“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of GOOD REPORT, if there is any virture and if there is anything PRAISEWORTHY – meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8, NKJ (Author’s emphasis added)
Have you ever had one of those days when all you seem to hear is bad news?Maybe it was a telephone call, an email or your local news that brought these dreadful reports to your attention and before you knew it, you were sinking into a state of hopelessness! And although it would not be wise to totally ignore such issues, Paul clearly states in the verse above that it is in our best interest not to meditate on the worst, but on the best of things.
Every day it is important for us to guard our minds and find at least one good report to meditate on. It may be the testimony of a friend who got a breakthrough, a family member who received a raise or you may have gotten a good report from your doctor, but even if you can’t seem to think of anything praiseworthy on earth, you can always meditate on God’s Word.I have found that just one Word from God can not only change your day but your life!
In honor of thinking upon what is true, noble, reputable, compelling and gracious, I am going to share with you a few scriptures to meditate on when you are longing to think upon the best and not the worst:
My God can take me higher than my circumstances:
“Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer.From the end of the earth I will cry to you, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.For you have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.Selah.”Psalm 61:1-4
If God is for me, who can be against me:
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Therefore I will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with swelling.There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall keep her, just at the break of dawn.”Psalm 46:1-5
When I speak the Word of God out loud, it will move mountains on my behalf:
“For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”Hebrews 4:12
Let’s make a choice to think upon good things this day. Even when we are dealing with difficult circumstances we can have joy within our heart as we meditate on things worthy to be praised.
Prayer:
“Lord, I lift up every concern on my heart to You today. I ask that while I think upon the good things, that You would move on my behalf. I declare that You are above every circumstance in my life and I will not fear. You tell us in Psalm 46, that we do not need to fear because You are our refuge and strength and our very present help in trouble. I love You and I choose today to think upon what is true, noble and praise-worthy. Amen.”
“Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.” Proverbs 17:17, The Message
Has God ever shown you that you needed to let go of a friendship, but instead of following His lead, you intentionally held onto the friendship to long until it resulted in conflict? As a counselor, I often tell my clients, “When you set a boundary, someone will get hurt.” And although none of us like this truth, what we fail to see is that by not setting a boundary – we are the ones who are continually being hurt.
I have found in my life that there are three types of friendships: 1. Friends for a lifetime.
2. Friends for a season.
3. Friends for a moment.
All three types of friendship are just as important as the other. You may be thinking, “Come on Tracy, surely a lifetime friend is more valuable than a friend for a season or moment!” I beg to differ with you – each type of friendship is valuable in its own right.
A friend in the moment can impact you for eternity. I will never forget sitting in a Chapel service at Mid-America Bible College. A young African American student presented the gospel. I don’t even know his name, but through his message and invitation, I accepted Jesus as my Savior – he was a friend for a moment that impacted my life for eternity.
A friend for a season can also impact you more than you know. I had a best guy-friend during my college years. He greatly prepared me for my husband. His friendship brought healing and restoration in my life – he was a friend for a season that impacted my life for such a time as this.
A friend for a lifetime is a rare treasure. These are the individual’s who love us rather than judge us, they hold confidences instead of gossiping about us, they want the best for us rather than feeling jealous of our success, they do not hold offenses but come to us if there is a problem, they make themselves available at all hours to listen and pray for us, and we don’t have to defend ourselves to them because they know who we really are and they value us as much as we value them. If we have just one lifetime friendship, we are extremely blessed!
The thing about friendships is that we too often try and put the wrong people in the wrong place. Or how about this one – how many of us expect everyone we are friends with to act like our friends for a lifetime? It all comes down to our expectations of others. I will never forget when my feelings were hurt because a friend failed to ask me about a recent speaking engagement. She knew about the event, but never inquired about it. After much prayer, God clearly showed me that I WAS WRONGby expecting her to act like my friends for a lifetime – who ALWAYS pray for me and ask about my speaking engagements...knowing where a friend fits into our life can not only bring tremendous peace but also keep us from frustration and disappointment.
As women of God, it is time for us to let go of the childish things (offences, jealousy, back-biting, gossip, cliques, he-said-she-said conversations and every evil thing) and grab onto God with all of our might! God is the One person I can declare is your Friend for a lifetime! Jesus is the One who is always on our side. He is cheering you on from heaven and intercedes for you when no one else does. Jesus is the friend that you are all longing for – grab onto Him and trust that He will give you wisdom in all your friendships.
Prayer:
“Lord, thank you for being my friend and Savior for a lifetime. You are always with me and I love you. I give you my friendships and ask that You forgive me for placing my hope in them rather than in You. Show me who my friends are for a lifetime, season and moment. I acknowledge today that each level of friendship is important in my life. I let go of childish things – offense, rejection, trying to defend myself, he said – she said conversations, gossip, criticism, and the such and grab onto You – the author and finisher of my faith. Amen.”
What are your thoughts or comments? Please click on the comment button. I would love to hear from you!
“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give praise to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Most of you know our guest writer, Carol Abersold (center), as the Bestselling Author of “Elf On The Shelf” which is #3 on the USA Best Seller List. But what you may not know is that Carol is wife, mother, Bible teacher, mentor and woman of God who longs to glorify God. Please check out her wonderful website at:www.elfontheshelf.com. My daughter goes onto her website often to create cookies, color, and play games.
I know you will be blessed by Carol’s devotional today and it’s timeless message to let your light shine everyday of the year. Enjoy!
Although I had tried to faithfully serve the Lord for more than fifty years, my light, for all intents and purposes, was out. I found myself in the blackest of pits mentally, physically and spiritually. I had been physically suffering with three herniated discs in my neck, my husband’s business was failing, and my in-laws let me know how much they disliked me after thirty-four years of pretense. I found myself curled up in a ball weeping and crying out to God for help, healing and deliverance. All hope seemed gone.Why was I, a Sunday school teacher, amateur Bible scholar, a word believing, walking, talking Christian suffering from hopelessness?!!My usually strong husband was suffering from his own worries ( I was one of them), and I “turned to God” but He seemed to be on vacation. What was the deal!
My oldest daughter came over to pray for me. She took action and made an appointment for me to get professional Christian counseling, and she encouraged me to start writing. My Eeyore-like reply was, “I have nothing to say.” Determined child (adult) that she is, she looked up on a shelf in my kitchen where my little pixie elf from childhood still remained even though the holidays were past. “Why don’t we write a book about the elf tradition?” she said. My reply was, “Oh, Chanda, nobody would want to read that……Okay.”
And so we began writing what turned out to be The Elf On The Shelf: A Christmas Tradition. While we were in the process of writing the story, I received the professional help I needed from Tracy Hurst. These two women, Chanda and Tracy, let the Lord use them to shine His light upon me. He graciously healed me from my pain, the source of our financial drain was revealed to us, and most importantly… I got my light back.
The point is this: a Christian woman’s light never completely goes out, but it can grow extremely dim. Perhaps, you, like I, need someone to shine their light on you until you can get your “batteries recharged.” Don’t be afraid, just receive it. In turn, when darkness seems present in another’s life do not hesitate to shine your God-given light.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, let me be equally as willing to be set alight, as to shed light. Let the Holy Spirit remind me not to lose heart, because I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Let me not be ashamed to seek proper help when my light seems to dim, and let me be a beacon shedding Your light on everyone I meet today. Amen.
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:11-14, NIV
This article has become a Christmas Tradition on my website and it was only a year ago that First For Women Magazine published this in their 2009 Christmas Edition. I cannot help but continually give God praise for His abundant favor. Be encouraged my friend, if God can do this for me, then what will He do for you this Christmas? May you have a miracle-filled Christmas!
My Christmas Miracle
As the Christmas season beckoned at my door, I could not help but reminisce about the memories of Christmas past. A lot of my flashbacks revolve around running to abuse shelters from my stepfather who was physically abusive. Even when things seemed calm on my home front, I could always count on the never-ending drama within my family to spice up the holiday season. Holiday drama and my family seem to go together like macaroni and cheese. While the majority of my early memories could put anyone in therapy, I did think about one Christmas that still puts a smile on my face even to this day.
It was the Christmas that my aunt, uncle, and cousins drove 12 plus hours in the sleet and snow to be with us during the holidays. I was in sixth grade and I still remember the smell of burning wood in the fireplace and the amazing meals my mom prepared. But, the best part of that Christmas was a present I received. To the outward eye it appeared that my aunt gave me a game, “Stop Thief” by Parker Brothers, but it was much more than that.
You see, that evening my family gathered around the dining room table and played until the wee hours in the morning. The entire room was filled with laughter as we chased the fictitious thief all over the game board. As an abused child who later nearly took her life at the age of 15, I held onto the laughter of that night during some of the hardest times in my life. The memory of that Christmas is still with me today. I am not sure when it happened or which state I lived in at the time, but I lost my most prized game, “Stop Thief.”
Now in my thirties, I decided it was time to replace my favorite game. My research uncovered that Parker Brothers no longer makes the game, and to my dismay, “Stop Thief “ is now considered a vintage game! My husband suggested that I attempt to locate the vintage game on E-Bay. I held my breath as I typed in the words “Stop Thief” on the E-Bay website, and there it appeared before my eyes, not only one, but several “Stop Thief” games were being sold that very day. I placed my highest bid, and to my surprise, won the game. I eagerly anticipated its arrival, and just three days later it was placed at my front door in Atlanta, Georgia. I opened the package, pulled out the game and saw my very own handwriting on the front cover that stated, “I love Michael Jackson” in red ink. The memory of using my brand new ink pen with multiple ink colors flooded my mind and I remembered choosing red because Michael Jackson wore a red leather coat in his Thriller video. Tears filled my eyes as I realized that I had not just received any “Stop Thief” game, but my original game from my childhood.
It was a miracle and I knew who had done it for me- my sweet Jesus. I had known of His love for me, but the fact that He found my original game that I had lost a long time ago is beyond amazing. God led a stranger in Illinois to end up with my game, sell it years later on E-Bay, and then have it delivered several states away to my front door. That shows me the restoration power of God! Joel 2:21-26 talks about how God will restore the years the locusts have eaten. I don’t know what you may have lost over the years; maybe the locusts of life have stolen from you as well. I encourage you to ask God to restore unto you things that you have lost. God is able to not only restore former things, but He always brings things back with increase beyond its original state. Jesus truly is the restorer of all things lost. After all, we once were lost, but now we are found.
Prayer: Lord, I declare that the enemy must give back everything he has stolen from me! I proclaim that 2011 will be a year filled with the restoration power of God. I ask that you restore my body, my mind, my spirit, my relationships, my family, my reputation, my finances and anything else needing the restoration power of God. I love you Jesus and it is because of your love that I believe 2011 will be a year crowned with Your goodness and dripping with abundance (Psalm 65:11).” Amen.
Please take a moment and watch this amazing video. The question is: Will you have Christmas as usual this year or will you decide to “get less” in order to “give more?”
Spend Less
Give More
Worship Fully
Love All
My church has embraced the Advent Conspiracy and I am also determined to not have Christmas as usual, but to give more. Instead of joining the hustle and bustle, needless spending and making this season about me, myself and I… I want to enjoy this season by laughing more with my family, being thankful for all my blessings and GIVING MORE to those in need – more time, money, prayers and attention!
Let’s make a difference in the world and give more this Christmas. Listed below are a few places where you can give. Please feel free to use these links or to give wherever God leads you, but let’s not experience Christmas a usual, let’s give of ourselves, spend less, give more, love all and worship fully this season.
“You’ve (God has) always given me breathing room, a place to get away from it all, a lifetime pass to your safe-house, an open invitation as your guest. You’ve always taken me seriously, God, made me welcome among those who know and love you.” Psalm 61:3-5, The Message
Our scripture today makes me want to say, “Ahhh….Jesus take me away!” There are times when all we simply need is some breathing room; a place to escape the business and stress of life and to know that God provides such a place for us is awesome!
A few weeks ago I had the privilege to attend a women’s retreat. Notice I said, “attend” and this alone was breathing room. I knew a few people, but I was overwhelmed with the warmth I received from these women. God knew that I needed refreshment and these Godly women made me feel welcome. I left the retreat energized and filled with God’s peace and joy.
Maybe you are in need of some refreshment in your life today? I realize that you may not be able to attend a women’s conference such as I did, but our scripture today tells us that God always gives us breathing room and in spending time with Him we can have a “mini-retreat” in His presence. It is my belief that one moment with God can change our lives. God takes our concerns and needs seriously and He welcomes us to run to Him because God alone is the One who will meet all of our needs.
My daughter recently taught some children at an abuse shelter Philippians 4:19, which states, “My God will meet all your needs.” You should have seen these kids shouting from the top of their lungs this truth and jumping with all of their might to choreographed dance moves! It was powerful. Now to say that I was proud of my four-year-old daughter for teaching these kids God’s Word would be an understatement! My question for us today is, do we believe this truth? Do we believe that God will supply all of our needs? Whether we need refreshment, peace, joy or financial provision – He is faithful and His Word is true.
If you need anything today, run to God. He will heal you everywhere you hurt and provide for you exceedingly, abundantly, above all you could ask think or imagine. God’s guest room is always available to us. Are you in need of some breathing room? If so, then run to the safe house of God – His Word
Prayer: “Lord, thank you for giving me breathing room, a place to get away from it all to be refreshed in Your presence. For in Your presence is the fullness of joy. During this Holiday season, keep me from being distracted and to focus on the real meaning of the season. No matter what is going on around me, I can be confident that You will supply all of my needs. Amen.”
Tracy became a Christian at the age of 16 and her life was changed forever. She went from being a depressed, suicidal, rebellious teenager to a dynamic leader for Christ. Immediately after accepting Jesus as her Savior, Tracy fought the school board in order to begin a Bible study on school grounds at her high school in Illinois. The dramatic transformation in Tracy's life has inspired many, including her own mother, to give their lives to Christ.
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of GOOD REPORT, if there is any virture and if there is anything PRAISEWORTHY – meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8, NKJ (Author’s emphasis added)
