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Surface: Allowing The Lord to Deep Clean Our Hearts

DevotionalsSeptember 8, 2019September 8, 2019

When it comes to our hearts, a surface cleaning won’t suffice; the Lord is in the business of deep cleaning in order to set us free.

The other morning, in a bit of a rush, I accidentally knocked over a big glass containing a fruit smoothie I’d just made. Thick, dark purple liquid splashed all over the counter, blanketed the stovetop, and promptly drained down into that deep, dark abyss–otherwise known as the small crack between the counter and the stove! Needing to get out the door, I hastily wiped up all of the visible mess on the surface. But I knew that upon my return, the goopy, gelatinous puddle in the abyss would require some serious deep cleaning.

The hidden, nasty mess…

Later that evening, after the kids were in bed, my husband and I settled in on the sofa to watch a movie. It was shaping up to be a nice, relaxing evening…until…dun dun dun… Cue the cheesy horror film music…reent reent reent! I remembered the hidden, nasty mess awaiting me in the kitchen.

For a moment I entertained the notion of postponing my deep cleaning job until the morning. After all, getting all that gunk out would require pulling out the stove, perhaps vacuuming, mopping, and who knew what else.

But I had a sneaking suspicion that by morning, there was a strong possibility my kitchen would reek. So, I got off the couch and got to work. I’ll spare you the dirty details, but suffice it to say, the scene I encountered underneath and behind my kitchen stove was disgusting…borderline disturbing!

To think, at least twice a day I’ve been cooking meals in that room, and all of this filth was lurking there, just below the surface! It’s a wonder my family is still alive! Ok, so perhaps now I’m overexaggerating a hair…

Downright dirty…

As I knelt down and scraped up those nasty globs of who-knows-what off of the floor, I thought about the parallel between my cleaning and the cleansing work God does in our hearts.

When it comes to our hearts, the Lord is not satisfied with a cursory surface wipe. In fact, when He does an important work in us, the process can get downright dirty. As believers, in order to truly be clean, we simply can’t stay on the surface where things feel orderly and comfortable.

Friends, we need to be willing to open up the cluttered cabinets of our minds, pull back the dusty drapes shrouding our dreams, and expose the grimy residue clogging our hearts. This means that sometimes our walk of faith requires getting down on our knees and delving into the muck and mire of deep spiritual cleaning.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisees, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Matthew 23:25-26

Sometimes our walk of faith requires getting down on our knees and delving into the muck and mire of deep spiritual cleaning. Click To Tweet

Surface cleaning…

But admittedly, too often, surface cleaning is the way I tend to keep my natural house and my spiritual house. I like for there to be order in my home, so I keep clutter to a minimum. I don’t leave things in places where they don’t belong, and I don’t allow messes to accumulate. But I confess that it’s not very often that I really and truly deep clean my house.

Polishing the spiritual side of this coin, we can see that it looks similar. I’d wager to say that, as believers, most of us try to keep a tidy, sanctimonious outward appearance. We attempt to maintain some kind of daily quiet time routine. Perhaps we listen to worship music in the car or post scriptures and uplifting memes on social media. Most of us regularly attend Bible study, small group, or a weekly worship service.

Scratching the surface…

But in a sense, don’t all of these religious routines constitute forms of mere maintenance cleaning? Albeit good practices to be in, taken together, these activities barely scratch the surface of the deeper spiritual walk that’s required of a true believer.

But how often do we turn our hearts and minds over to the Lord to really allow Him to scrub, and cleanse, and purify us? Scripture strongly warns against the danger and hypocrisy of this kind of surface cleaning.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Matthew 23:27-28

Skeletons in the closet…

Now, thankfully I didn’t find any dead men’s bones under my stove! But spiritually speaking, when I confess to the anger, hatred, and judgement, that I’ve harbored in my heart, I definitely have hosted some skeletons in my closet.

Had I never spilled my smoothie, I probably would not have thought about cleaning under and behind my stove. Meanwhile, dust, mold, and bacteria, would have continued to fester there, to the detriment of my home’s air quality and our family’s health.

Often, this is the way spiritual problems reach our radar. Maybe our “spilled smoothie” looks like an argument with a loved one where anger and harsh words spill out of our mouths–exposing deeper roots of bitterness that have taken hold inside. Or perhaps we see someone getting praise or recognition for the same kind of thing we would like to do, and thoughts of jealousy and envy rise up in our spirit.

A spiritual makeover…

Friends, I hate to say it, but all of us have an ugly, dark abyss that needs deep cleaning, and this time I’m not talking about the crack between your countertop and your stovetop. I’m referring to the shadowy recesses of our hearts where our unhealed wounds, sin, and shame reside. Those hidden places where we fear that God’s grace can’t, or won’t, reach. But the Lord sees the exact spots on our hearts that need His thorough cleaning and healing.

And no amount of outward adornment–pretty clothes, makeup, half-hearted smiles, or even well-rehearsed Bible verses–can hide our spiritual blemishes. Sisters, we must be willing to ask the Lord to do a full-on deep cleaning in our hearts. Yes, this makeover is likely to hurt our pride, expose our weaknesses, and destroy our false sense of security. But, ultimately letting go of our dirt–jealousy, shame, failure, and fear–allows us to truly be clean. To be beautiful. To be free.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24

Have you resorted to surface cleaning spiritually? Does your heart need a deep clean?

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

Annie Spratt

Christian living, surrender, sin, salvation, testimony, self-control, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry, nonprofit

Surrender: Laying Ourselves at the Feet of Jesus Every Day

DevotionalsSeptember 4, 2019September 2, 2019

What does life look like in total surrender to Christ? We can learn from our fellow Believers and gain fresh perspectives on living all out for Jesus.

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”
Mark 8:34-35, NLT

Have you ever met someone and thought “I feel like I have known you for years?” Whenever I feel like this, I can’t help but think God orchestrated our paths to cross for a purpose.

Unexpected Friend

I recently started my own business selling toothpaste on Facebook. I have found it to be such a blessing. I have met some of the nicest people this way. When God opened this door I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I decided to take it step-by-step and see what might come of it. Little did I know that Bill would come along.

Bill and I shared mutual friends on Facebook but had never met before, in person. When Bill saw my post about the toothpaste, he decided to contact me and soon joined my team! I was excited to see what all God had in store for him.

As time went on, we would speak often about the business and how to make more sales. His genuine positivity was very contagious. He also had quite a sense of humor and would often make me laugh. Bill became a good friend very quickly.

But I felt like there was something in his life that was difficult for him to explain. Instead of asking him about it, I just waited for God to reveal what it was. Once I found out, I couldn’t help but cry.

Unexpected Testimony

Bill decided to tell me his testimony one rainy afternoon. He called me and told me, with complete vulnerability, that he is gay. He told me he isn’t accepted in the gay community, though, because of his beliefs both religiously and politically. He voiced how difficult it has been for him knowing he isn’t and wouldn’t be accepted.

The shocker came, though, when he announced to me that he was fully aware it was considered a sin and unjust in God’s sight. He explained that the Bible clearly states it is not okay to act on lustful thoughts and emotions. With his voice shaking and fighting back tears he said, “knowing this truth is why I do not participate in any of my gay feelings or thoughts. I choose to not dishonor my Father in this way.”

Bill’s Words…

My definition of surrender does not come from that of a dictionary, nor does it come from a person with an extensive vocabulary. My definition of surrender comes from that of personal experience. For me, surrender is the marriage of hope and faith.

It is a hope that God will take all of me, inclusive of the good and bad, and using it to bless someone. It is a hope knowing God will heal, knowing God will forgive, and knowing that God will use all of me for something. Surrender is having faith, through difficult and seemingly impossible times.

Surrender is giving all to God when there is nothing I can do, within myself. Surrender is knowing that God will, even when everything says it can’t be done. Surrender is knowing that people will see God’s love in me and not a homosexual when I walk into a church.

Surrender is giving all to God when there is nothing I can do, within myself. Surrender is knowing that God will, even when everything says it can’t be done. Click To Tweet

Unexpected Blessing

I sobbed listening to this sweet new friend of mine bare his soul to me over the phone. I felt the Spirit so much that I couldn’t hold back those tears even if I tried.

God showed me and blessed me with two things that day: 1) a new friend that I accept fully into my life and business without ANY hesitation and 2) what it means to fully surrender your life to God regardless of what the world seems to think. Bill’s discipline, self-control, positivity, faith, and friendship has taught me how to love God more, not judge others, and trust God’s purpose when certain people cross our paths.

So give yourselves humbly to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:7, TLB

Who has crossed your path lately? What blessing does God want you to have from that friendship? We will grow if we allow others in our lives to teach us. Bill is certainly someone I am thankful for crossing my path. His story strengthens my faith and prompts me to love God more than my own selfish desires. Not my will, but THY will be done. AMEN!

Priscilla Du Preez

Anger, angry, forgiveness, righteousness, oceans, grace, freedom, broken, sin, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Angry: Silencing Anger through God’s Redemptive Love

DevotionalsAugust 14, 2019August 14, 2019

Acting on our angry feelings is dangerous and invites a stronghold of sin to take root in our lives. But we can break through with God’s redemptive love.

Be angry and do not sin;
Ephesians 4:26, ESV

I’ve been desperately grasping for a reprieve from anger… grasping for peace amongst the storm of rage. Just when I think I’ve pulled it all together, something happens that creates a massive eruption of spew from my mouth.

Righteously Angry

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.
Romans 12:19, NLT

I keep hearing about righteous anger, but I often wonder if I even have the ability to embody it. Is it possible for a human to have purely righteous anger? Are we able to knock over tables in righteousness…

Matthew 21:12-16, lays out the prime example used when we speak about Jesus’ anger. –I’ll have to be honest, there are times when I think it would be nice to tip some tables over in rage.– However, I would like to challenge our minds to think about the depth of His anger; think about how His anger differs from ours.

Jesus was perfect and blameless. Sinless. He had the ability to show care and bring restoration even in this heated moment. It grieved His heart to see the perversion that had become the Temple of the Lord, for the sake of His faithful.

But those who saw Jesus act and heard His words of conviction, praised Him. Children sang ‘Hosanna’! He overturned perversion and restored the innocent. This is not often the result of human anger.

Human Anger

I can’t account a time when acting on my anger brought about healing. In fact, I tend to lace my fury with the lie that it’s part of my healing process–Well, not if someone else has to heal because of it.

My heart aches. I can’t explain the pain and brokenness my false righteous indignation has caused. I can’t tell you how many messes I’ve had to clean up because I acted out my firey insides. Or how many times I’ve had to ask for forgiveness. Especially from my Savior.

We don’t get a pass on sinful anger just because we call it righteous. If you have to say it’s righteous, it probably isn’t. If you have to account for your actions during bouts of anger, you’ve probably been acting selfishly and, ultimately, sinfully.

Always the Ocean

A lot of life reminds me of the ocean. A lot of my relationship with God reminds me of the ocean. Always with the ocean. This time, thinking of anger… it’s captivating and extremely dangerous.

I know the curative therapy that is the sea; breathing in the salty air, diving into the warm water, letting the waves bring you back to shore. Its majesty lets you know you cannot tame it.

Oh, how small we are.

But that’s how enticing anger is. The eruptions like waves; believing in the false therapy following. Breathing in and out, in and out… Yeah, that’s not working. Diving into the heat of the moment. Its waves pulling you further from shore, with no hope of taming the rage.

Oh, how small I’ve become.

Take a Breath

Because I am still in this season, because I’m not on the other side of this lesson, I feel I should share what God is speaking. In trying to derive advice from The Ultimate Authority, a series of questions ran through my mind. I believe these will allow us to take a breath, evaluate our anger, and have to repent of sin less often.

Am I angry at what makes God angry… did this make filthy, what God made pure?

Am I being honest about my anger? Do I need to repent of these actions?

Do I have the ability to be angry and love at the same time? Is my anger meant to restore or tear apart?

Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to control my anger or am I harming those around me?

Freedom from Anger

Yes, these questions may help bring rational thought to a fueled moment, but how do we feel anger and not sin? How do we handle seasons of anger and break free from its bondage? As I said, I’m still in the thick of it, but these are my daily practices and convictions…

Self-control: Proverbs 16:32

Face to the floor prayer.

Take every thought captive: 2 Corinthians 10:5

Fasting.

Give NO opportunity to the devil: Ephesians 4:27

Biblical meditation.

Do good: Romans 12:19-21

Love God and keep His commands: John 14:15

God’s Peace

In these moments of helplessness, moments where rage takes over, I am reminded of how much I need the redemptive power of my Father. How much I need the freedom given through His blood.

Through His blood, we can repent of our unrighteous, sinful anger. We can be made whole, we can heal through His grace, not our rage.

His grace silences our haughty words. Silences our temper. It covers us and gives us the ability to approach His throne with the things that have broken our hearts. It allows God to speak:

That ocean you love so dearly, its majesty, its nature, its constant rhythm is my love for you. I am the ocean, unwavering, unstoppable, overwhelming, raging. The battle between the ocean and the shore, that’s my battle for you. For your freedom. That peace you feel, that’s my gift to you. No longer will you be a slave to this crashing bitterness. You are delivered. You are redeemed.

Through His blood, we can repent of our unrighteous, sinful anger. We can be made whole, we can heal through His grace, not our rage. Click To Tweet

Ruslan Valeev

addiction, freedom, Holy Spirit, new, salvation, sin, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

All: Applying ‘In Jesus’ Name’ to Every Part of Our Lives

DevotionalsAugust 11, 2019August 11, 2019

As new creatures in Christ, we must turn over all areas of our life to the Lord. When we do this–in ways large and small–He becomes our All in All.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8, KJV

“In Jesus’ name. Amen.” We hear these words so often. Typically at the end of a spoken prayer in church, at a Bible study, or around the dinner table. But what about in the rest of our day to day life?

What if we, as believers, were to apply these words to our entire lives? After the thoughts we think about ourselves and others? After the words we speak? When choosing the music we’re going to listen to or the movie we want to watch? When we’re considering whether to marry someone or start a family? How might our lives change if we were to apply these three words: “in Jesus’ name” to all that we think, say, and do?

All Means All…

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV

I looked up the definition of the word “all,” and guess what it means? All! Everything. The totality of a person or thing. The whole shebang! So if we are to trust the Lord with all of our heart and acknowledge Him in all of our ways, then every single aspect of our lives should reflect who He is. If we were to truly give Him our all, wouldn’t the choices we make look like His best for us in every situation?

Sometimes our choices feel small and of very little consequence. Other times, we face big situations that require very difficult decisions. But, as we commit to inviting the Lord into every choice–small or large–we make, we begin to see how His good and perfect will applies to all that concerns us. And, we don’t have to fret about the choices before us or worry whether we’ll make the right decision. If we’ll ask Him, the Holy Spirit inside of us helps us know the right thing to do at all times.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
John 16:13, ESV

Small…

Here’s a small example…

My husband and I have always loved watching movies together. Pre-kids, that meant late date nights at the movie theater in comfy reclining seats, replete with an entire barrel of popcorn doused with “movie butter.” Don’t ask me what was in that stuff, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t actually butter, and I’m also positive that it tasted delicious!

These days, movie nights look a lot different. Showtime is at 8:30 p.m., in our living room, in our pj’s, on our non-reclining couch. A movie requires a full, strong cup of coffee after dinner just to stay awake, and the popcorn is a slightly healthier version.

But the setting and the movie butter aren’t all that’s changed. The content we regard as entertainment has shifted dramatically. So much of what used to captivate and thrill us now disgusts and saddens us. If a film is full of foul language, gratuitous nudity, violence, and empty, nonredemptive plots, we just won’t watch it. In other words, if I can’t say “in Jesus’ name” to my choice, I can’t press play.

The check in my spirit simply won’t allow me to sit through two hours of anything that doesn’t somehow uplift, inspire, or motivate us to live a more full, joyful life. Friends, we have to be careful about the choices we make, even in things as seemingly small as entertainment choices. Because if we aren’t careful, we can allow in “little foxes” of sin and doubt that seek to spoil our faith.

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Solomon 2:15, KJV

Big…

Now, choosing our entertainment is a relatively easy area to distinguish between dark and downright unholy and offerings that are good and wholesome. But there are other, bigger areas of our lives that hold much greater significance–like whom to marry, which job to take, whether to have children, how to respond to a health crisis, how to overcome an addiction, and such. In these areas, the “in Jesus’ name” litmus test applies to an even greater extent.

A number of years ago, I was struggling with a problem that falls into the big category. A drug addiction. As a relatively new believer, I had become a new creature in Christ, yet I hadn’t fully allowed all of my old, sinful habits to die. In other words, I wasn’t all in for the Lord.

Throughout high school, college, and through my 20’s, I smoked marijuana. I had wrapped so much of my identity as an artist into my identity as a pot smoker that I feared I couldn’t create anything good unless I was high as a kite. I recall many a late-night spoken word poetry and songwriting session punctuated by bong hits and coughing fits.

For years, I used this drug recreationally and never suffered a guilty conscience from inhaling ungodly amounts of smoke. Much less from flouting the law of the land! But once I asked Christ to come into my heart, I began to understand that what I was doing was wrong.

I knew that I was, in fact, sinning. Both by breaking the law and also by altering the chemical state of my brain–which was supposed to be a holy temple for the Holy Spirit. But for years, the pull and the desire to smoke weed held a very strong grip on me.

A Realization…

One day I was driving down the highway on a long road trip by myself. As I was singing the words of a new song the Lord was giving me, for some reason, my thoughts turned to the drug paraphernalia in my glove compartment.

Part of me really wanted me to do what I’d always done on road trips–pull out my trusty pipe and take a toke. But an even bigger part of me felt repulsed by the very notion. The Spirit inside of me was warring against the sinful choice I was about to make.

And in that moment, I had a realization. I wasn’t high, yet I was coming up with a new song! And in fact, I had a bunch of new songs that hadn’t come to me while I was smoking. Like a lightning bolt, the epiphany struck me: the source of the creativity inside of me was not the pot I was smoking. My creative gifts came straight from the Creator Himself. Buzzing from the excitement of this new realization, the Holy Spirit inside of me rose up, and I began to praise God.

Eventually, I did reach into the glove compartment. But it wasn’t to smoke a bowl. Instead, I grabbed the little embroidered bag that held my pipe, lighter, and weed, and I chucked it out the window. And I have never looked back. In retrospect, I guess I committed another sin that day–breaking the littering law. But I hope the Lord won’t judge me for that….or for my marijuana addiction!

Become New…

Beloved, when we allow all of the old things–our old sins, old ways, and our old choices–to pass away, we can begin to truly live a life where “all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17, KJV). Earnestly trying to apply “in Jesus’ name” to all that we do, clears the smoke in our vision. It allows us to see that so many of the things that used to please us were really chains that bound us.

Before I quit smoking pot, I thought that life wouldn’t be any fun without it. Like the ashes from my bowl, I pictured my creativity just drying up and blowing away. But I can tell you today, I feel better than ever. I’m having much more fun and I feel more creative than I ever did during those years when my entire life was shrouded in a smoky haze!

All in All…

The enemy wants us to believe that the Lord is a divine killjoy who wants us to live boring, mundane holier-than-thou kinds of lives. But friends, nothing could be further from the truth! When we walk away from all the old, sinful counterfeits, we are able to see that we serve a good God who wants to give us all things for a full, joyful, abundant life in Him.

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.
2 Peter 1:3, KJV

Beloved, if we’ll let Him–just like the old hymn says–He truly will be our “All in All.” In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Is there a small choice–“a little fox”–in your life that won’t allow you to say “in Jesus’ name” afterward? Maybe a big area of your life where you need the Lord to make all things new for you? Is He your All in All?

Earnestly trying to apply 'in Jesus' name' to all that we do, clears the smoke in our vision. It allows us to see that so many of the things that used to please us were really chains that bound us. Click To Tweet

chuttersnap

God’s Word, love, money, provision, sin, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Money: Replacing the Love of Money for the Love of God

DevotionalsJuly 31, 2019July 27, 2019

When we place money above everything else, sin takes root in our hearts. We must learn to replace our love of money for the love of God.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6:10, CSB

I recently read an article stating that money is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible. Now, I have never sat down and counted the number of times it is mentioned, but I have definitely observed it many times.

It doesn’t take a Bible scholar to see that the Lord wants us to know a thing or two about money. This generation is undoubtedly the most prone to wander from faith, like 1 Timothy 6:10 states. Especially when it has to do with the almighty dollar.

Money Makes Us Squirm

Money is widely talked about and not usually referenced in a way God intended it to be. Why do you think the majority of people squirm in their seats when the pastor preaches on money? Do you think God addressed money so many times to make us uncomfortable? Or is He trying to get our attention and make a point?

Personally, I think it’s the second one. I think people are naturally uncomfortable talking about money because it happens to be the very thing that we depend on in order to live.

Think about it. We need money for pretty much anything! Food, water, clothes, shelter, medical care – you name it – it costs something. Freebies only go so far, for so long. Money happens to be the very thing that helps manage, operate, and change the world we live in for the better. Do you agree?

Plain and simple, we need money in order to live. Without it, we fall into a deep pit of despair and eventually die because we lack the necessary lifeline in order to survive. People say it all the time, “You can’t live with it, and you can’t live without it”.

Money is a powerful source of help. It’s required in order to appropriately exist in this world. I think it’s fair to say we should go to God, our Creator who created all things, to see what He has to say about money…

Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.
Revelation 4:11, ESV

For The LOVE

I want to dive into only one of those 800+ scriptures on money. I hope to provide some insight that the Holy Spirit gave me when I read this passage…

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil…
1 Timothy 6:10, CSB

Let’s break the verse up so we can better understand what it means.

For the LOVE of money…

When we love something, it holds a higher value and significance over other things. This can be best demonstrated in how we view relationships with others, like our spouse or our children. We give them value and significance in our lives because we love them so much.

Putting value on money can feel as though we need it in order to live. Or, in other words, it feels like we can’t live without it because it’s a necessity. When we view money this way, it reveals in our hearts that we actually love it and can’t live without it. Many people, myself included, have fallen in love with money without recognizing its trap!

Is The ROOT

Let’s continue dissecting this verse and see what comes next.

For the love of money is the ROOT…

Our understanding of the love of money will help us better understand this second part, the root. Whenever we want to see a tree grow, we have to plant the seed in the soil and water it. Roots only take place after the seed is planted in the ground.

In this case, the scripture is showing us that the love of money is the seed that we have willingly planted in our hearts which has started to take root. A root also indicates some kind of growth is happening below the surface.

Deep inside us, we have a “money root” and we better hope it produces good fruit or we will certainly reap the consequences otherwise. Jesus taught His disciples that if they did not develop good fruit, then they would be cut off from the root and thrown into hell.

The ax is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 3:10, CSB

Oh, how I wish good growth was rooting in our hearts. Sadly, that just isn’t the case as we’ll unfortunately see.

ALL Kinds of EVIL

Now the final part of the verse.

For the love of money is the root of ALL kinds of EVIL.

This part of the verse is very interesting to me. The fact that this particular sin, the love of money, has the ability to grow and produce ALL kinds of sin within us is quite alarming.

Honestly, the last part of this scripture really had me a bit shaken up. I mean, it does say ALL, so we must conclude that God intended it to mean what it says. He is not a God of deception, but of truth. ALL kinds of EVIL begin to grow from this ONE bad seed.

Beloved, that’s not to be taken lightly! You might be asking yourself the same questions I found myself asking…

How do we avoid the love of money and avert its ability to take root in our lives?
How do we keep it from potentially and inevitably causing more and more sin from within us?

Understanding Faith Like Abraham

F – A – I – T – H! That’s it, my friends. Faith.

Thousands of years ago before houses, televisions, computers, phones and more; men and women lived in this world just like we do today. Sure it looked different, but people adapted to their surroundings just like we do today. I personally think they did a better job with this than we do.

They used their hands to work in the fields and they used their gifts God gave them to help each other even more. In the Old Testament, we find that people like Abraham and Sarah lived according to what God wanted, not what they wanted. If they needed something for basic survival, then they would ask God for it and trust that He would provide it.

When they needed food, God sent them food. When they needed water, He would lead them to where water could be found. If they needed shelter, then God would provide the supplies needed to build a roof over their heads. God ALWAYS showed up when they came to Him for a need.

God knew they were seeking Him first and it gave Him great joy to bless their faith. Makes sense right?

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Matthew 6:33, CSB

Stubbornness

Just like today, there were people then that felt like they didn’t need God’s provision in their lives. They decided to go their own way and figure things out for themselves. Some might think people like this are brave, strong and courageous. Others may think of them as stubborn, prideful, and foolish.

Consider reading about Abraham’s nephew Lot and his wife to form your own opinion on the matter (Genesis 13-14). In a nutshell, though, it doesn’t go well for them. It turns out that going their own way only leads them into danger. This easily could have been avoided had they followed God instead of their own evil hearts.

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.
Psalms 81:12, ESV

How Far Would Your Faith Go?

Abraham, unlike his nephew, was a faithful follower of God. Those who trusted and followed Abraham had the privilege of seeing just how real God is. Abraham found favor in the Lord because of his unwavering faith.

He never questioned or doubted God when asked to go somewhere or do something. He just simply listened and obeyed his Father’s instructions. Abraham knew that God was the provider because, simply put, there was never a time He didn’t provide. Each time Abraham went to God, God provided. And each time God provided, Abraham’s faith grew stronger.

Abraham’s unwavering faith is tested to the max, though. In Genesis 22, God commands Abraham to offer his son, Issac, on the altar as a sacrifice to Him. Abraham is clearly unsure and saddened by this, but HE STILL FOLLOWS THROUGH WITH IT! He gathers his sticks and tells his son Issac to come with him to the altar without grabbing a lamb! They walk up the mountain to the altar and Issac asks his father Abraham where the sacrifice (the lamb) was and…

Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ Then the two of them walked on together.
Genesis 22:8,CSB

Abraham blindfolds and ties up his son and lays him down on the altar to kill him. He is just about to take his son’s life…

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’
He replied, ‘Here I am.’
Then he said, ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.’
Genesis 22:11-12, CSB

ALL IN Faith Has Its Benefits

God then provides a ram stuck in a nearby thicket by its horns for Abraham to sacrifice instead of his son Issac.

Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
Genesis 22:13, CSB

Abraham’s faith showed God that he was ALL IN no matter what! How do we establish that kind of faith today? No offense, but we have issues spanking our own children, let alone putting them on the altar to kill for God! Sounds crazy, but truth be told, our faith is weak because we have become weak as a human race.

We think we know best and don’t feel the need to go to God for help with EVERYthing in our lives. I think this is because we have believed the same lie that Lot and his wife believed: if we follow the larger crowd (a.k.a. the world), then we will be able to make money and lead a successful, happy life. There are people out there, right now, doing this very thing and making it look so appealing. ‘It’s working for them, so it should definitely work for me too!‘ This little lie comes straight from the devil, hoping we catch it and run.

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

But we believers are called to be set apart.

But know that the Lord has et apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.
Psalms 4:3, ESV

Replace Money With God and Receive Good

We are God’s children, created to follow Him not the rest of the world. So in order to live out this Abraham kind of faith today, we must first acknowledge our need for God in our lives. By doing this we can start to follow His lead instead of our own.

When we acknowledge God as our ultimate “lifeline” in order to survive and make Him more valuable and more significant than anything else in our lives, then we can rest assured He will root in us ALL kinds of good.

God showed me something pretty spectacular in His word. When you take a look back at the one verse we used today, and change only two words in it, it takes on a whole new meaning.

For the love of GOD is the root of all kinds of GOOD.

When we live our lives putting God first and relying on Him to provide for all our needs, then God will do just that. We must replace the love of money for the love of God and surely find a life of contentment, joy, peace, purpose, and prosperity!

When we live our lives putting God first and relying on Him to provide for all our needs, then He will do just that. We must replace the love of money for the love of God and surely find a life of contentment, joy, peace, purpose,… Click To Tweet

God Hasn’t Changed

With our world changing constantly and new distractions popping up everywhere, it is extremely crucial that we root ourselves in the Lord. God wants us to live our lives in abundance with peace, knowing He will take care of us always.

God knows we need money to live, just as much as He knows we need water to live. The same God that provided for all of Abraham’s needs, is the same God we serve today. He hasn’t changed. His ways and words stay as they are, no matter what we choose. Even though we change daily, it is good to know that His Word stays the same.

We all need to get on our knees and acknowledge one simple and unchanging truth…

God will give us what we need when we finally accept that all we really need – is Him.

Camille / Kmile

Bitterness, sin, stress, salvation, repentance, forgiveness, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Turning: Repenting of Our Sins and Returning to The Lord

DevotionalsJuly 21, 2019July 21, 2019

True repentance happens in turning away from our sins and turning back to the Lord. Once we are in right standing with Him, we can face any battle.

I had had enough. I was at the end of my rope, and I was angry. A root of bitterness was taking ahold of my heart, and I was blaming anyone and everyone–my kids, my husband, even God–for my situation.

There were too many bills and not enough money to pay them. Too many hours in the day with the kids and not enough activities or patience to fill them. Way too many frayed nerves and not enough peace to calm them.

In this perfect confluence of stressors, I was overflowing with anger and frustration. And my husband was bearing the brunt. Instead of turning to the Lord and asking Him to forgive and help me, I was turning my back to Him. In doing so, I was making everything even worse.

Turning Our Back…

What is it about turning our back to someone that makes us feel powerful? When we refuse to engage with someone, we don’t hold any true power over him. And we surely don’t have the upper hand.

In fact, in an actual physical fight, the most vulnerable position one can assume is turning his/her back to the opponent. Self-defense 101 cautions to never turn your back to your attacker. When you do so–unable to see what he’s doing– you render yourself defenseless against his attack.

And, what’s worse, as believers when we turn our back on our own ally, the Holy Spirit, we weaken our defenses against our true enemy: the devil. The Holy Spirit’s role is to comfort, counsel, and empower us to face any challenge we encounter.

So, by turning away from Him, we expose our weak side, making us even more vulnerable to our enemy’s attack. And we know what the devil’s sole intent is:

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…
John 10:10, KJV

A Hard Heart…

Part of me knew what I needed to do, but my heart was hardened to the point that I refused to pray to the Lord and ask for help. And I’d begun to feel justified for feeling the way I was feeling and for acting the way I was acting. Even though it was getting me nowhere, and actually setting me back, I stubbornly refused to pray.

Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed.
Romans 2:5, CSB

By refusing to pray, in essence, I was doing the devil’s work for him. I was fighting against myself. Beloved, when we turn away from the Lord, we side with our own enemy. But my hardened heart had blinded me to this reality.

Thankfully, the Lord does not take any delight whatsoever in watching us suffer as we play into the enemy’s hand. In fact, He wants nothing more than for us to turn away from our sin, to turn our back to our real enemy, and to turn again to Him–our very present help in time of need.

Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
Ezekiel 33:11, ESV

Turning Back…

Luckily my husband has pretty razor-sharp spiritual discernment, so he understood the state that I was in. Even though my mouth was hurling fiery darts at his heart, he was deflecting them with patience and lovingkindness. And he kept encouraging me to pray with him and to ask the Lord to help me. I thank God for giving me a husband who is a true man of God, who can recognize when he needs to fight for me in the spirit. Even when I am trying to fight against him in the natural!

It took me awhile–way too long in fact–but eventually, I agreed to pray. I wish I could say I repented quickly, but honestly, it was a pretty slow, forced, and ugly process. But as I began to pray, the hard shell on the exterior of my heart began to crack, then soften. And before I had finished praying, all of the stony parts of my heart seemed to melt away, leaving trails of hot tears streaming down my cheeks.

Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.
Acts 3:19, ASV

When we turn away from our sin–in my case, frustration, bitterness, anger, and fear–we can turn back to the Lord. And that is what repentance simply is: turning back to our Savior. Turning back to the One who loves us, and forgives us, and washes us clean. And when we are in right standing with Him, we will be able to face the real battles in our lives.

When we turn away from our sin, we can turn back to the Lord. Repentance simply is: turning back to our Savior. Turning back to the One who loves us, and forgives us, and washes us clean. Click To Tweet

Search Me…

No matter how far along we might think we are on our spiritual path, we never outgrow our need for repentance. I think too often we as believers view repentance with a capital R. Like it’s a one time, one of a kind thing that we do only when we’re first saved. When the Lord first forgives us.

But repentance begins with a little r. It’s just a regular, daily thing that we have to do as believers. Turning our hearts back to the Lord has to be a common, daily practice because unfortunately, sinning and falling short of His glory is a daily, ongoing challenge.

But thankfully, the Lord has made a provision for this continuous problem: repentance. Any time we feel disconnected or out of sync with the Lord, we can ask Him to search our hearts and reveal any areas where we have strayed. And when we humble ourselves and turn back to Him, fully repenting for our sin, He softens our hearts and erases our slates. He continually takes away our hearts of stone and gives us hearts of flesh.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24, ASV

Is there an area in your life that you need to turn back to the Lord? Do you treat repentance as something that begins with a capital R or a small r?

Christiane Nuetzel

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

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

repentance, sin, shame, surrender, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

New: Dragging Our Haunting Shame to the Feet of Jesus

Devotionals, Stay SaneDecember 4, 2018January 13, 2019

There are days we allow shame to take over our minds. We must remember that through Christ we are made new, our sin has no hold over us, we are redeemed.

It’s no wonder winter brings so much sorrow. It’s downright ugly outside…most days. Winter has a way of isolating us. Or is it hibernation? There are days it’s hard to get out of bed. Days where past transgressions flood our minds and paralyze our ability to push through.

I believe, there’s a direct correlation between the grayness of the sky and how much pain we allow in.

Haunted

Days like these truly haunt me. Yes, I do love the occasional rainy, snuggly day. But, a whole season of gray really does a work on my mind.

It takes strength to push down the enemy and his lies. Moreover, it takes strength to ask the Lord to be your strength. It’s just easier to wallow in loathing. To toss and turn in the mixture of mud and pure white snow…muck.

That’s just what we do. We take the new, clean slate the Lord paid the ultimate price for, and roll it through the slopping mess that is sin and shame. Every time I allow the past to rule my present, I take my tiny human hand and smack my Savior right in His blood-soaked face. Soaked from the thorns and nails meant for me.

It’s important for me to make this image strong and unforgettable because my deep, dark sin seems to be strong and unforgettable. An unrelenting force, pushing its way to the surface of my being; begging and pleading for the acknowledgment of my darkness.

Remember how wretched you are!? Relive all that darkness; dwell on it. Nail it into your memory! May you NEVER forget how pathetically weak you truly are.

Surrender

I can’t imagine what my life would look like if I surrendered every day to these hauntings. If I didn’t have the anchor of Jesus. I understand self-harm and suicide so clearly. It’s the absence of hope, the inability to overcome the ghosts, torture the mind cannot endure.

In the depths, the pits, when we have come to the end of ourselves, and truly don’t know what to do next, surrender is our only option. Who we surrender to is the question…

Will we surrender to the one who wishes to devour our souls? The one who never forgets our sins and wants nothing more than to destroy us…

Or, will we surrender to the only One who can truly save us? The One who forgets all our filthy, wretched crimes and covers us with His love…

The answer seems easy, but in the midst of battle, it can be hard to tell up from down, light from dark…

Light

Yes, I understand how heavy and dark these words have gotten. But, it’s in this darkness God shines the brightest. (Sorry to get cliche on you…but also not sorry.) Think about it. God cannot outshine Himself, nor can He be the darkness. So in the darkness, He shines brightest and in the light of life, He is.

Okay, I’ll take my philosophical cap off and talk real talk…

When we decide to surrender to the One, Jesus, it allows us to see His brilliance clearly. His light bursts through, piercing the depths and disintegrating the blackness. When we choose to surrender every day, not just in the depths, we see His light in everything!

New

EVERY DAY I have to drag my sin and shame to the feet of Jesus. I demand it to stare my Savior in the face…

“Look at HIM! Look at His sacrifice on my behalf. You have no power here. You will not shadow His sacrifice in order to ridicule me. Nor will you reduce me to trash. I’ve been beautifully purchased through the blood of Jesus. You are forgotten. I am redeemed. I am new.”

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18, NLT

Think about this verse… really dwell on it…

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8, ESV

That means He became our sacrifice even though we are wretched. He died on our behalf even though we are disobedient. He took our place even though we continue to sin, and sin again.

EVERY DAY we must drag our shame to the feet of Jesus. We must demand it to stare our Savior in the face... Click To Tweet

Psalm 51

When my disgrace pushes it’s way to the surface, I try my best to remember I’m not alone. I’m living in a world full of people with sin. Those who have lived before me, aren’t blameless either. Case and point, David…

When I read Psalm 51, I remember just how sinful we can fall. But also, just how much we are in need of salvation. Psalm 51 was penned after David’s dealings with Bathsheba… if you don’t know how ugly this part of David’s life is, read 2 Samuel 11. You’ll understand why this Psalm is so powerful.

Sisters, when our sin “haunts us day and night” (Psalm 51:3), may we recognize the price Jesus paid… We are “washed whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7) through His blood.

shame, sin, forgiveness, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Shame: Handing our Sin to God to Survive the Storm

Devotionals, Stay SaneOctober 8, 2018January 13, 2019

Shame is inevitable. That is the nature of sin. It can feel impossible to survive, but there is a solution! All we need to do is confess our sins and hand them over to God.

A few weeks ago Hurricane Florence came crawling across the Carolinas. The coastal areas of North Carolina were battered by wind, and worse, torrential rain. It started out as a drizzle. Then slowly built up to a downpour that lasted for not just hours, but days.

Sometimes shame is big and sweeping. Easy to see, overwhelming to feel, no problem to identify. And sometimes it is the tiny dark shadows that hide in the cracks and crevices of life. The little stuff that feels too small to mention or pay attention to until it builds up into an insurmountable mountain.

Like a hurricane, the course of shame is unpredictable. It can hit fast and hard, but sometimes it is like a little dark cloud that just hangs over you.

Forecasting the Storm

What is shame? According to the dictionary, it is a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. It is a feeling that most of us are familiar with and wish to avoid.

I have felt shame for most of my life. Instances where I deserved to feel shame: telling a lie, breaking a promise, being selfish, or hurting someone’s feelings. Other times, however, the hurricane of shame has been because of foolish (or perceived foolish) behavior. Like when I was younger and would use the wrong word trying to sound like I was smart. Or when I made crazy voices while reading a story to my class and they didn’t think it was funny.

Shame’s cloak is the little things that can be brought up again and again. They creep in and out of your confidence and eat at it. The nagging voice telling you, you’re not good enough. Until you find you are self-conscious of situations you never were before.

Banishing Shame

But just like an umbrella can help keep back the rain, God can be our shield against shame.

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:5, NIV

When we put our hope, and faith in God, He takes the shame of our sin. So just like the flood waters recede, our disgrace will fall away. And, fertile ground is left behind where God’s love can grow.

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2, NIV

I am so glad we serve a risen Savior who takes the shame that lives within me and bursts through it with eternal life.

God’s Life Saver

The wonder and beauty of our Living God is worth throwing off the cloak of shame to find the glory of everlasting love. Of course, that is so easy to say, but the doing is a whole different thing.

Shame often lays on me like depression. It floods my heart with a heaviness that makes the trudging of the day, feel like I’m drowning. Thankfully I can scream out to God to save me. I can confess my sins and all my insecurities and then loosen my grip on them. He saves me from drowning in their chains and lifts me above the troubled waters. It doesn’t usually happen instantaneously, but little by little. As I cast off the shame that weighs me down, God lifts me until the clouds are gone and light surrounds me.

Shame lays on us like depression. It floods our hearts with a heaviness, but we can scream out to God to save us. He saves us from drowning in their chains and lifts us above the troubled waters. Click To Tweet

Dear God,

Please take this sin that is weighing me down. Push off the shame that is holding me in the waters that drown. I am not worthy of this mercy but so thankful that you promise it to me. Thank You for the love and grace You bestowed on me when You laid down Your earthly life in exchange for my eternal one. No greater love has ever been given. Help me reflect that gift that I don’t deserve but hope to share with those around me.

love,