She Believes 3
Category

She Believes 3 Devotion

Category
Prayers

HOW TO HOLD ON DURING A DIFFICULT SEASON

HOW TO HOLD ON DURING A DIFFICULT SEASON

I don’t know what you are going through at this present moment.  Perhaps this is a wonderful season of life for you, and everything that you are hoping for is falling right into place.  For some of you life may be very hard right now, and you are barely hanging on by a thread.

We all go through seasons, and some seasons are much harder than others. I have heard many times that it’s not what we go through, but how we choose to respond to what we are going through that matters.

If this is a tough season for you right now, I want to first encourage you to hang in there, and don’t allow the enemy to take any more ground than he has already taken.  Stand firm in your faith in God.  Trust that he will bring you through, in his perfect timing and in the way that is ultimately best for you.
Sometimes in hard seasons it’s easy to drift away from God, instead of turning towards God.  Let me encourage you to not walk, but run towards God during your difficult season.  When life seems like an unending tornado, he is your safe place.

Also, remember when it seems like it’s taking God forever to answer your prayers, there are always things going on behind the scenes that we are not aware of.  God is working it out. Be patient, his timing is different from our timing.   Because he has a plan for each of our lives, and he can see our future, the sequence of events that we encounter will be perfectly timed.

How To Hold On During A Difficult Season
  1. Pray, Pray, Pray!  Pray without ceasing.   Prayer will get you through.
  2. Stay close to God by staying close to his Word.  Read your Bible daily and he will guide you on important decisions that you may need to make.
  3. If you are in a Community Group through your Church ask them to keep you and your family lifted up in prayer.  If you are not in a Community Group ask   your Christian friends to pray for you.  There is much power where two or more are gathered in prayer.
  4. Journal your prayers.  Journaling your prayers is like pounding on the door of heaven.  I highly recommend it.  It also is a great way to process your thoughts  and feelings about what you are going through.
  5. Never ever give up on God or yourself.  Stay hopeful, keep trusting in God, and keep believing for your miraculous breakthrough, because it is coming, so hold     on!
    Scriptures:
    Psalm 55:22
    22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
    Psalm 56:3-4
    3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
    4     In God, whose word I praise—in God, I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
    Psalm 62:8
    8 Trust in him at all times, you people;  pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
    Isaiah 41:10
    10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
    Hebrews 13:6
    6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”[a]
    Psalm 121:1-8
    1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
    2 My help comes from the Lord,  the Maker of heaven and earth.
    3 He will not let your foot slip—  he who watches over you will not slumber;
    4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
    5 The Lord watches over you—   the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
    6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
    7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—  he will watch over your life;
    8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
    Psalm 9:9
    9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,  a stronghold in times of trouble.
    Psalm 32:7
    7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
    Psalm 27:5
    5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
    Psalm 18:2
    2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress , and my deliverer;  my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,  my shield[a] and the horn[b] of my salvation, my stronghold.
    Psalm 119:114
    114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
    Psalm 91
    1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
    2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
    3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
    4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
    5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
    6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
    7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
    8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked
    9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
    10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
    11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
    12 they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
    13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
    14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
    15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
    16 With long life I will satisfy him  and show him my salvation.”
    Psalm 23
    1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
    2     He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
    3     he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
    4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a]I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
    5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
    You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
    6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
    and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
        forever. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

 

by
Keep Reading
Prayers

Christ’s Resurrection, Our Eternal Life

Christ’s Resurrection, Our Eternal Life

For Christians all over the world, this week is quite significant, because it is considered Holy Week.  Holy Week is the week leading up to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Savior of the world.

This week as we meditate on the scriptures that lay out so clearly the sequence of the events leading up to Christ’s resurrection, we can only be grateful for the hope that we have in Christ.  No sacrifice has ever, and will ever match the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf.

As you prepare to spend time with your family and friends this Easter Sunday don’t forget to put God first in your celebrations.  In other words, make it about Him, and your gratitude for what He has done for you.  If you are tempted to put Him on the backburner that day, just ask yourself who else has died for me lately?

This should reel you back in pretty quickly.

Have a glorious Easter as you worship our King!

CHRIST DEATH
Mark 15:37-39
37 Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
39 When the Roman officer[a] who stood facing him[b] saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
CHRIST BURIAL
Mark 15:46-47
46 Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.
CHRIST RESURRECTION
Romans 6:8-11
8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
Mark 16:5-7 ESV
5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
Luke 24:6-7 NIV
6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”
Luke 24: 38-40
38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
OUR ETERNAL LIFE
John 11:25-26
25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[a] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
Romans 10:9
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Revelation 1:5-6
5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.

All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. 6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!   All praises to Christ our King, for He has risen!!!.

 

by
Keep Reading
Faith

What A Spring Break

9 We can make our plans,  but the Lord determines our steps.
Psalm 46:10
10 “Be still, and know that I am God! ……..
Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

For months my family and I anticipated Spring Break.  My husband is a teacher and traditionally I try to take a few days off during Spring Break, so that we can do something together.  This year our daughter even arranged her vacation time, around our Spring Break time so we could all be together.

My daughter and I had some things planned that we wanted to do. We wanted to visit some nearby towns that we don’t typically get to visit.  We even had shopping included in our activities.  As planned, to kick off our Spring Break activities, our family took a quick two-day trip last weekend to visit my mother and my sister.   We had an absolutely wonderful time.  Little did we know that would pretty much be the end of the fun for our Spring Break.

On Sunday morning of our weekend trip, I remember feeling super tired and just not feeling well at all as I was getting dressed.  I pushed through and the next day as we were packing to leave, I really started to feel worse.

The next morning after arriving back in town, I asked my husband if he could drive me to the doctor.  My suspicions were correct. I was sick.    When the doctor came back into the room, she announced that I had tested positive for Covid.  This was not what I wanted to hear at all.  I immediately called my daughter and suggested that she get tested, and she received that same news that I did.  She had Covid also.   What a Spring Break!    The good news is that my husband tested negative, so we were thankful for that.

Although this threw some rain on our little parade, and clouds over our plans, I can honestly say that as always, God knew what He was doing. His timing was perfect.  There was definitely a silver lining in our failed plans.  What better time to get sick than when you have no commitments for the week.  We were able to just rest, and my daughter definitely needed some R&R.   No one had to feel bad because they were taking off from work due to sickness.  We were able to simply rest and take care of ourselves.

Although my husband did not have Covid, he too was overdue for some much-needed rest.  So, our God planned Staycation was exactly what we needed, and He knew long before we did that, we would need it.

We still hope at some point to follow through on our initial plans, but clearly it will be in God’s timing not ours.
What I have learned over the years when things haven’t gone as I planned or hoped, is that God is still in control.

Sometimes He is redirecting me.  Sometimes He is simply saying rest, and sometimes He is protecting me.  And through it all I have learned to be content with His will for my life, because I know that He will only allow and do what’s best for me.

My hope for you, is that you too will also learn to be content even during times of disappointment, knowing that He knows what’s best for you. His blessings far outweigh our disappointments, so hang in there and be ever hopeful something good is always headed your way when you are a child of God!

 

by
Keep Reading
She Believes 3 Devotion

God Did It For Gideon

God Did It For Gideon

2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. 3 Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain[a] and go home.’” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight.
4 But the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.” 5 When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the Lord told him, “Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.” 6 Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream.
7 The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” 8 So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him.
The Midianite camp was in the valley just below Gideon.
Judges 7:22
22 When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

Have you ever noticed that whenever you are trying to accomplish something great or go to the next level in your life, the enemy does his best to distract or discourage you.  He has many tactics that he can pull out of his toolbox, but these are two of his most common ones and they are accomplished by the convincing lies that he whispers.

Earlier this week I almost fell prey to Satan’s tactics.  You see he went into his little toolbox and pulled out doubt.  I was starting to doubt that I could accomplish a goal that I had set.  Achieving this goal would take me to the next level in my career and it would be a great blessing for my family.

I took my eyes off of the mighty God that I serve and and I started to question my ability to get this done, forgetting that it could only be done with God’s help.  Fear and doubt started to set in the more I thought about it.

Lately, I was standing in my kitchen making breakfast and thinking about what I have heard over the years that it would require statistically to meet this qualification. Most people that have accomplished this goal have at least seventy-five team members, and I currently have sixty-six.

As I was standing there deep in thought God whispered, “I did it for Gideon”.   When I tell you that God always has ways of encouraging me just when I need it, please believe me.  Those five words, I did it for Gideon, was all I needed to get me up and running again.  I am so thankful that I serve a God who knows just what I need at all times. He is truly Amazing!

God didn’t want me to throw in the towel and to give up.  He wanted me to trust in Him and to believe that He could and would work mightily on my behalf.

When everything that I was focused on said that it couldn’t be done, He would receive the glory for doing the impossible in spite of all the odds that I faced.

So, here’s what learned from this experience:

  1. God goes ahead of us.  He does not give us a dream or desire that He has not already provided, a way for it to be fully achieved through His power.
  2. Gideon’s initial army was twenty-two thousand strong and God had him whittle it down to a mere three hundred men.  God can take a little and do a lot.

Another example is the Fishes and the Loaves.

  1. What He calls us to He will bring us through.  Our job is to move and work in faith.  He takes care of the How!
  2. God is always watching.  He knows our every need.  He is a loving caring Father, and because He is we will always have exactly what we need when we need it.
  3.  God is just waiting to show up mighty in our lives.  He wants to do the impossible for us, but we have to activate this divine blessing by first believing that He is able to do it, and that He will do it.  When we have faith, we are giving Him a reason to bless us. Don’t Miss Your Blessing!!!
by
Keep Reading
Relationships

What Can We Learn From Lydia

WHO WAS LYDIA?

Lydia was a Godly business woman who sold luxurious purple cloth.  She was originally from Thyatira located in Asia Minor.  At the time that we read about her in Acts chapter 16, she had moved to Phillipi where she had started her business.

There is no mention in scripture of her being married.  Some have speculated that she may have been a widow.  Others think that she may just have been single. She was however in charge of a household. It is not clear who lived with her. In those days it was pretty common for servants to be considered part of the household as well as relatives.

Lydia was considered to be quite an affluent business woman, due to the wealthy clients that she did business with.  Only the very wealthy could afford purple cloth and furnishings that had been dyed purple.  This dye was made from the murex sea snails called a mollusk.  It typically took 10-12,000 of these small creatures to produce just a gram of this exotic purple dye, causing it to be extremely expensive to purchase.  There is no doubt that she probably had friends who were affluent as well.

Lydia and other women would go to the bank of the river to pray and worship.  This is actually where she first met Paul and Silas.  Paul shared the gospel with her.  God opened her heart and she believed, and was baptized. The scriptures say that her entire household was also baptized. She was the very first convert in all of Europe.

Lydia persuaded Paul and Silas as well as those with them to stay at her home.  So, from this we see that she was also very hospitable.

Eventually as the numbers started to grow, her home became the church where they would meet.  I feel sure that meals were provided as well. .  Clearly she loved God and wanted to support those who carried His Word.  Lydia was a great example of someone who was very generous in sharing her wealth to further the spreading of the Gospel.

LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM LYDIA

  1. Worshipping God should be a priority.   Lydia was a worshipper.
  2.  We should work in a way that others in your community or even in your line of work have heard about you?  Lydia worked at a level of excellence.  She was a successful business woman and she was known throughout the land for her trade.
  3.  We should  strive to be influential in our quest to bring others to Christ.  Lydia was influential.      Because   those in her household trusted and respected her, she was able to influence them to accept    Christ and be baptized.
  4. We should keep our homes in such a manner that at a moment’s notice  we are prepared to welcome someone in need of a bed or a meal.  Lydia was hospitable .   Lydia showed great hospitality by inviting perfect strangers into her home.
  5. We should always have something set aside to share with others.  Lydia was very generous.  Undoubtedly, having people live with her was  an added  expense.  Although she was a woman of means she still prioritized.  She was kind and generous with her wealth.  Lydia supported the mission of spreading the Gospel.  She welcomed all who came to listen to Paul’s messages.
  6. Lydia used what God had blessed her with, to bless others.  Will you do the same?

 

 

 

by
Keep Reading
Fruit of the Spirit

Tips For Success For The Christian Business Woman

Tips For Success For The Christian Business Woman

  1. Decide that God will be the CEO of your organization.  Remember He is not your business partner, you are His business partner.
  2. Don’t tell God your plans for your business.  Ask Him what His plans are for your business, and get into alignment with Him.  Remember success and promotion comes as a result of obedience.
  3. Pray, pray and pray!  Through prayer, God will give you a vision for your business.  After you receive this vision and you are clear on what God is leading you to do, write it down.  I would even suggest that you write out a Mission Statement also.
  4. Assess what your right now passionate goal is, then create a plan on how you are going to achieve it.  Break it down into small wins.  Have a daily, weekly, biweekly and monthly goal.  Be sure that you have a completion date on all of your goals.
  5. Have goal posters or vision boards up everywhere as constant reminders of your goal.  Also create tracking boards to track your progress.
  6. Have an accountability partner.  Who do you know that will keep it real with you and be totally honest?  That’s who you need to partner up with.
  7. Get great at managing your emotions.
  8. Get great at managing your time.  Make a schedule and create some structure in your life if you don’t already have some structure in place.
  9. Get great at managing your finances.  Be smart with your money.
  10. If you are in Sales, by Friday of each week, have several appointments on your books for the upcoming week.  Book at least three times the number of appointments that you actually want to hold.
  11. Make it a habit to share info regarding your business with everyone that you come in contact with.   Your job is to always be promoting your business.
  12. Only share your goals and dreams with friends, and family members who are positive and who genuinely support you.   Don’t share with people who are negative.
  13. Remember success is not convenient.  Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.  Success is also not an accident, it’s a planned event.
  14. Feed your brain with great books and listen to great messages.  Leaders are readers.
  15. Whatever it is that God has given you the vision to do, He will work through you for His kingdom purposes.  Stay open to His leading.  It will not just be a business or career opportunity, or a means to get rich.  Even though wealth can certainly come from your success, what it truly is, is a kingdom assignment.

When your success comes it is important that you acknowledge God from whom all of our blessings flow.

Proverbs 16:3
3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Proverbs 31:8
8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

Colossians 3:23
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

Proverbs 12:24
24 Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.

Proverbs 14:23
23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Proverbs 3:5
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

 

 

 

 

 

 

by
Keep Reading
Faith

Are You Spiritually Flabby?

24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Romans 12:2
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect
Psalm 1:1-2
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not  follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
17 Never stop praying.
Acts 17:11
11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

 For the last four years I have been dealing with a severe illness.  Because it has been so debilitating, I have not been able to be as physical as I normally would have been in the past. This has caused my muscles to weaken, and even become what some would call flabby.  I am currently in physical therapy to strengthen the areas that have become severely weakened due to a lack of movement and exercise.

Believe it or not, we can also become spiritually flabby.  When we miss several days of a good workout of prayer and Bible reading, our spiritual muscles weaken and we leave ourselves open to the attacks of the enemy.  We start to walk in fear and doubt, and even in some severe cases disbelief.  We may even find ourselves committing sins and getting into situations that we wouldn’t ordinarily get into. And this is simply because we have not been working out spiritually.
Let’s look at what we need to do to get spiritually fit.

  1. Set a time each day that you will meet with God.  Respect this appointment as you would any other important appointment. Make it a priority.
  2. Come to your appointment prepared. Bring your Bible and a notebook or journal, to write down the downloads that you will receive from God for your day.
  3. Start with praising God. You may choose to sing or you may want to have some praise music going to prepare your heart to hear from God.
  4. Quietly sit and pray and ask God to help you understand what you are about to read from His Word.
  5. Make sure that you have selected a place and a time where you will not be interrupted.  Be sure to silence your phone.
  6. Initially just sit to silence yourself.  Let all of the thoughts of what you need to do for the day drift away.  If you find it difficult to silence the noise that is going       on inside your head, write your thoughts in your notebook to get to a place of silence.
  7. Enjoy reading God’s word and just spending time with Him.  Repeat tomorrow and the next day and the next, until it becomes a habit.

I can honestly assure you, that you will never ever regret these spiritual workouts.  It will be the best investment of your time ever.  You will grow stronger in your faith and your love for God. You will find that with God’s help you can weather the toughest of storms.

From these workouts you will find yourself joyful and hopeful about your life now and in the future.  I hope that this blesses you and encourages you to have a spiritual workout each and everyday.  And oh, don’t forget it’s important to commit to staying physically fit as well.

by
Keep Reading
She Believes 3 Devotion

Lessons I Learned From Eve’s Story

Lessons I Learned From Eve’s Story

Genesis 3:1-19

  1. Satan always tempts us with something that God has forbidden us to partake of.
  2. Satan said just enough to cause Eve to doubt what she knew that God had told her.  Eve’s doubt caused her to be ungrateful for all that God had already provided.  Beware of Satan’s tactics.  He takes a lot of truth and mixes a lie with it to lure you into his trap of sin and disobedience.
  3. Eve’s disobedience caused her to feel guilt and shame.  Sin holds us in bondage through guilt and shame, until we repent and ask God for forgiveness.   Sin causes a chasm between us and God.
  4. Blame shifting is the result of not wanting to take personal responsibility for our actions.  Eve blamed the serpent for her disobedience and Adam blamed Eve.  They did not take personal responsibility for their actions.
  5. The consequences of our sins are far reaching. Eve’s sin affected the entire human race.
  6. One of the consequences of Eve’s sin was fear.  After Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God because they were afraid.  Sin always brings out negative emotions.
  7. God gives us direct and very clear instructions and commands.  There are no gray areas.
    Genesis 2:15-17
    15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
  8. No sin escapes punishment.  God will punish us for being disobedient.
    Romans: 6:23

    23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord
     Hebrews 10:26
    26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
    9. Even when we have sinned and strayed away, God still loves us.
    Hebrews 8:38

  1. Just as God sacrificed an animal to cover Adam and Eve, so they would not be ashamed of their   nakedness, God sacrificed His Son whose blood covers us, and He forgives us of our sins.
by
Keep Reading
Fruit of the Spirit

Let My Soul Be Refreshed

Let My Soul Be Refreshed

Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In the last month I have found myself sighing a lot more than usual.  It finally dawned on me that I was anxious about something that I had no control over.  Instead of totally turning it over to God, I was still holding on to the situation.

To make matters worse, my workload had increased with my business and I was starting to feel  quite tired and a bit stressed.
One day I decided to shut my work day down early and just breathe.  I needed a break, I had pushed too hard for too long and I had ignored my need for rest. I remember climbing into bed totally exhausted in the middle of the day.  I took a long, much needed nap and when I woke up, I felt a bit refreshed but still tired.  I decided to just veg out in front of the TV for a while.  I needed a break mentally and physically.
I must say that the times that I have felt the most refreshed, was when I simply got  still and let God nourish me with His love.  I didn’t have to say anything or do anything. I just needed to be still in God’s presence and He did everything else.   He is the one that truly refreshes my soul.
When I spend time reading His Word my soul is refreshed.  I call this spiritual self-care.  There is nothing like spending time with the Creator, the One who knows the number of hairs that he has so carefully and purposefully placed on your head, the One who knitted you together in your mother’s womb.
 If you are running on empty today, and you need a break from the cares and stresses of this life, I encourage you to get still for a few minutes and spend time in God’s presence. He will refresh you, guide you and direct your steps.  Remember Self-Care starts with Soul-Care.
Psalm 16:11 says: In your presence there is  fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 63:1-3 says; O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for Your presence.  In a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
Seek the Lord when your soul is thirsty and tired.  Only He can truly refresh and satisfy your every need..  

Mark 6:31-32
31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
Exodus 33:14
14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

by
Keep Reading
She Believes 3 Devotion

No Greater Love

No Greater Love

Ephesians 2:4-5
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
John 15:13
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Romans 8:37-39
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 3:1
3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 4:16-17
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

February, as we all know, is often referred to as the Month of Love.  Retailers start stocking their shelves immediately after Christmas, with beautiful Valentine’s Day cards and delicious boxes of chocolates of every kind.  Even the teddy bear aisle is spruced up with new inventory.   Jewelry stores are ready with heart shaped necklaces and beautiful diamond rings.  The florist shops will receive tons of orders for roses in every color, and I feel pretty sure that red will be the most popular color of all.

This is a day that is specifically set aside to focus on those that we love.  When I think about the love that I have for those who are so dear to me.  It brings to mind how special we are to God and how much He loves us. It also brings to mind how He desires for us to love one another.

 Today I would like to share a few scriptures with you from God’s word regarding love.  My prayer is that you will read them and hide them in your heart, and that you will treasure the wisdom and truth in them.  Most importantly I pray that you will treasure the love that God expresses to all of us each and every day. I pray that you will experience and know His love for all of eternity because there is no greater love.
Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jeremiah 31:3
3 The Lord appeared to us in the past,[a] saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;  I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
1 John 4:19
19 We love because he first loved us.

by
Keep Reading