Devotionals – Page 8 – Oh Lord Help Us

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Even If: Remembering that God is Always Faithful, Able, and Mighty

DevotionalsJune 24, 2019June 24, 2019

Sometimes it seems that the answer to our long awaited prayer is no. It is important to remember in these times that even if it is no, God is still good.

Last night I was driving home from one of many meetings of the day. As I was driving I was listening to a local Christian station. This is something I rarely do because I generally use my phone for music. This night, though, I somehow forgot, or didn’t care enough. Looking back this was a God-ordained moment to remind me even if… He is good.

You see, while I was driving the song “Even If” by MercyMe came on. I have heard this song before, but never truly listened to it. The song is about how God is still faithful, even if –insert prayer request here– doesn’t come. I sat and listened to this song and concentrated on every word.

As I sat in the car crying my eyes out (and driving like a crazy person I’m sure), I realized how much I needed to hear it. I have been in a season of looking for healing and actively praying long and hard for it to come. This song showed me that even if the answer is no or not yet, God is still good.

The Holy Spirit

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
Romans 8:26, NLT

The Holy Spirit is our connection with God. That is where the source of our prayers should come from. I believe that sometimes the answer we are looking for doesn’t come because we are not praying through the Holy Spirit. We, when using our human power, do not know what to pray. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to be a part of our prayer life.

What we can be sure of is even when we don’t know what to pray, or are praying the wrong thing, the Holy Spirit prays for us. Wow, how amazing is that? The Holy Spirit prays for us.

I read this verse, which I never read in this way before, and was overwhelmed by the love of God for us. He loves us so much that He gave us the Holy Spirit to not only guide us but to intercede for us. When we don’t know what to say the Holy Spirit prays with a prayer that is beyond words.

Even If: No

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
1 John 5:14-15, NLT

I know this verse says, “he will give us what we ask for.” That makes it sound as though we will get whatever we want. However, this verse is often misunderstood. You see, people tend to leave the prior verse out where it says “anything that pleases Him.”

Like I said before, many times we are not asking with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. This is likely the most common reason we do not get what we ask for every time.

Another reason this could be the case is that we misinterpret the response. Maybe God said yes, but it wasn’t in the way you expected. For me, this happened when my grandmother passed away. We prayed and prayed for her to be healed, but she passed away. It wasn’t that God said no. He healed her, but he did this by bringing her home. This was not what we wanted but it was a yes. A yes that pleased God.

Even If: Not Yet

‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’
Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT

Lastly, the reason we may think that God has told us no is because His answer is not yet. We have to be patient and remember that God’s timing is not our timing. His ways are far better, His thoughts are far better, and His timing is far better than our own.

Even If

So, even if healing doesn’t come, even if our relationships are crumbling, even if we don’t know what will happen next… God is faithful. He is able. And He is mighty.

So whatever your even if is, keep in mind that thought and remember the role the Holy Spirit is playing.

I know You’re able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don’t
My hope is You alone
I know the sorrow, I know the hurt
Would all go away if You’d just say the word
But even if You don’t
My hope is You alone
MercyMe, “Even If”

Even if healing doesn't come, even if our relationships are crumbling, even if we don't know what will happen next… God is faithful. He is able. And He is mighty. Click To Tweet

OhTilly

weakness, weak, strength, empty, grace, emptiness, enough, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Weak: When We are Empty, God’s Strength is Enough

DevotionalsJune 23, 2019June 23, 2019

When we feel weak, Christ is the strength we need to serve out of our emptiness. He is enough especially because we are not.

Perception

I love giving feedback especially when it is good. Recently, a few of us threw a wedding shower and it was so beautiful. The decorations were lovely, the games were a ton of fun, and the atmosphere was relaxing and cozy.

I texted both of the girls I had worked with and told them what a fabulous job they had done. One of them quickly replied that she was sorry for the mess her house had been in when we got there. That she truly felt like her efforts were just being drug out of an empty well with a too full season. But, she was wrong.

Am I Weak?

What does living out of emptiness look like? I mean, let’s be honest, none of us is really looking for that kind of serving. We would rather be serving out of plenty, fullness, more than enough.

I am often drawn to the stories in scripture of the widow’s mite or the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair. These women used what they had and it was lavish. Jesus does not say that the mite wasn’t enough because the offering was small. He knew that is all she had and it mattered to him.

Empty

I had a similar experience…

I spend a lot of my day thinking and praying for people. It really is a gift and I don’t take it for granted. I was driving by a friend’s business and was prompted to pray and text her. Weeks later, I heard the rest of the story.

It was a difficult day. A difficult hour. It was right on time to point my friend to Jesus. Now, let me set you straight right now. I am not special. In fact, if my friend had not shared this with me, I would have kept on feeling pretty useless.

Right now, I could not be more depleted, more emotionally empty. I really don’t have much…

He is Enough

But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NLT

But, Christ does not expect me to work out of my own strength. Am I the only one who feels that way? I think I have to have all the answers and all the ability. I’m pretty sure the Gospel verifies that I do not have any answers for myself.

He Knows Me

I gently texted my friend back a reminder: When we think things are falling out of our control, that is when we can serve in our own emptiness. We can know that He fills us and uses us through His own strength.

I, myself, need this reminder.

I am so tempted to believe that God wanted me because I was worthy or useful. When the opposite is true. He loved me when I was an enemy. And He loves me now when I think I need to have it all together. His desire is for me to rely on His strength because He knows I am weak. He knew that then, He knows it now, and His opinion is still one of grace and love. That is who He is and for that I am grateful.

God desires us to rely on His strength in our weakness. He knows we can't and don't have it all together but His opinion is still of grace and love. Click To Tweet

Annie Spratt

sin, confess, blessings, forgiveness, foundation, unshakable, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Outside: Confessing Our Hidden, Inward Sins to God

DevotionalsJune 19, 2019June 19, 2019

Without confessing our hidden sins to God, they will seep to the outside of our lives. We must surrender our secrets for a blessing and hope-filled life.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and a wise person captivates people.
Proverbs 11:30, CSB

Everything Seemed Picture Perfect

When my family and I first moved into our little house in the middle of nowheresville, we had the most beautiful oak tree in our backyard. It was easily one of the reasons, if not THE REASON, we bought the house in the first place. It had the perfect branch to hang a swing on for the kids and it provided some much-needed shade to our otherwise very bare yard.

The beautiful oak was located right behind our back deck and kitchen; which worked out great for me while I was making dinner. I have a huge, beautiful bay window in my kitchen that allows me to still see the kids as they play outside, in the backyard. We observed this spectacular tree, which seemed full of life, change from season to season the first year we lived here. Then, one day, something looked different about our beloved oak.

The Outside Revealed The Inward

By Spring 2017, we noticed our tall oak tree wasn’t sprouting new greenery. We waited as long as we could and hoped it would produce new green life soon. After all, the other trees behind it were blooming fine. Sadly, though, that just wasn’t the case.

We had an expert tree guy come out to give it a look. He found that it was diseased badly on the inside with decay and rot. We were, unfortunately, witnessing on the outside, what had been taking place for several years inwardly. The moment the oak tree was separated from the other surrounding trees, it’s inward struggles started to show. What once seemed strong and beautiful, was now dying. And there was nothing we could do to stop it.

Used For a New Purpose

Obviously seeing this was awful because it meant we had to cut our favorite tree down. We decided to use the tree trunk as separate stumps to sit on around our fire pit. My husband, Mike, chopped and split the branches to use as firewood.

When we first knocked it down, I remember thinking “ugh.. what a shame! I wish we had another big oak tree we could plant there that looked just like that one!” I mean seriously… it was just too bare with that tree gone! We needed to do something! ANYTHING! But what?

I looked up and said, “Okay God, what am I suppose to do now?”

Find the Hidden TREEasure

Once we chopped the diseased tree down, Mike quickly spotted another established oak just within the thick part of our woods. This tree was massive in size with an even better branch to hang a swing for the kiddos. The only problem; it was surrounded by thick shrubs, bushes, little trees, twigs, sticks and more. Getting to it was not going to be an easy task! Well, not for me anyway!

Mike thought of this, so I cannot take credit for it. Although, I secretly wish I could. He decided to go into the woods with his ax and start chopping down all the small trees that were in the way. He then cleared the debris; any sticks, rocks, and vines were tossed aside.

He finished it off by taking his riding lawn mower to get all the low shrubs and bushes. He literally made a path to this huge oak tree by creating what looks like a cul-de-sac in our woods! Then he hung the kid’s swing on the sturdy branch and he built them a fun fort with a slide and all! It’s so awesome!

Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Jeremiah 33:3, ESV

Becoming Aware of Our Need for Renewal

In our lives, we have to be honest about what’s going on inside our hearts and minds. The deep-rooted sins inside us have become issues that we brush off far too easily on the outside. We never really deal with the underlying sin when we do this. These inward sins will naturally eat at us from the inside to the outside. Until we can’t hold them in anymore.

Friends, our Father in Heaven loves us so much! He knows ALL the diseased trees sitting inside us becoming worse by the minute. We need to lay these sins at Jesus’ feet where they belong. This way, we can see a clear path to the healthy tree in our life. God can take our sins, and use them for a new purpose too! He can use them for His good to kindle the fire of salvation that has begun in someone else’ heart!

Our sins DO NOT make us who we are, but rather, they keep us from becoming the person God created us to be. Laying down the sins that destroy us from the inside out, allows room for the renewal of our inner person to finally take place.

Therefore we do not give up; even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:16, CSB

Acknowledging Our Sins to God

Acknowledging our sins and taking them captive before the throne of God is of utmost importance if we ever want to mature and grow in our faith. Confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness is necessary in order for the Holy Spirit to work in us properly.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9, CSB

Once the sin, or diseased tree, is finally chopped down, then the Lord will begin to teach us the steps we need to take in order to split the branches into firewood. He will walk with us to throw the pieces into the fire and make sure they burn for good. After this process, which depends on the person’s willingness to change, God will then show us the new path.

It was there the entire time! We just couldn’t see it before because we were blind to it! It was covered up and hiding behind all that worldly debris and clutter in our life. Can you relate, Dear Sister?

Once we are able to see God’s path, leading to a bigger and better tree, then we can finally begin walking faithfully forward to find restoration and peace.

Claim Your Tree of Life

Ladies, let’s choose to go to our Heavenly Father and lay down all of our diseased trees we have tried to keep hidden deep inside. God knows they are there, yet He waits for us to bring them to Him. He desires nothing more than to bless us with the Tree of Life we were always destined to have. It’s the only tree that offers hope, purpose and true satisfaction. It has a firm, unshakable and solid foundation, strong enough to swing, play and even rest on.

So, tell me Dear Reader…What diseased trees are in your way of claiming this awesome blessing today?

Let’s choose to go to our Heavenly Father and lay down all of our sins we have tried to keep hidden deep inside. He patiently waits for us to surrender so He can pour out grace upon our lives. Click To Tweet

Annie Spratt

God's love, individuality, confidence, hurt, worth, encouragement, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

You: Finding Individuality and Worth in God’s Love

DevotionalsJune 18, 2019June 18, 2019

We often look inward or outward for our own self-worth. Instead, we should look upward to the One who created us and loves us. You are worth it!

I want to talk to you. Specifically you. A lot of stuff rolls around in that brain of yours, and even more courses through your heart. You have doubts. You need affirmation, or reassurance, or comfort.

People Have Hurt You

You have a strong heart, but it is fragile. A friend has wounded you with her words too many times without apology. Your husband puts his career or his hobby ahead of your relationship. A boss has humiliated you in a team meeting. A stranger made derogatory comments about your body.

Your child said that she wished you were not her mom. Leaders at church overlook your contributions on a regular basis. An old boyfriend threatened you. An acquaintance hit you–someone who should have been safe. Someone you trusted stole your right to consent right out from under you.

You Have Hurt Others

You know how you want others to treat you. Your intentions were right, but you have found yourself on the losing side of your own history too many times. Reprimanding your kids for their negative tone of voice while you yell at them.

You insulted your husband in retribution for the ways he hurt you. Canceled plans on a friend for the third time in a row. You told a friend someone else’s secret–and they found out that you did it. You missed an important deadline at work simply because you were unmotivated. Anger gained a foothold in you, and you pushed a colleague much harder than you intended, and they fell.

You Doubt Your Worth

As you sit in the midst of all the hurt you have inflicted and the hurt you have incurred, you wonder about your own value. You worked hard at school, and yet your job is not as important or high paying as you had envisioned. You have failed at every diet you have ever tried.

Other people have talents and accomplishments that hold so much more weight than your insignificant contributions and pursuits. If your relationship ended tomorrow, you could not imagine anyone else seeing you as valuable enough to love — certainly not for a lifetime. You feel mediocre, invisible, wholly insignificant.

So, How Can God Really Love YOU?

Once you have convinced yourself of this, it becomes really hard to believe with every fiber of your being that God can love YOU. Yes, as John tells us, we should:

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
1 John 3:1, ESV

But, God loves everyone — which is good, and right — but it is easy to take that knowledge and turn it into a love that is such a corporate entity that it can easily pass over you as just one in the crowd. God sent Christ to die on the cross for us so that our sins were redeemed. But there are so many believers. Wouldn’t it be easy for God to overlook you? Love you, yes, but love everything about you? How could He when the math you’ve done does not add up to you being worthy of his intimate, individual love?

But, He Did Make You with Inherent Worth

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:13-16, ESV

God didn’t make you like a manufacturing company makes little green soldier toys. He made you intimately. He formed you, knitted you together, wove you intricately, and He saw you. You weren’t one of many. He designed you to be uniquely you.

He loves you for who you exclusively are. Individually. He sent Jesus to be an example for you. He sent Jesus to the cross to pay for those very things you have done that you think make you unworthy because He loves you. You hold weight in His kingdom, in His eye, in His heart.

You cannot determine your worth by your own perception or allow the body of believers to assign you value. Don’t let the world tell you how much weight you hold. God has already made that determination. He designed you for a purpose, and you are living that out right now on this earth. Your battle scars and new wounds do not invalidate you as a person of Godly purpose. Your sins do not disqualify you. God loves you.

You.

God didn't make you like a manufacturing company makes little green soldier toys. He made you intimately. He formed you, knitted you together, wove you intricately, and He saw you. Click To Tweet

Janine Joles

busy, chaos, focus, busyness, peace, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Scatterbrained: Focusing on God Amidst the Chaos

DevotionalsJune 17, 2019June 17, 2019

Where is God when we’re busy? Where is God when we cannot focus? Is He our focus? Well, personally I’ve lost focus in every sense of the term, but just received the sweetest reminder. I hope all who read this and need to hear it can learn to rest in it.

Scatterbrained

Oh. My. Goodness. I seem to be all over the place. I have zero focus because there’s SO MUCH GOING ON AND I HAVE HORRIBLE TIME MANAGEMENT. So, scatterbrained.

Also, my priorities are playing hopscotch. I’d rather take a nap or eat than study for my finals or get in God’s Word. Y’all, I am so overwhelmed. Right now, I need to learn how to pull God into the midst of my lack of focus. I need to discover what it’s like to be busy, but still make time for the One which all things should be done for and through.

So Busy, Oh My Goodness

We all have busy seasons. This is by far my busiest. I’m finding myself being overwhelmed and scatterbrained instead of resting. During this season all I can focus on is what has to be done. I just applied for my very first job. This school year will be over soon, making me a senior in high school. I have GOT to get a license. And, eventually, I’m going to need to figure out what I’m doing with the rest of my life.

There are several other things making it hard to stop and take a breath. It has forced me to ask why God isn’t a part of this season. Have I pushed Him to the side because I’m simply “too busy”?

This morning, I met with a close brother of mine. He has helped me more than he knows the last couple of years of my life. He brought something so insightful to my attention. Here’s a little story time involving me, myself, and my day…

Storytime

So, yesterday I had school. I went to photography and finished a project. Then I went to my geosystems class to work on another project. As my third class of the day came around, I started to feel bad.

Over the next half hour, the feeling in my stomach escalated until I was feeling so bad it hurt to function. I asked to go to the clinic and asked my mom if she’d be able to pick me up. I wasn’t sure what was up, but I was on the verge of throwing up and there was NO way I was going back to class.

Long story short, I ended up having one of the worst panic attacks I’ve had in months. Honestly, I was quite frustrated. I just celebrated a year since I was hospitalized and a year of no self-harm, but I’m still having unexplainable panic attacks?

Well, that’s no doubt God’s reminder that there’s going to be more than just a singular valley in our lives. But what my good friend Edward pointed out, in that debilitating state, God was giving my mind rest from the chaos I’ve been experiencing.

God Makes The Right Choice

Like myself, Edward struggles with some physiological ailments that prohibit him from doing things. However, as we talked this morning, he was explaining to me how if we were at a crossroads between spending time with God or getting something done, we’d be faced with a question as to which route to take.

These debilitating moments are God taking that choice away and forcing us to run to Him. It’s so amazing to see the ways God reveals Himself, even in moments like severe panic attacks. It never fails to baffle me how God truly can take anything and make it good. We accuse God of being behind the good, but absent in the bad and that is simply not true. God is making good from that bad. I love being able to experience God like that. It’s amazing that we’ve been blessed with the opportunity to know Him and not just know of Him.

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.’
Jeremiah 29:11-13, NLT

Rest In Peace; His Peace

I apologize for my thoughts being all over the place. My main point is to look for God in everything because He is there. I was so scatterbrained, but God stopped me and revealed Himself. That is so amazing!

If you find yourself in a busy season, I implore you to rest in God’s hands. But don’t just say that to say it; believe it! God has you and nothing can change that, no matter how busy you are.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
John 16:33, NLT

If you find yourself in a busy season, rest in God's hands. But don't just say that to say it; believe it! God has you and nothing can change that, no matter how busy you are. Click To Tweet

Tim Mossholder

balance, comparison, unique, wisdom, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Handle: Balancing What God has Given Us, What Really Matters

DevotionalsJune 16, 2019June 18, 2019

It can be difficult to handle all the abilities God has given us as women. With Him and our fellow sisters, we can learn to balance what really matters.

While traveling to my best friend’s house one day I heard a speaker on KLove. She was discussing how we as women try to handle multiple tasks or commitments at one time. My active imagination conjured up this image of a female waitress with octopus arms, holding multiple platters with ease.

Handle It

I had to chuckle when this picture came to mind. But, seriously ladies, unless we have octopus arms none of us can handle it all. Where are you right now in your life? How much are you trying to handle by yourself? Do you have a teacup, a bowl, a plate, or a platter you are trying to handle? Let us talk for a few minutes about what really matters!

Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good.These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.
Titus 2:3-5, NLT

Juggling Act

There is a young woman I have known for many years that has 7 children. She home schools them all. The kids are perfectly well behaved and docile, not to mention beautiful within and without. She has a petite figure and always seems to have it all put together! She is the woman who has the platter!

I have a dear friend who also has multiple children and is heavily involved in the homeschooling community. However, as dearly as I love her she is a teacup kind of girl. She is very focused and intent on what is in her cup, but that is all she knows she can focus on at that time. Very wise if you ask me. She knows her abilities and limitations and accepts them both.

I would like to think of myself as one who carries around a plate. As a single mom coordinating school, church and appointments for three kids is sometimes overwhelming. I use to carry around my platter trying to manage it all by myself.

It took some major life-changing situations to learn God does not want us to rely on our own abilities or handle it all by ourselves! It places other people in our lives to help us handle it. I sometimes have to pass a plate off to my mom, or my oldest son, or a dear friend who offers to help.

So, ladies, do you know what kind of dish you are carrying around? Are you handling what God has given you the right way?

Comparison

There is a lot of “mom shaming” in our culture today. Thanks to social media and our inter-connected society we see the accomplishments of others constantly. I often see or hear things like, “She can’t handle that! I can do that better. What is wrong with her kids? Does she not know how to discipline them. What is her problem?”

When we fall prey to “mom shaming” we fall prey to the devil’s handiwork. He wants us to compare ourselves to each other, to build up our pride, or to fuel jealousy between us. What we have on this earth does not compare to what Christ has prepared for us in heaven as believers.

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.
1 Corinthians 2:9, NKJV

God does not want us to dwell on what others have, or what we do not have. Throughout the Bible, there are numerous examples of how jealousy created bitterness, anger, and lead to strong adversaries.

Rachel and Leah bickered out of jealousy (Genesis 30:15). Hagar was fruitful and bore Abraham a son, but instead of being her advocate, Sarah was cruel to her (Genesis 16).

Now I have to tell you I am sure if I was in the same situation as these ladies I probably would have felt the same way. But, I have learned some hard lessons over the past few years and having a community of strong Christian women around, is powerful!

The fact that I am a women does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian makes me a different kind of woman.
Elizabeth Elliot

Handle What Matters

There will be different times in your life when you carry different sizes of dishes around. It is okay. God made us all with different abilities, personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. Instead of becoming jealous and bitter towards one another, we should help teach each other.

God gave us an example to follow in Titus 2. I have been encouraged and learned from spiritually older women throughout the years. Remember God places women in our lives for specific reasons. Listen to the wisdom of these women and learn from their godly counsel.

Perhaps you feel like you have too much to handle. Let me remind you for a minute that God never gives us more than we can handle. However, He does expect us to handle what we have been given. Matthew 25:14-30 has the parable of the talents. Each servant according to his own ability was expected to use what he had been given for his master’s glory. Are we using what God has given us to glorify and point others to Him?

So, sweet sisters, it does not matter if you have a teacup, a bowl, a plate, or a platter. What matters is we handle what God has given us the right way.

Until we meet again… Gracie

God expects us to handle what we have been given according to our own ability. Are we using what God has given us to glorify and point others to Him? Click To Tweet

Iva Rajović

boldness, bold, fear, confidence, God’s plan, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Champion: How to Walk Through This World With Boldness

DevotionalsJune 12, 2019June 12, 2019

We are instructed to not live in fear, but the struggle is all too real. Only with our Champion can we walk through life with boldness.

I recently saw a posting on Facebook that said, “Fear not can be found 365 times in the Bible.” As a natural doubting Thomas, I went in search of this for myself. According to the Bible App, there are only 71 instances of “fear not” in the New English Translation. However, I found the words “don’t be afraid” 342 times. Of course, this is completely unscientific research and open to mistakes.

Fear Not

I’m pretty sure our Father is telling us something important here. He doesn’t want us walking around this world with fear in our hearts. And yet I had to add that last sentence because I am afraid I may have miscounted and someone will think poorly of me for it.

So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:6, NET

I fight this feeling of fear on a daily basis. Being a mother has only made it worse. I am afraid that others are talking behind my back or that they don’t like my kids. I am afraid my kids will get hurt, or that my husband will be in an accident. Then I am afraid when I hear noises at night. I don’t like the dark. When I get sick I’m afraid it’s worse than it is.

Now, I try to keep these feelings on a short leash and rarely ever share them with anyone (they sound crazy). But this fear also keeps me from doing God’s work. It keeps me from going up to a stranger who looks like they need help. Or from inviting an acquaintance to come with our family to church on Sunday. Fear is the weapon of the enemy.

The Struggle is Real

Earlier this week I was really struggling hard. I was overwhelmed by fear. When this happens I find strength in music. Because God speaks to me and calms my spirit with melody. In my hour of need, He put the right song on, “The Voice of Truth,” sang by Casting Crowns. I L-O-V-E this song.

Thinking about Peter stepping out of the boat and David facing Goliath gave me such encouragement. “I will listen and believe the Voice of truth.”

I can to all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13, KJV

Our Champion is By Our Side

Our Father is right here with us. He is our champion and we have no reason to be afraid. Fear isn’t a God-inspired emotion, it is from the enemy who puts a yoke on us to follow a path that isn’t ordained. For this reason, the weight is heavy and often impossible to throw off in our own strength. We need help, daily.

Another thing that helped me this week was having a stranger come up to tell me that I was doing a great job being a mom. My son and I were in Target walking through the isles and he was telling me an outrageously silly story. Afterward, I told him he was super creative and an out of the box problem thinker. The lady shopping beside of us said, “Great job mom. We need those kids to be creative thinkers and have fun doing it.”

Those words were a warm blanket to my heart. So, the next time I worry that his silly stories make him sound too juvenile or a little crazy, I’ll take that moment out and remember. God is always by our side. Sometimes, He speaks through other people.

Stepping Out of Fear

Earlier, I was considering which of my prayers I would put at the end of this devotional. They have been disjointed, sporadic, and definitely unfocused during this week of uncertainty and fear. In other words, none of them were any good to share. However, in my earlier research, I came across one that I think I will write down and speak out loud next time fear starts to lean into my life.

Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words. Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11, NET

love, me

The Lord is the Champion of our doubts and fears. He has overcome, let all we do be done to bring Him glory! Click To Tweet

Taylor Leopold

alone, loneliness, friendship, relationship, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Alone: Learning How to Combat Loneliness in a Godly Way

DevotionalsJune 11, 2019June 11, 2019

We can go through seasons of loneliness. It is important to surround ourselves with trusted people when we feel alone and remember God is always with us.

Loneliness is something that many of us deal with at one point or another. I know I have. Being single often leaves me feeling alone. While others my age are getting married or having children, I can feel at times like maybe I am doing something wrong. This leaves me to feel incredibly alone.

There are many reasons we may feel alone, for me it comes out in my singleness but for others it could be lack of friendships, living away from family, or not having a good support system. Through all of these situations, there is one thing that remains true…We are never truly alone. We are constantly in the presence of our truest friend and savior, Jesus.

Living Life Alone

Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, ESV

We are not meant to do life alone. A lot of times loneliness can be felt because we don’t have people doing life with us. We don’t have a “tribe”, as many like to call it. While it is true that we always have Jesus, we still need other brothers and sisters around us.

It can be incredibly difficult to put yourself out there and find your people. Trust me, I know. I have just recently found people outside my family that feel safe and that I can genuinely do life with. Let me tell you, the awkwardness is worth it.

God created us as social beings and as such it is important we find people to go through the ups and downs of life with. When you have people to do life with, the feeling of loneliness happens less and less.

Never Separated

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39, NLT

There have been many times throughout my life that I have felt separated from the Lord. This left me feeling completely and utterly alone.

Whether it is a difficult season of life, a sin struggle, or just a normal day, there are many ways we can feel separated from God and lonely. The truth is in the above verse. There is absolutely nothing we can do to separate ourselves from God. Nothing. And if we are not separated from God that means we are never alone. Sometimes we may feel distant or disconnected, but we are never separate.

Even in times of distance, He is there. Even when we can not feel Him, He is there. I am learning, daily, how true this is. He is constant. Look at the trees, the sky, birds, He is there. His creation is proof that He exists and insurance that He is here for us in all circumstances.

Even in times of distance, God is there. Even when we can not feel Him, He is there. His creation is proof that He exists and insurance that He is here for us in all circumstances! Click To Tweet

Dominik Scythe

apology, forgiveness, grace, pain, freedom, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Apology: Asking for Forgiveness is Difficult but Freeing

DevotionalsJune 10, 2019June 11, 2019

Admitting we have hurt someone and asking for forgiveness can be difficult. A genuine apology shows obedience to God and frees us from sin and pain.

Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32, NET

Polarizing Tactics

For the first twenty-five years of our marriage, Gary and I seldom argued. That isn’t to say that we didn’t disagree, didn’t hurt each other’s feelings, or give each other the silent treatment; I’m simply saying we seldom argued.

Neither of us came from homes where disagreements were handled in a healthy way- his dad went to the basement; mine hid behind the newspaper. Therefore, neither of us were equipped to manage conflict well… so, we didn’t. We went to our separate corners and waited for the storm to pass. Or, perhaps more realistically, I waited for him to apologize and he waited for the storm to pass!

What it took me many years to learn was that his family, (and men in general,) didn’t learn to express regret when they were wrong or wronged someone else. Apologizing, admitting mistakes seems to be a learned trait for about half of the population. Yet, I felt like I was saying, “I’m sorry,” for everything, sometimes even my existence! But that was my own issue, not Gary’s.

Deteriorating Foundation

One of the many problems with this scenario in a marriage or friendship is that the tiny papercuts and the buildup of infractions can become a gaping, bleeding wound which eats at the foundation of the relationship. Then someday, an incident that is seemingly a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10, becomes an immediate 10, and your spouse or close friend, doesn’t know what hit him, (or her, as the case may be).

That was our cycle. Build-up, build-up, build-up, BOOM. My anger would explode at something Gary had done or not done. He would remain quiet, calm, and in control, while I ranted; then I felt shame because I would be reminded of how my mom reacted toward my dad, (and I promised myself that I would never be like her, of course).

Each time this happened, my heart closed a bit more toward my husband, like the bloom of a flower closing against the night. (Now granted, I wasn’t exactly the Proverbs 31 wife with a gentle, quiet spirit. Our five years of marriage counseling was for both of us!)

One-Liner Apology

During our marriage counseling, Gary began learning the importance of saying he was sorry when he had hurt me. However, for many years it continued to feel disingenuous and rehearsed to me, probably because he usually followed up with, “but I didn’t know” -or- “but I didn’t mean to,” which left me feeling hollow.

Ted Cunningham wrote for Focus on the Family about ways not to apologize. These are some famous one-liner apologies that should never be used! (Do they sound familiar?)

“I’m sorry you feel that way” is another way of saying, “You shouldn’t feel that way.” It’s one of the world’s worst apologies.
“If I offended you, I’m sorry” is another way of saying, “You shouldn’t have been offended by that” or “You’re too sensitive.”
“I’m sorry you took it that way” is another way of saying, “That’s not what I intended.” What your spouse hears is more important than what you say.
“I’m sorry I said it that way” is another way of saying, “What I said was right, I just said it in the wrong way” or “What I told you was truth and you needed to hear it, but maybe my tone wasn’t right.”
www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/communication

Apology

Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, has also written that there are five languages of apology. He believes that this is the reason why so many marriages stutter at the apology and don’t travel forward to much-needed forgiveness.

Expressing regret – This is the emotional aspect of an apology. People who speak this language believe it is important to acknowledge that you offended them and to express your own sense of guilt, shame and pain that your behavior has hurt them deeply. Actually being able to say “I am sorry” is very important to a person who speaks this language.
Accepting responsibility – In this instance, an apology means accepting responsibility for one’s actions and being willing to say “I was wrong.” This is often very difficult because admitting you are wrong can be perceived as weakness.
Making restitution – For an apology to be genuine, it isn’t just about saying “I am sorry.” Instead, it’s all about making things right for a person who speaks this language. They want acknowledgment of the wrongdoing and they want to know what you are going to do to make it right.
Genuinely repenting – The word repentance means “to turn around” or to change one’s mind. If a person speaks this language of apology they are expecting that you not only apologize but that you will seek not to repeat the offense again in the future.
Requesting forgiveness – A person who speaks this language believes that an apology not only includes “I am sorry,” but also a request for forgiveness. Requesting forgiveness indicates to some that you want to see the relationship fully restored.
www.firstthings.org

Biblical Forgiveness

While I have great respect for Dr. Chapman, my guiding principle is always the Word of God. It speaks clearly about forgiveness. Jesus delineates the need to take all the steps which Dr. Chapman has laid out, not one that we choose to be our personal language.

Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
Luke 17:3, NET

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“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Matthew 6:14, NET

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Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.
Colossians 3:12-13, NET

Abundant Grace

And there it is, the inarguable point; how can we contend with this? The Lord’s forgiveness has been abundant, vast…how can we withhold grace and the mercy of forgiveness from one who has offended or wounded us? I had to learn…am still learning…to forgive half-hearted – or no – apologies. My brother was one who never asked forgiveness for the pain he inflicted.

And there are unfathomable wounds some of you have endured, aching wounds for which no one has borne responsibility or asked forgiveness.

But God…

He knows your pain and He covers it with His balm of healing grace.

Forgive them, so that you may go free.

The Lord’s forgiveness has been abundant, vast…how can we withhold grace and the mercy of forgiveness from one who has offended or wounded us? Click To Tweet

Dallas Reedy

let go, release, control, hold fast, worry, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Release: Letting Go of Our Control and Clinging to the Lord

DevotionalsJune 9, 2019July 30, 2019

When we release our worry and control to the Lord and cling to His promises, we can experience genuine freedom in our lives.

A few mornings ago, I awoke at dawn to the familiar sound of birds chirping outside my bedroom window. A refreshing stretch of beautiful spring weather has called for sleeping with the windows open. And each morning, I’m treated to a choir of birdsongs. There are the high pitched, staccato offerings of the finch. The cardinal’s piercing siren-like call. Soft, plaintive cooing from the mourning dove. The warbler’s high lonesome vibrato. And all this is punctuated by loud, boisterous squawking solos from the blue jays, blackbirds, and hawks!

The Woods

Over the nearly four years we’ve lived in this home, I’ve grown accustomed to this morning avian greeting. You see, although our neighborhood sits in the heart of town, we’ve been blessed to live right beside nearly 15 acres of undeveloped woods. Our family has taken daily walks with our dog in those woods. The woods have provided a natural buffer against impinging traffic noise and light pollution. And the woods have enveloped our property, creating a peaceful oasis for gathering around the fire pit with family and friends.

But within the past year, a real estate developer–that builds high-end apartment complexes–purchased the land. And soon, this wooded sanctuary will be leveled to the ground. Given all the development in this area, my husband and I used to joke that the name of our town, Wake Forest, should be changed to Wake “Used to Be” Forest. But now that the woods right next to us are on the chopping block, this moniker is no laughing matter!

The Developers

So, what has been a quiet, sleepy dead-end road in front of our house will soon become a thoroughfare. The place where our kids and their friends from the neighborhood have learned to ride their bikes and play will no longer be safe for children. And to add insult to injury, a row of large garbage receptacles for the entire apartment complex will sit a mere 20 yards from our bedroom window! So goodbye to my morning chorus of birds, and hello to the daily dumping of stinky trash and clanking recyclables!

A while back, the developers held a public hearing where they presented their site plan to the city planning department. They explained how they will maximize the property’s potential by removing all the trees, grading the land, and constructing apartment buildings with sprawling parking lots on every side. It’s like I’m seeing firsthand what Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi lyrics lamented: “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot! Ooo bop bop bop bop!”

Release

My initial reaction was to “bop” those developers over the head, mount a neighborhood insurrection, and send them packing! But, I’ve come to the realization that this is not the battle I need to fight. In fact, the whole situation has caused me to examine my own internal battle–of learning how to release those things over which I have no control.

Needless to say, I’ve had some difficulty wrapping my head and heart around this impending change. Because I’m having trouble letting go. Letting go of the wonderful memories that we’ve formed in this house. Of this peaceful place that we’ve been blessed to call home. Releasing fear and worry about what the future will hold for our family’s living situation.

But isn’t our walk of faith so often about letting go? In this case, I need to release something that’s ultimately pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. But in the past, I’ve tried to cling to things that the Lord, in His grace and mercy, was trying to take out of my hands. Things like childhood traumas, unhealthy relationships, a career that was not life-giving, a drug addiction, and a home that was too small and breaking down around me.

Casting Our Cares

Although all of those things were destructive, I was holding tightly to them because they felt so familiar to me. In many ways, I had solidified my whole identity with them. So the thought of allowing the Lord to remove them from my life felt extremely unsettling and downright frightening. But the thing was, none of them was serving me. And some of them were actually pulling me further away from the Lord.

So, in His grace and mercy, He allowed my life to crumble to the point where I eventually cried out to Him for help. I finally let go. And when I relinquished control over my life, I experienced the freedom that comes when we cast our cares on Him.

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Psalms 55:22

A Continual Process

And this is a continual process, isn’t it? So often, when the Lord has helped us through one challenge, there’s another difficult situation awaiting on the horizon. But when we let go and allow God to carry us through, He proves Himself faithful. Beloved, if we’ll cling to Him, we’ll see that He is good, that we can trust Him, and that He is leading and guiding us perfectly. And no matter the trial, He will be with us, shepherding us through. Because our Abba is not in the business of harming His children, but of loving and helping us.

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans not to harm you but to give you a hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

When we allow God to carry us through, He proves Himself faithful. If we'll cling to Him, we'll see that He is good, we can trust Him, and He is leading us perfectly. Click To Tweet

Clinging to Him

So, in the case of the development going up right next to my home, I am letting go. No longer sulking over the loss of my family’s carefree lifestyle in this home, I’m thanking the Lord for the good times that we’ve shared here. I’m releasing my worry about where we’ll end up next and whether we’ll have a soft landing. And I’m holding fast to His promises to take care of me and my family. I’m clinging to Him who says He will never leave nor forsake me.

And the LORD, he is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Deuteronomy 31:8

Are there things in your life that the Lord is inviting you to release? Are you clinging tightly to Him?

All scripture verses are from The King James Version of The Holy Bible.

Nick West