morningjoy – Morning Joy

Walk

Good morning friends and Happy Independence Week! Yes, I have extended the holiday because I am still in vacation mode from my short stay-cation last week. It is almost the weekend again, what do you have planned? It is supposed to be a sunny weekend here in Jacksonville, so I am hoping to get in another beach day. Wishing all of you a sunny weekend as well!

Today, I am going to be referencing the story in John 5:1-15. This is when Jesus heals the disabled man by the pool of Bethesda. We are going to call this man Rob to avoid repeating “the man” over and over. *Note: this is a fictitious name that I made up; I did not get it from this passage.

“Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.” John 5:8-9

“Pick up your mat and walk.” I love how Jesus commanded such powerful things in so few words. The authority packed in what He said is what gave the words their power; He didn’t need to command in descriptive paragraphs.

Notice when Jesus healed Rob: Jesus performed the miracle but instructed Rob to do the rest of the work. Sometimes, I can be guilty of expecting and experiencing a miracle..then expecting God to maintain it. God can maintain it, but in what I have read of the Word, He calls us to be people of action. We are his Royal Priesthood, Ambassadors, Overcomers and Followers (1 Peter 2:9, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Romans 8:31-39, Ephesians 5:1). These are titles that require both authority and action. Trust, love, teach, share, clothe, heal, feed- these words are what we are called to do. They each require action.

I believe what Jesus was doing was instructing Rob to accept the healing, and live by the standard. He did not want him to leave his mat in that place, because it was time for him to move on. Maybe if Rob would have left his mat in this place of sickness and oppression, he would have migrated back seeking what was comfortable (what he knew to be his normal). It would have probably been easier at times. Change is tough. Thirty-eight years of one life, as difficult as it was, still creates a comfort zone. Jesus knew the temptation of becoming complacent and not moving forward could arise in Rob if he still took ownership of that position among the oppressed. So, He commanded that he pick that mat up and take action! Rob still held the mat, reminding him of where he had been, but he moved ahead with that knowledge. He is the one that took those steps commanded by Jesus. It was Rob’s choice.

Sometimes I think we get so comfortable expecting Jesus for things, we forget that we hold power and favor with the Father as well. Jesus does deserve all of our praise and faith, but we also need to recognize that we are responsible for maintaining the miracle.

I’ve shared before with you that I have struggled on and off with depression for most of my life. Well, about a year ago, I experienced what I refer to as an “episode” where I get very low and hopeless. It feels like a pit with walls impossible to climb. I did not have the strength to get out of that pit, only He did. However, once I initially experienced that miracle of truth, He empowered me to move forward. He gave me the strength, but I had to pick up my mat and walk. Today, it is my responsibility to maintain that miracle. Yes, God can; but where does my faith walk come in if I just sit back and wait for Him to do it all. Walking with Christ requires discipline, and that discipline bares fruit of purpose, healing and victory. I am called to life! It is my responsibility to trust Him and take action steps of faith- reading His Word, filling myself with life giving words, songs and books, seeking Godly counselling and medical attention that I may need. If I would have just experienced that miracle of truth in that moment and went about my life as I had been (gotten back on my figurative mat), what would my life look like today? I know myself and I know what I have done in the past; so, yes, if I sat back down on the mat I would have been assuming my position among the oppressed. But friends, that is not who I am because I belong to Christ! My inheritance is not only heavenly treasure, but also victory over the oppressors of this life on earth. Jesus overcame, and I am His, so I better assume my responsibility and live in that! You are His too, so lets walk this out together.

Thank you Jesus for your healing and guidance. Thank you for your empowering Word that gives us strength to pick up our mats and walk! My prayer for you and me today is that we continue trusting and relying on our heavenly Father and take on the responsibility of maintaining our miracles.

Waiting

Hey there and happy Monday! Is that a thing? I know Mondays can be a drag for most of us, but I hope you had a good one this week. I can’t complain myself. I started out pretty slow, but I ended up making some time to spend in the Word this evening..and here I sit.

Waiting on the Lord. There are countless verses in the Bible that encourage us to do so. In Psalm 27:13-14, David said, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” I have found that waiting on the Lord always pays off. He is faithful to his Word.

Sometimes, I don’t even know what I am waiting for. Right now, I think it is an answer. I do not feel overwhelming confusion; I am at peace. I know (from experience doing the opposite), the best thing to do is wait on the Lord. However, my heart is expectant and when I begin to solely focus on that answer I think I may be waiting for, I experience impatience. Serious impatience. I know it is coming, but I can’t see anything else in the meantime.

It is important to maintain vision and await promise. It is important to trust God through the wilderness in order to reach the Promiseland. But, we must be careful not to sacrifice the time in the wilderness because we are solely focused on the promise. Remember, first God, then the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4).

Friends, there are miracles along the way. There is rich communion along the way; gifts and blessings of knowledge and relationship. Moses awaited the Promiseland, but he was still mindful of the blessing in the manna (see Exodus 16). Be mindful of God in the moment. He is not just God of the wonderful future and the ancient past; he is God in this moment.

One definition of worship according to Merriam Webster is devotion to an object of esteem. I don’t want the time gap of waiting to become the thing I worship; the thing that consumes me, that I devote all my energy and thought to. But, how? How do we stay expectant and eager for God’s promise but also mindful of His presence in the waiting?

I found a few practical tips in the Word that I want us to try to apply together, and I listed them here with some scripture to back it up:

Read the Word
- Psalm 130: 5- I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
- Psalm 119:105- Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Maintain a heart of thanksgiving
- Psalm 95:2- Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
- Philippians 4:6-Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
View the world through a filter of faith
- Matthew 18:3- And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (childlike faith)
- 2 Corinthians 5:7- For we live by faith, not by sight.

James 1:12 reads, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” We don’t only have that crown of life in the Promiseland; we are royalty now, bought by the blood of Christ, so we get to experience life (peace, joy, and hope) along the way!

So, what do you say? Let’s believe God for the answers and the promises: that financial miracle, the dream job, that Godly spouse, the healing, the salvation of a child. But, in the meantime, as we wait in faith, let’s enjoy God in the waiting.

Submit

Good morning! The weekend is here again. I am so excited! How will you be spending yours? I hope you will be honoring the beautiful mothers in your life; whether they are yours or someone else’s that inspire you. I adore my mama, and all of the amazing women that have played a mentor role for me throughout my life. You rock Moms!

So today we are going to be spending most of our time in 1 Corinthians. When you get some time today, please read 1 Corinthians 18-31. That will give you more meat backing up the passage we are about to chew on.

In 1 Corinthians 1:25, Paul writes, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” Paul is explaining here that God, the Creator of all things, has wisdom and strength far beyond what we as man are capable of. Meaning he has ability far beyond what we are capable of. You see, we are limited on this earth by time, space, age, mortality, etc. God is not.

Pride is a funny thing. If you are like me, when you think of pride you may think of arrogance or boastfulness. Two qualities that I don’t think I necessarily possess. So, I don’t struggle with pride, right? Wrong. Pride is responsible for me thinking I can take matters into my own hands and handle them better than God. Pride is the foundation of this conversation that I have regularly: “Lord, I know this will not play out this way because it just is not possible or logical. Trust me.”

Thank you Jesus for your Word that brings truth to my attention and forgive me of my pride. I am so thankful that it is not my ability that I need to lean on. God has made so many “impossible” things possible in my life. If you reflect for a bit, I am sure you can think of some things he has made possible in yours as well.

I have never related so much to Paul than I did when I read this passage today: “I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power (1 Corinthians 2:3-5)”. That is how I feel about this blog. I submitted this to God, and he pushed beyond my limits for his glory. So, why am I not eager to submit every other aspect of my life? Pride.

Holy Spirit, shower us in wisdom today! Friends, I hope you will join me in this challenge: Let’s step back, release control and let God be God. His ability is far beyond ours. We do not have to know how the situation will play out, because he does. If we will just let him move, we can rest knowing it is for our good and it will be greater than what we could have orchestrated ourselves.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Release control, let God be God, and watch what a mighty God we serve!

Together

Good morning and happy Monday! I hope you had a fun filled, relaxing weekend. I traveled this weekend so I am still trying to get things in gear this morning, as I imagine most of us are on a Monday.

I want to start by saying thank you to all of you for taking this journey with me. I have been absolutely overwhelmed with the love and support I have received from so many people! I know God is faithful, and I know I should not be surprised when he follows through, but I admittedly am floored at the way he has blessed me through this blog.

That being said, I do apologize that it has been over a week since I last wrote. To be honest, the enemy has hit me hard this week. As exciting as this platform is for me, it also scares me. This post is going to sound a little more like a journal entry, but I feel prompted to share this so I am going to be obedient. I know this is a ministry platform, and I know that I am an unlikely person to have one of those. After all, the biblical character that I most relate to when it comes to my relationship with the Father is Gomer (you can find her story in Hosea). However, our God loves using unlikely people. So, I hope the unlikeliness of me doing this is another piece of evidence of God’s faithfulness and limitless power.

When I sat down Wednesday night, determined to write, nothing came. I read and prayed, and nothing came. I believe it was the distraction of fear circling in my mind as it had been since last weekend. I gave up, came home (from my little spot in the coffee shop I usually write from), and began packing for my trip. Then, it hit me. An anxiety attack. I do not want to give the enemy foothold by explaining the details of what that involves, because that is not the climax of this story. But know, this one was more than just a mental challenge, it was spiritual warfare.

I tried calming down. I prayed and tried talking myself out of it. I couldn’t get ahold of myself. So, I finally decided to call my mother. I didn’t really want to because I knew she would worry and I was embarrassed that I was experiencing this after coming so far in my walk with Christ recently. However, I thought maybe just talking with her could distract me in order for me to come out of this arrest. She picked up and heard my voice shaking on the other end of the line. Then, she began to pray.

Y’all.. I am so thankful for a praying mama. I do not say that to boast, because I understand that it is a rare gift from the Lord that not everyone gets to experience, but I am so thankful that God has given her to me.

As she began to pray, the Holy Spirit communicated directly to me through her. Everything she said were things I was thinking and holding in the depth of my heart that I had not shared with anyone. But as she prayed, I felt the Holy Spirit fighting back in this battle over my mind. As she kept praying, I laid on the floor and the symptoms began to alleviate. A sweet peace rested on me and I experienced moments of what imagine it will feel like in heaven when we have no worry or pain. Thank you, Jesus.

Friends, we need each other. Genesis 2:18 says, “The Lord God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” I want you to know that God has used you to confirm that I am walking down the right path in this. He used my mother as a vessel for the Holy Spirit to speak in the way that commanded my attention. We are created for relationship. First for relationship with the Father, then with each other. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” Mark 12:30-31. We are not meant to walk through life alone. God wants us to lean on and learn from each other.

Please don’t misunderstand that I am encouraging you to seek counsel with man first. Always take things to the Father, first. But, allow God to bless you with other people to do life with. Community is so important.

“For where two or three gather in My name, there I am with them.” Matthew 18:20

My prayer for you today is that you have multiple relationships in your life that encourage spiritual health. If you are struggling thinking of one, pray that God brings someone into your life. I will stand in agreement with you, and in the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I love all of you and I am thankful for each of you.

Prayer

Good morning and happy FriYAY! I don’t know about you but I am so very ready for this weekend. I am fortunate to have a fun one ahead with friends enjoying this warm Florida weather. How are you planning to spend yours? I hope you are getting this sunshine as well!

Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.” Paul is kicking us off this morning in his letter to the people of Philippi. These are instructions on prayer.

Prayer in it’s simplest form is communication with God. There is power within it. Jesus himself prayed all the time. I am currently exploring prayer myself. Don’t get me wrong, being a believer most of my life, I have always prayed. However, lately it has been a little different. I tend to spend a lot of time talking to the Holy Spirit these days. Personally, I think that is part of why I am in a season of alone-ness (being by myself a lot with the Lord, not being lonely- there is a big difference). To be honest, I am figuring out how to do it. I go through a lot of “I don’t know what to pray right now” moments.

I am torn between whether or not I should be praying for exactly what I want right now or not. Sometimes I feel selfish for doing that because there are so many hurting people around me. Also, I don’t know that what I want is within the will of God. However, in writing to you this morning, I experienced an ah-hah moment. I love those!

Ah-hah Moment: When I get wrapped up in what I should and should not pray, I am acting like a Pharisee. First of all, God knows my heart and the desires in it. So, praying those desires only begins a conversation with him about it. It is an act of obedience and faith in inviting him into the situation. Second, succumbing to the anxiety about what is politically correct to pray is not trusting God to respond. It is idolizing law without grace or relationship. Which totally disregards the cross. Lord, forgive me and thank you for grace!

Intercessory is something we are called to do. I believe as Christ followers, it is our responsibility to lift others up in prayer. Pray for your lost loved ones. Pray for the broken, hurting and confused. I think the most genuine act of love you can show toward a person is presenting their pain or issue to the Creator of life and asking him to infuse grace and peace in it. Jesus prayed for us all the time, even when we hurt him. Was it because God did not know us or love us? No. It is because Jesus did. His intercession was an act of love just as ours is.

As I was reading this morning, I came across Romans 8:26-27. Read that passage with me.

Friends, just as Jesus, the Son of Man, interceded for us while he was on earth, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we do not know what to pray. He knows us- our desires, our pain, our needs (Psalm 139). So, he prays to the Father on our behalf.

Thank you Lord for wanting relationship with us so badly that you sent the Helper (see John 14:26).

If you are at a place similar to what I confessed I was experiencing where you don’t know what to pray: praise. He inhabits our praise. Paul said with thanksgiving present requests. Thank God for being who he is because he deserves all praise for simply being who he is!

“I Am who I Am” Exodus 3:14. We serve the God; the only one. He is both intimate and infinite, and he love us so much. I am overwhelmed with peace and purpose just entertaining the thought. Talk with him today. If you don’t know what to say, ask the Holy Spirit dwelling in you to speak on your behalf.

Enjoy your weekend and remember that you are loved!

Gethsemane

Happy Easter!

Thank you Jesus for the love for us that You displayed many Easters ago.

Let’s dive in to Matthew 26:36-46 this morning. To set the scene here, Jesus and the disciples just ate the “Last Supper” and went to the Mount of Olives. After a brief conversation with Peter, Jesus went with the disciples to a place called Gethsemane.

Verses 37 and 38 say, “He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

He was heartbroken. Why do you think that was? He knew what was coming. He knew resurrection and newness were coming. So, even though these next several hours would be painful, there was a definite reward in store.

We have already established he was heartbroken. Verse 39 says, “Going a little farther…” Stop here. He was hurting, but he still kept going. A little farther. Another step. He kept moving in spite of what he felt. “..he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet, not as I will, but as you will.” He fell to his face on the ground, in complete submission to the will of God and pleaded for the cup to pass. He was entirely vulnerable.

In verse 42, he asked a second time. But, why, the resurrection was coming and he knows it? He prophesied about rebuilding the temple in three days himself (John 2:19). So he knows how this is going to end. Verse 44, he asked again.

But, after he spoke with God and submitted to His will. In verse 46 He said, “Rise, let us go!” He kept going, friends. He didn’t want to, but He did.

This moment Jesus experienced is such a human moment. He lived as we lived. He felt the things we did. He chose to walk within the will of God, just as we can. Knowing he was a lamb being prepared for slaughter, he kept walking. You can think what you like, but I do not believe Jesus experienced the cross because he wanted to. He chose to because he trusted God for the outcome. He trusted God’s word.

Lets think about what he may have feared: pain, leaving his loved ones behind, permanency, and lack of understanding from the people he loved.

Right now, I am heavy at heart about marriage. I am twenty-seven and from an area in the country that would consider me an ‘older bride’ from this point forward. Yes, I am aware that is not true, but many of my loved ones have not realized that. It is not the wedding I look forward to, even though that can be fun. I can’t claim to even be ready for a marriage- I honestly don’t know. However, I am ready to find someone to do life with. Consistently; everyday. I am over dating and the highs and lows. It may sound silly friends, and trust me I am embarrassed to even report it to you, but my best friend believes my words are most powerful when they are personal and from my heart and I really want to you to understand what I am challenging you to in this post.

I know, that I know, that I know that God has someone special in store. I am not talking about “The One” that most believe is out there. I , personally, do not believe there is one person designed for me; but I believe there are God-honoring choices that I get to make in selecting my spouse. I believe that by loving God first, he will deliver on his promise to give me the desire of my heart. How can I believe the God of creation is unable to do such a thing; even if it seems nearly impossible to me. So, friends, even though this lonely season is painful, and I fear change in leaving behind the man I loved before, and permanency of the decision is intimidating, and I fear that those around me don’t understand my patience or what I am praying for- I keep walking. If I am being honest, right now I am asking God daily to take this cup. Just give me someone that I can make life work with so I can experience it. However, because I trust God more than myself and I know he knows the depth of my heart so he is able to place someone in front of me that meets the desire, I keep walking. I trust his Word, his omniscience and his timing, so I keep walking. I will rise up, just as my Jesus did, and keep walking. Wading through the season of development to get to the resurrection- life.

Think about that thing you have been trudging through to get to the promise. The Son of God felt it to friends. But following Jesus means following Him through this part too. Keep walking with resurrection ahead. With death to these things today, comes life in resurrection and promise.

Trust God, our gracious and loving Father and stay heaven minded. Resurrection is coming.

Bread

Good morning and happy Holy Week!

Lets dive right in today with Matthew 26:17-30. This passage narrates the “Last Supper” between Jesus and the disciples before the crucifixion process began. You can also read accounts of the supper in Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-38 and John 13 and 14.

Side note– I am throwing a ton of scripture at you today so if you don’t have time this morning to read it all, just just the verses down and dive into them throughout the day.

Something I found so neat in this passage was within the first verse(17), “On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” When I compared the stories in each book, all but John specifically mentioned the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This interested me, so I looked more into this particular Jewish tradition.

Turns out, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was a tradition adapted by the Jewish people to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt. Leaven is yeast. During this festival, bread would be made without yeast and no yeast was to be consumed in any Jewish household. Most households would even purge the home of all yeast containing products. When the Jews abruptly left Egypt, they did not even have time to allow their baking bread to rise. They gathered it, and fled. Yeast is what makes dough rise, so eating bread that has not risen is a symbolic of the deliverance from Egypt.

The most interesting part is what leaven symbolizes throughout scripture. In many passages, leaven, or yeast, is used to describe sin or falsehood. So, purging the household of yeast also symbolized purging of sin and falsehood. If you are wondering where on earth I am getting this information from (as you should be), I went ahead and listed a scripture chain below and a brief description of each:

Exodus 13:3-10: God commands the people to acknowledge their rescue from Egypt

Leviticus 23:4-7: Describes how the Festival of Unleavened Bread began and why.

Deuteronomy 16:3: Reminder of what the unleavened bread represents.

1 Corinthians 5:4-8: Parallels leaven to sin.

Matthew 16:5-12: Jesus compares yeast of the Pharisees to falsehood.

Matthew 26:26 says, “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” The unleavened bread that he broke represented his body, his flesh. “..This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” John 6:51. The timing of the Festival of Unleavened Bread was no coincidence.

The yeast-less bread that He broke for them represented His sinless body that was broken for us.

Oh, how I love Jesus, that he gave his sinless body to be broken for us over 2000 years ago so that we may spend eternity with him and have peace on this earth by his Holy Spirit. The Bible is a love letter from God, a how-to for earthly dwelling, and a beautiful and poetic piece of literature. Isn’t it amazing that God utilized metaphors so that we can attempt to understand His heavenly being with our human minds? What an author; he began shaping the story thousands of years before the climax! That is a true testament to his majesty.

Held

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9

I remember a moment of complete brokenness that I experienced some years back. Reflecting on it now, I remember how it felt to come undone. I was 22 years old. In that moment, I realized I had lost the guy that I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. We had broken up a few days before but the reality that it was over did not set in until that phone call. The moment he ended the call– I was lost. I sobbed and yelled “No” repetitively. I think that is all I knew to do. I crumbled onto the living room couch.

I idolized planning back then. I had lists for my lists and mapped out every detail of my life. Then, in that moment, the plan was ruined. I loved that boy to my core. As frustrated as I had grown with the relationship, I was so dedicated to the life I believed we would have. My world felt like it had been ripped out from under me.

Moments after my breakdown began, my brother came downstairs and witnessed my devastation. He heard my wailing from his room upstairs. He said nothing; he just reached down to me, lifted me up onto his lap, and held me. Just held me. That moment, as dark as it was, will always be the best moment I have shared with my little brother. Reflecting on it now brings tears to my eyes. Not tears of sadness, I have completely healed and been restored of everything that I considered loss that day; thank you Jesus. They are tears of gratitude and humility for that special moment. He transitioned from little brother to protector and has maintained that role, in my mind, ever since.

I understand that this story sounds more like a diary entry than a scripture study. However, I decided to go this route today because of what God is doing in my life right now. I want to testify on His behalf. This story is a perfect real-life illustration of the unconditional love and faithfulness of God.

He is so faithful. I’ve walked away from Him, disrespected Him, and sinned against Him. Yet, He never leaves me broken. If I allow the world to get me there, I can call on Him and He heals me. It looks different each time, sometimes immediate and others a longer process. But, He always does. He holds me when I come undone. When I crumble in despair, just like Devin did, He reaches down, picks me up and holds me closely. He whispers truth in my ear, “I love you child. Get up child, you are a victor. I’ve got you beloved.”

He is holding me now. I am in a much better place than I have been in the past. But right now, I am battling fear. Fear of an uncertain future, fear of being alone and fear of rejection. I am right in the middle of it. But friends, He is holding me. He is right here in the with me. Taking on every question, cry and confused prayer; whispering words of truth in my ear. I am not reporting on my deliverance from these things…yet. I am testifying to His presence in the now.

I love Jesus. Honestly, I consider myself a pretty tolerant person but I would have given up on me a long time ago. He doesn’t though, isn’t it amazing? He loves me, He holds me. When I am together, He celebrates with me and guides me. When I am undone, He holds me and breathes life into my decaying heart. I imagine in the spiritual realm, it looks a lot like what my brother did for me that day.

So thank you Taz for being the big little brother that I needed. Thank you Father for loving me so.

“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91: 2

Words

Good morning! I hope this post finds you well and rested after the weekend.

Today, we will be referencing Matthew 7:13-23 during our time together. I know it is kind of a longer chunk of scripture, but bear with me. Read it all the way through before moving forward so you have the Word in your mind as we bounce around.

This can be unpacked in a few different ways. That is one thing that I love about the Word of God. I believe this scripture does not only express that what is internal becomes external, but also what intention behind the external things can do for the internal self.

Jesus referenced good and bad trees here to illustrate his point (V 17-20). Good (living) trees provide oxygen and clean air. Meaning, they provide life. Bad (dead) trees do not. Dead trees actually consume oxygen, or consume life, instead of giving it.

Speak life friends. When you speak over yourself, your life will be tempered with Christ’s love and grace, or not. We get to choose. Our choice is what separates us from the rest of creation; it is the feature that makes us in His image. We were created and gifted will. There is so much more power in that gift than we realize on a day to day basis. God reigns as King, but He has blessed us with power in our tongue to speak life or death. We can build and destroy with words. Do you see the power there? (See Proverbs 12:18, and 18:21).

You can do all of the “Christian” things you can imagine, but if you are not speaking life into yourself and the fallen world around you, you cannot know the peace Jesus provides. The life you speak is what will come to fruition.

Now jumping back up to verses 7:13 and 14, it is not always easy to speak life. We don’t always feel it. Some of us have a hard time for reasons outside of our control.

I want to speak to a specific group of readers here that may share a persistent illness called depression with me. When you read the second sentence of the paragraph above, I am sure you laughed to yourself in agreement and thought something like, “Chick, you have no idea.” I am airing my business out here today to tell you, I do. I understand; I may not know exactly what you are feeling, but I know what it is for the positive life giving thought part of your brain to literally just not work right. Not because of a decision you made, but because of a physical disability that can reek havoc on your mental health. I pray right now divine healing over your mind. I believe God is capable. God has been mending me daily for a long time. I do not know why divine, one time, Jesus-healed-the-leper healing is not the way He chose to do it. It may be so I can speak into you today. Friend, even in the pit, speak life. You do not feel it, I know. Speak it. Speak it through the tears and the frustrated tantrums. Speak life through the pain. Speak life in the numbness. If you can say nothing else, look in the mirror every morning and say, “Clothed with strength, crowned with dignity. Loved by Christ.” Speak it and I promise you, you’ll begin to believe it. I profess it because I have to live it out every day to stay sane. There is strength and power in your tongue and you, even when broken and bruised, are a warrior.

God did not create us to live in turmoil. That was introduced with sin. Remember Eden? God created us to walk and talk with Him. Adam and Eve, pre-fall, lived in complete peace; not even knowing what shame, hate or lust were. That was God’s original design. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, we can have that same peaceful communion now. Yes, we live in a world where those things exist, but speaking life over yourself and into your world allows the Spirit of God to thrive because He is life.

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.”

This morning I speak victory, healing, prosperity and peace over you. Thank you for taking this journey with me.

*If you are a reader dealing with depression and need someone to talk to, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I would love to talk through some of the tough stuff with you and help you attain the extra help that you may need to overcome. You can reach me at kristen_gillette@hotmail.com. I love you, friend, and so does Jesus. Healing is possible.

Touch

Good morning and Happy Friday! I am thrilled this day is finally here. I have a weekend with a few of my long time girlfriends ahead and this week dragged on as I waited in anticipation. I couldn’t kick off the weekend though without sharing this short passage with you; Monday just would not have come soon enough.

Start by reading Matthew 8:1-4.

This is a story I have heard referenced my entire life. It is a testament to the healing power of Jesus. However, when I read it this time, the Holy Spirit revealed something else to me.

Let me set the scene: Jesus had just been on the mountainside teaching his disciples and crowds of curious people. As he came down, a man with leprosy approached him and asked for healing. Jesus touched the man and he was healed.

The first thing I would like to call attention to is the way this sick man approached Jesus. Verse 2 says, “A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean.” This man knew the power of Jesus before he even asked for healing. He approached him in expectation. He acknowledged His authority by kneeling before Him, then made his humble request. I would love to unpack this interaction with you, but that is not the focus of this post. So, stay tuned because we may study this story again.

The focal point of this post is the way Jesus loved this man in the specific way he needed. In the time frame we commonly refer to as the “Bible days”, leprosy was an epidemic. The people believed the disease spread by contact, so infected population was avoided and even sometimes colonized away from the general public. If the man was visibly infected, he had probably had the disease for quite some time. Meaning, this man had most likely not been touched in a while.

Human physical contact is such an interesting gift from the Lord. Physical touch from others can be comforting and encouraging. Reflect on a hug from a parent, or holding hands with a significant other. A pat on the back from a coach or boss can make you feel on top of the world. We can feel loved with physical touch, or validated. A simple gesture can be so powerful.

Jesus had the power to heal this man without touching him. The Bible tells us that in the next few verses (5-13) about the Centurion’s servant. However, Jesus did not just want to heal this man’s flesh, he wanted to heal his heart. Jesus obliged this man’s request by healing his body completely. He honored his expectation by healing his heart. The physical touch from our Savior probably meant more to this man than his physical relief of pain.

Oh, how I love our Jesus. He is so good. He loves us in the specific way we need; in a way that only He can. Think about that today and just rest in his love.

Have a good weekend, friend.