Beyond Ourselves

Life is filled with joy, but also pain. Sometimes the most painful questions we ask are why didn’t God heal a loved one or friend. If you’ve had those questions, you’re not alone. We don’t know the answer to many questions. In times of pain, when we don’t understand and we don’t have answers, we look in faith to Jesus. He allowed Himself to die so we’d have visible evidence of not only His love but also eternal healing. 

Jesus knew there would be challenging questions on this side of heaven. He said to those listening to His teachings in Luke 4:23, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself!'” But instead of preventing His death, He died a painful death with no pain killers and with no one holding His hand. He died to pay for our sins, and by His resurrection, gives proof of ultimate eternal healing. For that, we are grateful beyond words and continue to look in trust to our loving Savior and Great Physician. 

Jesus, eternal PHYSICIAN, thank You for rising from the dead so we can see the ultimate healing You give to all who place their faith in You. 

If you’re struggling with disappointment or unmet expectations, find encouragement in Debbie’s book, The Plan A Woman in a Plan B World. 

How old were you when you first heard John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life”? It’s an incredible invitation to every person in the world. Think about it!

• God so loves the world that He took action to save us.
• God sacrificed His Only Begotten Son on our behalf.
• God invites everyone to believe and be saved.
• God promises the gift of eternal life to those who believe in Jesus.

Pray fervently for any unsaved person you know to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and be saved. Pray for eyes to see the opportunities God is giving you to share Him with others.

Heavenly Father, thank You for your ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, Jesus Christ. Stir us to draw closer to You and to share You with others. We love You and thank You for the incredible gift of the forgiveness of our sins and salvation in Christ. 

Would you like to deepen your relationship with God? Discover the many resources on our website that can help you grow in your walk with the Lord. We offer several free resources, including podcasts, video teachings, listening guides, and more!

Jesus came to earth as a baby so He might grow into a man, but not just any man. He came from heaven as our Messiah.

Andrew heard John the Baptist announce that Jesus was the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world. Andrew followed Jesus and after spending time with Him, he told his brother, Simon Peter, “We have found the Messiah,” John 1:41.

Andrew was intentional about his search for the Messiah and after finding Him, he was intentional about telling others. In what ways can we be more intentional about sharing Christ with others? We can begin by praying for the unsaved to turn to Christ. I label the last column in the Week at a Glance section of Prayers of My Heart: “Unsaved.” What can we pray for those who do not know Christ as Messiah? Here are 8 suggestions.

Jesus Christ, MESSIAH, You are love, forgiveness, hope, peace, and joy! Help us be as Andrew – intentional about following You and telling others about You.

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Do you ever feel “blah,” that nothing in life is important or worth doing? Or, perhaps you are “dragging around” because of the weight of unconfessed sin, or not spending time with Christ, or perhaps a sin of commission, not doing that to which He has called you.

If any of those are the case, be encouraged. God has not forgotten you or abandoned you. Rather, His eye on you as Psalm 121:3-4 explains. “He who KEEPS you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber or sleep.”

The Lord is our keeper, and as Isaiah 38:17 tells us, the Lord casts our sins behind His back and keeps us from a pit of nothingness. “It is You who have kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.”

Isn’t it nice, no…more like wonderful, to think about our Heavenly Father keeping us, casting our sins behind His back, and keeping us from a pit of nothingness?

In addition Psalm 121:5-7 explains, “The Lord is your keeper… The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.”

We have a keeper of our soul who watches out for us. There is no one better to whom we can we entrust ourselves.

I’m jumping up and down in my spirit over how glorious our Soul Keeper is. Are you?

The more we draw near to Christ, learn His ways, and are filled with His Spirit, the more heavenly joy we’ll experience. The less we’ll walk in sin and experience the “pit of nothingness.”

Heavenly Father, KEEPER OF OUR SOUL, we praise You for keeping us from evil and from the pit of nothingness. We love You!

Are you looking for some more encouragement and Biblical teachings? Listen to Debbie’s podcasts on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify!

“What’s a spiritual happy dance?” someone asked me after I mentioned having done one. I couldn’t help but smile. Then I realized no one except my husband had seen me do a spiritual happy dance. Why? Because it’s before God and comes from a heart flowing with joy.

Does our Heavenly Father care if we are joyful? Yes. Jesus said in John 16:24, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”

This does not mean we give Jesus our worldly wish list. Rather, it means we align ourselves to Jesus, who is filled with joy and is the giver of joy; as John 15:11 explains. “These things I have spoken you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

These verses may provide a clue as to why believers sometimes may not have joy. We may be able to quote Jesus, but are we living Him? Is His joy in us? In other words, if Jesus was on earth today, would His joy be tied to the worldly, temporal things that affect our countenance? Probably not.

How could Jesus’ joy not be tied to things of the earth? Jesus came from heaven where true joy reigns. He knew earth’s best and finest was temporal and passing away. Joy comes when our minds and lives are Spirit-driven, not earthly driven.

When was the last time you did a spiritual happy dance?

“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy,” Psalm 16:11.

Lord, we praise You, the JOY GIVER. Thank You that in Your presence there is fullness of joy.

There are countless wonderful and praise-worthy attributes of Jesus. Download this FREE PRINTABLE to explore the attributes of Jesus listed in the book of John. 

Have you ever let something spoil in the refrigerator? You meant to eat it, but didn’t. Later, you discovered the leftovers, opened the lid, and whew – it stunk! It had perished. It was ruined.

Not so with God, His seed, and word. He is imperishable as 1 Peter 1:23 points out, “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”

The Greek word for imperishable in reference to God is aphthartos and means uncorrupted, not liable to corruption or decay.

What a contrast between God’s seed that is imperishable and Adam’s seed that is corrupted and perishable.

Peter is not the only apostle who wrote about the imperishable nature of God and of believers inheriting His nature.

In 1 Corinthians 15:50, Paul wrote, “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable;” continuing in verse 53, “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

The great news is that the imperishable uncorrupted Christ is in believers. We’re indwelt by the imperishable Jesus through the living and enduring word of God. Hallelujah!

Lord Jesus, we worship You, the IMPERISHABLE One. Thank You for making it possible for us to be born of Your imperishable, uncorrupted seed. We love and praise You!

Believers will inherit Christ’s imperishable nature, but we can also live by His divine nature while we’re here on this earth. Want to learn how? Grab a copy of Debbie’s 2 Peter Bible study, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature, HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by going HERE.

Have you ever wondered if the word “judgment” is used in reference to believers? Peter answers that question. “If you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;” 1 Peter 1:17.

Although we are not saved by works, God judges the way believers conduct ourselves after we are saved. What does that look like?

• We fervently love one another from the heart, 1:22.
• We put aside all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander, 2:1.
• We proclaim the excellencies of Christ, 2:9.
• We keep our behavior excellent, 2:12.
• We follow in Christ’s steps, 2:21.
• We are harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and
  humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult,
  but giving a blessing instead, 3:8-9.
• We keep our tongue from evil and lies, 3:10.
• We turn away from evil and do good; seeking peace, 3:11.
• We keep a good conscience, 3:16.
• We live for the will of God, 4:2.
• We live in the Spirit according to the will of God, 4:6.
• We’re hospitable to one another without complaint, 4:9.
• We use the gift God’s given us to serve one another, 4:10.
• We cast all our anxiety on God, knowing He cares for us, 5:7.
• We resist the devil, firm in our faith, 5:9.

If you, like me, are convicted about one or more of the above, remember God loves you and we can confess our sins, assured He forgives us. We can walk more intentionally by His Spirit.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being an IMPARTIAL JUDGE who calls us to walk in newness of life through Christ’s empowerment. We love and worship You.

Would you like to do a more in-depth study of 1 Peter? Grab a copy of Debbie’s 1 Peter Bible study, Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos, HERE. The study includes free accompanying videos and podcasts, which can be accessed HERE. 

Have you been battling something and you’re tired? If so, we do well to remember that as believers we don’t stand alone. Exodus 17:8-15 records how we can come alongside each other and under the banner of the Lord, defeat the enemy.

“Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.’ So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.

But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sunset. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Moses built an altar and named it The Lord Is My Banner; and he said, ‘The Lord has sworn; the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.’”

In this passage, we learn that the Israelites won the battle as long as they could see Moses’s staff which represented God’s presence and power with them. What can we learn from this account?

It is important to station ourselves with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, lift one another in prayer, and keep our eyes on Christ. God is our banner. It is His presence and power that will defeat the enemy.

Heavenly Father, JEHOVAH-NISSI, our banner, thank You for Your presence and power; that we do not stand against the enemy in our own strength. Thank You for the community of believers with whom we can lift Your name high.

Are you looking for some more encouragement and Biblical teachings? Listen to Debbie’s podcasts on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify!

Things aren’t always what they seem. And just because things appear one way in a moment of time, it doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way. Case in point: Jesus. If we’d been in Jerusalem when Jesus was hanging on the cross we might have concluded, “Jesus failed.” However, what appeared to be Jesus’ lowest moment was in fact God’s highest plan being accomplished. Three days after Jesus’ death on the cross, God raised Him. So the moment was really, “Jesus accomplished His mission and is now at the right hand of God having died for our sins and opened the way to salvation and eternal life.”

Isaiah 52:13 prophesied that God’s plan and Jesus would be successful. “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.”

The Isaiah passage prophesied Jesus would be a suffering servant, lifted up on the cross for our sins.

Hebrews 12:2 gives us the rest of the story. Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus is high and lifted up, this time not in shame, but high and lifted up to a place of glory at the right hand of God.

What is Jesus doing in this place of exaltation? Among many things, interceding for us as Hebrews 7:25 states. “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Jesus, high and lifted up on the cross, paid our sin debt. Jesus, high and lifted up to the right hand of God is interceding for us.

Jesus, HIGH AND LIFTED UP, greatly exalted, we thank You and worship You.

NOTE to Moms (or anyone who has a mom or loves a mom): Hey Mom, we can sometimes (or often) feel like a failure. God knows how many times we fail and cry out to Him for forgiveness, strength, “overs,” wisdom, protection for our children, and that they will come to know Him as Savior and Lord. If you can relate, I encourage you to get my book, “The Plan A Mom in a Plan B World.” (A different book from The Plan A WOMAN in a Plan B World.) I had mom friends of all ages/stages share personal stories that will encourage you and provide practical/spiritual tips. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter make it a great resource for mom groups as well. Grab a copy for Mother’s Day while it’s on sale!

PS: If you aren’t getting my monthly Kidz Time devotional activity for your kids to watch, get it here and spread the word. It’s free and it’s fun! Subscribe & it’ll be delivered to your inbox monthly. A great Saturday morning or rest time activity.

Have you spent much time considering what it would have been like to have been Joseph when he was engaged to Mary? Of course, most shocking would be that your fiancé is going to have a son before the two of you came together physically. Even more shocking would be the news that your fiancé is going to become pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

Before Joseph could ask a question, he was told, “you will name Him Jesus.” Did he dare protest that he had planned to name his firstborn son after himself? The explanation that the name “Jesus” was selected was because he would “save His people” would no doubt have caused his heart to race. “Save our people?” That thought is a good one, but before he could process all he was being told he was given more information. The angelic messenger continued, “…from their sins.”

No doubt, Joseph wanted to blurt out, “Save people from their sins? Only God can do that.”

And that is exactly what Jesus did. Mary bore God’s Son, as Matthew 1:23 records, “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’”

You can’t get more “with us” than to be born through Mary’s body to live among us and die for us.

Yes, it’s good to contemplate how the angel’s announcement impacted Joseph, but it is also good to contemplate the impact of the angel’s announcement for us.

Lord Jesus, Immanuel, we praise You. You’re not a God who is far removed nor have you left us to die in our sins. Rather, You came from heaven to earth, IMMANUEL, to be with us. Thank You, Lord Jesus.

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