by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“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, healing, recognition, 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 reliable friendships are priceless and a gift from Heaven above!
The truth is, if we have just one reliable friend – 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 three of his closest 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.
by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!”
Psalm 105, 1-2,
NKJ Version
I don’t know about you, but the past few weeks have been extremely difficult for me and my family. I cannot recount how many phone calls I have received of late from family members, friends and clients that are experiencing tremendous pain at this time. As a Christian Counselor, I am well aware that although many of us are “decking the halls” and preparing for Thanksgiving, others are struggling to simply make it through another day. The Holiday’s can be a time of great sadness, anxiety and fear and that is why today’s message is so vital. It is imperative in the dark times to remember to give thanks. You may be thinking to yourself, “I don’t have anything to be thankful for today,” but let me just state that if you are reading this blog then you can be thankful for God’s breathe that is flowing through your lungs. To those of you who are struggling, hold on and know that God is moving on your behalf. God loves you and has not forgotten you.
Please join me in a message I wrote many years ago but still rings true to this day:
I am thankful:
For the baby that wakes up
In the middle of the night,
Because it means I am
Blessed to be a parent.
For all the unanswered prayers
Which were never fulfilled,
Because it means that God had something better.
For the wife who serves leftover
Meatloaf for the third time this week,
Because it means she is feeding me and
Not someone else.
For the lonely times
When God feels far away,
Because it sharpens my ears
To hear God’s voice.
For the floors that need vacuuming,
The tables that need dusting and the
Bathrooms that need cleaning,
Because it means I have a home.
For the car that continually breaks down
And the rising gas prices,
Because it means I have transportation.
For all the angry and bitter
People in my life,
Because it gives me
A chance to love them unconditionally.
For the sink of dirty dishes,
Because it means I have two hands
And I was able to prepare a meal.
For the husband who constantly
Watches sports in the living room,
Because it means that he is
At home and not out with another woman.
For the list of phone calls to return,
Emails to be read and thank you notes to be mailed,
Because it means I have friends.
For the children who fuss
Over doing their homework,
Because it means they are safe
And at home with me.
For the boss and co-workers
That drive me crazy,
Because it means I have a job.
For the disagreement between
myself and another person,
Because it means we are
Working through an issue.
For the times when my prayers
Seem to go nowhere,
Because the prayer offered by a friend
Was exactly what I needed.
For the clothes that no longer fit,
Because it means I have plenty to eat.
For the wrinkles around my mouth,
Because it means I have had a reason to smile.
To live in America
Because it means that I can
Own a Bible and read it in public.
For the difficult days
Because it makes my good days
Even better!
In all things…Give thanks!
Pass it on!
Blessings,
Tracy Hurst
www.tracyhurst.com
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.” Psalm 25:5, The New Living Translation
Several months ago, I began diligently seeking God on a matter close to my heart. I began meditating on The Word of God and Psalm 25 was the passage that seemed to continually give me peace as I sought God’s perfect will. It was the scripture above that gave me confidence God would show me the right path for my family. After a few weeks of building my faith, I was expectant to receive God’s leading. Did you know he word “truth” above is defined in the Hebrew language as “to put a stake to in the ground, determined and absolute ? The word “truth” is also the beginning, middle and end of the Greek Alphabet.” With this definition before me, I began to hold onto God’s Truth at the beginning of my situation, in the middle and at the end! It is God’s Word alone that we can build our life upon! It was through this revelation that God spoke to me very clearly about three steps I needed to follow in order to receive wisdom from Heaven. Today I would like to share with you what God revealed to me:
1.First, we have to WANT God’s direction for our life. When we rely on human intellect or feelings to determine our choices we are in for a rollercoaster ride! I know this from personal experience:) It is only when we seek God’s plan that we can have peace as we work through various issues in our lives. Wanting God’s wisdom is the first step to receiving it.
2. Second, we have to WAIT on God. After we begin asking and seeking, it is then time to wait for God to speak. God is an on time God. I know that it may “feel” as if He is late in answering our prayers, but God is faithful and always on time. I have learned that whenever it appears that God is with-holding something good from me, He is only setting me up to be blessed! He loves us so much that he lets the “good” pass us by in order to give us His best. During the waiting period we need to know that God is faithful and therefore we can wait in expectation. It’s kind of like when we visit a doctor. Due to the fact that we made an appointment and WANTED to seek medical counsel – it is just a matter of time before our name is called and we get the doctor’s wisdom. When you WANT God’s wisdom, it is just a matter of time before it is revealed!
3. Third, we need to be ready to WITNESS a miracle. This is the best part! After we WANT God’s wisdom and we WAIT for Him to speak concerning the matter, we will then WITNESS God’s miracle working power in our life! I am currently walking out this final step and I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that God has done a miracle on my behalf. If you are currently in the waiting step – hold on and look each day for God to move on your behalf! Your miracle is on the way! No matter what you need from God this day – know that He is faithful! Do not give up. Do not get impatient and move ahead of God. All you need to do is: Want, Wait and Witness – God does all the rest!
Prayer:
Lord, I need direction in my life. Teach me Your ways and show me the right path. I WANT your wisdom. I choose to WAIT for You to make my path clear and I expect to WITNESS a miracle concerning this issue! Forgive me for getting in Your way. I completely surrender my life once again to you this day. Open my eyes that I may see You working on my behalf. Open my ears that I may hear Your voice. I let go of disappointment and frustration and I grab hold of the Word of God. I choose to believe The Word concerning all things in my life. Thank you for always giving me Your best Jesus! I love you! Amen.
by Tracy | General
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.” – Psalm 68:5-6
I grew up feeling as if I never fit in. Probably because my parents divorced before I was one year old. I had a half-brother here and a half-sister there. A step-mother in one home and a step-father in the other home. I moved from this state to that state. Attended four different elementary schools and three high schools. With that kind of a track record, I think it would be hard for anyone to feel as if they had a “place to call home”. During my college years I remember a woman praying over me and stating, “You have felt like a misfit all your life – with your mom you didn’t fit in, with your father you didn’t fit in, but you fit into God’s plans.”She went on to declare an awesome future for me in Christ. I left her presence with my head a little higher. I began meditating on what she said, “I fit in to God’s Plans” and that thought revolutionized my life!
So I declare over you today – You fit into God’s plans! Do not worry about your past, present, or future. God has good plans for your life. What the enemy used in your past to destroy you, God will turn it around and use it to propel you forward into your destiny! No weapon formed against you shall prosper. Every idle word spoken against you, the Lord will condemn! You are His precious child and He is your Father and Defender!
God even shows us in the above scripture that He sets the solitude in families for His purpose. While it was hard growing up feelinglike the “misfit,” I am now thankful because Jesus became my ALL THAT! Does anyone know what I’m talking about? When people fail you, when you don’t have enough money to pay your bills, when sickness affects your body, when your husband leaves you, when your best friend betrays you, when your own family rejects you – JESUS BECOMES YOUR ALL THAT! If you haven’t been through difficult times, then you won’t understand, but if you have, then I trust Jesus has become your ALL THAT!
Prayer:
“Lord, I am grateful to have an awesome future in You. You have great plans for my life. Thank you for allowing me to be the one who didn’t fit in to everyone else’s plans, because through it You became my ALL THAT! Lord, restore double what the enemy has stolen in my life. I come out of agreement that I am a misfit and declare that I fit into God’s plans and I will fulfill my destiny in Christ.” Amen.
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational
“Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received the promise.” Hebrews 6:15
“For you have need of endurance so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Hebrews 10:36
Patience…it’s a word that most of us do not like. But, today I want to show you how vital the fruit of patience is to receive the promises of God in your life. Did you know that patience is also defined as endurance and perseverance? The Greek word for endurance is “hupomone.” (Please stay with me for a moment as we define the Greek word, “hupomone” and get a clearer picture of why patience is so imperative to our spiritual life). “Hupomone” means, “constancy, perseverance, continuance, bearing up, steadfastness, holding out and patient endurance”. “Hupo” literally means, “under,” and “mone” literally means, “to remain.”
Therefore, we can define patience as: “The ability to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with a passive complacency, but with a hopeful staying power that actively resists weariness and defeat.”
This is good news, because most of us give up too soon. Once we receive a promise from the Word of God we want an immediate manifestation of that promise – like NOW! But it usually does not work that way. Just as Abraham had to wait patiently before he received his promise – so do we. There is a slice of time between the PROMISE and the PROVISION where the POWER of PATIENCE is vital. You see, during this in-between time is when the enemy attacks you the most. The devil will do everything within his power to distract, discourage and pull you off track. When the attack comes – you will need the power of patience. You need the supernatural power of endurance to bear up under the trials of this life and ACTIVELY resist weariness and defeat. The truth is YOU WIN – if you do not lose hope!
I encourage you today to ask God for the power of patience to manifest in your life. Whether you need it now or sometime in the near future – the “hupomone” power of God will help you to wait patiently and receive your promise!
Prayer:
Lord, I need the power of patience in my life. Help me to bear up under difficult circumstances with a hopeful resilience that actively resists weariness and defeat. When the enemy comes like a roaring lion, I declare the supernatural power of endurance is manifested in my life. I will not give up. I will not lose sight. I will be victorious and receive ALL the promises of God in my life. Amen.
