Jehovah-Eloheena; The LORD our God

Published by TruthMedia on March 18, 2008 in Devotional For Women. 17 Comments

by Gail Rogers

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~Heavenly Father,

Today I want to thank you that You are the LORD our God. You are the Lord MY God. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that You are committed to us when things go wrong and loss happens and hearts grieve. 

Yet Your heart of compassion shows through even in the very essence of this name of Yours, Jehovah-Eloheena…a Father to the Fatherless and a Defender of widows… OUR Father in Heaven, OUR Loving Father…one who cares about the hurting.

You are the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and You understand the pain of a Father whose son is suffering. You were there when Jesus died and You understand the pain we bear in the confusing things of life that we face here on earth.

Lord, be to those hurting today the Father of their spirits. Lift their spirits and shelter their hearts in Your loving hands. Bring peace to their hearts and healing to their minds and bodies. Give them strength for today and hope for tomorrow. Keep their hearts soft toward You and may they run to You and not from You in the confusion of their questions.

Thank you that You are the LORD “our” God… so personal to each one of us. Thank you for the blessings of our lives that we so easily lose sight of in the face of unanswered questions. Help us to remember Your track record in our lives. Bathe our homes today in Your peace and in Your joy. Grant us serenity as we work. Build into us today with emotional and spiritual strength by the power of Your Holy Spirit.

There are so many needs and so many questions, LORD. Keep our hearts and minds focused on You. Continue to redeem us from the pits of discouragement and despair as the enemy of our soul seeks to destroy the wonderful hope you brought us at the cross. Thank you that You are the Father of my spirit today. Bless, encourage and lift our hearts today in a supernatural way so that we will know and feel Your love. In the precious name of Jesus I pray, amen.

Questions: How does the fact that Christ has experienced pain and suffering affect your relationship with Him?  Why don’t we spend some time in prayer thanking God for who He is and for sending His Son to die for us.

About the Author:  http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/gail-rodgers/

What Have I Heard?

Published by TruthMedia on March 17, 2008 in Devotional For Women. 14 Comments

by Marilyn Ehle

**How is your relationship with Jesus Christ? Is your conversation always full of grace, seasoned with salt?  Here is an Online Bible Study to help: http://thelife.com/study/knowjesuspersonally.html

“Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said” (John 18:21).

Jesus has been arrested and now stands before the highest of religious authorities to be questioned about his motives and methods.  Most of Jesus’ closest friends have either fled in terror or are standing far away from the center of action.

When asked to provide a verification regarding his authority to teach and heal, he replies that everything he has said or done was in full view - he had not been secretive or underhanded. “If you don’t believe me, ask those who heard me…”

Were we to be called before judge and jury to defend the honor of Jesus, could we clearly articulate the message of Christ? It is far easier to speak about good feelings, a future heaven, or a somewhat blurry religious experience than to clearly and intelligently discuss the teachings of Jesus.

The Apostle Paul tells us “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” It is right to enjoy our quiet times of listening to Jesus, but such listening requires that we then be ready to speak.

~Lord, I love hearing you speak to me but sharing what I have heard is not so easy and not always pleasurable. Help me hear you correctly and clearly and then speak with love.

Questions: Why is it important to not only hear but also to speak His Word? How can we make sure that when we speak, we speak clearly and intelligently?

About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/marilyn-ehle/

You Are There!

Published by TruthMedia on March 16, 2008 in Devotional For Women. 6 Comments

by Muriel Larson

**Are you struggling with an issue in your life or have a question? We have email mentors who would love to respond to you personally. http://christianwomentoday.com/chat/askus.html

 “He came to his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11-12).
 
A parade is coming!  You hear the joyful shouts of the crowd of people approaching.

"What’s going on?" you ask a bystander.  He cranes his neck.  "It’s some man riding on a donkey.

I think it may be that Jesus, who goes around healing people!”

You squeeze through the crowd that has gathered around you.  There’s no band, no drumbeats.  But the noise is deafening!  Then you break through, and you see Him.  People are throwing palm branches on the road before Him.  Children are all over the place jumping for joy.

"Hosannah to the Son of David!" they’re shouting joyfully.  "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!"

"Son of David," someone says.  "He must be the Savior God promised to send–the Messiah!"

As Jesus draws near, you peer at Him.  That’s Jesus, the Man who healed your blind uncle!  That’s Jesus–the man who healed the lame, the deaf, the lepers–the man who raised that widow’s son from the dead!  Your heart leaps for joy.  He is the Messiah, the Savior.  You start leaping for joy and shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David, the Messiah!"

Some Pharisees step up to Jesus and stop Him.  "Teacher," they exclaim, "rebuke your disciples!"

Jesus looks at them soberly.  "I tell you," He says, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!" 

You join the great crowd following Jesus.  And suddenly He stops again on a hillock.  As He looks at Jerusalem, tears roll down His cheeks!  Then He says sadly, "Oh, Jerusalem!  If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes!  The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.  They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within the walls.  They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you!"

This prophecy made by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came true in 70 A.D.

You really weren’t there that day; but Jesus still offers His salvation to those of us who live today.  Have you yourself received Jesus Christ as your Messiah, as your Savior? 

The reason God allowed cruel men to crucify His Son during that terrible week that followed was because "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
 
Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  And Romans 10:13 declares, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!"

When God saves us, He transforms our lives.  If we truly know Jesus Christ, we will love, follow, and serve Him, the Holy One who gave His life for us!
                                      
~Help us to realize what great love You have for us, Lord, and to follow You!

QUESTIONS: In view of all the miracles Jesus Christ did, and all of his great teachings, why did His people reject Him? Why did most Jewish people in general reject Jesus Christ in spite of His fulfillment of all the prophecies made in the Old Testament?

About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/muriel-larson/

Passing on Our Faith

Published by TruthMedia on March 15, 2008 in Devotional For Women. 24 Comments

by Lydia Harris

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“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Do you have any Easter traditions? My mother baked paska, a lemon-flavored Russian sweet bread. She passed on her recipe to me, and now I bake it each Easter. But more important than favorite recipes, my parents passed on their spiritual heritage and strong faith in God.

My husband and I, too, want to pass on a godly legacy to our children and grandchildren. One meaningful tradition we started when our children were young was to save our Christmas tree trunk and make it into a cross at Easter. We would cut off the upper one-third of the trunk and nail or wire it to the lower two-thirds to make the cross. Sometimes our children decorated it with a grape-vine wreath to represent a crown of thorns. We displayed the cross beside the fireplace in our living room as a ready witness to share the Easter story with our children and others. This taught them the connection between Christmas and Easter: Christ was born to die.

In this passage, Paul writes to the Corinthians and reminds them what is most important to pass on. He stresses the essentials: The message of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. He wants them to believe and receive the gospel as he did and be saved.

What would you like to pass on? Paul’s priority is a good place for us to begin.

~ Risen Lord, thank you for the power of the resurrection and new life it brings in Christ. This Easter Season, give me opportunities and courage to pass on my faith to others.

Questions: What godly legacy are you passing on to your family? Do you have creative ideas to share with us? How can we take advantage of the Easter Season to share with others?

About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/lydia-e-harris/

Refreshing and Renewal

Published by TruthMedia on March 14, 2008 in Devotional For Women. 30 Comments

by Brigitte Straub

**Do you want to be satisfied, but how? What does a heart at complete peace look like? http://thelife.com/study/strugglecontent.html?section=struggle_contentment

 “Ho!  Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters” (Isaiah 55:1 Darby Translation).

Refreshing and renewal!   Are you needing that today? Life can wear us down, and we can become wearisome and tired of the business of life.   We often tend to believe that there are people or things that can help us rejuvenate; perhaps a vacation…  But, the truth is, we have everything we need in God.
 
True Satisfaction Is in Him

David knew and understood that his cry for more could only be quenched by the living God. Psalm 42:1 says “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” 

Whether we realize it or not, there is an insatiable desire within each and every one of us for renewal from the Living God because we can only be truly satisfied in Him. 
 
The Living Water

In John 4:14 Jesus says “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But, the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 

And again, John 7:37-39 He says “If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him would receive….”

This invitation to an abundant life is for you!  This life, can only be found in Him.

The Spirit of God is given to us liberally without reproach.   We just have to receive, drink, and partake of Him.  He IS Love, He IS Peace, HE is Joy, He is your Hope, Strength, Deliverer, and Conqueror, Almighty God, Father, Friend and first Love.  In faith, receive all He is.   

When we are satisfied by Jesus we also become channels of spiritual refreshment for others as well! How wonderful! 

~Holy Spirit, I welcome You here in my midst.  Come and fill me up.  Fill me to overflowing so that others will be touched by You!  I come and drink from You.  I receive all You are and all You have for me.  You are all I need and all I desire.  Thank you for Your presence. 

Questions: How can we be truly satisfied by God? What is the result of being truly satisfied?

About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/brigitte-straub/

Jehovah-Hoseena; The LORD our Maker

Published by TruthMedia on March 13, 2008 in Devotional For Women. 28 Comments

by Gail Rodgers

**Although God has promised never to leave you, why does it sometime feel like He is not aware of your situation? Can we pray for you? http://thelife.com/interactive/share.html

"Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker" (Psalm 95:6).

As we move toward the approaching Easter season let us be reminded together that our God is a promise keeping God and we will choose to worship Him together.

~Almighty Father,
I thank you today that You are the God of the covenant promises. You are the God who keeps the promises You make to us, Your children.

Today I ask that You would remind me of the promises that You have made to me in the past and refresh my faith today to believe them with new confidence!

Thank you that You have promised never to leave me; to guide me with Your word: help me to find the time to read it. Thank you that You promise to hear my prayers and to be my guard and my guide today. Thank you for the amazing promise of Psalm 94:18 & 19

"When I said, ‘My foot is slipping, Your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me Your consolation brought joy to my soul.’"

Thank you, Lord, for that sure picture of Your love supporting us as we walk a slippery road and feel nearly ready to fall.

Thank you that You console us with the depth of Your name and how that is a source of deep joy as we walk.

Bless my heart today with peace, patience and a real sense of Your support where ever my foot feels a slippery edge. Grant me the confidence that You will hold me securely.

Lord, I kneel before You and worship You for You are my Maker and the one I can trust with my life even in the midst of my unanswered questions. I choose to trust You and worship You today

In the powerful name of Jesus I pray, amen.

Questions: How do you know that you can trust God in the midst of your unanswered questions? Can you relate a situation in your life where God obviously supported you when you were on a slippery slope? Let’s take some time today and thank Him for who He is.

About the Author:  http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/gail-rodgers/

Obedience that Accompanies Words

Published by TruthMedia on March 12, 2008 in Devotional For Women. 38 Comments

by Suzanne Benner

**How can we be disobedient by ignoring some of our annoying habits? Here is a Bible Study Online that will get you on the right track of obedience to God. http://thelife.com/study/lovebusters.html?section=annoying_habits&ft=BSG-OS

“Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else” (2 Corinthians 9:13).

Real life change is not demonstrated by what we say; it is evident by what we do.

Reality is that we act on what we believe or as Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “To believe is to obey and to obey is to believe.”

Thus our actions testify to what we believe.

If we truly believe that God is our Provider, then we will not worry about our needs. If we truly believe that life on earth is temporary and we will live with God eternally, then we will not spend our days collecting stuff. If we truly believe that God’s ways bring freedom, then we will submit ourselves in obedience to Him, rather than trying to do things our way.

Therefore, obedience to God’s Word proves that we believe His Word is true. When our actions as well as our words proclaim that Jesus is the way to God, it brings God glory.

That is why Paul said to the Corinthians, “Men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ.”

~ Holy God, I want my actions to declare that You are Lord, not just my words. Help me to walk in obedience to Your commands.

Questions: Do you agree with Bonhoeffer’s statement? What are some examples of things you say you believe but aren’t living out that belief? What is one area of your life where you can bring God glory with your obedience?

About the Author:  http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/suzanne-benner/

Jehovah-Hayah; The Self-Sufficient Lord

Published by TruthMedia on March 11, 2008 in Devotional For Women. 14 Comments

by Gail Rodgers

**Come chat with us today about God’s great love. Are you experiencing that love? http://thelife.com/interactive/chat.html

The writer of Proverbs 30:4 uses rhetorical questions to express God’s greatness. He asks:

“Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of his hands?  Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the end of the earth? What is his name…?”

He is Jehovah-Hayah, the all - knowing, all - powerful and ever present God who possesses the heavens and the earth and is the architect and maker of all things. He is the one who is the architect of your life. He cannot be comprehended and yet he cannot act apart from His love for us.

~Lord God,
Today I praise You and thank You that You alone possess the heavens and the earth. You alone are the Builder and Maker of all things. Thank you that You never cease to be the architect of my life as well. Even though You traverse the universe and majestically hold   all power, all knowledge and all creativity, You still take the time for and interest in my life. Your word tells me You think about me all the time and You desire to work in me and through me. You want to fulfill me in who You created me to be.

How often I keep You at bay and feel I need to be the builder of all things in my life. How often I believe I need to be the knowledgeable one and the creative one. How often I forget Your majesty and feel I need to manage all the details of my life.

Today I acknowledge that I cannot do this. I need You today to guide me through the maze of my own creation. Today I need You to plant Your peace firmly in the center of my heart and mind. Today I need the reminder that You alone possess the reins of my life as you possess the heaven and the earth.

I lean into Your power and might today. Forgive me for trying to be the all powerful one in my own circumstances. I lay my day and my life at Your feet and ask You to be the Builder and the Maker of all that I am and do this day. In the strong name of Jesus, with thanksgiving, I pray, amen.

Questions: How does knowing and believing what we have read about God today affect your daily living at work, at home, etc.?  What are some ways God has shown His love to you personally?

About the Author:  http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/gail-rodgers/

Trust in God

Published by TruthMedia on March 10, 2008 in Devotional For Women. 12 Comments

by Muriel Larson

**Are you living with a secret which is distracting you from a life of trusting in God? http://thelife.com/study/behindmasks.html?section=behindmask

 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me”—Jesus (John 14:1).

"I love you, Mommy; but I love God better. He’s the greatest!" my eight-year-old daughter Lori told me. Even though I had tenderly cared for her all her life, she had also come to have such great faith in the Lord that she loved Him better than anyone on earth. She had just received Him as her Savior.

She also said, "I wish I could go to heaven now while I’m little so I could sit on Jesus’ lap!"

No wonder the Lord Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4).

LET GO - LET GOD

Shortly before Jesus was crucified, He fortified His disciples with many teachings and assurances. His discourse gave us one of the greatest passages in the Bible: John chapters 14-17. And it began with one of the greatest exhortations, found in John 14:1 (See above.)

Oh, the hearts of so many people in this world, even Christians, are troubled! They are full of anxiety, oppressed by depression and worry. But Jesus said, “Now stop it. Let go of all that anxiety. Trust in God! Trust also in me!”

LETTING GO OF THE PAST

Unfortunately, many can’t seem to trust in God because of past experiences they have had with human beings. It’s a good thing the Lord didn’t judge things on that basis! The crowds followed Him, listened to Him speak, saw Him heal people and do miracles. Later many people picked up rocks to stone Him, cried for his blood before Pilate, jeered at Him as He hung on the cross in order to wash their sins away.

Later, the religious leader Saul led a crowd to stone to death Stephen, one of Christ’s great followers. Saul started a crusade to jail and kill Christians. And on the road to Damascus Jesus reached down, lifted him up, opened his spiritual eyes—and called him to become one of His greatest missionaries of all time–and gave him a new name: Paul.

Many backslidden Christians think that God won’t help them because of the kind of lives they have led. Not so! The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

And while we’re at it, in order to have Christ’s perfect peace, we need to obey the Lord and forgive all those who hurt us. He can help us do that too.

If we take our eyes off of human beings, and look up trustingly to the Lord, He will forgive, help, and heal us—and use us for His glory.

                As the grand old hymn says,
                Trust and obey—For there’s no other way
                To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.

Questions: How can we forget all the bad things that happened to us or the bad things we did? How can we steadfastly trust in the Lord with all our hearts?

About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/muriel-larson/

Love is Patient and Kind

Published by TruthMedia on March 9, 2008 in Devotional For Women. 27 Comments

by Katherine Kehler

**Are you going through struggles today and you have no idea what to do next? Let us walk this path together with you. We want to help. http://thelife.com/interactive/ask.html

“…Love never gives up. Love cares for others more than for self…” (1 Corinthians 13:7 The Message).

Someone shared this story with me and it reminded me of how often we make judgements about situations or people without knowing all the facts.  How wrong we can be:

A man was travelling home by bus, when the bus stopped, a father with several children got on.  The children were very unruly.  They wouldn’t sit still.  They kept changing seats and were fighting.  They were doing all the annoying things that children do when parents don’t control them.

The father had taken the seat beside the first man, who by now was getting more annoyed by the minute, thinking, “Why doesn’t he say something to control his children?”  Finally, he could take it no longer. He turned to the father and blurted, “Your children are out of control.  Why don’t you do something?”

“Yes,” the father replied, “I suppose you are right. But you see, we have just come from the hospital.  Their mother died this morning. They don’t know how to handle it and neither do I.”

Wow!  Talk about blowing it.

So often our judgements are based on outward appearances only. We make them on hearsay or base them on our limited knowledge and experience.  But, thankfully, God looks at people’s hearts.  Isaiah 11:3 has this to say about God: “He will not judge by the way things look.  He will not judge by what people say.”

The more we allow Christ to take control of our lives, the less likely we will be to make quick judgements about people or believe rumours.  As we ask Him to put His love in our hearts we will become more like Him.

~Lord Jesus, Your love is perfect.  Thank You for being so patient and kind with us. When You judge and discipline us, it is because You have all the facts and it is truth. Love always rules everything You do. We, on the other hand, are so often harsh and self-righteous when analysing the actions of others. Today, we confess our critical and unkind attitudes to You and ask Your Spirit to enable us to be patient and kind. Amen.

Questions: How does it make you feel knowing that God knows why you do certain things and that He judges you accordingly? Why is it so important to allow Christ to control our lives?

About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/katherine-kehler/

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