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Archive for the ‘Identity: A 12 Day Devotional’ Category

Day 12: My Reflections

Posted in Identity: A 12 Day Devotional, tagged , on February 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »

God doesnt make mistakes

Writing the posts in this devotional series has helped me find out who I am in Christ. I write from my heart. I write about things that I struggle with, knowing that if I struggle, then many of you might too.

I have always struggled with identity issues. I have never felt that I was good enough. Through these posts, I have discovered who I am and I hope that you have too.

I have learned:

1. That God sees my heart. He looks past the outside and sees who we truly are on the inside.

2. I have been adopted by God. God loved me enough to adopt me. I am His child. He loves me unconditionally and that will never change.

3. I am redeemed and forgiven. It doesn’t matter what sin I commit, If I approach God with a sincere heart, asking for forgiveness, He is faithful to forgive. Not only does He forgive, He erases the sin and gives us a do over.

4. Nothing will ever separate me from the love of God. Even when I mess things up, I know that God still loves me.

5. I am a work in progress. Sometimes it seems that I am getting nowhere, but God will complete what He started.

6. God chose to create me BEFORE He created the universe. He chose to create me, just as I am.

7. He has given me a spirit of courage, not fear. I have nothing to fear, as long as I stay in Him.

8. I am more than a conqueror in Christ. With Him as my partner, I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.

9. God is approachable. When I have a problem, I can go to God. His door is always open, day or night.

10. I can do ALL things in Christ. There is nothing that can stop me from doing God’s will.

11. I was made in the likeness of God. In my spirit are all the characteristics of God. I simply have to choose to let those characteristics shine through.

I hope this devotional series has encouraged you in your walk with God. I hope that you know how much God loves and treasures you. Never think that you are unworthy of love and respect. You are worthy! You are God’s beloved child!

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Day 11: In His Likeness

Posted in Identity: A 12 Day Devotional, tagged , on February 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »

in God's image

Genesis 1:27

27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

There have been times when I have struggled with this concept. How can we have been made in God’s likeness when we are saturated in sin? How can we possibly be anything like God?

God is spirit. He does not have a body like you and I do, so how can we be anything like God? God created us with a spirit, He also created us with the same characteristics that He embodies.

God created to love as He loves, to be gentle in our interactions with others, to share ourselves with others, to live with passion and joy, and to love peace. We have all the goodness of God within us.

In His goodness, He also gave us the freedom to choose how we want to live. Adam and Eve had the freedom to choose and through their choice, they brought sin into the world.

I know there are times when we blow it big time. We will always make mistakes, we will always sin. Don’t let that discourage you. We were made to be like God!

Psalm 145:17

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.

We should aspire to be righteous in all our ways and faithful in all we do. We can live our lives in the spirit of God.

Don’t beat yourself up when you sin, ask forgiveness and move on. God doesn’t hold on to our sin.

I am challenging you to search the Bible and find out who God is. Write down all the characteristics of God that you find and hang the list up where you will see it every day. Use this as affirmation of YOUR true character.

Never give up aspiring to be like God. This should be our passion in life. When life gets tough and you need some help pursuing God’s likeness, just ask Him to help you. He is here with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5).

God’s character lives within us. There is no one else I’d rather be like. How about you?

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Day 10: Strength In Christ

Posted in Identity: A 12 Day Devotional, tagged , , , on January 28, 2014| 2 Comments »

all things in Christ

Philippians 4:13

13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Since childhood, I have beaten myself over the head with negative self-talk. I have had a myriad of excuses why I wouldn’t be able to accomplish something:

I am not talented enough

I am not pretty enough

I am not smart enough

I don’t have enough money

I am to socially awkward

I can give a long list of why something won’t work, but rarely will I list reasons why something could work. Can you relate?

My 14 year old, Talon loves this verse. Any time, he hears someone say why something won’t work out, he quotes this scripture.

It is a great reminder. On our own, we can do nothing. With Jesus as our partner, we can do all things.

Is your dream to be a medical missionary? What’s stopping you?

Is your dream to become an auto mechanic? What do you need to do to make it work?

Is your dream to make a living as a writer? Then start writing.

Instead of listing why something WON’T work, make a list of why something WILL work.

Make a list of the steps that you will need to take to make your dream a reality.

What step can you take right now to push you in that direction?

Take 15 minutes every day to take some action to propel you forward in achieving your dreams.

Repeat to yourself: I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength!

Negative self-talk is a tactic of Satan to get us to doubt ourselves and God. When we doubt, we don’t move forward in God’s will. When we live our lives in doubt, we will never get anywhere. Don’t allow yourself to live like this. Don’t let Satan win. Have faith!

You CAN do ALL things!

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Day 9: Approaching God

Posted in Identity: A 12 Day Devotional, tagged , , , on January 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

approaching God

 

 

Ephesians 3:12

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

There are people in the world that feel that they are to “bad” to become a christian. They feel that God would never listen to them because of the sins they have committed.

Friend, if this is how you feel, let me tell you something about God. According to Ephesians 3:12, we may approach God with freedom and confidence. The stipulation is, that we need to be IN Jesus and have faith in Jesus.

There are many times in scripture, when God will make promises, but He expects certain things from us in return. This is one of those times. Remember, that God gave us His Son Jesus as a free gift. It is up to us to accept that gift. If we choose to accept Jesus into our lives and we have faith in Him, then God’s promise to us, is that we may approach His throne with freedom and confidence.

God does not say, “if you are without sin you can talk to me” or “when you become perfect you may approach me.” Our Abba Father wouldn’t place such unrealistic expectations on us. He only wants us to accept the free gift of His Son. His door is always open to us. Day or night. Happy or angry. He is here to listen to us and help us as He sees fit.

We will NEVER be perfect. We will NEVER be without sin. God is waiting for you. His door is open. Don’t be afraid to approach the throne of God. He loves you and always will.

Don’t let this day end without letting God know what’s going on in your life. There is never a bad time to tell God how you feel.

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Day 8: More Than A Conqueror

Posted in Identity: A 12 Day Devotional, tagged , , , on January 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »

conquerers through Christ

 

Romans 8:37

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Let me start by saying that there are wise Christians, who really are looking out for our best interests and simply want us to make sure that we are doing God’s will. That said, there are many more people who want to poo poo on our dreams and passions simply because they are mean spirited.

In this day and age, we are bombarded with criticism and reasons why we can’t do something. We are surrounded by negative “thinkers” and pessimistic people who like to rain on our parade with their negative words.

If you have a God-given dream or passion, then step out in faith and make that dream a reality. If it is truly God’s will, then God will make it happen.

Look at Noah. I bet his neighbors called him crazy and thought he needed to be locked up in a padded cell, but Noah listened to God, built the ark and the rest is history. Noah didn’t care what the rest of the world thought. God’s opinion was the only one that mattered. Noah stepped out in faith and God blessed him abundantly.

Don’t listen to the naysayers. If you have a God-given dream, then trust God and build your ark. You are more than a conqueror in Christ.

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Day 7: A Spirit Of Courage

Posted in Identity: A 12 Day Devotional, tagged , , , on January 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »

courage

2 Timothy 1:7

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Fear is a powerful weapon that our enemy, Satan uses to keep us from doing God’s will. The majority of people who live today have been overcome by anxiety and worry at one time or another. Fear is not a new tactic of Satan’s though. Even in Bible times, he used fear to paralyze God’s people and keep them from obeying God. God tells His people not to fear over 365 times and in every book of the Bible. He knew the plan of Satan was to attack His people through fear, just as it is his plan today.

I know all about fear. I have suffered from intense social anxiety and generalized anxiety since childhood. I have suffered from intense panic attacks. I still suffer at times, but through the assurance of my heavenly Father, I am so much better today. I hang on to God and I know that those peace-filled words of Do Not Be Afraid are meant to reassure us today, as they were meant to reassure God’s people in Bible times.

God is in control, today and forever. He gives us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline. There is absolutely nothing in this world that we need to be afraid of. Feeling fearful is not a bad thing in itself, but allowing that fear to paralyze us and keep us from obeying God is where our fear can lead to sin.

If you are feeling fearful now or have on-going issues with worry or anxiety, know that God understands and is always beside you to guide you and even carry you through whatever it is you are fearful of.

When you are fearful, I encourage you to pray the prayer that David prayed, when he was seized by the Philistines:

Psalm 56:3-4

3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

What are you fearful of right now?

Surrender your fear to God.

Ask God what He wants you to do in this situation and no matter how hard it is, trust God to walk beside you every step of the way.

Step out in obedience to God. You may still feel the fear, but real courage is feeling the fear and stepping out in obedience anyways. You just have to trust in God and do it anyways. You have to take that risk. No matter what the consequences are, if God is telling you to move, then you need to move.

Start your own list of “fear not” scriptures to use at times when Satan attacks you with anxiety and worry.

I understand how debilitating fear can be. I have lived in that prison for far to long. I am slowly starting to tear down those walls and as scary as it is, it is also empowering.

I want to start a list on here of the “fear not” scriptures. I want to share my own testimony of how God and God alone is breaking down the walls of that self-made prison. I want to hear from you. I want to hear your testimony of how God delivered you from that prison of fear. I want to hear from you, if you are still suffering.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS BATTLE!!!

Contact me and let me encourage you as you break free from fear.

As always, God loves you, friend and so do I!

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Day 6: You Were Chosen Before The Creation Of The World

Posted in Identity: A 12 Day Devotional, tagged , on January 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

creation

Ephesians 1:4

4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

Meditate on this passage for a moment. Even before Genesis 1, our God in heaven chose every one of us to abide in Him and to be holy and blameless in His sight. Our Father knew exactly what our personalities would be like, what sins we would commit, what we would look like, and how imperfect we would be long before any of us was created. He chose to create us any way. He chose to give us life, to give us that opportunity to be holy and blameless in His sight.

I am so grateful for this. God could have shook His head and said, “well, I don’t know about her, I don’t think she will be an effective part of my plan, so I’m not going to create her.”

Regardless of what you are facing in this time of your life, remember that God chose you to be His child before He created the universe.

He chose you to be holy and blameless in His sight. HE CHOSE YOU! Remember that when life seems to run you over like a Mack truck. Stop…meditate on the Word of God…and find that peace in knowing that no matter what the circumstances…God chose you.

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Day 5: The Completion Of God’s Good Work

Posted in Identity: A 12 Day Devotional, tagged on January 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

sistine chapel

 

Philippians 1:6

6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The remarkable painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was painted by  Michelangelo between the years of 1508 and 1512. Central to the ceiling decoration are nine scenes from the book of Genesis. The painter designed the scaffold that he used and stood with his neck tilted backward as he painted. I can imagine the extreme discomfort that Michelangelo endured during those four years. It must have seemed at times that this project would never be done.

I’m sure at times, he questioned his sanity and wondered why he ever took on a project this large. There may have been moments when he wanted to quit. He did not quit and the awe inspiring creation that resulted from his dedication remains to this day one of the greatest works of art of all time.

I can picture Michelangelo looking up at this masterpiece and praising God for sustaining him during those 4 years. I’m sure he gave God the glory for completing the work that He had begun in this faithful artist.

We aren’t any different than Michelangelo. We all have God-given skills and talents that God expects us to use to glorify His name. If we are faithful in doing our part to expand the kingdom of God, we can be certain that God will be faithful in completing the work that He started in us.

Even when we make a mess of things, God will still complete the work He started in us. He isn’t going to abandon His purpose because we mess up. There have been many times when He has taken my mistakes and still used them to perfect His purpose. He knows that we are imperfect and are guaranteed to stumble. He will never give up on us. What He started in us, He will complete.

If you ever feel that God can not complete the work He started in you, remember Moses and David. Moses was argumentative and disobedient, but God completed the work He had started in Him. David was a murderer, but was still called, “a man after God’s own heart.” God is not going to give up on you. If you surrender those mistakes to Him, He can and will use them for His good. God will always finish what He starts. He started something unique in you and He will finish what He started. Trust God to do what He says He will do.

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Day 4: Never Separated From The Love Of God

Posted in Identity: A 12 Day Devotional, tagged , , on January 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

separated from His love

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is powerful! To know that there is NOTHING in heaven or on earth that can ever separate us from the love of God. Once we make that decision to follow Jesus, we are His for good!

When I first saw each of my children in the hospital, I immediately knew that there would be nothing they could ever do that would keep me from loving them unconditionally. Our loving Father feels the same way about each one of us. Believe it or not, He loves us even MORE than we could ever imagine loving our own children. Have you counted the hairs on your child’s head? Well, God has every hair counted on your head! He knows what your future holds and what mistakes you will make, He knows that most (99.9%) of us will commit some pretty big sins in our lives and He is saying that it doesn’t matter! Of course, He would rather us not sin, but since that’s not likely, He accepts us and loves us as we are.

Nothing in all of creation can keep us from His love! Romans 8:35 says that trouble or hardship or persecution or famine, or nakedness or danger or sword can’t keep us from the love of Christ.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude when I read these words. I have a daddy that will never turn me away because of sin. I am His child forever! So are you!

Meditate on this passage and when Satan tries to discourage you with His lies, keep telling yourself that absolutely nothing will ever separate you from God’s love. NOTHING!!! God’s love is unconditional and forever. It will never change. I feel the love of my heavenly Father. Do you?

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Day 3: Redeemed And Forgiven

Posted in Identity: A 12 Day Devotional, tagged , , , on January 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

redeemed and forgiven

Colossians 1:13,14

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

According to http://www.dictionary.reference.com redemption is the purchase back of something that had been lost, by the payment of a ransom.

I love this! Without Jesus we are ALL lost, but God purchased us back by giving His one and only Son as a ransom for our lives. Did He have to? Absolutely not. He did it because He loves us. He allowed His Son Jesus to die a horrific death on the cross, because it was the only way for us to have eternal life with Him. He wanted us that much!

In Christ we have the forgiveness of sins. We all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We have all sinned against others and against God. Others may not be so quick to forgive us our failings, but God always will, when you approach Him with a sincere heart. It doesn’t matter what you or I have done, God will always forgive. Not only does He forgive, He wipes the slate clean! The sin is gone forever, giving us a chance to learn from our mistakes and start over.

If you are in a place where you believe that God will never forgive your sins, if you believe that your sins are to bad for God to forgive, you are buying into the lies of Satan. God has more love for you than you will ever be able to imagine. When you approach Him in repentance, He will listen. Your heavenly Father will wrap you in His comforting arms and welcome you home.

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