to cheer up the anxiety in someone’s heart.

Tina Dawson

Sin, sexual sin, grace, desires, holiness, temptation, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Run: Fleeing from Anything that Stimulates Youthful Lusts

DevotionalsApril 3, 2019April 3, 2019

Sin can be sneaky. Especially in our minds. We must run, flee from anything that tempts us into allowing sexual sin power.

As women, we have been really sneaky about making men feel alone in their struggle against sexual sin. I don’t know how it happened, but it seems that men are just assumed to struggle with what they think and watch, but women are given a pass. This attitude has even permeated the Christian world. I’m often shocked by what friends have confessed they watch or read. They imply they’re doing it “for the story,” and lust isn’t something they struggle with.

If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

2 Timothy 2:21-22, NLT

I have written before how once we are made aware of something, we tend to see that certain thing everywhere. I am especially sensitive to sexual sin because it’s one I have struggled with a lot in my mind. Sister, I’ve struggled to the point it affected my marriage. Please know my concern in addressing this topic comes from no place of judgment- I have no room to judge. It’s because of my struggle with sexual sin that I want to warn you and ask you to run! Flee!

Temptation

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.

James 1:14, NLT

There are so many reasons we are tempted into sin, but they always come back to us. We want to do what we want to do. So we justify. “I watch Game of Thrones for the story. I read romance novels to pass the time. I listen to secular music about sex and the secular culture because I need to stay relevant with my kids.” The problem with watching, reading, and listening to what the world is, is that all too soon, we begin to resemble the world and not Christ.

What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Matthew 18:7-9, NLT

Amazing Grace

These verses are all red letters in the Bible, meaning they are straight from Jesus’ teachings. Make no mistake, Sisters, God does not think sin is funny or okay. We preach a gospel of grace. Praise God for His grace and mercy! None of us can enter into His presence without it. All of us are wretched sinners; I often feel like no sooner do I have victory in one area of my life, another surfaces that’s just as serious. My point is that we must not take advantage of this amazing grace. Repentance means hating our sin enough to turn away from it!

As I write this today, I can be honest and say this area is not completely conquered in my life…perhaps it never will be. However, the more I’m in the Word, the more I pray, the more I fill my mind with Godly music and clean TV shows, the less and less I struggle. The junk I allowed myself to look at and think about, becomes more and more distant in my mind and memory.

Run to God

The key to our struggle against sin isn’t to do it alone and in secret, but to run to our Savior for a way out! I’ve begged Him for a way and the phone has rung, or the baby woke up or my kids came inside for a snack…that is the way out, friends! Stop that thought, take it captive and hand it to God. Get busy serving your family until you are able to think clearly. We must have a practical plan to deal with our struggles, or we are absolutely planning to fail.

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT

Holiness

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NLT

The Bible makes no joke about our walk with Christ: it’s a battle, a war, a difficult thing that will absolutely make us realize our need for Jesus and His sacrifice. We cannot save ourselves-everything in our hearts is bent toward evil. Praise the Lord for His Word to guide us, His Holy Spirit to teach us, and His body of believers to help keep us accountable on this journey called life.

If you struggle with sin-your thought life in particular-I urge you to find a Godly mentor you can trust. An older woman in the faith who won’t berate and judge you, but love you and help you! Holiness is a daily decision but also a lifelong destination.

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor-not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, NLT

The key to our struggle against sin isn't to do it alone, but to run to our Savior for a way out! Praise the Lord for His Word to guide us, His Holy Spirit to teach us, and His body of believers to help keep us accountable. Click To Tweet

eberhard grossgasteiger

depression, provision, replenish, isolation, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Replenish: Accepting God’s Provision in the Depths of Depression

DevotionalsApril 2, 2019April 3, 2019

Seeking God while battling depression seems impossible, but God guides us to take strides to care for ourselves so that we will hear Him clearly. So He can replenish our souls.

Like many women, I have spent a good deal of my life living with depression. I liken it to parenting a toddler who you are never allowed to hand off to anyone else to care for. Sometimes it trails along quietly in your shadow, other times it rides piggyback. Others still, it wraps itself around you like a writhing boa constrictor. Any time it has its hold on you, it weighs a portion of you down. Depression restricts your ability to move forward or function normally. It is exhausting.

There comes a time when the weight and the exhaustion gets to be too much to bear. At these times, I feel like Elijah under the broom bush. He is running from Jezebel, knowing his life is hanging in the balance, and he collapses under the pressure.

He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
1 Kings 19:4-5, NIV

God’s Provision

There are moments where I have had enough of the struggle to keep moving, to survive the days and hurts and struggles. When it’s bad enough, my mind whispers Enough.

Luckily, our God is so immeasurably good. He knows what we need and how we need to receive it.

He could have told Elijah to suck it up. There was Kingdom work to be done, and he proceeded to wallow under a bush, welcoming the very outcome he had been running from. God could have inspired him to go right then and anoint the kings He would later command him to. But Elijah wasn’t ready for that, so the Lord sent an angel who said,

‘Get up and eat.’
1 Kings 19:5, NIV

That’s it. Just get up and eat. God provided the food, so Elijah only had to do the two things he commanded. Get up. Eat. And then God let him sleep again, before telling him to get up and eat once more.

Elijah needed nourishment. He needed God to replenish his body, mind, and spirit. Kingdom work was laid in front of him, but first Elijah needed to stop succumbing to the desire to give up. He needed to start getting ready for the journey he was going to embark upon. He needed his mind and heart at rest to be able to hear what God had to say.

Taking the First Step

What does that mean for those of us who suffer from depression? When getting out of bed feels like a monumental task, what does “Get up and eat” look like in a real way?

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2, ESV

Depression presents along a very broad spectrum, so there is not a one size fits all answer to those questions. At certain points in our lives, replenishment requires exactly what Elijah needed… eating and resting. At others, we need to reach out for the love and support of those closest to us. There have been many times I have said, please pray for me because I cannot pray for myself right now. God expects us to spread the weight of our burdens so that we do not have to bear them ourselves.

There are still other times where eating, sleeping, and calling on friends may feel like putting a bandaid on a severed limb. At those times, get up and eat means go to counseling or start taking medicine again. There is no shame in finding help where help is most needed.

Discerning between God and the Enemy

The important thing is to figure out what you need to replenish. Replenish enough to start seeking God and His Word again. This is not about fixing our depression, but mobilizing ourselves. When we are immobile, it is difficult for us to recognize the vast power and grace of God. But when we replenish ourselves and position ourselves to mobilize, we can see the immensity of His power. And, like Elijah, find His quiet voice in our hearts and in His Word. We must always remember to be seeking that voice so we may not confuse it with the voice of the enemy.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8, ESV

If we are under the broom bush, Ladies, we are easy prey. But when we give ourselves sustenance and rest, we gain the energy to stay in the Word. Energy to discern His sweet voice amidst the chaos and cacophony the enemy would try to distract us with. We can see the lion approaching. We can hear God’s encouragement, and we can remember that we know who wins in the end.

When depression makes us immobile, it is difficult for us to recognize the vast power and grace of God. But when we replenish ourselves, we can see the immensity of His power. Click To Tweet

Getting Help

All of this being said, I do not want to forget the people who have times where their words of concession are precisely Elijah’s:

Enough. Take my life. I am no better.

I was there. I asked God to take my life, and in His outstanding goodness, He refused to take it from me. I know how that moment feels, and I pray for each and every one of you that you find help before you get to the point I did. I pray that you feel God’s hand on your shoulder. I pray that you call that friend, that counselor, that suicide hotline as soon as you have the thought: things would be better if I just…wasn’t. We were not meant to survive on this earth in a vacuum. Our Creator built us to be in relationship with one another, to choose community over isolation.

Kat Love

Bible, God’s Word, meditation, prayer, scripture, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Tools: Reading, Meditating On, and Praying God’s Word

DevotionalsApril 1, 2019April 1, 2019

Have you ever opened up about something to a fellow Jesus follower, and without skipping a beat they ask, “Are you reading your Bible? Have you been praying?” The thing is, they’re not wrong to ask that. But there is so much more to it. What tools do we have?

We were on our way to pick up a friend when my son asked, “How do I stop myself from being so angry when people make fun of me? I break pencils to calm down, but I know that’s not the best thing to do. And really, I don’t want to get to the place where I’m so mad that…” He trailed off and I inserted, “…that you want to start breaking other things.” He hung his head and said sadly, “Yeah. Pretty much.” I immediately told him I was proud of him for being bold enough to ask me that question. And I told him it is brave to be vulnerable, and it is wise to ask for help.

Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Proverbs 11:14, NASB

Gathering Tools

I told my son, “The church will say ‘read your Bible and pray’ as an answer to every single one of your problems. And that is the answer, my love. But it goes beyond; there are more layers.”

What if we are reading the Bible? What if we are praying, but we still face the same giants every day with no victory in sight? I went on to tell him, “It sounds like good advice to read your Bible and pray because it is good! But it’s helpful to know how to read it to where you’re able to understand it. It’s also helpful to know how to pray! I’ll share with you some of the tools I’ve been learning so you can dig a little deeper and find some peace.”

Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.

Psalm 4:4, NKJV

Meditate on What?

Meditation is totally trending these days. Perhaps you’ve seen these hashtags in your Instagram feed…

#meditate
#mindright
#reflection

Meditation has been described as thoughtlessness for the purpose of achieving calmness over mind and body. Thoughtlessness. Emptying the mind. I admit I spent some time in the past, practicing this concept. I can report to you that I was unsuccessful. Honestly, thoughtlessness doesn’t even happen in my sleep! My goal was to de-stress; but Sis, the only truly proven stress relief in my life is meditating on the words of God.

How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2, CSB

Here’s the Tea

Dr. Donald S. Whitney likened reading Scripture to the process of steeping tea (another trending topic!). The more a verse or passage is poured over and soaked in, the richer its color and flavor. Dr. Whitney was using the analogy in relation to Bible reading, but I believe it applies to meditating on Scripture as well. You may be asking the same thing I was: What’s the difference between reading and meditating on what you read from the Bible?

Biblical meditation is the process of taking time to reflect and dwell on passages in God’s Word. There are many ways to do this, but my favorite is to read it out loud with as much inflection as I can muster. I’ve found meditating on the truths of Scripture leads to a better understanding of the Bible and what God is communicating to His people. It’s created an opportunity for me to retain what I read and has enabled a deeper knowing—much more so than merely reading and moving on with my day. Consequently, it has amped the way I talk to God.

Praying on Purpose

There have been times in the past when my communication with God seemed selfish. The only time I would go to Him was when I needed something. I started to feel guilty for treating God like a magic genie. Sadly, instead of allowing the conviction to incite change, I stopped going to Him for anything at all. I told myself the lie that if His will was going to be done eventually anyway, He certainly didn’t need me bombarding Him with requests all the time.

I have also experienced the feeling of having mediocre prayers. They had all the right churchy phrases in them like “thank You for Your grace,” “pour out Your Spirit on us,” and “be glorified.” And those are not bad things to say in prayer; yet when I spoke them, they lacked an intimate knowing of my Maker. Nor did they mirror an understanding of being known by my Father.

I felt the disconnect. It was like having a piece of the puzzle, but no finished picture for direction. I didn’t recognize the Bible as sufficient guidance for rich communion with God. Now, by His amazing grace, I am learning to utilize specific verses from the Bible as a basis for prayer. When I don’t have words, Scripture provides them.

The Bible speaks the language of the Spirit who originally breathed out all the words of Scripture. Praying the Bible has helped to illuminate God’s intentions, love, purposes, and faithfulness. It has also created an ability to recall God’s Word in times of rejoicing and sorrow, which has ushered in a peace and joy I had not previously known or understood!

That’s Delightful

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4, ESV

This verse completely changed my understanding of what it means to get my heart’s desires. If we are taking delight in the Lord, our motivation will be to bring glory to Him. Then our desires align with His! As we go through our days, whether in seasons of rejoicing or sorrow, I pray we will practice reading, meditating on, and praying the Bible.

The Bible speaks the language of the Spirit who originally breathed out all the words of Scripture. Praying the Bible helps to illuminate God's intentions, love, purposes, and faithfulness. Click To Tweet

Neven Krcmarek

Faithful, God’s will, peace, trust, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Tapestry: Changing Our Perspective on the Big Picture

DevotionalsMarch 31, 2019March 31, 2019

Sometimes our lives can feel like a huge jumbled mess of ups and downs. We may not be able to see the whole tapestry, but we must trust God has complete control.

since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

1 Corinthians 14:33, CSB

The lead pastor of my church, JD Greear, has used the analogy I am going to share with you today many times in his sermons. It always gets me thinking and helps to change my perception of things in my life. I pray it will do the same for you…

What Is A Tapestry?

I don’t know about you, but when I think of a tapestry, I think of a large hand-woven blanket that hangs on a wall in an old historic church. They look magnificent because of all the details they display. Anyone looking at one knows the hours upon hours of hard work and love that went into each thread. The completed work is simply amazing. Now, let’s take that same beautiful tapestry and flip it over on the opposite side. Have you ever seen what a tapestry looks like backward?

A complete HOT MESS!!

There are threads going everywhere in all different directions. Colors are all out of whack and there are knots and strings dangling to and fro. The backside of this well thought out masterpiece looks like it threw up yarn all over the place!! If this thing were judged by its backside, no one would buy it, look at it or ever even think of hanging it as a piece of decoration!!

Understanding The Tapestry

Friends, God created each of us to see our lives like the backside of a tapestry. We are born, we grow, we make choices, good and bad. Then we die one day. We can’t always understand His reasons and ways for certain things happening in our lives. We won’t always be able to figure out or comprehend what He’s up too.

Sometimes we look at life wondering why everything around us seems so unorganized and dysfunctional. We go through life trying to find some glimmer of hope to help us understand this confusing threaded mess, but never seem to find a good enough explanation. We assume, panic, pretend, wonder, imagine, ask, pray, and everything else! Anything other than trust this absurd randomness. We forget far too easily that God is in complete control of our lives, holding our completed picture in His hands.

For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:13, CSB

Like the backside of a tapestry, hitting a bump in the road of our lives, is actually us running into one of the knots God strategically put there to end one thread and start another. Whenever you feel that BUMP, remind yourself that a new chapter is on the horizon.

We do anything other than trust the absurd randomness of life. We forget far too easily that God is in complete control, holding our completed picture in His hands. Click To Tweet

What A Piece Of Work

I personally stare at the backside of my own tapestry and think “Oh goodness me, that is a lot of mess going on. I’m a piece of work!!” Then, I realize who is designing this ‘piece of work’, and decide to trust the process knowing God’s in control.

Our Father in heaven knitted us with power for a divine purpose.

From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Ephesians 4:16, CSB

He knows every sin and choice we will make before we even make them. God sees our life tapestry on the correct side knowing that we can only see the incorrect side. He did this on purpose as a way to reveal His details and reasons one step at a time.

When we see our sin as a jumbled up mess of black and gray strings, God sees the shadow He was weaving for the beautiful oak tree growing tall in our life. The timing of each placement of thread is impeccable. He makes no mistakes and never has any imperfections in His work.

The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Deuteronomy 32:4, ESV

Take A Step Back

We can each see His timing best when we step back and look at our past. Noticing how God used different situations and different moments to work His good and power in our lives is simply amazing. Babies being born, weddings taking place, conversations that arise, new job opportunities. Whatever they may be, God shows us His divine care when we take a minute to look back on where we’ve been.

This helps us become aware of how we arrived where we are today. Somehow, the storyline, in all its chaotic form, still seems to make sense. God is a brilliant and creative storyteller. He is writing your story and supporting you every step of the way. Scripture says it like this…

A person’s steps are established by the Lord, and He takes pleasure in his way. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord supports him with His hand.

Psalms 37:23-24, CSB

The Missing Piece

Trust me when I tell you, friend, He is working something so good in you right now! I promise it will be worth it when you finally see the pieces fall into place. Oh, how marvelous it will be when we one day stand before the throne of God. When we are able to see the completed work of our tapestries for the first time.

Your life tapestry is just one piece of God’s massive patchwork quilt that He has been creating all along. You are a piece to the much bigger puzzle being designed. Don’t ever let anyone steal your rightful place in the bigger picture.

For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to His good purpose.

Philippians 2:13, CSB

Today Dear Reader, let’s choose to walk faithfully forward and keep trusting the backward tapestry that will one day be flipped over for good!

Prayer For Today

Oh Lord Help Me to see your goodness as I go throughout this day! Thank you for the ability to see glimpses of my front-facing tapestry. Help me to remain faithful as I trust that you are in full control of my life working all things for good. Forgive me when I doubt your abilities to bring to completion the work you started in me. I pray you will teach my heart to desire things above and not of this world. Lord, give me eyes to see the beauty in the backward tapestry knowing good and well it’s not yet complete! I pray these things in my Savior Jesus’ name. Amen.

Fancycrave

friendship, Holy Spirit, listen, patience, relationships, grace, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Listen: Hearing Other’s Pain through the Power of the Holy Spirit

DevotionalsMarch 27, 2019March 27, 2019

We often try to fix those we love instead of allowing a safe space to exist and be heard. Helping others in pain requires us to listen through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

James 1:19, NLT

Making sure others feel comfortable when we interact is one of my greatest desires. I want them to feel the freedom to occupy space as their true selves. Feeling safe with someone allows for a deeper strengthening of friendship. I’m not going to say I have it all together because I don’t, but one way I ensure this result is through listening. Sincerely listening.

I’m still learning how to truly hear those around me. To hear through the Holy Spirit and not through human methods. Because, let’s face it, all the distractions, screens, noises, and even selfishness get in the way. Listening takes discipline and an immense amount of patience…

Selfishness

Many times in my life I’ve been told I’m a great listener, which you think would cause great pride inside. In reality, I selfishly carry it around like a burden… I’m easy to talk to because I’m silent. When do I get to speak??

See, selfish. On the outside, I sit silently, making eye contact and nodding. While on the inside, I am screaming to be heard; creating comebacks, forming opinions, preparing the right words to say. This is NOT active listening; NOT listening as God commands us to listen.

We all have this innate desire to be heard, to be allowed space to exist. But God asks us to lay ourselves down to allow His Spirit room to breathe. To give us supernatural patience to hear; truly hear. He is the very best part of us, and He is the very answer for loving those who are hurting…

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Philippians 2:3-4, NLT

Deeply Listen

Undistracted, uninterrupted, completely attuned… Not everyone is a natural at this and not everyone can pick this habit up quickly. I definitely struggle. I still find myself interrupting my friends. -sigh- I know how much I can’t stand to be interrupted.

Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.

Proverbs 18:2, NLT

Half listening, then interjecting to fix a problem with human words is foolish. Our attempts to ‘be there’ for our friends is sometimes overshadowed by our want to ‘fix‘ them. To make their life ‘right’ and easy. It’s honorable, we think it’s out of love, but it’s not helpful. It’s not Spirit-led.

Some of my closest friends have come by way of just listening. Not trying to have all the answers, not trying to have the perfect words, but saying ‘My heart hurts with yours.’ There’s a tenderness when a friend will silently and intently listen to your words; deeply listen. This exemplifies God as He bends down from Heaven to listen to our cries (Psalm 116:1-6).

Language Between

I cannot tell you the countless times I’ve skimmed over deep pain in my heart, only to have a friend hear it’s depth and speak truth to it. There’s language between the verbal words and the silence. Silence can give just as much, sometimes more, information than hearing. Hearing the entire language of hurt prepares our hearts and minds to speak from a posture of wisdom.

Our inability to shut our mouths does a disservice to those who are hurting. In our attempts to break awkward silences and fill the space with noise, we block potential Holy Spirit work. Whether the work is in us, in the other person, or both. Leaving space for the Spirit to move, may give us discernment, as the listener, to hear the words that haven’t been spoken. To understand the words under the words.

Trust

When we actively and truly listen, we prove our love. Not just our love for the other individual, but our love for God. Not waiting for a chance to be heard, but laying down our selfishness. Selfless listening, Holy Spirit listening is powerful. Allowing the other person space to exist to be who they are in that moment cultivates confidence; trust.

And from this trust, we have a unique ability to point the pain to our Savior. Because there’s no amount of pain, human circumstance, or issue that has not already been healed through the blood of Jesus.

Selfless listening, Holy Spirit listening is powerful. When we actively and truly listen, we prove our love. Not just our love for the other individual, but our love for God. Click To Tweet

Romello Williams

altars, past, present, promise, brokenness, sin, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Altars: Readying Our Hearts for New Transformation

DevotionalsMarch 26, 2019March 26, 2019

We can be distracted by the ways God showed up in the past, that we miss how He is showing up in the present. We dance around old altars, instead of readying our hearts for a new transformation.

It seems to me that we often, almost sulkily, reject the good that God offers us because, at that moment, we expected some other good. Do you know what I mean? On every level of our life…we are always harking back to some occasion which seemed to us to reach perfection, setting that up as a norm, and depreciating all other occasions by comparison.

Readings for Meditation and Reflection, C.S. Lewis

When those words crossed my vision path I was staggered to a halt. Like Sleeping Beauty’s finger, my spirit was instantly pricked with sharp conviction, prohibiting me from continuing on to the next paragraph. How often I have gazed longingly back to previous seasons of my life, whether spiritually or otherwise, and viewed those times as perfection.

I wonder, now, how much I have missed in all my present moments while I stood gazing backward at the altars I had erected.

But these other occasions, I now suspect, are often full of their own new blessing, if only we would lay ourselves open to it. God shows us a new facet of the glory, and we refuse to look at it because we’re still looking for the old one.

Readings for Meditation and Reflection, C.S. Lewis

Old Testament Altars

Altars are scattered throughout the Old Testament. God instructed Noah to build the first altar in Genesis 8:20. He later instructed Abram, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and many others to build altars). They are mentioned often in the New Testament, as well, (Matthew 5:23-24; Acts 17:24-25; Hebrews 13:10; Revelation 6:9-11, 16:7). Sacrifices were involved in the Old Testament. The ultimate Sacrifice had come in the New Testament.

Thomas W. Davis wrote in Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology: “Altars were places where the divine and human worlds interacted.” I personally identify with how former Pentecostal Pastor and songwriter Jack Hayford said it:

Altars represent the occasion and place where we have had a personal encounter with God.

Past Encounters

I imagine that many of you can envision times in your past, even the recent past, when you have had beautiful encounters with God. The presence of His Spirit was more real than the person sitting next to you or in the next room. Jesus felt closer than your best friend.

My husband and I have been mightily blessed in our lives to be involved with a few spiritually rich churches. While different, each was graced with Biblical pastors and anointed worship leaders. Each offered altar moments for us – beautiful, corporate encounters with God…which helped increase intimate, individual altar moments. Those were amazing grace gifts from our Father.

Everyone knows we can’t live on the mountaintop, don’t we?? But…isn’t it pretty up there? Isn’t it a gorgeous view?! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to stay on that high peak forever?

For us, life changed; sometimes sin invaded, (as it usually does, since we humans are prone to let our guard down,) and the mountaintops crumbled. A church split, a pastor caught up in sin, a move, whatever the circumstance that created the change, Gary and I found ourselves gazing back at our altar moments rather than looking ahead expectantly to new encounters God had in store for us in the present. In essence, we had taken our altar moments, our powerful, grace-filled encounters with God and demanded an encore!

Repeat Appearance

That, my friend, is a travesty, in the least, and sin at most.

And the joke, or tragedy, of it all is that these golden moments in the past, which are so tormenting if we erect them into a norm, are entirely nourishing, wholesome and enchanting if we are content to accept them for what they area, for memories. Properly bedded down in a past which we do not miserably try to conjure back, they will send up exquisite growths.

Readings for Meditation and Reflection, C.S. Lewis

Altars appear throughout scripture for different reasons – a place of encounter being one. The most common altar built was the altar of incense, the holy place where the priests offered worship to God on behalf of the people and themselves. Even the pagans used an altar to worship their false gods.

We can stumble into error when we take a gift of God, such as an altar moment, a time of a holy encounter with the Lord, and attempt to turn it into a precedent or demand for God. We can become like the prophets of Baal in I Kings 18:20-40, when they attempted to dance furiously around their altar, demanding Baal to perform, attempting to prove that he was more powerful than Almighty God.

Our attempts to stay in the past, clinging to old altars, are perhaps out of fear that our Father won’t show up again. Fear that despite His power and nearness in that moment, He won’t love me enough to do a repeat appearance.

Our attempts to stay in the past, clinging to old altars, are perhaps out of fear that our Father won’t show up again. It's sometimes easier to look back at what God did then than to allow Him to work in us today. Click To Tweet

Price of Altars

However, my sisters, it could also be our fear of the price that altars have. It’s sometimes easier to look back at what God did then than to allow Him to work in us today. As Jack Hayford stated:

God intends that something be ‘altered’ in us when we come to altars. To receive the promise means we make way for the transformation.

In Genesis 22, Abraham was required to offer his only son to God on an altar – a test of Abraham’s faith. Was God truly His provider? Indeed, He was.

After Jacob encountered God in a dream in Genesis 28, he built an altar. Jacob was so overwhelmed by God’s promise to him that he vowed to God a tenth of everything He gave to him.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:23-24:

Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

And there is the beauty…no shame, no guilt…just go and reconcile, repent, then return to the altar and worship. We can bring our brokenness to the altar; His arms are open wide.

Olena Sergienko