Philippians 4:12-13
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
In today's western culture, there is one thing that reigns in supreme importance over the minds of most of society: convenience. We are so focused on getting things done as soon as we need them done. We get frustrated over slow computers, long lines, dysfunctional technology, traffic and anything else that hinders our "need" to have the things we want right away. We are so easily discontented with situations that inconvenience us, and so often this discontent can overwhelm and control our day-to-day lives. God calls us here in His word to do something so counter-cultural, so unheard of in our society: to be content in whatever situation we face and do everything in the Lord. Once we allow God into our lives and allow Him to become our strength, we are filled with an incredible joy that overpowers any circumstance we face, and we are greatly empowered in the power of our God. With God's strength within us, even the most impossible situation we face in life becomes possible because God enables us to do all things through His strength. All we have to do is lay down our guard so that He may come into our hearts, and His strength will enable us to do all things through Him.
Open up to God about what you are not content with in your life, and how it's affecting you in this moment right now. Talk to Him about what being strong means to you, and about the weaknesses you are facing in your life. If you feel God leading you, invite Him into your heart and allow His presence to fill you life. Ask Him to empower you with His strength so that you may be enabled to do all things in Him, even to be content in every situation. Rest in this moment, and the joy the presence of the Lord brings into your life.
I pray that the strength of God would empower you greatly throughout today that your soul may rest and be content. I hope everyone has a marvelous day!
Madelynn
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Hope
Psalms 42:11
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God
It's so easy to go throughout life and become downcast over even the littlest things. Even when life seems to be going fantastic, we always find a way to uncover something to worry about and bring us down. Many of us let all the little things that bring us down build up, until it overwhelms us and almost controls us. We search for hope in so many of the things that this world has to offer us, and yet we always come up empty and short-handed of hope. But here in God's word we find that there is a true source of hope that will always uplift us: God. His unfailing love and matchless light shines so brightly on our souls that we cannot help but turn our faces up to the God of grace and find the hope we seek in Him. He takes our lives, even in our most broken state, and restores us into a beautiful masterpiece. In Him there is no sadness, nor hurt, nor pain of any extent. There is only hope that will never fail and fills us whole. A hope that He so deeply desires for us to take hold of and trust in. And a hope that draws sweet praises from our lips and illuminates a contagious joy within our souls.
Talk to God about the things that are weighing on your soul and causing you to become downcast, even the littlest thing. Open up to Him about what hope you have, and where you have been seeking that hope. If you feel God leading you, invite Him into your heart and allow Him to lift up your face to His light and love that will shine the brightest hope into your life. Allow the presence of His Holy Spirit to work within you in this moment, and rest in this moment and the hope that has been unveiled in your heart.
I pray that this word would fill you with a deep, sustaining hope in God throughout your day and empower you in Him. I hope everyone has an amazing day!
Madelynn
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God
It's so easy to go throughout life and become downcast over even the littlest things. Even when life seems to be going fantastic, we always find a way to uncover something to worry about and bring us down. Many of us let all the little things that bring us down build up, until it overwhelms us and almost controls us. We search for hope in so many of the things that this world has to offer us, and yet we always come up empty and short-handed of hope. But here in God's word we find that there is a true source of hope that will always uplift us: God. His unfailing love and matchless light shines so brightly on our souls that we cannot help but turn our faces up to the God of grace and find the hope we seek in Him. He takes our lives, even in our most broken state, and restores us into a beautiful masterpiece. In Him there is no sadness, nor hurt, nor pain of any extent. There is only hope that will never fail and fills us whole. A hope that He so deeply desires for us to take hold of and trust in. And a hope that draws sweet praises from our lips and illuminates a contagious joy within our souls.
Talk to God about the things that are weighing on your soul and causing you to become downcast, even the littlest thing. Open up to Him about what hope you have, and where you have been seeking that hope. If you feel God leading you, invite Him into your heart and allow Him to lift up your face to His light and love that will shine the brightest hope into your life. Allow the presence of His Holy Spirit to work within you in this moment, and rest in this moment and the hope that has been unveiled in your heart.
I pray that this word would fill you with a deep, sustaining hope in God throughout your day and empower you in Him. I hope everyone has an amazing day!
Madelynn
Monday, August 13, 2012
The Perfect Friend
John 15:13-15
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Look back for a moment and reflect on the friendships you have right now in your life and the ones that you've had in the past. Think about how long they've lasted, how they started and maybe how they ended. Friendships often have a huge impact on us and others, and sadly are temporary in most cases. Friendships are designed to share love between friends and build others up here on Earth. And while many of us feel that there is at least one person that none could compare to, there is One who surpasses any relationship we could ever form here on Earth. God is the best friend we could ever invest our lives in if we just let Him into our hearts. He laid down His life for us so that we may have life in Him, and He is love itself. He has every right to call us His servants with all the power He holds, but He chooses to humble Himself and call us His friends. He shares unfathomable wisdom with us through His words, and He builds us up in a way that none other can. God truly is the perfect friend to which none could compare, and He so desires for you to embrace this incredible friendship that He offers you. All we have to do is accept Him in our hearts as our friend and savior and walk in the light of this divine relationship.
Open up to God about the relationships in your life. Talk to Him about any conflict you may be facing, or even if things are going fantastic, simply open up in conversation to God. If you feel Him leading you, accept His love in your heart and ask Him to guide you to walk in the light of this amazing friendship between you and Him. Rest in this moment knowing that the best friend you could ever have is living and breathing within you, guiding you all the way home.
I pray that this incredible relationship with God would give you peace and guidance throughout today. I hope you all have an amazing day!
Madelynn
Look back for a moment and reflect on the friendships you have right now in your life and the ones that you've had in the past. Think about how long they've lasted, how they started and maybe how they ended. Friendships often have a huge impact on us and others, and sadly are temporary in most cases. Friendships are designed to share love between friends and build others up here on Earth. And while many of us feel that there is at least one person that none could compare to, there is One who surpasses any relationship we could ever form here on Earth. God is the best friend we could ever invest our lives in if we just let Him into our hearts. He laid down His life for us so that we may have life in Him, and He is love itself. He has every right to call us His servants with all the power He holds, but He chooses to humble Himself and call us His friends. He shares unfathomable wisdom with us through His words, and He builds us up in a way that none other can. God truly is the perfect friend to which none could compare, and He so desires for you to embrace this incredible friendship that He offers you. All we have to do is accept Him in our hearts as our friend and savior and walk in the light of this divine relationship.
Open up to God about the relationships in your life. Talk to Him about any conflict you may be facing, or even if things are going fantastic, simply open up in conversation to God. If you feel Him leading you, accept His love in your heart and ask Him to guide you to walk in the light of this amazing friendship between you and Him. Rest in this moment knowing that the best friend you could ever have is living and breathing within you, guiding you all the way home.
I pray that this incredible relationship with God would give you peace and guidance throughout today. I hope you all have an amazing day!
Madelynn
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Greatness
John 3:30
He must become greater; I must become less.
We live in a world that has a major focus set on greatness. Ever since we were born, we have been pushed and taught to perform our best so that we can achieve the best. And any achievement of greatness that we obtain satisfies our hunger for pride that the world causes us to deeply crave. We build ourselves up on pride and what the world defines as greatness, constantly working to make ourselves greater and better. However, whenever our lives revolve around making ourselves greater, we end up empty because we are chasing after an endless cycle hat never fully satisfies us. Our lives were designed before we were even born to revolve around God. It's a necessity in every part of our lives for God to be at the center. God desires for us to humble ourselves before Him so that He may flow abundantly into our lives and become our life source. Once we remove ourselves from our worldly pedestal and focus on the greatness of God, that is when we are satisfied and carrying out the purpose that God crafted us to fulfill.
Open up to God about what greatness means to you, and how it has played a part in your life. Talk to Him about any battles with pride or insecurity you may be facing. If you feel God leading you, humble yourself in this moment before Him that He may come into your heart and bring you to life in His light. Commit to God to always strive to put Him before yourself that you may satisfy that need of humbly living in the greatness of God.
I pray that this word would humble you and give you peace throughout today in knowing that God is in control of your life and that He is guiding you in the incredible purpose He has set before you. I hope you all have a fantastic day!
Madelynn
He must become greater; I must become less.
We live in a world that has a major focus set on greatness. Ever since we were born, we have been pushed and taught to perform our best so that we can achieve the best. And any achievement of greatness that we obtain satisfies our hunger for pride that the world causes us to deeply crave. We build ourselves up on pride and what the world defines as greatness, constantly working to make ourselves greater and better. However, whenever our lives revolve around making ourselves greater, we end up empty because we are chasing after an endless cycle hat never fully satisfies us. Our lives were designed before we were even born to revolve around God. It's a necessity in every part of our lives for God to be at the center. God desires for us to humble ourselves before Him so that He may flow abundantly into our lives and become our life source. Once we remove ourselves from our worldly pedestal and focus on the greatness of God, that is when we are satisfied and carrying out the purpose that God crafted us to fulfill.
Open up to God about what greatness means to you, and how it has played a part in your life. Talk to Him about any battles with pride or insecurity you may be facing. If you feel God leading you, humble yourself in this moment before Him that He may come into your heart and bring you to life in His light. Commit to God to always strive to put Him before yourself that you may satisfy that need of humbly living in the greatness of God.
I pray that this word would humble you and give you peace throughout today in knowing that God is in control of your life and that He is guiding you in the incredible purpose He has set before you. I hope you all have a fantastic day!
Madelynn
Friday, August 10, 2012
Wake Up Call
Ephesians 5:14
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
It's so easy to live out our lives and come to a point where we feel like we are just sleep walking through life. We go throughout our day-to-day lives often in the same mundane pattern, and often we find ourselves stuck in a rut, not really going anywhere but through the motions. When we enter into this deep period of spiritual sleep in our lives, we feel lifeless and a little empty, like we're missing that something that we need to wake us up from our slumber. God is that thing our souls crave and desire when we've been caught in the motions of this life. He is the wake up call telling us to rise and experience the light of the morning, to no longer live in the dark. Even when we know we need to wake up, so often we hit snooze on our spiritual wake-up calls and go back into our sleep because we don't want to leave the comfort of what we already know. But when we wake up and answer God's call to life, we are overwhelmed by the light our souls need in order to live. As we rise from the dark and lift our faces to God's morning light, we absorb the light Christ so willingly shines on us and find ourselves incredibly satisfied in the light of true life.
Open up to God about where you are in your life right now, whether it be in a deep spiritual slumber or a light filled life in Christ. He deeply desires to hear what's weighing on the heart inside you that He so fearfully and wonderfully created. If you feel God leading you, ask Him to come into your heart and wake up any part of your life that may be caught in a spiritual sleep so that you may experience the fullness of life in Christ. Cherish this moment as your heart wakes up to a beautiful new life in Christ's light.
I pray that your new life in the light of Christ would give you an incredible joy throughout today.I hope you all have an amazing day!
Madelynn
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
It's so easy to live out our lives and come to a point where we feel like we are just sleep walking through life. We go throughout our day-to-day lives often in the same mundane pattern, and often we find ourselves stuck in a rut, not really going anywhere but through the motions. When we enter into this deep period of spiritual sleep in our lives, we feel lifeless and a little empty, like we're missing that something that we need to wake us up from our slumber. God is that thing our souls crave and desire when we've been caught in the motions of this life. He is the wake up call telling us to rise and experience the light of the morning, to no longer live in the dark. Even when we know we need to wake up, so often we hit snooze on our spiritual wake-up calls and go back into our sleep because we don't want to leave the comfort of what we already know. But when we wake up and answer God's call to life, we are overwhelmed by the light our souls need in order to live. As we rise from the dark and lift our faces to God's morning light, we absorb the light Christ so willingly shines on us and find ourselves incredibly satisfied in the light of true life.
Open up to God about where you are in your life right now, whether it be in a deep spiritual slumber or a light filled life in Christ. He deeply desires to hear what's weighing on the heart inside you that He so fearfully and wonderfully created. If you feel God leading you, ask Him to come into your heart and wake up any part of your life that may be caught in a spiritual sleep so that you may experience the fullness of life in Christ. Cherish this moment as your heart wakes up to a beautiful new life in Christ's light.
I pray that your new life in the light of Christ would give you an incredible joy throughout today.I hope you all have an amazing day!
Madelynn
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Give to Get
Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Serving. It's something few want to do to others, but many want done to them. It's an action that requires us to humble ourselves and put the needs of someone else before us. Many of high position are reluctant to do it, while others often have serve to in order to survive. However, the one man that walked this Earth who held the highest position of all- the king of kings and perfect in every way, with intelligence and wisdom not even the wisest could understand, and hands that crafted the universe and the very world in which we live- He was the humblest of all. Even though He was the son of God, He still served those He created, even when He was not served in return. He served in the greatest way possible, in a way that none could ever live up to: He humbled himself to the death of a cross, and put all in the world before Himself in that moment. And He calls us to serve too. We don't have to give our lives on a cross for others, but God does desire for us to serve even in the smallest way so that others may see His love in us. When we serve, we are giving a gift to the people we are serving. Serving is a gift that is not fleeting, and leaves a lasting impact on the person you reached out to. And it is not only a gift to others, but a gift to ourselves. Serving bring us joy and peace in knowing that God is working through us. It allows God to work powerfully with purpose within us to show the world His love. And it creates a positive transformation on the lives around us and in our own lives as we serve.
Open up to God about what serving means to you, and how serving and being served has impacted you in your life. If you feel God leading you, invite Him into your heart that He may transform you into the beautiful creation that He designed you to be, and ask Him to guide you to show His love to others through serving. Ask Him to lay on your heart anyone that He wants you to serve. You'll be surprised who He brings into your life sometimes. Rest in this moment knowing that God is working powerfully within you.
I pray that this word would challenge you to serve today, and empower you as God works within you. I hope everyone has an awesome day! :)
Madelynn
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Serving. It's something few want to do to others, but many want done to them. It's an action that requires us to humble ourselves and put the needs of someone else before us. Many of high position are reluctant to do it, while others often have serve to in order to survive. However, the one man that walked this Earth who held the highest position of all- the king of kings and perfect in every way, with intelligence and wisdom not even the wisest could understand, and hands that crafted the universe and the very world in which we live- He was the humblest of all. Even though He was the son of God, He still served those He created, even when He was not served in return. He served in the greatest way possible, in a way that none could ever live up to: He humbled himself to the death of a cross, and put all in the world before Himself in that moment. And He calls us to serve too. We don't have to give our lives on a cross for others, but God does desire for us to serve even in the smallest way so that others may see His love in us. When we serve, we are giving a gift to the people we are serving. Serving is a gift that is not fleeting, and leaves a lasting impact on the person you reached out to. And it is not only a gift to others, but a gift to ourselves. Serving bring us joy and peace in knowing that God is working through us. It allows God to work powerfully with purpose within us to show the world His love. And it creates a positive transformation on the lives around us and in our own lives as we serve.
Open up to God about what serving means to you, and how serving and being served has impacted you in your life. If you feel God leading you, invite Him into your heart that He may transform you into the beautiful creation that He designed you to be, and ask Him to guide you to show His love to others through serving. Ask Him to lay on your heart anyone that He wants you to serve. You'll be surprised who He brings into your life sometimes. Rest in this moment knowing that God is working powerfully within you.
I pray that this word would challenge you to serve today, and empower you as God works within you. I hope everyone has an awesome day! :)
Madelynn
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Equality
Galations 3:28 (NIV)
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
All of us are guilty of judging someone at some point in our lives. All of us have looked down on a person for something, and all of us have looked up to and compared ourselves to others. No matter how much we may hate to admit it, we have all struggled with facing inequality in some form at one point in our lives. And it seems today that inequality is a struggle that is growing more and more, something that is becoming a monster and overtaking many people's views. Inequality is a monster that so many of us try to passionately fight and defeat, however, in that process so many of us become the monster itself. The God who fearfully and wonderfully crafted each and every single one of us did not design us to be monsters. He created us all equally with a love filled purpose. Every person from every background and every view is one of God's beloved children that He willingly sacrificed His life for by an incredibly painful death. He didn't die just for the Christians. He didn't die just for the broken. He died for all, because in His eyes we are all His equally loved children. God calls us all to step up to a challenge that all too many deny: to reflect Him by loving everyone equally, completely abandoning any circumstance or condition, just as Christ did on that cross.
Open up to God about any struggle you face with inequality. Talk to Him about any person you may look down upon, or show special favoritism to and why you do so. Come to Him honestly, not holding anything back. As hard as some things are to admit sometimes, God wants desperately to hear from His child. If you feel Him leading you, invite Him into your heart that He may overwhelm you with His unconditional love. Ask Him to guide you to share this vast, uncontainable love to every person you encounter, abandoning any judgements or conditions. Rest in this moment and cherish the love that God willingly gives you.
I pray that God's word would drive you to reach out to someone today out of the love He's given you, and I pray that this love would give you peace and strength throughout today. I hope everyone has an awesome day! :)
Madelynn
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
All of us are guilty of judging someone at some point in our lives. All of us have looked down on a person for something, and all of us have looked up to and compared ourselves to others. No matter how much we may hate to admit it, we have all struggled with facing inequality in some form at one point in our lives. And it seems today that inequality is a struggle that is growing more and more, something that is becoming a monster and overtaking many people's views. Inequality is a monster that so many of us try to passionately fight and defeat, however, in that process so many of us become the monster itself. The God who fearfully and wonderfully crafted each and every single one of us did not design us to be monsters. He created us all equally with a love filled purpose. Every person from every background and every view is one of God's beloved children that He willingly sacrificed His life for by an incredibly painful death. He didn't die just for the Christians. He didn't die just for the broken. He died for all, because in His eyes we are all His equally loved children. God calls us all to step up to a challenge that all too many deny: to reflect Him by loving everyone equally, completely abandoning any circumstance or condition, just as Christ did on that cross.
Open up to God about any struggle you face with inequality. Talk to Him about any person you may look down upon, or show special favoritism to and why you do so. Come to Him honestly, not holding anything back. As hard as some things are to admit sometimes, God wants desperately to hear from His child. If you feel Him leading you, invite Him into your heart that He may overwhelm you with His unconditional love. Ask Him to guide you to share this vast, uncontainable love to every person you encounter, abandoning any judgements or conditions. Rest in this moment and cherish the love that God willingly gives you.
I pray that God's word would drive you to reach out to someone today out of the love He's given you, and I pray that this love would give you peace and strength throughout today. I hope everyone has an awesome day! :)
Madelynn
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