“I have become like broken pottery.” Psalm 31:12

The past fifteen months, a huge hammer has repeatedly smashed my world. I once carried my life in a beautiful bowl. A sudden job loss, poor health, and other issues have left what once felt solid in scattered, tiny shards. I didn’t know how to pick up the pieces.

Have you been there? Do I see you nodding?

Contemplating my situation, especially over the past year , I noticed a cross I have hanging next to my fireplace. I bought it years ago at a church festival…long before I turned my widowhood apartment into shades of turquoise. Most of its life it hung outside on a patio. But it matched my sofa now, so…

Who knew God would use it to show me He loves me?

It is a mosaic, made of three or four different china or pottery items that have been smashed into pieces. The artist gathered them together, placed them carefully in the cross mold, and then poured in the plaster of Paris to adhere them into a beautiful design.

What someone else might have swept up and dumped as useless trash, she saw as beauty. She could envision the end product. She arranged the pieces just so, and created something new, and stronger, and with new purpose.

I know I am not the first person to make this analogy. But it reminds me of what Jesus said to his disciples after everyone on the mount had been fed with the fish and loaves.

 “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted” (John 6:12).

With Christ as my mold, the pieces of my life have been transformed into something new. He knew they’d come together in a wonderful way.  But first, they had to be broken to be repurposed. His Spirit has plastered these experiences together and made me stronger than before.

Thank you, Lord that You see the potential in each experience and that You will use it to Your glory and my benefit. Nothing is wasted. As You gathered the pieces of what I once had and began to mold them into my future, I have drawn nearer to you, wrestled with my pride, and learned to lean on the generosity of others. Most of all, I know anew that You are always with me. Amen.

By Julie Cosgrove
Used by Permission

Photo Credit Kirsi L-M

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

Beautiful, Broken Jar of Clay  Be encouraged that even if you are facing hard times, 

Treasure in Jars of Clay

God’s Competence in Clay Pots

The post Pieced Together appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11 (NKJV)

Jesus, having all power and all authority, submitted His life to the authority of His Father. He consistently responded under authority, pointing back to the Father. The Father, in turn, rewarded His obedience and humility and exalted Him.

In our individualistic world, we try to avoid submission to authority. There’s a Chinese saying: It’s better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox. We want to be our own boss; make our own decisions; answer to no one. Truth is, we answer to the One.

Our act of saying yes, to make Jesus Lord of our life, is our primary act of submission. From that day onward we keep bringing our lives and our decisions before Him, acknowledging that there is One greater than we are. It’s a relationship of submission, rooted in our understanding that the Father loves us even more than we can comprehend. Jesus was no doormat, “He understood His worth” but His authority flowed out of a heart submitted to the Father. In that place He had the power to heal the sick, raise the dead and transform lives. That’s the place I want to live from today.

Reflect:
Who do you point back to?
What do you need to surrender to the Father today?

Prayer:
Father, thank You for loving me beyond my selfish human heart. Thank You that submission to You is a safe, beautiful and even powerful place. I submit my life to You today. May I live my life in such a way that I am consistently pointing back to You. In Jesus’ exalted Name, Amen.

By Idelette McVicker
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Authority in an Age of Autonomy

The Christian and the Bible

God Is Holy ……

The post Under Authority appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

(v. 5) “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.”

Paul never claimed he was capable of accomplishing all that God called him to do. He simply learned to look beyond his own inadequacy to the sufficiency of Christ. If we’ll adopt the same practice, we, too, can discover the blessings hidden in our own experiences of inadequacy.

Our insufficiency drives us to God. When we realize a situation is bigger than we can handle, we’re quick to open the Bible and diligently pray for guidance and power.

Inadequacy relieves us of the burden of self-effort and self-reliance. The Lord has us right where He wants us–at the end of our rope with nothing left to give.

Inability motivates reliance on divine power. We’ll never be adequate until we draw from the Holy Spirit’s inexhaustible strength. He does in and through us what God never intended that we do on our own.

By using weak, inadequate people, God demonstrates what great things He can do. He actually delights in choosing unlikely individuals to carry out His purposes. There’s no limit to what He can do through someone willing to give Him full control.

Inadequacy challenges our faith. Paul says, “Our adequacy is from God” (v. 5)
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.”

Why go through all the fear, pressure, and frustration that accompany feelings of inadequacy when there’s an alternative? Let the Lord make you adequate: rely upon Him and allow Christ to live in and through you. He will replace your anxiety with a quiet spirit of contentment.

By Dr. Charles Stanley
Used by permission

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’ Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

FURTHER READING

Jesus Empowers the Inadequate

Faulty Building Materials

Why We’re Less Likely to Try Great Things for God

The post The Blessings of Inadequacy appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.” Proverbs 10:12

When I was twelve, I had a horrendous fight with both of my brothers. I was shocked at the anger and hate I identified in myself. A verse in 1 John 3:15 smothered me with guilt and shame: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

But the fighting continued in my closest relationships. At times my anger felt overpowering and I was conscious of being hateful. However, I rationalized that feelings of hatred could not be the cause of the dissension — that I had a right to sort things out. I grappled to be understood. I doubted that Solomon’s words, “love covers all wrongs,” really meant what they said.

The New Testament affirms the wisdom of Solomon: “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” 1 Peter 4:8.

Over 50 years have passed since that fight with my brothers, and we have a great relationship now. But these words by contemporary author Mike Mason still ring true:

“In order to surrender, and so to put an end to fighting, one must see that it is within one’s power to consciously and prayerfully move toward love. The storms of life, we all know, are fraught with subtlety and complexity. But perhaps, in the end, the peace we seek lies in something very simple, the pure action of our will. The question is not What should I do? but Will I do it?”

That question provided an “ah-ha” moment for me. Whether I liked it or not, it was a matter of obedience to choose love and peace in the face of conflict.

Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing to me that You will renovate my life as I obey You. Amen.

By Sue Braid
used by permission

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’ Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

FURTHER READING

They Don’t Know What They Are Doing

Justified Anger

A Love Too Heavy

The post Moving Beyond Good Intentions appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Is there a difference?

I think “being smart” often relies on our own cognitive abilities.

“He sure is smart.”

“That was a smart solution you came up with.”

“What a smart thing to do!”

We tap into our own knowledge, be it through reading, studying or experiences.

When we are being wise, we rely on someone or something other than our own storehouse of knowledge to inform us, knowing our own limitations. That takes humility but also discernment.

The Apostle James wrote: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17

The more we embrace the wonder of God, the more we realize how inadequate we are without His guidance in our lives. Smartness relies on what you already have stored in your brain. Wisdom constantly seeks to learn, embrace and use knowledge from an outside source. For the believer, that source is our Lord.

It is good to be smart, whether from the street or from books. But how much better to gain wisdom from the One who created the universe and expressed complete love on the cross!

Lord of all wisdom, increase our desire to know You, to emulate You and to turn to You when we just do not understand. 

Thought: What situation or problem today is beyond your ability to figure out? Bring it before God in prayer. Ask for His wisdom.

By Julie Cosgrove
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Get Wise

Living Wisely

Seeking the Source of Sound Wisdom

The post Being Smart or Being Wise appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“And [Jesus] did not permit him but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marvelled.”  Mark 5:19-20

The place held a lot of bad memories for him. Leaving town to start a new life somewhere else would be so much easier than staying. Everyone in the area knew about him, had seen him naked. The people had shackled him with chains and watched how, in a crazed frenzy, he’d wrenched himself free and broken his bonds in pieces. He had made his home among the tombs because only the dead could tolerate him. How many people had he hurt when the voices controlled him? No wonder people feared and avoided him.

So, after Jesus had healed him, the man previously possessed by a legion of evil spirits (Mark 5:1-20), begged Jesus to let him go with him. But Jesus said no.

You see, the miracle terrified the local people. They begged Jesus to leave. So, Jesus told the restored man to stay. Jesus instructed him to go and tell his story — how God had healed him — to everyone who knew him. He wanted the man to explain his transformed life and tell how God had mercy on him.

The man obeyed Jesus. He freely shared his shameful past, God’s great mercy, and Jesus’ incredible healing power. Everyone who heard his story marvelled.

God wants to use your story too, no matter how much pain it involves. Tell how the Almighty God freed you from your bad behavior, the anger that controlled you, or your feelings of inadequacy.

Go — by God’s power — and live differently among the people who know you.

Thank you, Lord God, for having mercy on me and saving me. May your Holy Spirit make me bold in telling everyone what you have done for me. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’ Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

FURTHER READING

Living Like Jesus

Love Like Jesus

Jesus Recycles

The post Proclaim How Much Jesus Has Done for You appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” Mark 16:16

The pastor asked the inhabitants of the island how someone could be saved.

An old man replied, “We will be saved if we repent, and forsake our sins, and turn to God.”

“Yes,” said a middle-aged female, “and with a true heart too.”

“I agree,” answered a third, “and with prayer.” And, added a fourth, “It must be the prayer from the heart.”

“And we must be diligent too,” said a fifth, “and keep the commandments.”

After each had contributed to the discussion, they felt that a decent creed had been compiled. They all turned and waited for the pastor’s approval. But instead, they had aroused deep pity in his heart.

The worldly mind always tries to map out a way we can do works and become great, but the Lord’s way is just the opposite. Believing and being baptized aren’t deeds to be gloried in. They are so simple that boasting is impossible, and God deserves all the praise for the free grace He has given.

To believe is simply to trust, to depend, to rely on Christ Jesus. To be baptized is to submit to the ordinance which our Lord fulfilled at Jordan, to which the earliest believers submitted at Pentecost, and to which the jailer obeyed the night of his conversion. The outward sign of baptism does not save, but it encompasses our death, burial, and resurrection with Jesus, and, like the Lord’s Supper, shouldn’t be neglected.

It may be that you are unsaved. What is the reason? Do you think Jesus’ singular path of salvation is unclear? But how can that be when God has given us His own word and His assurance of its clarity? Do you think it is too easy? Why, then, do you not accept and embrace it? Its ease leaves those who choose to neglect it without excuse.

If you are not a believer, then remember there is only one door, and if you will not enter by it you will perish in your sins. But if you do believe in Jesus, then my dear friend, dismiss your fears, for you will surely be saved.

Question: Do we sometimes put too much confidence in our own good works? How can we begin to focus more on God?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon,
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009.
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Believe and Love

What We Believe, We Attract

Don’t Be Afraid, Just Believe

The post Believe and Be Saved appeared first on Thoughts About God.

I watched the sunset tonight.

You know what thought never crossed my mind?

That it wouldn’t rise again in the morning.

I’m not going to wake up tomorrow and find the sky as black as it is now.

The sun will rise again.

It always does.

The Psalmist once said: “My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning—yes, more than they that watch for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6)

His soul waited on his God more than those who were sure that the morning would come.

We have no doubt the sun will rise tomorrow.

We can wait in expectation on the Lord even more than that.
We can be even more assured that our God will come through for us.
We can hope in Him that much.

The sun will rise again tomorrow.

I can say that with full assurance. Because it always does.

Our God will come through for us.

I can say that with even more assurance.

Because our God is more faithful than even the times and the seasons coming and going.

His ways are not as predictable as the sun rising and setting.

But His faithfulness is.

“His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning.
Great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22,23)

By Bethany Hayes
Used by Permission

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’ Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

FURTHER READING

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

The post More than Faithful appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.”  Romans 12:13 NLT

I used to feel like a prisoner locked inside my own world not knowing how to escape. Have you been here? Have you noticed that it is hard to talk to others around you about you? I consider myself a very private person. It was always hard for me to open up and share with others how I was really doing.

Over the years I have seen so many people betrayed because they shared intimate details about their lives with others they felt could be trusted. I knew at that point I didn’t want to be in that place having to suffer the embarrassment and the pain they experienced. Out of my own need God birthed a desire in me to become a safe place for others to heal.

We all need someone. We all need an outlet. We were never meant to be an island isolated from everyone else. It was never God’s plan for man to be alone. It is so freeing to be able to know that we have people in our corner that are genuinely concerned about us and our well-being. If you find yourself where I once was, ask God to lead you to the person you can be open with. Someone that has His heart for you. It may be a trusted friend, counselor, or pastor. Once you begin getting the help you need, will you also consider becoming a safe place for others to lean?

Lord, I often find myself drifting back into isolation out of fear of being hurt again. I ask that you lead me to the safe place of healing that is available for me. I ask that you teach me who to trust with my innermost thoughts. I pray that even as You heal me that I too will become a safe place for others to heal.

Thought:  Make a list of people you know that you consider a safe place. Then pray and ask God to lead you to who maybe the best for you to open your heart to. As you begin to sort through all of this, journaling is another form of unloading our hearts.

By Mary Pinckney
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Come Alongside – by John Fischer

Extending Grace to Others

Rebuilding After a Wife’s Affair

When Your Husband Has an Affair

The post We All Need Somebody appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“(The Lord) satisfies your desires with good things…” Psalm 103:4

Cooking in the Western world has changed dramatically. My mother would rise early Sunday mornings to begin preparations for the dinner that would await us after church. Browning the meat to cook slowly in the oven, peeling potatoes that would quickly come to a boil upon our return.

I yet take pleasure from experimenting with new recipes—how will taste buds be titillated with the addition of curry? Will a pinch of saffron give rice an entirely new face?

In addition to this somewhat adventurous aspect of cooking, I enjoy the cooking equipment I own. Although it took a long time for my conversion to microwave benefits, I now regularly use this scientific advancement. When the day has been long and the schedule crowded, I am thankful that I can quickly heat up a bit of sauce to pour over pasta. The vitamins remain and hungry people are satisfied.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the crockpot. This is an appliance that slowly—very slowly and safely—cooks foods. Before heading out to the day’s responsibilities, I can place meat and vegetables or soup ingredients into the crockpot, set the timer for six hours, and return to a complete and healthy meal.

Microwaves are great utensils for satisfying an immediate need. They are generally small and easy to clean. Crockpots, on the other hand, are somewhat hefty and even awkward. Cooking in them necessitates planning. But coming home at the end of a long day, weary from battles with commerce or classrooms, inhaling the aroma of deliciously prepared food can lift the spirits.

In today’s microwave world, we often expect Christian growth to happen similarly, but spiritual formation just doesn’t happen on a three-minutes-a-day schedule. Tuning out the world, sitting quietly to hear God, absorbing words and thoughts from scripture may not take the crockpot six hours, but it will take as much extended time as we can possibly give. Re-heated leftovers are sufficient occasionally, but only the food—both physical and spiritual—that has been carefully planned, seasoned with attention and cooked through and through satisfies completely.

by Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’ Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

FURTHER READING

How to Have a Quiet Time with God

When Silence is More Than Being Quiet

“Have You Ever Been Alone With God?”

The post Crockpots and Microwaves appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Hear the Word of God in Genesis 1:1,3-4. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.”

Hear the sound of God’s voice that continually speaks his creative power in you and to you. Listen to James 1:17. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Be blessed in the light of your Father’s face. Be blessed in his good gifts of mercy and peace. Be blessed in his unchanging intention toward you. Look and see him gazing at you in rapt attention. Receive his download from the light of his eyes. Receive long gazes from the light of his countenance. Let your Abba transcend your wounds–spiritual, emotional, and physical– and any scar tissue which has formed there. His grace and blessing are in the light of his face toward you (Psalm 67:1).

Join the psalmist’s request in Psalm 31:16. “Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.” Receive the unfailing love of your Father in the light of his eyes. You are your Father’s precious one. You are his, you belong to his family of light. He turned you from darkness into his kingdom of light for a place in his inheritance in light (Colossians 1:12-13; Acts 26:18). He is your Lord, and you are who you are because you are in him. You have value, worth, belonging, and abundant acceptance. He cherishes your company. You are blessed to see his name Jehovah-Nissi, Banner of the Lord, over you as a canopy of love. You are blessed to see that he makes beauty for ashes out of the darkest things, as he moves on the face of the turmoil of your life and speaks light in you.

Listen to Psalm 36:9. “In your light we see light.” Receive the light of his heart toward you. The light of his face shines on you. Receive it because you are in Christ, in his cross, his resurrection, and his ascension to the right hand of the Father, and you are seated in him there. Rest there at his strong right hand and feel his strength as his light rises in you and consumes all darkness. Claim that light, and Christ in you, the hope of glory, will shine. Receive his light that lights your way. Receive the light of his flame of correction, burning away the chaff. Receive his purifying light with joy. Receive his light that warms all coldness.

God lifts you up and holds you, everything you love, everybody you love, and your future. He is holding you near in his arms of love. He has invested gifts of love in you all along. God will stir up all the gifts and graces he has placed in you for the right season. He will redeem every blessing with your name on it.

Receive his blessing in continuous moments of stewardship of life in the light of his face.

“The Lord bless you and kee you; The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace”  (Numbers 6:24-26).

Be blessed in the name of One who said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).

By Sylvia Gunter
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• His Wonderful Light
• God’s Word Gives Joy and Light
• The End of the Story

The post The Light of God’s Face appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Embrace it. Accept it. Don’t resist it. Change is not only a part of life; change is a necessary part of God’s strategy. To use us to change the world, he alters our assignments. Gideon: from farmer to general; Mary: from peasant girl to the mother of Christ; Paul: from local rabbi to world evangelist. God transitioned Joseph from a baby brother to an Egyptian prince. He changed David from a shepherd to a king. Peter wanted to fish the Sea of Galilee. God called him to lead the first church. God makes reassignments.

But, someone might ask, what about the tragic changes God permits? Some seasons make no sense – do such moments serve a purpose?

They do if we see them from an eternal perspective. What makes no sense in this life will make perfect sense in the next. I have proof: you in the womb.

I know you don’t remember this prenatal season, so let me remind you what happened during it. Every gestation day equipped you for your earthly life. Your bones solidified, your eyes developed, the umbilical cord transported nutrients into your growing frame – for what reason? So you might remain enwombed? Quite the contrary. Womb time equipped you for earth time, suited you up for your postpartum existence.

Some prenatal features went unused before birth. You grew a nose but didn’t breathe. Eyes developed, but could you see? Your tongue, toenails, and crop of hair served no function in your mother’s belly. But aren’t you glad you have them now?

Certain chapters in this life seem so unnecessary, like nostrils on the pre-born. Suffering. Loneliness. Disease. Holocausts. Martyrdom. Monsoons. If we assume this world exists just for happiness, these atrocities disqualify it from doing so. But what if this earth is the womb? Might these challenges, severe as they may be, serve to prepare us, equip us for the world to come? As Paul wrote, “These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing.”  2 Corinthians 4:17 (CEV).

By Max Lucado
From:  Fearless
Used by permission

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about/

FURTHER READING

When Life’s Menu Changes

Facing Changes

Hope Changes Everything

The post Make Friends with Whatever’s Next appeared first on Thoughts About God.