The Living Word

Hebrews 5:12 – “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Have you ever noticed that the Word has life? It’s not static. It has depth and breadth; hidden corners and nooks that require repeated exploration. I’ve been through the Bible a few times; and every time, I learn something new. It’s like the Spirit is reading me as I read the Word, guiding my heart and mind to a new interpretation of the text that speaks to my current life experiences and provides valuable insight and wisdom for me (or for someone to whom I am meant to minister). It amazes me, actually!

It also humbles me a bit. There are millions of people out there reading the Word RIGHT NOW…developing new and unique perspectives about God’s heart and character of which I might never have dreamed. It would be pure hubris to believe that mine was the only valid insight into the Word. To be clear, there are definitely very black and white, certain, and inarguable aspects of the Bible; but it is always fascinating to me how you can take one verse and get 50 different insights from 50 different people. The Word has life!

However, despite my appreciation for some diversity of perspective, I’ve learned that it’s important to handle the Word with care…engaging in our own study (not just being receivers of the Word on Sunday morning), praying for wisdom and discernment, seeking wise council from spiritual mentors, and questioning and testing everything (1 John 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:21); not believing a “truth” just because someone said so, but reading the Word ourselves and opening our hearts and minds to be led by the Spirit. With the Word firmly imprinted upon your heart (Deuteronomy 11:18, Hebrews 10:16), you will be better prepared to discern the truth when someone is wielding the Word misguidedly; and you will be better able to lovingly engage in a healthy discourse on scripture in a way that bears fruit and brings glory to God.

Also Read:

Isaiah 55:11 – “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Agape Love

LOVE

(I thought I’d re-post this one from 2014 in honor of Valentine’s Day)

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, 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.”

Reflections: Have you ever felt truly loved? I’m not talking about that fly by night, flash in the pan, fleeting love; I’m talking about everlasting, AGAPE LOVE, where you are seen and known and cherished unconditionally and beyond measure…the type of love that, in reality, you can only find in the heart of your Heavenly Father…

Our souls long for this love, our hearts yearn for this connection; but far too often…

We seek it in all the wrong places

In a sea of blank faces

In the company of false friends

Winding up at dead ends…

…And ultimately, we end up feeling unfulfilled, because THAT love—that soul-fulfilling, heart-wrenching, mind-blowing, never-ending love—is only available in one place: the arms of our almighty God.

As Valentine’s Day draws near, and we are surrounded by people consumed by the pursuit of love, know that you don’t have to look far to find it. You have only to look to the Father, who waits for you with open arms and an open heart to hold you close, take away your cares, and give you peace and love that surpasses anything you’ve ever known.

Happy (Almost) Valentine’s Day! (You are truly loved!)

Song: How He Loves Us by New Breed (Original)/How He Loves Us by Anthony Evans (Remake)

Wrestling Angels (A Poem)

Wrestling Angels

A Poem by Nichole H. Stewart

I’ve been wrestling angels…

Raging
against the whispered words
speaking truth
into my soul

Warring
against the calling
I know is mine alone
to pursue

Fighting…
a soldier
on the wrong
battlefield…
a warrior
evading the cause

Struggling
to arrest the fear
fluttering in my heart
the doubts
coursing through my mind

WHY ME!!???

It would be so easy
to run and hide
to leave the task
to one better than I
but I am Yours, God
and You are mine
and if You call me…
I will come

I’ve been wrestling angels
Pleading
Resisting
Just one swift strike
And I am felled

Accepting
I rise
Blessed
now set apart
to take the path
You’ve set before me

I am flawed
I am afraid
but I am Yours
and I will fight
for You.

Isaiah 6:8 – Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Genesis 32:22-31

This work by Nichole  H. Stewart is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

Choosing Gratitude…

Romans 8:28: – “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 – “But it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'”

I found this pic online, and I saw that someone had commented, “That’s when you really believe that God is in charge.” The truth of the above quote, and this subsequent response, really resonated with me, because I have begun to have this realization myself as of late. When I pray and pray for something, yet don’t get what I want or pray for; I, like most people, am REALLY disappointed! However, the easiest way for me to find peace in my disappointment is to acknowledge that if that thing, that situation, that person, that opportunity were for me, God would have provided it; to remember that God is in control and nothing can thwart His plans for me; and to take comfort in the understanding that every situation will ultimately work out for my good, because what God has planned for me is better than anything that my mind can conceive. So I choose to trust Him, and in that moment, I can thank Him despite my disappointment. And He, in turn, gives me a peace that passes all understanding. 🙂 Hallelujah!

Endless Blue Skies…

PERSEVERANCE 

John 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Reflections: So many times, as Christians, we are shocked and amazed that life can be hard some days. I think that deep down, we expect God to make our lives a sweet-smelling bed of roses, or at least that He would snap His fingers and make all of our problems go away instantly. But the reality is that God never promised us endless blue skies without the threat of a cloudy day. In fact, Jesus assures us that in this world, we WILL have troubles. The good news, though, is that he also assures us that we can take heart and have hope, because He has already overcome the world (John 16:33). He promised to stand by our side, and sometimes carry us, through every hardship, ultimately leading us to a life more abundant in Him. Because of Him, we can persevere through whatever life throws our way, knowing that in the end, we will have the victory.

So, yes, we will have struggles; and yes, it may seem like more than we can bear some days; but praise God that we don’t have to bear it alone! All we have to do is lean on God, give Him our burdens, and receive His promised peace, His unspeakable joy, and His unending love as we soldier through the cloudy days to get to our next blue sky.

Shine your light!

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Give It to God…

SURRENDER 

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Matthew 11:28-30 –  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Reflections: The other day, after averting crisis number 1,892 :), I realized that I tend to follow a pattern, of sorts, when unexpected challenges pop up in my life. First, I may experience a brief moment of panic as I realize what’s happening, and then I get this laser focus as I set about trying to find a solution to the problem at hand…in my own power. Oh, yes, I may mumble an offhand, “Please, God!” as I go about this process; but oftentimes, it’s not until I hit a wall in my own efforts that I stop, find my center, and turn my focus and attention to the one who promises to take all my burdens, handle all of my cares, and assuage all of my fears.

In that moment, any remaining panic or frustration is replaced with a sweet peace, as I FINALLY seek God in the midst of my storm. As I begin to surrender my problems to Him, it becomes so much easier to accept my limitations and trust God to work it out and see me through. And you know what? He ALWAYS DOES! EVERY time! WITHOUT fail! Sometimes He is subtle with His solutions, and other times, He works in ways that are nothing short of amazing! It makes me wonder why I insist on going through this habitual process instead of just seeking God in the first place. 🙂

If you, like me, tend to try to solve your problems in your own power before tapping into the Power of God, maybe it’s time to adopt a new approach (I know I’m giving it a go!). 🙂 We’d save so much time, energy, and STRESS if we would lean on God instead of relying on our own strength, if we would focus on Him instead of our circumstances, and if we would trust Him to guide, direct, and see us through whatever problems we may face instead of thinking that we can do it all on our own. Who really wants to do that anyway? 🙂 He’s our Way Maker, and He promises that if we surrender our cares to Him, He will give us peace, clarity, and rest for our souls.

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Shine Your Light!

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE…

GRATITUDE (PART 2)

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Ephesians 5:20 – “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”

Reflections: Some days, it’s easy to focus on what we lack, especially when we are going through a trial or are in a posture of waiting. We focus so heavily on that one thing that we don’t have that we forget to take comfort in the myriad blessings that we’ve already received. God has blessed each of us abundantly in so many ways, and remembering this…acknowledging His grace, mercy, love, and provision…can brighten even the darkest day.

Today, let’s make a point not to take God and His blessings for granted. Let’s look around and really SEE all that He has done. I bet that we won’t have to look far to see Him working and moving in our lives. And as we acknowledge His presence with gratitude, we make way for Him to move in a mighty way and shower us with new and miraculous blessings.

Be grateful!

Song: Smile by Jonathan McReynolds

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright! 

The Promise Keeper…

PROMISES

Psalm 119:140 – “Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.”

Numbers 23:19 – “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

Reflections: Do not grow weary in your trials, God has promised to strengthen you (Isaiah 40:31). Do not give up, God has promised to provide for all your needs (Philippians 4:19). He will see you through and bring you to a place of joy, peace, and restoration (Psalm 16:11, Isaiah 26:3, Zephaniah 3:20). You will live abundantly (John 10:10), and God will give you the desires of your heart if you put your hope in Him and seek Him first in all things (Psalm 37:4-5, Lamentations 3:24-26).

I am so grateful for the promises of God! They give us hope when we need it most; and we can trust that His Word is true, for He is not a man that He should lie. If He said it, He will do it! He is our Promise Keeper. 🙂

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright! 

If at First You Don’t Succeed…

PERSISTENCE (Part 2)

2 Kings 4:35 – “Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.” (For the full story, read 2 Kings 4:8-37).

1Kings 18:42b-43 – And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea. So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” (For the full story, read 1 Kings 18:41-44).

Reflections: History shows us time and again that persistence pays off. The Bible is filled with examples of men and women who kept going, kept trying, despite the odds; and in the end, proved victorious. In stories about both Elisha and Elijah, for example, we see situations where these two amazing prophets of God failed to see visible answers to their prayers after the first or second time they made their petitions. For Elijah, this situation occurred as he prayed for rain to end a drought (1 Kings 18:41-19:8). It was only after the SEVENTH time that he prayed and asked his servant to search for a rain cloud that he began to see the fruit of his labor. Elisha, on the other hand, had to try three times before he could bring the Shunammite women’s son back to life (2 Kings 4:8-37).

These are both amazing stories that give us hope and faith in God’s ability to accomplish miraculous works through his people. The persistence of these men eventually paid off, and ultimately serves as a testimony to the power of prayer, persistence, and faith.

But what if things had gone differently? What if either of them had grown weary and discouraged after their first, second, or in Elijah’s case, sixth try? Lives would have been lost and lands may have perished if they had chosen not to try one more time. Instead, their faith that God heard them and would eventually answer their prayer compelled them to keep petitioning until they saw a response.

What about you? Have you been seeking God for something that has not yet begun to manifest? Have you been praying for a response that has not yet come? If you are beginning to grow weary of the waiting, take heart and have hope. God HAS heard your plea, and He WILL answer—in His time and in His own way. It may take days, weeks, months, or even years for you to see or hear the response; but know that there is always a purpose in the waiting. Continue to seek Him, continue to have faith that He hears you. Don’t give up! You may be just one prayer away from God’s answer.

See Also:

Daniel 10:12-13 – “Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.’”

1 John 5:14-15 – “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Your Light! 

We Plan, God Laughs…

GUIDANCE

Psalm 143:10 – “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Reflections: I know what I want; and when I set a goal in my sights, I go after it with everything I’ve got. This quality can be both beneficial and detrimental, depending on the circumstances; and over the years, God has taught me the importance of tempering my fleshly determination and tapping into my Spirit as I make decisions and set goals. I could want something with every fiber of my being; but if it’s not what God wants for me, then I have to let it go. Why? Because I want God’s best in my life, and I have grown to understand that what God ordains/wills for me is so much better than anything I could dream up for myself. Plus, I have the added bonuses of 1) knowing how much it pleases God for me to trust Him and desire His will and 2) resting in the knowledge that when I’m walking in God’s will, even if my life seems to be in turmoil, everything will eventually work out as it should. He walks beside me, and He will provide me with everything I need to make it through, stronger and wiser, to the other side.

So as you’re making plans, setting goals, and dreaming of the future you want for yourself, make sure that you make God a part of your planning process. He will never lead you in the wrong direction, and HIS plan for you is greater than anything that you could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20; 1 Corinthians 2:9).

“Even in the busyness of our lives, we must always take time to surrender our agendas at His feet, and be willing to examine our approach [to] each situation.” ~Charlotte Gambill

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright! 

Doing Big Things…

HOPE

 Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lost heart.”

Luke 18:27 – “Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Reflections: We serve a big God who is able to do big things. I have to remind myself of this sometimes, when the prayer or petition in my heart seems too big, too much to ask, too improbable to sustain my belief that God will bring it to pass. But the Word tells us that what is impossible for man is possible for God (Luke 18:27), and that if we believe, our faith can move mountains.

This reality is especially true in situations where our petitions align with a promise God has already made to us. It may seem like we’ve waited forever for its fulfillment, to the point where we become wary of hoping and trusting—but though it lingers, wait for it, it will certainly come to pass (Habakkuk 2:3). If God has given you a vision, a calling, or a promise for big things in the future, don’t lose hope, and don’t grow weary in well-doing; for in due season, you SHALL reap if you do not lose heart (Galatians 6:9). Now THAT’S a promise you can count on. 🙂

Also See:

Habakkuk 2:3 – “For the revelation awaits at an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; t will certainly come and will not delay.”

Songs: Big by Unquenchable & Valencia Lacy and Big Enough by Ayiesha Woods

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Your Light! 🙂

No Regrets…

FORGIVENESS 

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!”

Reflections: Do you have any regrets? Is there something in your past that you keep revisiting in your mind and wish you could do differently? Ah…if only time travel were a viable option! 🙂 Since it’s not, though, we often tend to revisit our past mistakes in our minds, putting them on instant replay. As we go over these incidents again and again, feelings of guilt, shame, blame, or regret just become more deeply ingrained in our Spirit. In this way, we refuse to forgive ourselves, refuse to move on from our past, even though God may have forgiven our transgression long ago.

The Word says that there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1), for we are set free from our past sin through Christ Jesus, and anyone who is in Christ is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are not who you used to be, no matter what anyone says, and those past mistakes do not define you or hold sway over the amazing things that you can do and accomplish in the future. The old has gone, the new is here, and the sky is the limit!

Do not let your past hold you back. Release it, forgive yourself, and move forward into the new life God has promised! 🙂

Songs: Moving Forward by Israel Houghton/Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright! 🙂

He’s on the Prowl…

TRUTH

2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Reflections: The Word of God is TRUTH. We know this, but the enemy is constantly on the prowl, searching for a foothold in our minds and Spirits, and trying to convince us that the truth is a lie. He is a master at appealing to our worldly sensibilities and suppressed desires; and oftentimes, what he whispers is exactly what we want to hear: “It’s okay to bend the truth a little here,” or, “You don’t need to stick to your budget over there,” or, “Your ex wasn’t really THAT bad, was he/she?” 🙂

As difficult as it may be sometimes, we must resist these temptations and bring our thoughts and desires back in line with the Word,  ensuring that they are obedient to Christ; because we know that if we keep our minds focused on Him, He will keep us in perfect peace.

See Also:

1 Peter 5:8: – “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright!

Limitless Possibilities

BELIEF 

James 1:6-8 – “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

Reflections: When you pray, do you pray with conviction and faith, or do you allow doubt and fear to make you waver in your belief? I can admit that I’ve been guilty of the latter on occasion…of being afraid to believe that my prayers will be answered…afraid to hope. But in countless passages throughout the Bible, the Word tells us that if we seek God’s will, trusting Him and committing our way to Him, He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4-5; Matthew 7:7). But the Word also tells us that we must pray in faith, believing and not doubting (James 1:6-8).

So, here we see two very important caveats to God’s response to our prayers. First, we must seek God and desire His will above all things (Luke 22:42); and second, when we pray, we must believe and not doubt. James tells us that those who doubt should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. That’s enough to give anyone pause!

Faith is not always easy, and when we’re in the midst of a trying situation, praying for God’s intervention, it’s not hard to fall victim to doubt and fear. We wonder if God hears us, if He will ever answer our pleas; but the Word assures us that if we ask anything according to His will, HE HEARS US, and we can rest assured that He will grant us the petitions we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).

The Word also tells that when we pray, we begin to effect change almost immediately (James 5:16). One of my favorite stories (Daniel 10:12-14) tells of Daniel as he fasted and prayed for three weeks, seeking the Lord. After that time, an angel appeared to him, saying, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.” This verse gives me great comfort in those moments when I don’t see an immediate response to my prayers, because I can find peace in knowing that even if I can’t see it, even if there is a delay, God WILL respond in time.

There is such power in our prayers, if only we would believe and stand firm with an unwavering faith. This faith sets the stage for God to do an amazing work in our lives, and in the lives of those around us. The possibilities are limitless, if we could just understand that we serve a limitless God who wants only the best for us, His children. 🙂

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Your Light!

A Still, Small Voice

STILLNESS 

1 Kings 19:11-13 – “The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”

Reflections: I realized something interesting today… Sometimes, I’m so focused on looking for God’s answer to my prayer(s) to come in one specific form that I actually miss it when He shows up and responds to my petition. Just the other day, I’d been praying to God for a solution to a particular challenge, and in my mind, I’d already envisioned what that solution would look like. I prayed about it for the better part of the week, and set about waiting and looking for God’s response. But while I was looking in one direction for the reply I’d envisioned, His actual response came from a completely different direction in a form so unlike what I’d been expecting that at first, I did not recognize it for what it was. It was like God crept up quietly, like a ninja, and completely threw me for a loop! 🙂

It wasn’t until I was meditating this morning that I realized God had, in fact, taken care of the issue at hand without my truly registering it. The situation was resolved through no action of my own and in a way that was much more like a quiet whisper than the bigger, attention-grabbing bang that I was expecting.

I think that God often operates like that, with a quiet whisper instead of a big bang, and we must quiet ourselves and attune our Spirit to His peaceful stillness so that we can recognize and be grateful for the subtle blessings and responses to our petitions when they come. It’s also important to acknowledge that God’s answers to our prayers often come in a completely different form than we imagine as we pray; but that’s okay, because God knows so much better than we do the solution for which each situation calls. And I’m so glad that He’s a God who gives us what He knows we need instead of what we think we want; because in the end, we’re so much better off if we do things His way instead of our own. 🙂

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright! 🙂