We Need God’s Help Connecting Truth and Love

Do you solemnly swear (affirm) to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

While no longer mandatory in every United States courtroom, we affirm this promise of truth with left hand placed on a book, right hand raised. 

The book remains closed, yet held as a mighty writing considered worthy to swear and affirm by.

The Bible. The Holy Scriptures. God’s truth to inspire man’s truth.

Yet, our present world often questions biblical principles as valid, relevant, or relatable. 

So, people try to convince us truth is relative. Culture whispers in our ear, We each have our own version of truth—and that’s okay.

We Need God’s Help With Truth

But it’s not okay. God’s Word not only never returns void, it also never goes out of style along with changing times. Consider how the Bible helps us live out our faith, a how-to manual for a godly life.

Because the more we are in God’s Word, the more we do the right thing, the godly thing, the Jesus thing, and do it all more often. 

The Bible describes truth as a fundamental characteristic of God, the Creator of all things, including truth. Biblical truth means that which is from God and born of God. Jesus, born of God, declared, “I am the truth” (John 14:6). 

God is Truth. And He is the giver of truth. 

Promises Even Though We Walk Through the Valley

Sometimes we travel on a journey we never chose. A valley experience. And the place I currently find myself. 

But I never made reservations, packed my bags, or headed off in that direction.

Besides, my heart’s GPS is wired to stay on the mountain top. Isn’t that what we secretly or openly wish the Christian life promised? 

Still, we often forget God’s glory and presence dwells wherever we are, and in whatever we go through. Further, the Bible says we will have trouble in this world, valleys to walk through. It’s not “if” but “when.”

Perhaps, you relate to valleys of emotional suffering, physical pain, heartbreak, tragedy, grief, spiritual warfare, or other.

Three years ago during another valley journey (no promises for how many life-valleys), the Lord revealed a comforting message of truth for any and all valleys. 

And it comes from two phrases and two passages in the Bible.

(1.) Even though. Psalm 23.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4, ESV). 

Part 2: 8 Powerful Head-to-toe Prayers in Scripture

Ever wondered how to pray over yourself and your loved ones from head to toe? In this 2-part series, we use Scripture to address some of the issues we face as believers.

Part 1 covered 1-4, prayers for our mind, eyes, ears, and mouth.

This week we discuss 5-8; shoulders, heart, hands, and feet. 

(5.) Shoulders

Often, we bear weight on our shoulders we were never meant to carry—only our heavenly Father. But Scripture also calls us to help lighten the load of others. 

Scripture:

In Isaiah 10, the Assyrians oppressed God’s people. The Lord promises judgment and to remove the burdens. “In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken” (verse 27a NIV). 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me…and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30 ESV.

“Then Jesus told them this parable: ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home’” Luke 15:3-5 NIV.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2 NIV.

Prayer: Lord, I carry burdens only meant for You. Please lift any worry and anxiety. Your burden is light and frees me to rest from the heaviness of life’s struggles. Grant me compassion to help carry the burdens of others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(6.) Heart

8 Powerful Head-to-toe Prayers in the Bible: Part 1

Often, we forget to pray specific, powerful prayers. Like prayers taken directly from God’s Word that are powerful when spoken over our lives.

So, in this 2-part series, we address 8 of the issues we face as believers from head to toe. And the powerful help we need from the Bible. 

This week we cover prayers for our mind, eyes, ears, and mouth. But, please, also use these powerful prayers for your spouse, children, family, and friends.

(1.) Mind

Scripture: 

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” Colossians 3:2 NIV.

“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but…from God, so that we may understand….We have the mind of Christ” 1 Corinthians 2:12,16 NIV. 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Romans 12:2a NIV. 

“…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable…think about such things” Philippians 4:8 NIV.

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV.

Prayer: Father God, You created my mind, so I submit it to Your care. Help me set my mind on eternal things. And taking every thought captive, making it obedient to Your truth. I cast out every lie from the enemy. Help me meditate on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and excellent of praise. Let Your Spirit renew my mind daily in Your Word. Give me the mind of Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Trust in the Lord or Lean on Our Own Understanding

“Our limited understanding can lead us astray.”

I don’t know about you, but that quote from my friend Beckie steps on my toes just a little…maybe a lot. Do you ever wonder what God’s doing? If He seems silent to your prayers? Or, what He’s up to in your life? And if He really has a handle on things or do you need to step in with plan B? Sadly, I have done each of those at some point.

This week, I’m sharing a guest post by an author I met at a writers conference and we soon became fast friends.

And I love her books that you’ll learn more about in her bio.

By Beckie Lindsey

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

This passage in Proverbs tells us if we trust in the Lord, we cannot also depend upon our own ability to understand everything God is doing.

However, most of us have a desperate desire to understand. And yet in so many areas, we must acknowledge we cannot always understand. It’s often frustrating and sometimes downright infuriating. 

The tension that we feel from our limited understanding is eased by a further look into Scripture. Here are a few reasons we are not to lean on our own understanding but rest in God’s:

We don’t have a clear picture, but God does. 

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV

A Peek Into My Journal for 25 Life-giving Thoughts

To journal is therapy for me…for my soul. I’ve always loved to journal, and during this season I’m currently walking through, I daily journal pages and pages.

Some thoughts the Lord reminded me He gave me in the past, but are helpful now. While others are fresh inspiration from the Lord.

So I’m letting you peek into my personal journal for 25 thoughts I hope encourage you and bring life to your soul.

Wholeness And Forgiveness

(1.) When life’s disappointments attempt to become my unwelcome friend, I remember Jesus calls me friend. Because He’s my best friend (John 15:5).

(2.) If people add injury to my pain, they are broken people in need of wholeness from Christ. Broke people break people. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” Psalm 147:3 ESV.

(3.) I must cling to the only sure hope in the darkness. Jesus. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” John 1:5 ESV.

(4.) Lord, place the cross and the blood of Jesus between me and the enemy, and between me and difficult people and circumstances. There’s nothing Your redemptive blood doesn’t cover. And there’s nothing it can’t redeem. 

(5.) When I can’t forgive others or if we can’t forgive ourselves, we are limiting God. We are saying He’s not able to give us supernatural ability to forgive. We are putting ourselves as a god above the God who is so loving, so merciful, and so kind that every time we repent, He gladly forgives. 

New Mercies And Promises

(6.) I’m so thankful for the power of prayer: that mountains still move, seas still part, mana still rains from heaven, and because God can raise the dead, ashes turn to beauty again. 

How to Raise a Hope-filled Hallelujah

Lord, I raise a hope-filled Hallelujah!

Honestly, I often find it difficult to raise any kind of Hallelujah! Especially when hope seems to have skipped town.

But there’s something you and I must know. We are never far from hope. And we are never far from a hope-filled Hallelujah.

Because who doesn’t need hope? Multiple times in life, I felt all hope was lost. 

(1.) Like my difficult childhood leading to issues in my adulthood.

(2.) When the good job and steady income suddenly ended.

(3.) When our second baby died in utero, leaving me with an empty womb and heart.

(4.) During my father’s month-long hospital stay and his passing away five days before Christmas.

Now, my family is currently walking through a dark valley where it feels like hope hides in the darkness.

Hope-less or Hope-filled

Yet, the false forms of hope the world always offered me in the past, faded and fizzled. They made me hope-less instead of hope-filled. 

So, I went on a search to find the kind of hope still standing when all else falls away. It needed a foundation in something other than this world—true substance and measure.

Although hope seems intangible in how it’s not seen or touched, it is something we can know exists and then grab ahold of. Therefore, the perfect place to search is God’s Word. 

A Promise: God Crowns the Year With Goodness

Crowns.

I imagine the three kings of Orient in a Christmas play. My mind’s eye pictures inauguration ceremonies of royal monarchs.

Perhaps we envision crowning moments of beauty pageants. Or, iconic Disney princesses displayed in crowns that dazzle.

I even think of paper crowns from Burger King. And plastic versions adorned with jewels…the finishing touch to a little girl’s costume.

God’s Promise of Goodness

But tucked inside God’s Word we find a unique meaning for crown. The action verb used to describe a calendar year.

“You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance” (Psalm 65:11 NKJV).

Sparks from New Year’s fireworks spark our intentions to make this year, the new year, better than ever. Still, what if we went into 2020 trusting in God’s promise of goodness?

Then, regardless of plans or goals or dreams, our ultimate hope lies in God’s goodness. Because we don’t always know what tomorrow holds, even after we’ve planned. None of us knew what last year would bring. So there’s not a sure-fire way to know what will transpire this year.

The Real Crowned King

But we can know this: God doesn’t change. He’s the real crowned King, the only promise-keeper who always keeps His promises.

What If I Let God Be God This year?

We just embarked on a brand new year. Besides parties, fireworks, and count downs to midnight, the term “brand-new” conjures up all kinds of hopes and dreams.

Although a new year brings excitement about what lies ahead. It may also bring uneasiness about what’s expected of us. Or, what we expect of ourselves.

For instance, I wonder, Do people presume I will do great things? 

Likewise, do you ever sense this kind of unrealistic pressure?

Then we make grandiose resolutions and plans and dream bigger and bigger with each passing year trying to top the previous one. 

But if you have followed this blog for a while, you know I never make resolutions. There’s too much burden in making, keeping, measuring, and probable failing at my resolve to change or better myself or an area of my life.

Yet, I like to reflect on the preceding year. Reflection helps me process areas of my life, and consider how to pursue my passions with a passion in the upcoming twelve months.

Still, I realized any new year is not all about me. Or even if I do great things. Instead, it requires roots in something or someone greater than me. And so during my contemplation, a thought would not let go of me: 

What if I let God be God this year? 

What will the new year hold if I simply let God do His job as God? And what if I let the Almighty reign over my decisions, circumstances, dreams, and life? 

Most importantly, isn’t He the only One who perfectly fills the role as God? No other person or god meets the requirements like our heavenly Father. He’s the most qualified and the most trustworthy. 

Therefore, I’m noting 3 ways we let God be G.O.D. this year.

A Christmas Series: The Gift of Grace

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17, NIV)

Christmas is only days away. And even though this marks the end of our series, I pray all 3 gifts (forgiveness, encouragement, and grace) continue to impact our lives in Christ. 

I chose gifts money cannot buy, yet are very valuable. In fact, these gifts are priceless. Also, I spent time asking the Lord which gifts to highlight. 

But this week, instead of waiting on God, I began researching an entirely different gift. Because I felt grace is widely discussed and covered.

Then, the Lord captured my attention when He whispered to my heart: 

Karen, grace is the greatest gift, a good and perfect gift (James 1:17) that came down from Me to you as my Son the first Christmas.

Grace Defined

(1.) Google defines grace as “courteous goodwill.” So I find it interesting how grace plays a major role in the Christmas story along with goodwill (desire to do good to others, act of kindness, charitable gift). 

An angel announced the Savior’s birth to shepherds, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” (Luke 2:13-14, NKJV, emphasis mine) 

The Savior embodies God’s grace and desire to do good to us and offer us kindness. And Jesus Christ remains the greatest act of charity (spiritually needy) known to mankind.