Inspirational Thoughts
11/16/24
My favorite daily devotional is “I Hear His Whisper For Women.” It seems every devotional speaks directly to the moment I am living. On Wednesday, the devotional was, “I will do it again,” reminding me He is the God of miracles who loves to move the mountains and obstacles I encounter. I consider how many times my endeavors would have been thwarted . . . but God.
Then, a sneak peak at November 19th, the proposed publishing date for Greater Love, the devotional was, “You cannot lose me,” the first line, “I am the God who goes after the one every time.” I love being the sheep Jesus looks for and brings home, don’t you.
And, it is not lost on me that this is aligned with my Greater Love Author’s Note that reads, “You are the one sheep Jesus left the ninety-nine to rescue.”
Then, I opened my Bible to read, and it fell open to my treasured pencil drawing of Jesus cradling the lamb that I clipped to the page in Luke 15:4. “There once was a shepherd with a hundred lambs, but one of his lambs wandered away and was lost . . . He didn’t stop until he finally found it. With exuberant joy he raised it up and placed it on his shoulders, carrying it back with cheerful delight!” (TPT)
I continually find that my Beloved Father is in all and through all. Everything is awesomely connected. Every time God leaves me a love note, I leave one for him too. I write a special prayer.
MyBeloved Father,
Here is my love note to you . . . I love you with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, and with all my might. I entwine my heart with yours today, and forever. I place you as a seal upon my heart, that many waters cannot quench this great and steadfast love we share.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
11/23/24
Think on these things . . .
“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ. So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.” —Philippians 4: 6-8 (TPT)
How glorious that our Father does not want us to worry about a thing! He’s waiting—hoping for us to talk to him about every detail of our lives, to the point of saturation. Wow, that’s a lot! How are you feeling lately? Saturated and refreshed by His presence, or dried-up and lonely?
When we do life all on our own, we get dried-up and lonely, and perhaps a bit snarky. You know, our Father doesn’t want us to tell him every detail of our lives because He doesn’t know them. He knows we need a good friend to talk to . . . to process things with. And, He wants to be that friend. Think about it, when you go through trauma alone, you internalize it and mull it over and over, miserable and lonely. When you finally open up and talk to someone about it, you feel better. The trauma begins to diffuse, and the healing process begins.
Jesus warned us the enemy prowls around—he’s coming after you with one agenda, to kill, steal and destroy. Our Savior did not leave us as orphans. No matter what you go through, always remember, your heavenly Father goes through it with you. He never leaves you or forsakes you. He is right there, waiting for you to talk to him about every detail of your life, and heal you with his wonderful peace.
Sometimes I think we get hung up on the word prayer. We picture closed eyes, bowed heads, carefully constructed sentences that sound really religious to anyone who might be listening. What kind of relationship would you have with your best friend if you spoke to them the way you pray to God? Yep . . . that’s what I thought.
My First Challenge To You: Start talking to God, as you do to your best friend. Have a conversation based on love, excitement, and all those experiences you’ve shared together. Talk about what’s on your heart and mind, what’s happened to you—the good, the bad, and the ugly, what you think and how you feel, what bothers you, what makes your heart leap and sing for joy.
My Second Challenge: Ask Father God what’s on His mind, what He thinks about things, how He felt when good and bad things happened to you, what makes His heart leap and sing for joy.
I promise, that’s why Father God gave his only Son, in Greater Love, so that the two of you could be forever friends.