Read: Ecclesiastes 3:11, Luke 12:15 and SOAP: Matthew 6:19-21
Truth: Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Matthew 6:19-21 NLT
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Why can’t possessions provide us with the happiness we long for?
– the items we accumulate do not fill our spiritual void. Jesus taught on maintaining a proper perspective of possessions. Ultimately, our wealth and our lives belong to God.
Yourunfailingloveisbetterthanlifeitself; how I praise you!
During a time David spent in the wilderness he wrote that God’s love is unfailing and better than life! With those two declarations He was moved to praise Him.
I remember the first time I read this verse, or actually heard it read during a Sunday night service – shortly after I had lost a baby and nearly my life through a ruptured tubal pregnancy. The words were like a soothing balm then and continue to be a calming source of comfort and joy every time I read or hear them.
I hope they are a blessing to you as well – as you picture His love flowing deep and wide all around you – whether life is filled with joys or full of heartache and despair – God’s love never fails and it truly is better than life itself! You’ll find the whole passage below to give you a fuller picture of David’s thoughts (and mine that first time I heard them) –
O God, You are my God; I earnestly search for You. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen You in Your sanctuary and gazed upon Your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise You as long as I live, lifting up my hands to You in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise You with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of You, meditating on You through the night. Because You are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings. I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely.
Psalm 63:1-8 (NLT)
Whether I am in a “wilderness experience” or rejoicing on a mountain-top I have learned – it is good to stop and remember the height and depth, and length and width of God’s love and give Him praise!
Read: Genesis 50:19-21; 1 Peter 2:22-23; Philippians 1:12-14; Psalms 10:14; and SOAP: Isaiah 43:18-19
Truth: “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:18-19
While we cannot control what happens to us, we do have a choice in how we respond. We can either allow our pain to keep us in our past, or we can choose to move forward in faith trusting God to redeem our pain and bring beauty out of ashes.
Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of women walk through incredible pain. -Not one story is alike and yet they all have one thing in common: they are broken.
THE TRUTH: The godly grow like a palm tree; they grow high like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the Lord’s house, they grow in the courts of our God. They bear fruit even when they are old; they are filled with vitality and have many leaves.
Psalm 92:12-14
THE TRUTH: Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity. 1 Timothy 4:12What do you think?
Does your age make you feel inferior?
How can God use the young and the old?
Have you ever put an age limit on God’s plans for your life? We often feel that our age restricts us from accomplishing our goals or dreams. Like the height restriction at a rollercoaster, we stand stretching to see if God will let us on the ride.
The devil will tell us over and over again that we are too old or too young to serve Him. He will make you doubt your ability, your capacity, and your skills.
THE TRUTH: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, don’t depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do and He will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6
We live in a world that values individualism. Asking for help appears weak.
Read: Hebrews 13:20-21; Philippians 4:13 and SOAP: Hebrews 13:20-21
THE TRUTH: Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
Sometimes we experience something that grasps hold of us and we can’t seem to shake. We begin to believe the lie that we cannot change. We will always be a victim. We will always struggle with the addiction. Yet, God’s Word powerfully refutes these lies.
Romans 8:31-32; John 1:16; James 1:5; Ephesians 1:3-8
SOAP: Romans 8:31-32
What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?
Romans 8:31-32 NLT
We think that because our desires have not been satisfied God is selfishly withholding His blessings to tease and to test.
Me From the Inside Out 