God-Centered Friendships

by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy

Dear Tuesdays With Tracy Reader:  I have had difficulty with my feedblitz account, therefore the past few weeks you have not been getting my devotions on Tuesdays – I am truly sorry and we are working on getting this fixed.  Thanks for your patience!  I pray blessings upon each of you!  

“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.”  Proverbs 12:26, NKJ

“Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat – refreshing!”  Proverbs 25:13, The Message

Many of us are longing for so many things in life – money, beauty, a clean house or maybe your like me and would just love an occasional nap!  But no matter who you are or where you come from, I think we can all agree that God-centered friendships are priceless and a gift from Heaven above! 

Just a last week, I met a friend for a cup of coffee.  We shared what God was currently doing in our lives.  We laughed, we cried and most importantly we filled one another up with God’s Word.  I left her presence that morning energized and ready to conquer my day – as the scripture states above, this reliable friend was a cool drink to me on a hot day!  You see, I can talk to anyone about today’s weather or the hit show American Idol, but when I can share of my love for God with someone – I leave that conversation truly refreshed!

Don’t get me wrong, I believe we need to spend time with those who do not know Christ, but we need to be the one affecting them rather than vice-versa.  As Joyce Meyer stated in one her teachings, “I can hang-out with anyone as long as I affect them and they do not infect me.” The people we hang out with regularly will affect our destiny whether we realize it or not.

The truth is, if we have just one God-centered friendship – we are truly blessed.  When the trails of life come knocking at our door, it is important for us to know whom to call upon for prayer and support.  I often think about when Jesus himself asked a few disciples to come and pray with him at the Garden of Gethsemane.  Isn’t that amazing?  I mean, just think about this for a moment…even Jesus needed his most dependable friends near him during the darkest hours of his life.  This fact has given me a new freedom.  When the storms of life begin to blow, I immediately run to the shelter of God’s Word and I also know it is okay for me to call upon a few reliable friends to stand with me in prayer. We don’t have to fight the battles of life alone.  We can call upon God and His people to stand by our side. 

My prayer for you today is for God to shine a light on your reliable friends – those He has called to stand with you.  And do not forget that YOU can be a reliable friend to those in your life! In Christ you have the power to offer a cool drink to a person in need today – now that’s refreshing! 

Prayer:

“Lord, thank you for always being with me.  You are with me at every mountaintop and valley throughout my life.    Please help me to be a reliable friend to those in need today.  Shine Your light on the individuals You have called to stand with me for such a time as this.  Thank you God for always being my most dependable friend.  Amen.” 

Because He Loves Me

by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy

“Lord, thank You for taking care of me and everything on my heart because You love me.” This has been my personal mantra the past few weeks.  When worry or fear would try to plague my mind, I would rest in the fact that God will take care of me simply because He loves me!

As I think about my daughter, Alyssa, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. If she had a sniffle, I would be right there to wipe her nose. If she became hungry, I would fix her a snack.  If she woke up scared, I would pray over her until she fell back asleep.  And I do these things simply because I love her!  There is nothing my daughter could do or not-do to change the fact that I love her.  And this is how God loves you and me.  Selah (pause and think about this for a moment).

My friend Kelly recently shared with me that “it is not our trials that get God’s attention, but it is our cries that brings Him to action on our behalf.”  Isn’t that good?  When God hears your cries, He is moved to action simply because He loves you! God longs to wipe your tears, fight your battles and draw you to Himself today because He loves you.

God loves you so much that He gave His only Son on the cross for you.  The precious blood of Jesus was shed so that you and I could cry out, “Abba –father.”  And according to the scripture above, Jesus is currently interceding for us!  Romans 8:35-39 goes on to tell us, that nothing can separate us from God’s love – not trouble or hardship or persecution or famine. We are more than conquerors because God loves us.  Neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers will be able to separate us from the love of God.  Isn’t this amazing? We can rest in the fact that God loves us.

Will you receive this simple truth today?  Will you say this with me, “God loves me.  I can rest in His awesome love for me.  I may not know what my future holds, but I know that my God will supply all of my needs because He loves me.” My friend, it is time to drink in His love for you.  You may have come to my website empty, but after you leave this post, I know that God will fill you to overflowing as you rest in His great love for you!

Happy Easter!

Prayer:

“Lord, thank you for loving me.  I take authority over worry, fear, depression, doubt or anything trying to keep me from resting in Your love for me this day.  I declare that You are Lord over my life and You are sitting at the right hand of God!  You are alive and I will tell the world of Your amazing love!  Happy Easter Jesus – You have Risen, You have Risen indeed!  Amen.”