Monthly Archives: February 2018

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Trust

Journey to Freedom

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“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Ephesians‬ ‭5:1-2‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Love is the first flavor in the fruit of His Spirit that God used to teach me how His strength works best in my surrendered weakness.

God is love. We are told to love as He loves, which means we have to surrender to BE love as He is, and in likeness to Him. We can only do that when He, who is love, becomes love in us.

Our love is weak and insufficient apart from Him, never able to measure up to adequately represent Him. Only as we surrender ourselves to be a living vessel for His love to reach those around us can we truly love as He loves. And when we truly rest our effort in that truth, loving even the greatest of enemies becomes easier and more effective.

Knowing this, I don’t know why it has taken me so long to realize that the same principle is true of His fruit flavor known as self-control / self-discipline. I learned it easily with peace, joy, and goodness; finding a greater challenge in my surrender to His patience in me, but finally beginning to get there. I guess the holdup on learning this truth in the bearing of the flavor of self-control is that little word, SELF.

I expected God wanted me to do it on my own, by choice; which didn’t make sense when Scripture clearly teaches that I can do NOTHING apart from Him. So finally, I am walking in the truth that the “help” I constantly cry out for in this need of self-control only fully comes when I surrender to the truth that I am too weak to do it. That He who lives in me and wants to live trough me in a process that makes us truly one is key to fruit bearing in all His flavor.

Thus, I must allow His strength to live it’s perfection through this area of my weakness: not struggling to have some part in the controlling of self, but fully surrendering with trust in Him to empower control.

I finished my 21 days of fasting prayer, quickly discovering that the things practiced during this time of commitment are to be my new way of daily living Christ into the world around me. Today is the first day of the rest of my life – which is eternal in Christ.

Welcome to the new me, which is, by the way, another pound lighter. YAY!!

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

A Word for Today: POSSIBLE

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Good morning, Beloved. This verse excites me, so please bare with me as I elaborate a little.

God has me on a journey of discovery. I am learning to greater depths than ever before just how faithful God is to be strength in my weakness. In an area of lifelong struggle, I have never experienced such freedom as now, because God faithfully responds to my, “I can’t. Will You?” God responds every time with “Gladly!” And HE DOES IT THROUGH ME. Praise the Lord!

It is becoming easier with each act of surrender to allow God full control in my weakness, and I get the benefit of victory in His strength.

The thing I am learning is this: I have NO STRENGTH. Not really. Not in any area of my life. My greatest strengths are NOTHING compared to His, and I can truly do nothing apart from Him: AND He can best accomplish through me when I die so He can live. When I realize “Lord, I can’t. Will You?”, then I experience true Strength. God wants me – us, Beloved – to realize that with people “this”, whatever it is, is impossible. “But with God!”

Beloved, set Jesus free to live life in you today so you can live the impossible. (Galatians 2:20)

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Trust

Maintaining my Streak with God’s Strength

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: Bragging on Father Today

Please bare with me while I do a little bragging on our God.

I have struggled with sweets addiction off and on since childhood. All the common triggers can knock me off my resolve, stress and tiredness topping that list.

The past three years have put me in the worst struggle ever as I care for my husband of 42 years and counting. He is in a fight against prostate cancer: stage 5. His goal is to work and live Life until he just can’t keep going. Our journey began with him at stage 4 because he had NONE of the typical symptoms, so it slipped up on us and last year it went to the bones. (Men, don’t neglect your health. Get your physicals.)

God faithfully strengthens him so he is still working and living, and my #1 ministry right now is to help him press on to live Life. For the most part, I do well, but when life gets hard for him – can anyone say “stressed and tired”.

When our journey began, Johnny begged me to promise I would take care of me and not let this journey destroy my health and strength. I have tried to do that, but throughout the stress and exhaustion that comes following hard days when I must pour into helping him, sweets overwhelmed my resolve and set up a stronghold.

Recently, as I cried out to God over my inability to stand against that addictive habit, He spoke clear instruction to me through Paul’s experience of Him in 2 Corinthians 12. Father assured me that the same grace made available to Paul is there for me as well. Thus began my journey of thanking God for His faithful provision to meet each temptation with the strength of His resolve. I tell you, I have never knowingly experienced such pure freedom as I am walking in because of belief in the truth that God’s grace is sufficient for me, too.

Today is Day 13: no sweets or bread. God’s strength prevails! And he has shown me another area in need of faith in Him for His gracious strength to flow through. My Strength is there for me and most days are good. For the days when I am exhausted from little sleep and too much activity, He is my rest. I am so grateful that He loves us and provides Himself for our overwhelming weakness.

What would you brag on God for today? Share it here or with someone today.