The Truth is the truth. It doesn't matter who knows it or believes it; it is still The Truth.
Wise words spoken by my husband on a day when my heart was overwhelmed by lies. Over and over that day, the actions and words of people said to me...you are rejected, you are forgotten, you are a failure. Lies, lies, lies! The devil knows my wounded places...the places where I used to believe that his lies were truth. It hurts when I get hit in those spots, but no longer to the point of desperation.
People may not know or believe or speak the truth, but I know and believe GOD's Truth about me! I am loved! I am His precious daughter! I am chosen by Him! He has a plan and a purpose for my life! I am God's workmanship! I am fearfully and wonderfully made! I am a friend of God! And much, much more!
Even when the storm of lies threatens to overwhelm me, I believe God's Truth about me and I am convinced it is THE TRUTH! And that is where I am going to dwell.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
peace, be still
That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, Just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Mark 4:35-39
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Have you ever felt like you were in that boat with Jesus and the disciples? In the midst of a furious squall with waves battering the boat and wondering, "Jesus, don't you care if I drown?" I was there one day this week. The storm was raging around me and wave after wave of lies from the enemy knocked me off my feet. With everything in me, I was trying not to be pulled under into a place of despair where the lies become truth in my heart.
When I arrived home that evening, my husband said, "Go for a walk." He knows that my ears are more attuned to God when my feet are moving. It wasn't long before I heard THE quiet whisper in my spirit saying, "Peace, be still!" The lies were silenced and my heart and my mind and my spirit were still. Peace is a glorious thing and a gift from God!
I believe that God has given us the ability to speak "peace, be still" to the storms in our lives. Romans 8:11 says that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is living in us who are Christians and will give life to our mortal bodies. In that case, our words have life and power in them. Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 and the Bible is filled with verses about peace, including my favorite in Philippians 4. It is obviously a gift that God has given to us and He wants us to receive it.
We can speak the words of Jesus, peace, be still, to ourselves and the circumstances around us before the waves overtake us. That's a habit I want to develop!
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Have you ever felt like you were in that boat with Jesus and the disciples? In the midst of a furious squall with waves battering the boat and wondering, "Jesus, don't you care if I drown?" I was there one day this week. The storm was raging around me and wave after wave of lies from the enemy knocked me off my feet. With everything in me, I was trying not to be pulled under into a place of despair where the lies become truth in my heart.
When I arrived home that evening, my husband said, "Go for a walk." He knows that my ears are more attuned to God when my feet are moving. It wasn't long before I heard THE quiet whisper in my spirit saying, "Peace, be still!" The lies were silenced and my heart and my mind and my spirit were still. Peace is a glorious thing and a gift from God!
I believe that God has given us the ability to speak "peace, be still" to the storms in our lives. Romans 8:11 says that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is living in us who are Christians and will give life to our mortal bodies. In that case, our words have life and power in them. Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 and the Bible is filled with verses about peace, including my favorite in Philippians 4. It is obviously a gift that God has given to us and He wants us to receive it.
We can speak the words of Jesus, peace, be still, to ourselves and the circumstances around us before the waves overtake us. That's a habit I want to develop!
Monday, January 15, 2018
take a step back
For the majority of my 48 years, I have allowed my emotions to rule my life. God gave humans emotions because He wanted us to experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23). But way back in the Garden of Eden, our enemy, the devil, saw the perfect opportunity to take advantage of our weaknesses. If he could convince us that our emotions were truth, then he could use them to manipulate us and separate us from God. The devil has been using our feelings against us since the beginning of time. Why should he come up with a new tactic when the old one still works just as well?
I admit, that my natural tendency (and habit!) is to react immediately, especially when my feelings are hurt or if I feel threatened. The devil convinced me long ago that feelings of rejection, failure, exclusion, and fear were my reality and I did everything in my own power to avoid feeling them. At the same time, I perceived the world through the filters of rejection, failure, exclusion, and fear and I expected them. What a tangled web of deception the devil had spun in my brain! Thank God, He has shown me THE truth and set me free!!!
Years ago, a friend said to me...take a step back. Look at the situation from a different perspective. Step out of the middle of your emotions so you can see clearly. Take a deep breath before you react to something that probably isn't reality. My feelings are not the truth...especially when I am tired! God is teaching me to take a step back when I feel emotions that are not from Him. Stepping back gives me time to ask God to give me His perspective and speak TRUTH to my spirit. Stepping back keeps me from reacting. I'm not an expert. I'm learning this new skill. I will continue to practice and take a step back!
I admit, that my natural tendency (and habit!) is to react immediately, especially when my feelings are hurt or if I feel threatened. The devil convinced me long ago that feelings of rejection, failure, exclusion, and fear were my reality and I did everything in my own power to avoid feeling them. At the same time, I perceived the world through the filters of rejection, failure, exclusion, and fear and I expected them. What a tangled web of deception the devil had spun in my brain! Thank God, He has shown me THE truth and set me free!!!
Years ago, a friend said to me...take a step back. Look at the situation from a different perspective. Step out of the middle of your emotions so you can see clearly. Take a deep breath before you react to something that probably isn't reality. My feelings are not the truth...especially when I am tired! God is teaching me to take a step back when I feel emotions that are not from Him. Stepping back gives me time to ask God to give me His perspective and speak TRUTH to my spirit. Stepping back keeps me from reacting. I'm not an expert. I'm learning this new skill. I will continue to practice and take a step back!
Thursday, January 4, 2018
the power of names
I recently read a book (Shine by Allison Allen...I highly recommend it!) that reminded me how powerful names are. Names give us purpose and identity, even when they are negative. Names stick to us, like a name tag announcing to the world, "Hello, my name is..." We may not even realize the name tags that we wear, and often we have taken on names that were never meant for us.
For many years, I wore the names fearful, rejected, and failure. Somewhere in my childhood and teenage years and young adulthood, I took hold of lies handed to me by the devil and I believed that those names were my truth. I held on to them and made them a part of me.
Praise God, He put people in my life who shine a light on my true identity! My parents named me Dawn. The literal meaning of my name is sunrise or break of day, but the spiritual meaning is even better. Dawn means beginning anew or joy and praise. Every time someone calls me by my given name, they are speaking that into my life! (If you don't know the spiritual meaning of your name, there are lots of books and websites that have them. I recommend finding out!) God has given me family, and pastors, and friends who speak the truth and remind me who God made me to be.
The Bible is filled with God's names for us. (Neil T. Anderson's book Victory Over the Darkness is an awesome compilation of Bible verses filled with God's truth about us.) He calls us chosen, friends, children of God, new creations, heirs of Christ, righteous and holy, God's workmanship, strong and courageous, and many more. My favorite is LOVED! God loves me and you! (See John 3:16)
My emotions lie to me every day. They try to tell me that my name is fearful or rejected or failure. But I know the truth! My name is Dawn...beginning anew, joy and praise! My name is LOVED, friend, chosen, strong and courageous! When I'm feeling fear or rejection or failure, I open my Bible and remind myself of my true names.
If you have held onto false names, let go of them! Open the Bible and fill your heart and your mind and your spirit with God's true names for you! Those names carry life and identity and purpose, and they are powerful!
For many years, I wore the names fearful, rejected, and failure. Somewhere in my childhood and teenage years and young adulthood, I took hold of lies handed to me by the devil and I believed that those names were my truth. I held on to them and made them a part of me.
Praise God, He put people in my life who shine a light on my true identity! My parents named me Dawn. The literal meaning of my name is sunrise or break of day, but the spiritual meaning is even better. Dawn means beginning anew or joy and praise. Every time someone calls me by my given name, they are speaking that into my life! (If you don't know the spiritual meaning of your name, there are lots of books and websites that have them. I recommend finding out!) God has given me family, and pastors, and friends who speak the truth and remind me who God made me to be.
The Bible is filled with God's names for us. (Neil T. Anderson's book Victory Over the Darkness is an awesome compilation of Bible verses filled with God's truth about us.) He calls us chosen, friends, children of God, new creations, heirs of Christ, righteous and holy, God's workmanship, strong and courageous, and many more. My favorite is LOVED! God loves me and you! (See John 3:16)
My emotions lie to me every day. They try to tell me that my name is fearful or rejected or failure. But I know the truth! My name is Dawn...beginning anew, joy and praise! My name is LOVED, friend, chosen, strong and courageous! When I'm feeling fear or rejection or failure, I open my Bible and remind myself of my true names.
If you have held onto false names, let go of them! Open the Bible and fill your heart and your mind and your spirit with God's true names for you! Those names carry life and identity and purpose, and they are powerful!
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