by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7, NKJ
It’s time to let the past be in the past and to become men and women of Grace. God once shared with me before a family gathering, “Tracy, a woman of Grace never brings up the past sins of another person. Just as I have forgiven and covered your sin under The Blood, you must also cover the sins of others… A woman of Grace always builds up and never tears down.” I will never forget these words because they were like water to my soul. You see, I have a shameful past, but God never reminds me of it. Sure, there are times when I reflect on what God has done in my life, but never with despair or regret, but with thanksgiving of what God’s Grace has done.
So, as you sit with your family and friends this Holiday season, I encourage you to build up and not tear down, speak life and not death, extend mercy and not judgment, express love and not hate, offer forgiveness and not bitterness, share of God’s goodness and no matter what happens at your Holiday gathering – be men and women of Grace.
Just as we season our meal with salt, let us also be purposeful to season our fellowship this Thanksgiving with God’s amazing Grace – it is delicious to everyone who has ears to hear!
We need to trust that when evil is spoken of us, God will take care of it. All we need to do is simply walk in God’s grace and no evil plan shall prosper. God will send His angels concerning us as we flow in His love. And it is my prayer that God will grant us all a gathering seasoned with Grace!
Prayer:
“Lord, please forgive me of my sins and cover them in Your Precious Blood. I rebuke the devil and his tormenting spirits – I am forgiven and redeemed – I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. Help me Lord to be a person seasoned with Grace. I will no longer bring up the past sins of my brothers and sisters in Christ, but use my mouth to build up and edify. I ask for a Graceful Gathering this year and I realize this desire starts with me. No matter what happens Lord, I invite you to be with me this Holiday season. Guard my lips and heart as I choose to trust that You will vindicate me when needed.” Amen.
HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING!
Tracy
by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” Romans 8:40, The Message
Ever have “one of those days” when you feel as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Maybe your child is sick or a close friend has let you down, but no matter what solution you try in order to resolve the situation, a spirit of heaviness still remains in your heart – has anyone else been there?
It is when our hearts are overwhelmed, that we desperately need to run to God and His Word. Our current situation may make no sense at this time, but you can rest in the fact that God loves you and is for you. God alone can bring refreshment to your weary soul. I love our scripture today because it focuses on the fact that God loves us and there is nothing we can do or not do that will separate us from His love. Just take a few moments today and ponder that God loves you. He knows all about your situation and He will be with you to the end and make all things work together for your good simply because He loves you.
It is my prayer that you will meditate on the fact that God loves you. You may feel alone in this world, but God is right beside you and longing to love on you this very moment….the question is will you take the time to let Him do it? As you go through your day, I want you to continually tell yourself that God loves you. When you grab that piece of cake that you know you shouldn’t have – eat it with joy knowing that God loves you. When a friend disappoints you again– pray for them and ask that God would surround you with His perfect love that casts out all fear and torment. When you child is up all night with a fever – pray over him or her and declare that God loves you and your precious one. God is for you and loves you with an everlasting love. And there is nothing, absolutely nothing you can do about it!
Prayer:
“Lord, thank your for loving me at all times. You loved me when I was yet a sinner. You love me when I make good choices and you even love me and help me when I make wrong decisions. You are for me and therefore who can be against me? Please reveal this truth to me today. Amen.”
by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.” Romans 5:1-2, The Message
For years I feared that if I surrendered my life to God, He would call me to live in a tent in a tropical forest, marry a man that I was not attracted to and birth twenty plus children – all of which are not wrong by an means – but I had no desire for any of these things. The problem was that I did not know the character of God at that time. I believed the lie that if I gave my life over to God that He would ask me to do things that I was not equipped for nor would I like, but this could not be farther from the truth!
You see, when I threw open the doors of my heart to God, I discovered that God had already thrown open His doors of grace to me through His Beloved Son, Jesus, when He died on the cross. God had been patiently, lovingly, waiting for me to give up. Even through hard times, God has been with me and I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. It was God who blessed me with a wonderful, good-looking husband. It was God who blessed me to be a mother and it was God who knew that I was not called to live in the jungle, but instead He gifted me to help His people through Counseling. Many marvel that I enjoy being a Counselor, but it was God who put this desire within my heart and I experience great joy when I Counsel.
Before Christ, I struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem, rejection, people pleasing, worthlessness, and much more. Yet, when I came to the end of myself and cried out to God, He filled me with His life, joy and peace. Over time I began to see who God really was – a loving, giving, compassionate Father who placed talents and abilities within me to glorify Him. I cannot boast of anything in my life, for it is God and God alone who blesses me.
Now, there are circumstances in each of our lives that we would never willingly choose to go through, but with God we can be confident that He will lead us to victory in every place . We can stand firm that God will work all things out for His good when we are called according to His purpose. God does not waste anything. He will not waste our pain, trials, talents, abilities, desires or anything in life.
I want to encourage you to surrender everything to God today. It is only through surrender that we can find peace and joy. One of my favorite sayings is, “I can’t, but God can.” God is longing to lead us into wide, open places in our workplace, marriage, ministry, parenthood and in everything we do. Today is the day we can throw open the doors of our lives and discover ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand – out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shout out praise to God….will you join me?
Prayer: “Lord, I give my life and I declare that You are good and gracious and will lead me to wide open spaces as I surrender to You. You have amazing plans for my life and I no longer want to keep You at arms length. I want to fully surrender to Your will and not my own. You have placed desires and abilities within me for Your purposes and I long to fulfill my destiny on earth. May Your will be done. Amen.”
by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Scripture reassures us, “No one who trust God like this – heart and soul – will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out, for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help God!’ gets help.” But how can people call for help if they don’t know whom to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?” Romans 10:10-12, The Message
As a parent, I am continually watchful and protective of God’s precious gift to me. Whenever my daughter cries for “help,” I am quick to respond and would leap over mountains to rescue her out of harms way. The truth is that nothing can keep a momma away from her child when he or she is in need – everyone else needs to watch out when momma runs to rescue her child! LOL!
The truth is that God loves you more than anyone on the face of the earth. He will not only come to your help when you cry out to Him, but He will bless your future with His amazing grace. I love what Romans 10:10 states above; “No one who trusts God with their heart and soul will regret it!” I am living proof of this scripture. I shouldn’t be alive, BUT GOD heard my cry and He came to my aid and rescued me and He healed me everywhere I hurt. And it is now my mission in life to tell everyone what God has done for me. The truth is that He is no respecter of persons: If He rescued me – then He will rescue you. If He healed me – then He will heal you. If He has blessed me – then He will bless you above all that you can ask, think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). He is an awesome God who is waiting for you to cry out to Him today.
I don’t know what you are currently going through…maybe you need to cry out for God’s help and simply receive all that He has for you today. He loves you and longs to help you. Or maybe you have been rescued like me and need to start sharing what God has done in your life. Millions of people don’t know Who they can trust. They are looking for peace through the things of this world, but the only One who can give them what their heart and souls longs for is Jesus.
Who knows, you may be the one to reveal that God loves them. There is nothing better in life than to see a life rescued and renewed through the power of Jesus. Will you join me? Will you tell everyone who will listen what God has done in your life? As our scripture above asks, “How are they going to know unless you are sent?”
Prayer:
“Lord, thank you for answering me every time I cry out to you for help. I am living proof that when someone puts their trust in You that You are faithful. Help me to let You have control in my life. May you use my life to draw others to You. May I be a living testimony of Your goodness. May people see Your favor upon my life and may they desire a relationship with you. Amen.”
ANNOUNCEMENT: 
Tracy Hurst Counseling Services: Bringing Christ into Counseling
I am re-opening my counseling practice two mornings a week in the Smyrna area. If you or someone you know would like to make an appointment or get more information, please contact me through my “contact page” on my website by clicking here: CONTACT PAGE
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“For You, O Lord, are good and ready to forgive (our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever); and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.” Psalm 86:5, AMP
Do you have trouble forgiving yourself? If so, I have good news for you today because our scripture above tells us that we are not only forgiven but our sins have been sent away, let go completely and forever by our merciful and loving God!
Do you remember in Elementary School when a teacher would put our name on the chalkboard if we disobeyed in class? Having our name on the board would stir up feelings of embarrassment and awareness of our wrongful behavior. And it was the very act of seeing our name on the chalkboard throughout the day that kept us conscious of our bad choice. This is the very thing the devil longs to do to God’s people. He wants us sin-conscious, after all, he is the accuser of the brethren and he wants our focus on our past sins rather than God’s grace.
Satan understands that sin conscious people live a state of hopelessness and depression. He does not want you to fulfill your destiny and focusing solely on your past sins – will do just that! You see, Satan does not want you to know that Jesus is the “eraser” of all sin. The chalkboard that once listed your sin was erased with His precious Blood the moment you gave your life to Him. That my friend is the power of the Cross!
The truth is that you may not feel forgiven but God’s Word supersedes feelings. Psalm 86:5 is clear,“For You, O Lord, are good and ready to forgive (our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever); and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.” Your feelings will LIE to you, but God’s Word is ALWAYS TRUE.
If forgiving yourself has been a struggle for you then I would like for you to do something…Take out a pencil and a piece of paper. Then write down all the sins that have tormented you. Once you have completed your list, I want you to re-read Psalm 86:5. As an act of faith, I now want you to use an eraser and erase your list until it is completely gone. And now with your blank paper in front of you, it is time to thank Jesus for His Blood and forgiveness of sins!
I would also like to encourage you to put this piece of paper somewhere for you to see (a kitchen cabinet or bathroom mirror perhaps) and anytime you feel un-forgiven or tormented by your past sins, walk up to this piece of paper and declare: “The Lord has forgiven me of my sins. My sins have been erased, sent away, let go completely and forever out of God’s abundant mercy and love for me. Feelings you must submit to the Word of God. I am forgiven, redeemed and an over comer in Christ Jesus. Amen.” That my friend is what it means to be forgiven completely & forever!!
Prayer: “Lord, Your love is amazing and I am so thankful that my sins are forgiven, let go of completely and gone forever. Help me to believe Your Word over how I feel. I declare that my feelings must line up with the Word of God and I ask that You help me receive this truth deep within my spirit. Thank Jesus for Your precious blood that came to erase my sins away. Help me to walk in the abundance of Your grace forevermore. Amen.”
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy, Warfare
“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.
