Debbie Taylor Williams
Better than Bootstraps
Do you feel hopeless? Has the last bit of hope to which you’ve clung just flown out the window? Does your future seem bleak and although you’ve tried to “pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” as the saying goes, it hasn’t worked?
The good news is, if you’re a Christian, you have every reason to ditch thoughts of hopelessness. Why? You know the GOD OF HOPE. Not only do you know Him, He has promised to always be with you. What’s more, He’s not only with you, He’s in you.
Romans 15:13 helps us understand what we need to do when we feel hopeless. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Paul points out that what we need is for the Holy Spirit, the God of Hope, to fill us. We need Him who is joy and peace and power to consume our very being. What is our part? Believing.
In other words, our hope is not based on luck, our ability to make things happen, or what another person does or says. It’s not even a question of if we have hope. If we’re a believer, we have hope in the Holy Spirit as Romans 15:13 points out. “Now may the God of hope…” “Fill you…” is the key.
When we are down, we must ask ourselves, “Am I allowing the GOD OF HOPE to fill me with His joy and peace?”
You can experience hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Believe God is on the throne and that He sees you and loves you. In faith, pray, “GOD OF HOPE, fill me with the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit.”
GOD OF HOPE, thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit so we can abound in hope by Your power. We love and adore You.
Praise is a powerful weapon we can use to turn around feelings of hopelessness or discouragement. Download this free printable of the attributes of Jesus from the book of John. As you read through them, praise God for each one!
Exalted
The news that singer-songwriter Taylor Swift surpassed Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most weeks atop the Billboard 200 Chart exalted her to new heights in 2023. Her exalted position is not guaranteed. Only the Lord God’s is, as He tells us in Psalm 46:10. “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
“The Lord is exalted in the earth and also above the heaven and earth,” Psalm 148:13.
The Lord is exalted above other gods. “For You are the Lord Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods,” Psalm 97:9
What about Jesus? Acts 5:31 tells us, “He is the One whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
Although the Lord is highly exalted, Psalm 138:6 encourages us that “though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly.”
How amazing our exalted Lord is! What should be our response? Nehemiah 9:5 tells us. “Arise, bless the Lord your God forever and ever! O may Your glorious name be blessed and exalted above all blessing and praise!”
Our Lord is highly exalted above all yet regards the lowly. Will you humbly exalt and bless His glorious name; praising Him for regarding you?
EXALTED Lord, we praise You, bless Your glorious name, and thank You for regarding us.
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Broken Promises? Not This Time
Has anyone ever broken a promise to you? More than likely, you answered yes. Promises are broken every day, but there is One, God, whose promises you can count on today and for eternity.
Beginning in Genesis, God promised to never destroy the earth again with a flood. God kept His Noahic Covenant, another word for promise.
God promised Abraham that He would make a great nation out of his descendants. The nation of Israel is the fulfillment of God’s covenant.
God made a covenant with King David that he would have a descendant on the throne forever. That covenant/promise is fulfilled in Jesus.
God promised a new covenant fulfilled by Jesus. “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins,’” Matthew 26:27-28.
Yes, Jesus made a covenant, a promise, sealed with His blood that anyone who repents of sin and believes in Him for the forgiveness of their sins will be saved and given the Holy Spirit.
Other people may have broken their promises to you, but the Lord, the covenant maker, can be trusted today and for eternity.
Lord Jesus, COVENANT MAKER, thank You for the peace and eternal life You give us through Your blood sacrifice. We worship and praise You.
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If You’re Wondering What to Do About Something
Are you at your wit’s end? Do you need someone to talk to who can help you sort out your problems and worries? If so, go to God, where you will receive the best counsel in the world.
Where do we find God counseling someone? Among numerous places, we find Him counseling Cain in Genesis 4:6-7. What was the problem? “Cain was very angry and his countenance fell.” What counsel did God give Cain?
God asked Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?” Then, He warned and directed Cain, “…if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
Yes, God is the wonderful Counselor, as Isaiah 9:6 says. Talk to Him, then follow His counsel. I record what God prompts me to do in my journal, Prayers of My Heart so I have a record of what He places on my heart.
What do God’s counseling prompts sound like? At times He has counseled me, “Open your Bible and read a Psalm.” Other times it has been, “Stop procrastinating and tackle what is before you.” Or, “Instead of wondering about someone, call them.” A wise Christian will both talk things out with their counselor and also follow up on what He tells them to do.
LORD, You are the wonderful COUNSELOR. Increase our sensitivity to Your Voice. Help us take seriously Your counsel and follow through on what You lead us to do.
Would you like an organized way to record what God is speaking to you? Grab a copy of Prayers of My Heart prayer journal to write down what God places on your heart.
Why AWESOME is an Important Word
A few years ago, the word “awesome” became a catchphrase for any and everything. “Can you go Monday night? Awesome!” “This meal is awesome!” “I read an awesome book!”
If you’re like many, we began to tire of hearing the overused word. However, rather than throw out the word, the Bible points us in the right direction for when to use it. For example in Genesis 28:17, the word “awesome” is used in relation to heaven, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
Exodus 15:11 uses the word “awesome” in relation to God and His works, “Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?”
Yes, we might want to scale down on our use of “awesome” in relation to everyday events, but let’s use it often in relation to God.
We praise You, AWESOME GOD, and thank You for Your AWESOME works.
Live outside of the Texas Hill Country? No problem! My weekly video teachings and Listening Guides are added HERE each week so you can use for individual or group Bible Study.
Since We Know, Are We Telling Others to Prepare?
In February 2021, a winter freeze took this Texas girl by surprise. Yes, I’d seen the warnings of a winter storm. In my mind, that meant cold weather and snow. I did think about the ice warning, but then went about my life. Then it got cold. And colder. And colder. I wasn’t prepared, and by the time the snow, cold, iced over roads, power outage, no water, and firewood had run out, it was too late to do anything. I lived with the consequences of my lackadaisical unpreparedness.
As the water that had been collected in bowls froze inside our home, I thought of what I could do to be better prepared should we have another winter storm. I also thought of how terrifying it is going to be for people who have a lackadaisical attitude toward Biblical warnings of judgment and hell. Yes, many people are going on with their lives and not doing anything to prepare for the salvation of their souls. Thinking of the unsaved sitting in hell with no way to get out is a horrifying thought. Equally horrifying is to neglect Christ’s call to tell the unsaved how to be saved.
In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus tells believers with “all authority” to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” In other words, sound the warning that a day is coming when everyone will stand before Jesus to give an account of their lives and will either live eternally in heaven or in hell.
Are we obeying Jesus? Are we telling them how they can be saved? Are we making disciples?
Jesus, You are the AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH. Forgive me when I ignore rather than obey Your commands. Create in my heart a passion to obey You to go and make disciples.
Live outside of the Texas Hill Country? No problem! My weekly video teachings and Listening Guides are added HERE each week so you can use for individual or group Bible Study.
When Waves of Hopelessness Pound Your Heart
You need hope. I need hope. Our loved ones need hope. Where do we find it? Do we practice “self-talk” and tell ourselves we are “happy and fine” when we aren’t? Or do we kneel, look up in praise, and cry out to the One who has gone before us to heaven and who intercedes for us?
Hebrews 6:19 describes our relationship with Jesus and why we can have genuine hope. “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered…”
Our hope in Jesus is an anchor for our soul. Personalize that truth. My hope in Jesus is an anchor for my soul. Think about that. It’s amazing. We don’t have to be carried by waves of hopelessness into an ocean of despair. Yes, waves of hopelessness may at times seem like they will overwhelm us. But when you feel that way, place your hope in the Savior. You are not going to drift beyond His sight or hand. He’s got you. Our hope in Christ is an anchor for our soul.
Jesus, sweet Savior, thank You for being the One in whom my soul is anchored; for being the ANCHOR OF MY SOUL. I praise You that I will never drift from Your hold.
Live outside of the Texas Hill Country? No problem! My weekly teachings and Listening Guides will be added HERE each week so you can follow along or use it for a group study.
This is Excellent!
It’s easy to get down about things, right? Even if you’re an optimist, you can’t help but be sad when reports of a school shooting occur or a loved one is given a bad diagnosis. When your surroundings aren’t uplifting, it is time to do some lifting. What kind of lifting? Lifting up your voice in praise to our excellent Lord who has done excellent things.
Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
Psalm 150:1-2
Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things;
Let this be known throughout the earth.
Isaiah 12:5
Perhaps there are not many days you would describe as excellent, but you can always describe your Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ as excellent. Will you? Today, take time to journal ways you know God to be excellent. Journal excellent things the Lord has done in your life.
LORD, You are excellent in greatness and You do excellent things. I love and adore You.
I Get to Go Home
In the month of December, we anticipate the celebration of the birth of Jesus. He is a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. Fast forward 33 years. Can you imagine His anticipation when, after pouring His teachings into people, and completing His mission to conquer death and sin, it was finally time for Him to get to go home – to return to His glory and heaven? He must have been giddy…about to explode in joyous anticipation. Hebrews 7:26 zeros in on the great divide between Jesus and us. “For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens…” High. Priest. Holy. Innocent. Undefiled. Birthed into a mess of sinners. What must His child’s holy heart have felt? What teenage temptations did Satan pile on Him? What spiritual battles did He fight alone, with no one in whom He could confide? We will never know the extent Christ suffered for us even before His scourging death. Then, He awoke from the grave. Alive. But still here. Until finally, Acts 1:9. It was time to go home! Can you imagine what the disciples experienced when Jesus was lifted up while they were looking on and a cloud received Him out of their sight? I can’t imagine it. I’ve tried. Put yourself in the scene. There you are. Jesus is telling you that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be His witness. Mind-boggling. The Holy Spirit who was upon the “greats” like Moses and Elijah, is going to come upon you! Before you can get your mind around that, Jesus starts ascending, lifted up before your eyes. You’re in shock. His feet are literally off the ground. Your head is titled back. You look up and watch until you can no longer see Jesus who is gone…exalted above the heavens…home.
Heavenly Father, we can’t get our minds around Your majesty, throne, and what heaven is like. But, we’re so glad Jesus is with You, exalted above the heavens. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for all You have done for us – incredible!
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Have You Ever Wished You Had Someone to…
Have you ever wished you had someone to watch your back? Or better, to watch over your soul – your mind, emotions, and will? The fact is, believers have just that person in Jesus. First Peter 2:25 tells us “…you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” When doing research for my book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion about God being the guardian of our soul, I discovered that the word “guardian” is translated from the Greek word episkopos and means an “overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things done by another are done rightly.” (page 98) What a blessing for us to have God as the Guardian of our souls!
God assumes responsibility for being the Guardian of our soul, but it is our responsibility to tune into Him and follow what He tells us to do both in the Bible and when the Holy Spirit prompts us during the day. Begin each day prayerfully greeting God and lifting up your soul to Him. Invite Him to fill your soul, then pay attention to His prompts throughout the day. You know how I value opening my prayer journal every morning and recording His attribute that I share with you. Being still in God’s presence with pen in hand and journal open is an invitation for God to prompt us how to pray and also what He wants us to do. If you haven’t yet tried journaling, this time in our lives is a perfect time. Prayers of My Heart Journal
LORD, thank You for being the GUARDIAN of our souls. Help us be ever sensitive to Your Word and will.
Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion
Friends, I’d love to have you join me on Wednesdays or Thursdays for our weekly Bible Study of John. Click here for more info.
Live outside of the Texas Hill Country? No problem! My weekly teachings and Listening Guides will be added HERE each week so you can follow along or use it for a group study.