by Tracy | Inspirational, Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
“For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.” 1 John 3:20-21
In the past, I allowed my feelings to rule my life. I could be happy one minute and in tears the next. My emotions were completely dependent on varying circumstances around me and no matter what my loved ones told me, I would treat my feelings as the truth! Has anyone else been there besides me? If your days are currently filled with confusion, worry and chaos then maybe your feelings are ruling your life at this time? But I have good news for you today! You don’t have to live your life dependent on how you feel because God’s Word is the final authority in your life. As daughters of the King, our feelings must submit to the Word of God and what He says about our situation. We do not have to live our lives riding an emotional roller coaster. We can have the peace that passes all understanding as we trust in God and His Word (Philippians 4:6-7).
I will never forget the day that I found 1 John 3:20-21 in my Bible. This scripture became my daily meditation and after researching the word “heart” in the Strong’s Concordance, I found that the word “heart” in our scripture today means “emotions and thoughts.” So, let’s read the verse again, but this time I will replace the word “heart” with it’s Greek meaning, “emotions and thoughts:
“For if our emotions and thoughts condemn us, God is greater than our emotions and thoughts and knows all things. Beloved, if our emotions and thoughts do not condemn us, we then have confidence toward God.”
Isn’t this good news? The truth is, when our emotions and thoughts contradict the Word of God – we have a choice to make: Are we going to believe our emotions and thoughts or the Word of God? For years I lived my life in double-mindedness. I would read the Bible, but then allow my emotions to rob my faith in God! But not anymore!
So I have 2 questions for you:
1. Will you choose to believe the Word of God no matter what is going on around you in the natural world?
2. What will be the final authority in your life – your feelings or God’s Word?
Now that you have found 1 John 3:20-21, you also have a choice to make. It may seem hard to believe right now, but you too can begin to declare and believe that God is greater than your thoughts and emotions and that He knows all things. And even when your feelings tell you something different, you can choose to hold onto God’s Word as truth in your life and experience supernatural peace. You and I can both live in God’s peace daily and our feelings no longer have to dictate our lives. Now that is something to shout about…Yeah!
Prayer:
“Lord, I choose to believe Your Word no matter what is going on around me. I declare that according to 1 John 3:20-21, You are greater than my emotions and thoughts and that You know all things. I will no longer allow my emotions to rule my life. You have good plans for me – with a future and a hope. I will worship You alone. Thank you for peace that passes understanding. I love you Jesus and I know that my best days are ahead of me because You love me. Amen.”
by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Have the roots (of your being) firmly and deeply planted in Him, fixed and founded (in Him), being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7, AMP
It is officially summer my friends – school is out, the weather is hot, pools are open and life as we knew it, is no more (I know all the mom’s are shaking their heads in agreement with me right now:)! But, I have an important message for you today: It is important that you seize the summer and not let the summer just pass you by.
Summer is often a time of activity, rest and relaxation, but it can also be a season where the days feel like they are never-ending! I made the decision several months ago to enjoy my summer, but hadn’t yet grabbed a hold of what my summer would entail. The problem was that I had no vision for what the days of summer would hold for me. I was quickly becoming either overwhelmed with activity or feeling the dread of a new day with nothing to do! You see, I was letting the summer seize me, instead of me seizing my summer!
Just this morning, I sought God about the next few months. I heard the Holy Spirit clearly state, “Tracy, how you spend your summer will determine how you spend your fall.” I felt within my spirit that the summer (for me), is a time of enjoyment and rest this year and I desire to spend my time : (1) Reading God’s Word (Spending time with Jesus and reading my Bible), (2) Enjoying my daughter & family (Spending quality time with those that I love), and (3) Writing (Spending time on my next book and writing bi-weekly devotionals that I pray will encourage women). Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision (no redemptive revelation of God), the people perish…” With these three goals in mind, I now have a vision for my summer. I can already see myself refreshed by spending time in God’s Word. I can see my family and I laughing and discovering new things in our City. And I can imagine seeing the cover of my new book! 🙂 With these goals before me, I know that I am going to have an awesome summer!
What is your vision for your summer? If you are not sure, then ask God. He will give you some guidance on how you can enjoy your summer and be prepared for your fall, which is also known as harvest time! What you sow in the summer, you will reap in the fall. I pray that God speaks to you today. Remember to seize your summer and do not let summer seize you! Be encouraged because no matter what your summer holds, God will use these months to prepare and propel you into your promise land!
Prayer:
“Lord, please speak to me today. I want my summer to be filled with purpose and destiny. Show me the areas of my life you want to strengthen. As You give me a vision for this summer Lord, I can see goodness and mercy following me. I see days of laughter, revelation and enjoyment! In Christ I seize my summer. These next few months will prepare me for Harvest – get me ready Lord, for my greatest days in You are yet ahead! Amen.”
*This devotional is an oldie but a goodie. It was published 2 years ago on my site, “Seizing Your Summer” but there is no better time to publish it again! Thanks for your continued encouragement of “Tuesdays With Tracy!”
by Tracy | General
“I run for dear life to God, I’ll never live to regret it. Do what you do so well: get me out of this mess and up on my feet. Put your ear to the ground and listen, give me space for salvation. Be a guest room where I can retreat; you said your door was always open!
You’re my salvation—my vast, granite fortress.” Psalm 71:1-3, Message
Did you know that God could be your “guest room?” God and His Word can be our place in which we can retreat and get some needed R&R. Psalm 16 tells us that in His Presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. He even promises in our scripture above that His door is always open for us. As one Hotel has marketed itself, “He’ll even leave the light on for ya!”
When we are overwhelmed, our earthly bodies long for a place of tranquility and today I am here to tell you that it is in God’s presence that you can truly unwind and rest from the difficulties of life. He is a refreshing drink to our thirsty spirits, He is the healer of our mind, body and spirit, and He wants us to lay in green pastures with total confidence that He loves us and will fight every battle before us.
Just as you are able to rest and receive while staying in a guest room of a close friend or family member, when you run to God for dear life, He is our guest room – our fluffy bed, luxurious sheets and soft pillows. He is our “calgon take me away” bath salts and He is everything we need.
I want you to know that God loves you and He has amazing plans for you. Hold on because your BEST days are yet ahead. No eye has seen and no ear has heard the plans that He has for you! And when things get difficult remember to run to the true “guest room” of Jesus.
Prayer:
“Lord, I run to you for dear life today and I declare that I will never regret it! You are my salvation and everything I need in my life. I give you every situation on my heart today and choose to find my retreat in You and Your Word. Thank you for always loving me. Amen.”
by Tracy | General
“I run for dear life to God, I’ll never live to regret it. Do what you do so well: get me out of this mess and up on my feet. Put your ear to the ground and listen, give me space for salvation. Be a guest room where I can retreat; you said your door was always open!
You’re my salvation—my vast, granite fortress.” Psalm 71:1-3, Message
Did you know that God could be your “guest room?” God and His Word can be our place in which we can retreat and get some needed R&R. Psalm 16 tells us that in His Presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. He even promises in our scripture above that His door is always open for us. As one Hotel has marketed itself, “He’ll even leave the light on for ya!”
When we are overwhelmed, our earthly bodies long for a place of tranquility and today I am here to tell you that it is in God’s presence that you can truly unwind and rest from the difficulties of life. He is a refreshing drink to our thirsty spirits, He is the healer of our mind, body and spirit, and He wants us to lay in green pastures with total confidence that He loves us and will fight every battle before us.
Just as you are able to rest and receive while staying in a guest room of a close friend or family member, when you run to God for dear life, He is our guest room – our fluffy bed, luxurious sheets and soft pillows. He is our “calgon take me away” bath salts and He is everything we need.
I want you to know that God loves you and He has amazing plans for you. Hold on because your BEST days are yet ahead. No eye has seen and no ear has heard the plans that He has for you! And when things get difficult remember to run to the true “guest room” of Jesus.
Prayer:
“Lord, I run to you for dear life today and I declare that I will never regret it! You are my salvation and everything I need in my life. I give you every situation on my heart today and choose to find my retreat in You and Your Word. Thank you for always loving me. Amen.”
by Tracy | Inspirational, Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
“So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts of Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pride-fully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t’.” Romans 12:4-5, The Message
In the past I have dreaded shopping for a new bathing suit…can I please get some sisterly love on this one? I have literally walked into a dressing room with 20+ swimsuits in hand and left the room empty handed and feeling as if none of them looked nice, but this may have been because I was under a faulty delusion that somehow my size-12 body would magically turn into a size-8 body whenever I went shopping – of which I thought I could experience a “Tadah” moment. However this “Tadah” never happened and I was quickly snapped back into reality that simply putting on a new article of clothing does not cause immediate weight loss! LOL!
However, somewhere along the journey of life, I have come to the place of simply longing to be the best me. I don’t know if this revelation has come with age or by consciously choosing to love myself, but I no longer walk in trepidation at the thought of shopping nor do I compare myself to others because I just want to be the best me.
I no longer give my energy or thoughts over to what the world would say about me, (my accomplishments or lack of, my weight, my values, etc) because as our scripture states above, God excellently and marvelously formed me. This truth has become a line in the sand for me. I no longer expend precious time comparing myself to others – I just need to be the best me…whether size 12 or 8…I am fashioned and formed by God, I am created to be a blessing to the body of Christ.
So let’s all make the choice to go ahead and be who God made us to be and lets choose to let others be who God made them to be. Bottom line: I am free to be me and you are free to be you!
You see, God fashioned and formed you and you are vital to the body of Christ. There is no other “you” on the face of the earth. The gifts and talents God put into your life are greatly needed by those around you. It is my prayer that today you will make the choice to no longer compare yourself to others and that you will simply be the best you!
Prayer:
“Lord, I choose from this day forward to love myself. You tell me in Your Word to love my neighbor as I love myself. Help me to embrace the fact that you fashioned and formed me and that You have good plans for me. I will no longer give my time and energy to what others may say or think of me but I will honor You with my thoughts. Help me to be who You created me to be – the best me! Amen.”
