God is Great. God is Good

by Nan Trammell Jones, Guest Blogger

"I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live."
~ Psalm 116:1,2

The pain in my shoulder was excruciating. I had fallen at work, toppling onto a concrete floor, and twisted as I tried to brace myself. "Nothing broken," Doc Miller said, "but that's a nasty sprain."

I lay squirming on the couch trying to find a comfortable position to rest my weary body. My three year old grandson was at the house. "Jamison, will you pray for Grandma's arm? I have a bad boo-boo." His stunning blue eyes met mine and, without saying a word to me, he lay that sweet little hand of his on my shoulder and prayed, "God is great. God is good. Amen." And then he toddled off to play.

Oh, that we would embrace the faith of a child, right? Pure trust. Full expectation of God's power and faithfulness. And no pride. Their little hearts seem to understand how big our God is and they accept the depth of His love and care just because He said so. No debate. No analysis. Just pure, unadulterated trust.

Sweet sisters, could we learn to trust the Lord with such simplicity? Could we learn to take Him at His Word - simply dare to believe? God, our Father, delights in revealing Himself to us, to making His power known to us.

Is there a struggle you are facing today? Are you overwhelmed with pain and sorrow? Are you wondering where your next meal is coming from? Dear friends, the Lord your God is great - He is big enough to handle all of your troubles. Nothing is too difficult for Him. And God is good - good enough to want to help you. His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. His grace is available and sufficient for anything you are facing. You need only to believe.

After Jamison resumed his play, I noticed that the tension in my body was gone. The muscle spasms in my shoulder had relaxed and the pain began to subside. I fluffed my pillow, closed my eyes and slept like a baby.

Oh to have the faith of a child.

Father, You are so wonderful. Not only are you mighty to save and powerful to deliver, but you are tender in Your love. Thank You for that. Thank You for loving us so deeply and completely that nothing can separate us from You. We love You Lord and we give You praise.
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To read more of Nan's devotions, visit her blog, Morning Glory, at http://morningglorylights.blogspot.com/. Nan has a heart for Christian women who are struggling with their faith. Through difficult seasons in her life she has learned how to find God's light in the darkness and unspeakable joy when the river runs dry. She is available to speak at your ladies events. Please visit her website at www.jubilantlight.com for more information.

Guest Blogger!

With tomorrow being the last Monday of the month, that means it's guest blogger day! Please join me as we welcome my dear friend and mentor, writer/speaker Nan Jones. I also want to encourage you to sign up for her blog, Morning Glory. I can promise you, you will be tremendously blessed! When you read anything from this lady, you will be wanting more, I know I do! Nan, welcome to Encouraging Women my friend!

We Have the Greatest anchor!

We have this hope as an anchor of the soul, firm and secure.
Hebrews 6:19 (New International Version)

Ladies, we have a very strong anchor! I want to encourage you, if you're going through a storm, hold fast to that anchor. That anchor never wavers, it never shakes. Nothing can shake our anchor! When our anchor is the Solid Rock, He's unmovable! I want to let you know, if you don't have that solid a! nchor in your life, it's the greatest treasure you could ever have! If you don't know Him today, let me encourage you to take that first step. When you do, take firm hold of the anchor and get ready for the ride of your life! It will be the decision you ever made! Can I pray for you today?

Father, I pray for each and every woman that may be reading this. Whether she has firm hold of the anchor or whether she's discovering it for the first time, I pray that she finds such joy in you that it just spills over! In Jesus Name, Amen.

Practicing Gratefulness

1 Thessalonians 5:16
"...give thanks in all circumstances,..."
Does God really expect us to be thankful in all circumstances? Have you wondered why He asks us to be grateful in all things?
I believe it is because He knows that gratefulness breaks the bondage of critical spirit, ungratefulness, and fear. This verse states such simple words that if practiced will have a major impact on our lives.
Are you going through some hard situations? Is your future unknown because of job uncertainty, a sickness in the family, or financial hardship? The Lord knows our first response is usually to be discoraged, to fear, and to worry. But in His Word, He tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. When we do our eyes turn away from the hard situation and onto a Lord who we know will show us how to battle through and to overcome.

Gratefulness slaps the devil down.

Satan wants us to be bitter toward God. Our thankful spirit will bond us into God. It will foster an intimacy we have never known before the terrible situation came upon us.
Remember friends, the Lord gives us steps for victorious and abundant living! Through His instructions to be grateful, He is indeed setting us free from the ties that want to bind!
This week, let's write down the things for which we are grateful and thank Him for always being there to see us through it all!

Sandra Stanford
Titusville, FL

It's Guest Blogger Day!

Tomorrow is the last Monday of June, and you know what that means-guest blogger day! Join me as we welcome to Encouraging Women my friend, speaker, Sandra Stanford! You will be tremendously blessed as you read what Sandra has to say. I've know this lady for a few years, and I can assure you, you will take something away from her! Welcome, Sandra!

30 Days of Praise Part 4

Jamie Britt
What a beautiful day to praise the Lord together! What words can we think of to praise Him with that begin with the letter D? My word is... defender!

30 Days of Praise Part 3

Join me in celebrating our Lord through the alphabet. Today's letter is C. Our God is Creator! What C word would you use to describe Him?

30 Days of Praise Continued

So sweet friends...what B word could you use to describe our Lord? Let's praise His Name together. My word today...Beckoning.

30 Days of Praise

I got this idea from a friend, and I wanted us all to join the chalenge. For the next 30 days, we will be using the alphabet to find words to describe our Lord. Let's start with A. Can you think of some words to describe our Lord? Awesome, amazing, all-knowing, accepting. I'd love to hear your ideas.

There's Still Hope

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I hope in Him!"
Lamentations 3:24

I want you to know that whatever you're going through, there's still hope. You can find hope in the Lord. Your circumstances may not look very hopeful, but if you're a child of the King, you've got somewhere to place your hope. You can place your hope in the one who will never let us down, the one who never fails. Have you felt let down by people, I'm sure we all have. You can put your hope and trust in the God of the universe, a God who never leaves you, never forsakes you. I can promise you that people will let you down, but I can also promise you that God will never let you down. Whatever you're going through in life, remember, there's still hope.

Father, help us to put our total trust and hope in you. Help us know that when we're feeling alone and isolated that you're there with us. Amen.

Blessings

A friend sent me this in an email, and I had to post it onto the blog.


Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

change to the blog

Beginning in the month of June, I will be posting around a certain theme. The theme will be "finding hope and joy through pain and hartache." I'm not sure as of yet as to how often I will be posting. Once a month, there will be a guest blogger. I will be asking them to also center their posts around this theme. My prayer is that whoever comes across this blog whether via a friend or just searching on the internet for hope, they'll be blessed, encouraged, and most of all, that lives will be changed through something that is said here. I'd appreciate everyone's prayers as I step out in faith into this new venture.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26.

I have been considering this verse a lot lately in view of the degradation of our society right here in the United States of America. You see, in the beginning, man was created in God’s image bearing His likeness. He was created to reflect the glory of God by establishing His will on the earth. What has happened?

Let's think about this. Adam and Eve were in harmony with God as they remained surrendered to God. They walked in the garden ensuring the rule of heaven was enforced on earth. They were able to do so because of their dependence on God. As they looked to God, His power, wisdom and joy flowed from heaven into them and through them. Then the serpent came along and Eve fell to the deception and temptation that she could live independent of God. She invited Adam to do the same. Adam, instead of ensuring God’s rule which stated they could eat from all the trees but one, went along with His darling wife. The harmony and joy they once experienced was lost as there is no harmony or happiness for those who live independent of their Creator. When we are tempted to live outside of God's rule, we should keep this truth in mind. Man was created by God to be dependent on God. To try to live any other way results in chaos and devastation. Even the much sought after state of "happiness", which to many appears to be elusive, can be found only in living for God. Because Adam was the Federal Head of all of mankind, his sin and the results of that sin was imputed to all who would be born from that day forward.

Yet God had a plan to redeem man through His Son, Jesus Christ, and to restore what was lost. His plan was to make us sons and daughters and not just created beings and servants. He accomplished this as the righteousness of Christ was given to us when Christ took our sins upon Himself on the cross. We now have the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus instead of the lower level of righteousness that Adam could have attained had he lived without sin. Adam could never have been a royal child of God. This is only available for those who live in Christ Jesus. What a plan our God has!

If you have received Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you have been adopted into the family of God. You are a royal daughter of the King of the Universe. You have been redeemed from sin and it’s power as well as from the curse of the law.

God’s plan to redeem and restore is being played out through our lives as new creations in Christ as we take seriously the responsibility we are charged with. Because Christ lives in us, we have been empowered to walk in the ways of God; to discern what is truly of God versus what is not; and to rule over the earth, developing culture and ensuring the rule of heaven is carried out.

The enemy of Christ, as well as our old nature, sometimes pulls on us tempting us to walk in our own wisdom and rule as did Adam and Eve. And when we do, we find devastation as did they. Could it be that the mess we are in whether it is personally or as a country is due to our negligence concerning the things of God? Have we been negligent, as was Adam, to ensure God’s will be done in our lives? In our country?

As the redeemed of the Lord, we have been blessed as well as given responsibility to develop culture under the Lordship of Christ. To do so, it is imperative that we recognize that we are powerless without God. It is imperative that we recognize our need for Him. We must recognize our responsibility to bring His rule to earth. This means we must not live with our heads in the sand. We need to repent and quit ignoring what is happening around us. We must take action and the first action we must take is to PRAY! God tells us that if His people will humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, He will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

We fulfill God’s purpose for our lives to bring glory to Him as we remain dependent on Him and grow in His image (Romans 8:29). His image is developed by the power of the Holy Spirit as we take heed to 1 Timothy 4:7-8, “Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” We stay connected and surrendered to God through His Word, prayer and Christian fellowship. The more we grow in His image, the more we are empowered to affect the world around us. We then fulfill our cultural mandate through the “gospel mandate” by proclaiming Christ’s name and sharing God’s ways throughout the world (Mt 28:18-20).

We have the power of God living in us as royal daughters of the one true God. Let's examine our lives and our commitment to grow in His image. Let's ensure His will be done on the earth. Let’s unite in prayer and godly action to bring glory to God in our lives and our land. Shall we?

Serving Christ and His Women,
Sarah Goebel
"Encouraging women with the Word
to produce a harvest of Christ-likeness"

www.sarahgoebel.com

Guest Blogging

Beginning this month, I will have a "guest" blogger. Normally, the guest will post on the last Monday of the month. If I'm led to do it more often, that's what will happen. For the month of May, let's welcome Sarah Goebel! Be sure to check back tomorrow at some point to read what God has put on her heart for us all. I'm telling you, you will be richly blessed and greatly encouraged!