Offering of Thanks

Psalms 107:19-22 (NIV)

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them;

he rescued them from the grave.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

Let them sacrifice thank offerings

and tell of his works with songs of joy.


Each and every single one of us has been to a place where we have encountered distress in some form, whether it be through a deep sadness over a hardship, or frustration over an insurmountable task. As hard as this truth is to embrace, hardships are an unavoidable part of human life. Often we are left wounded and empty in the aftermath of our trials, and in the oppression of the damage left on our souls, it's easy for us to lose hope in being restored. However, there is hope for the broken. When we cry out from the bottom of our hearts to the Lord, He hears our pleas and works powerful restoration in our lives. Once we come to Him in our brokenness and desperation, inviting Him to come in to our hearts and be our healer, He restores us with His unfailing love and gives us new life in Him. He liberates us from our sins and give us a hope beyond our expectations, filling us with a joy in Him through it all. As we experience the depths of His grace and love in the restoration He brings to our souls, our hearts can't help but enter into a spirit of thanksgiving. It pleases God to see His children bringing Him offerings of thanksgiving as they have opened their hearts to His love. It makes His heart happy to see songs of joy and gratitude on our lips, to see His creation living lives of worship in adoration to their Father.

Take this moment to cry out to God from the bottom of your soul, bringing to Him all your troubles and burdens. If you feel God leading you, invite Him into your heart to restore you and be your Healer, for He so desires to make you whole in His love. As you experience the power of His grace and love at work within you, allow your soul to be overwhelmed in a spirit of thanksgiving for all that He is doing in your life. Allow this spirit of thanksgiving to fill your heart in all the days to come, and let it sustain you with an ever present joy found in the love of the Lord.

I pray that this would fill your heart with gratitude and joy throughout today. I hope you all have a marvelous day, and a happy thanksgiving!

Madelynn

Kindness

Isaiah 63:7 (NIV)

 

I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord,
the deeds for which he is to be praised,
according to all the Lord has done for us—
yes, the many good things
he has done for Israel,

according to his compassion and many kindnesses.

 

Each of us was designed to thrive off of relationships with others in our lives. God created us to be personal beings and connect with those we encounter everyday. For that reason, when a person shows compassion, love or kindness to us, it resonates in our hearts and impacts us, even if just in smallest way. However, when we open our hearts to experience the steadfast love and kindness of our Father, developing a deep relationship with Him, our souls are shaken by the impact of His greatness at work within us, and we are left humbled in the peace His presence brings. If we were to just sit and think of all the kindnesses He has blessed us with, we would be sitting and meditating on His kindness for the rest of our lives, for they are exceedingly infinite. No matter how dark our circumstances may seem in life, no matter how empty of love we may feel at times, God is constantly at work for our good, orchestrating a divine purpose for each one of us. Knowing that the Lord has done many good things in our lives, we should filled with a passion to show this same loving kindness at work in us to others that we encounter. Every person that we pass everyday has a need for love, and God so desires for us to share the same compassion He has showed us to others, for it is too great of a gift to be kept secret and hidden from others.

 

Open up to God about how these verses have touched your heart. Maybe you're yearning for the kindness and goodness of God in your life, or maybe you are struggling with showing kindness to a certain person. However these verses speak to you, bring it to God with an unveiled honesty. If you feel God leading you, invite Him into your heart so that you may experience His steadfast love and kindness powerfully at work within you. Give thanks to Lord for all the good things He has blessed you with, and bring praise to Him for his loving kindness. Rest in the peace the compassion of the Lord brings and anchor your soul in the goodness of His love. Allow your soul to fully cherish this moment and this time with God.

 

I pray that this brings peace to your heart today. Always remember that you are incredibly loved! I hope you all have an amazing day!

 

Madelynn

Worthy of Praise

Revelation 4:11 (ESV)

 

Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.

There are so many things today that people deem worthy of praise. Celebrities. Appearances. Relationships. Wealth. We have a never ending list of things that we praise in the world today. But how often do we stop and give praise to the one who is worthy of all praise, who created the Earth and all that is within it? So often we get caught up in singing the world's praises that we forget to give our praise to the one who is truly worthy of our adoration. God knows that He is truly the only One who can fill us up, and it breaks His heart to see us glorifying and worshipping the things of this world. He so desires for us to sit humbly at His feet in awestruck adoration of all that He is, giving thanks to Him for all that He has done. It is in that moment when we humble ourselves before the Father that we are overwhelmed with His powerful presence and experience the greatness of our creator God.

Come to God with all the things that you praise and worship today, no matter how big or small they may seem. If you feel God leading you, cast down all those things that you put on such a high pedestal and humble your heart before Him. Simply meditate on the indescribable greatness of our God in this moment, and allow your soul to enter into a spirit of adoration and thanksgiving to the Lord. He deeply desires for you to come to Him and love Him with reckless abandon just as He has loved you. Take this time to give God all glory, honor and power, for He is worthy and He divinely designed you with a purpose to live your life as an act of worship to Him.

I pray that this would bring you peace and joy today in the greatness of our God. I hope you all have a fantastic day today!

Madelynn

Be Still

Psalms 46:10-11 (NIV)

 

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

 

As the world seems to constantly increase its pace and thrive on busyness, being still is something that is often disregarded and overlooked. We push through our days with our sights firmly set on our plans and goals for our lives, going to any means to reach our desired destination. Many of us become overwhelmed as the pressures of the world grow heavier and heavier on our souls until we reach our point of breaking. Our bodies and souls were not designed to barrel through our lives without taking a moment to rest. We need rest and peace to sustain both our bodies and our souls. What we need is not an earthly peace that is fleeting and misleading, but rather a divine, heavenly peace that refreshes and nourishes our souls. If we allow our souls to truly rest in the presence of the Father, taking comfort and joy in simply knowing that God is sovereign, our souls become deeply rejuvenated as the Father restores us in His love. The peace that comes with ceasing to push our souls to the brink of breaking, and taking refuge in the greatness of our God is indescribable and is vital in allowing our souls to thrive and be sustained.

 

Take a moment to simply just pause in the middle of the chaos of your life and rest in the presence of the Lord. Be still in this moment and cherish the divine purpose of God that is working powerfully within you. Allow the Holy Spirit to move in you and instill in you a confidence in the sovereignty of our Father. Continue to allow your soul to rest for a few moments longer, truly savoring every sweet peaceful second that comes with resting in the presence of the Lord. As you rise from this moment of rest, let the peace you have found this moment be carried with you through out your day. God is here, He is with you and He will restore and sustain your soul.

 

I pray that this would give you peace in God's presence and restore in you a confidince in God's powerful purpose at work within you. I hope everyone has an amazing day!

 

Madelynn

Restoration

Psalms 51:10-12 (NIV)

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Many of us in our lives will come to a point when we feel so far from being fixed, so tainted by what we've done and guilt ridden from our actions. It is so easy to get pulled into the mind set that we are too far from grace to be healed, too deeply immersed in our sins to be purified. It breaks our Father's heart when we allow our hearts to be weakened and starved as we are fed the lies that our sins our too great to be forgiven. God holds in His heart an infinitely deep mercy that is readily available to all who seek His grace. He desperately wants for us to run into the refuge of His heart and experience His healing grace. As we come to Him with our brokenness and impurities that heavily burden our souls, seeking His forgiveness, He creates in us a pure heart, cleansed of sin and guilt and liberated in the unfailing love of our Savior. With this pure heart beating for God's purpose within us, a steadfast spirit embedded with a deep hunger for the love of God is continually renewed within us as we seek our Lord. The presence of the Holy Spirit moves powerfully within us as we experience a deep restoration through God's merciful love. With the rhythms of grace overwhelming our souls, we cannot deny the immense joy that comes with this deep restoration. As we are deeply filled with a merciful restoration overflowing with a sustaining joy, God creates a passion in us to pursue His perfect will that is constantly at work in our lives. All we have to do is run into the refuge of the heart of our Father and allow His restoring grace to heal our burdened souls.

Come to God with anything that is weighing you down in this moment, anything that is causing your heart to break or feeding any guilt within you. Let your heart be unveiled as you bring your wounds to your Father, for He so wants for you to humbly come to Him with raw honesty. If you feel God stirring in your heart, ask Him to create in you a pure heart and restore you with His unfailing grace. Be still in this moment and take joy in His love that is at work within you.

I pray that God's restoration in your life would fill you with an uncontainable joy throughout today and relieve you of any burdens that may be weighing on your heart. Let His will fill you with a passion and purpose as you carry out your everyday tasks. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Madelynn

Set Apart

2 Timothy 2:21

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

 

 

Everyday we walk through this world and are ambushed by the conformed standards that prove to hold such a gripping presence in our lives. We become weighed down by the darkness and the impurities that slowly creep into our hearts as we are molded and distorted by the world around us. Our hearts become buried beneath the filth that the world drags into our hearts, and as we attempt to push the dirt back further and further, we find we are only piling it higher and higher. It is so easy to be over burdened by the dishonorable things we accumulate throughout our lives, but our impurities are not something we have to be bound to; they are not permanent stains that we are forced to bear the shame of. Our hearts are able to be completely cleaned of every haunting transgression within us through the love filled purpose of Christ as we allow Him into our lives. Once we accept Christ into our hearts and bring to Him every burden of sin, He purifies us and fills us with His presence. As we are overflowing with the greatness of Christ at work within us, we become not of this world and are set apart through the purpose God has destined for each of us. Opening our hearts to God allows Him to use us in powerful ways for His good and perfect purpose. All we have to do is daily humble ourselves to His purpose that sets us apart and embrace God's love at work within us that is purifying us and guiding us down the straight paths He has set before us.

 

Open up to God about anything in your heart that is causing you feel guilty and burdened. As hard as it may seem, be completely open and honest with Him, for He so desires to hear from you, His child that He loves. If you feel God leading you, invite Him to come into your heart, purify you and set you apart for His incredible purpose in life. Take comfort in knowing that you no longer have to be chained to your mistakes but rather you can embrace the freedom that is found in the grace of God.

 

I pray that this empowers you today as a new creation in Christ, set apart for an amazing purpose. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

 

Madelynn

A Refuge in the Storm

Psalms 46:1-3 (ESV)

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

As much as we may go to great lengths to avoid trouble and desperation, hardships are something each one of us will encounter in some form in our lives. Often we turn to the things of this world or our own devices for refuge during the storms of life. We seek help in our Earthly desires in hope that they will satisfy us and make us happy, but come out more empty and broken than before. And when all things in the world fail us, we result to running away from our problems, running away from any help and pushing our burdens into the back of our hearts and minds, only giving them more room to grow and infect our thoughts and emotions. We run around confused and torn in the midst of our hardships, never knowing where to go to escape and experience a deep joy that heals all our wounds. God so desires to be the solution to our confusion, to be our healer in the midst of our pain. The doors of His heart are wide open for us to run in and take refuge in His perfect, all sustaining love. All we have to do is run, allowing God to break the chains of our burdens that ensnare us and free us to live in the protecting shadow of his overpowering love. For while it may seem that our world is giving way beneath our feet, like the mountains are crumbling around us and the storm is overwhelming us, we don't have to fear, we don't have to remain in despair. God is our refuge, our all sustaining one, our healer and He will guide us through our seemingly unconquerable circumstance. For through His strength and love that are constantly at work within us, all things are possible.

Come to God with any troubling circumstance that is oppressing you in this moment, no matter how big or how small. Allow your heart to be honest and unveiled before Him in this moment, openly admitting to Him how your hardships have affected your soul and any confusion you may be experiencing. If you feel God leading you, run to His heart and take refuge in His love. Pray that God will guide you through this storm and instill in you a confidence in His power. Simply rest and be still in this moment, allowing the peace that comes with taking refuge in God to overwhelm your troubled spirit.

I pray that this would give you peace in your storms today in knowing that God is an ever present help in through every obstacle life may throw you. I hope you all have a fantastic day!

Madelynn

Lavish Love

Ephesians 1:7-10 (NIV)

 
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

 

It is so easy for us to go through our lives and be overwhelmed by the guilt and emptiness within us. The conformity of the world that we live in can often starve our souls of the deep spiritual nourishment we need to be sustained in life. Our souls begin to wander in a dry and desert land, exhausted from the burdens of sin that we carry, longing for life water to quench the drought within us. God so deeply desires for us to come to Him with our burdens, our sins and our emptiness so that He may break the chains that bind us. He sent his beloved son Jesus to take our place on the cross and bear the weight of our sins. He has paid the price for our transgressions that burden us and so desires to lavish our thirsty souls with His unfailing grace and love. He wants for us to no longer walk in confusion as we stumble in the darkness, but rather allow His light to illuminate our souls and reveal to us the mysteries of His perfect purpose that he crafted for each one of us. The riches of His merciful love are held in the scarred hands of the Savior as He waits longingly for us to run into His arms and experience the grace-filled purpose He has designed for our lives. He is calling us to run, with open arms and open hearts, to fully embrace redemption and walk in the light of His wisdom and love at work in us.

 

Look into your heart in this moment and come to God with any burdens or sins you find weighing down your heart. If you feel God leading you, ask Him to search your heart and purify you of the sins that leave you empty. Pray that He would take your weary, empty spirit and lavish it with the amazing riches of His grace. Ask Him to allow His love and wisdom to work within you that He would reveal to you the incredible and unique purpose He has laid out for your life. He loves you deeply. Come to Him, lay down your heart and allow His redemption to work powerfully within you for restoration.

 

I pray that this gives your heart peace and a deep joy as you experience the riches of God's grace being lavished on your Soul. He loves you, and truly has an incredible purpose at work in your life. I hope everyone has a fantastic day!

 

Madelynn