Affirmations to Start Your Day!

Affirmations to Start Your Day! 

Deuteronomy 14:2 tells me that I am treasured. This scriptures says,  "You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure." 

I am treasured. I am holy. I am chosen. I have been set apart. I am favored! I affirm myself in the Lord because I am Loved by God!

Crosswalk is one of my favorite publications. I find myself reading an article or two almost daily. Sometimes I just browse through the articles until I find something I need for the moment. I usually do this after I have read the Bible, or something I read in Crosswalk will lead me to God's word. Either way, there are many encouraging articles for Christians no matter what you need in your daily walk. 

 https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/women/-biblical-affirmation-to-start-your-day.html 

I am Blessed!

Only You!

 Only You! 

Psalms 147: 3 says, “God heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.”  

Who does not want their broken heart healed and their wounds bound up? Who does not want relief from a broken heart? It is a blessed kind of freedom only God can provide? When life happens in the worst kind of way, and leaves my heart broken and leaves me bound up in my emotions and fears, I turn to my Bible and search the scriptures for comfort and hope. 

I take in what I believe the scripture is giving me, at the exact moment that I need it. I think about the words on the pages, a lot. I see past them; I internalize them; I repeat them out loud and silently. I think about them until I understand what is taking place on the inside of me. I feel and  understand the peace overtaking me. I began to feel a sense of calm and inner strength.

I emerge myself in the scripture because I want my broken heart to be put back together again. I want healing from the aching pain I feel in the pit of my stomach. I want wholeness again. I want freedom from sorrow. I realize my answer is established inside the scripture. I read and pray the scripture back to Him, the author of these comforting words.

I say to Him, "Father God, I know You will heal my broken heart and You will bind up my wounds. The sorrow I feel is real. The loss I feel is real, and my hurting heart is real. But I know You are my Healer and I trust You."

I also say, "When I feel all these things, I feel the strong presence of You- my Lord.  I know Your presence is real. I know Your promises are real!

                                        

God loves each of us and He does heal our hurting broken hearts, but we have to let Him into our lives so healing can take place. At that moment, the feeling of peace and calm I receive lets me know everything is going to be fine. I realize that my life is meant for me to live in peace with a blessed freedom from the worries and cares of this world. 

When I feel like I am going through the storms all by myself, I know that I have someone walking by my side during the turbulent times.  I know that I am not alone during the times that I feel all alone, because I have You Lord- and only You!

 

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Temptation on Every Side

Temptation on Every Side

Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. NKJV"

        Today, I tend to think too much about how to avoid temptation, so I do not fall into Satan's traps. In my younger days, I did not think about needing to fight temptation. Being tempted by other kids was a real thing.  At that time, I did not see anything wrong with trying to hang and do what other kids did, within reason of course. It was never too bad or extreme, but Satan can take what we think is insignificant to trick us and trap us. I remember, as a teenager, saying, "Forget it; I'm going to have me some fun." Those were the words I told myself to explain giving in to temptation. 

        I was that teenage girl who occasionally defied my parents and did some of the things I wanted to do. My parents specifically told me not to do certain things or go certain places, and did. I was that young lady in college with the taste of freedom who did what I wanted to because I was away from my parents and thought I could. I was a clueless young lady who did not fully understand what it meant to be a wife and later a mother. I wanted everything my way, but I learned that it takes compromise when two people become one. Sometimes I can still be like her- that young wife. Yet, I am thankful, as I grow inwardly daily.

        I have had many weaknesses at different phases of my life. The saying goes, when you know better you do better. I knew better and still did things my way. Sometimes I still do what I want to do instead of what I should do. I believe God understands where I am in my growth and He knows my heart.

        Recently, I had an interesting conversation with a friend at work about how we are not unrelatable in our emotions and temptations. We were basically saying what Hebrews 4:15 says.  Sometimes when I mess up, I am harder on myself than I should be. Satan can tempt you and then beat you up about it, if you let him. I must remember that the High Priest understands me and sympathizes with me when I am tempted to lie, or tempted to tell that mean cashier the ugly truth about what I really think about her attitude. I am growing!

       Sometimes I sin when I am tempted, but Jesus (the High Priest) when tempted, did not sin. The good thing is He knows my weaknesses. We talked about Christ being an example for us and He demonstrates how we are to handle temptation; it is written in his Word. We can choose not to do what we are tempted to do. It is a decision. Christ was tempted in every way that we are and He experienced every emotion we have.  He understand us completely- certainly better than we understand ourselves.  He is the Creator; we are the created.

        Temptation comes in all forms and on every level of our life; it can show up on every side. The good news is we really can walk away from it and do the right thing like our High Priest, and we can feel good about our decision. 

Who is Grace?

 Who is Grace?

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is              made perfect in weakness." 

        I know I have vices. I know I have faults. I know my flesh is sinful. I know I am weak. I know all these things about myself. I know I have more growing to do.

        I also know that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. I also know that once I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, I was born again. I also know this means I have shed the old self and put on the new. I also know that His grace is more than enough for me and His power is made perfect in my weakness. I still make mistakes, but I have Grace. I still fall short sometimes, but I have Grace. I still fall down, but I have Grace. His Grace is sufficient! His Grace is more than enough to strengthen me when I get weak and mess up. 

        I know my Redeemer lives and His name is Grace. When I was a teenager, I remember being chastised a lot by some girls at school who did not like me. It made going to school hard for a long time. I did not tell my parents how hard some of my days were at school. One of the girls, in particular, lived two doors up the street. Our parents made us ride to school together. One week my sisters and I drove, and the following week, she and her sister would drive. 

        We had a good schedule worked out. Then it got messy. It seemed like time we pulled up at school, the trouble began. That was an uncomfortable time in my life, but I got through those difficult days as a teen.  As I grew older, a lot of other difficult days came behind them, and I got through those days too. Recently, I experienced some difficult days, but Grace got me through them. Grace continues to do what the scripture said it will do.   

        As a matter of fact, the tough days always seemed to know my address no matter where I'd moved to. Many years and several addresses later, the tough days still visits me from time to time. My Mama used to say, "Keep a prayer on your lips, because trouble will always find you." What Mama was saying is His grace is sufficient for you.

        Now that I am no longer a teenager, but a woman growing in a relationship with the Lord, I know his grace is sufficient for me. I understand what it means. Today, I am still growing and receiving help and strength from Grace. I can say this with such joy in my heart. 

        His grace was adequate all along during those younger difficult years and even more so today, because- I know Grace. Life is difficult, people can be difficult, but His grace is sufficient for you and it is sufficient for me too.

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