There are two things I’ve been telling myself a lot lately…

* You’re stronger than you feel.
* You don’t have to have everything figured out right now.

I’ve never really had a mantra, but maybe now I do because I can tell you these two sentences have helped me breathe a little easier.

Not because of anything I’ve tried to do, but because of what I know God can do.

On those really rough days when I feel like everything might cave in on me, I remind myself that how I feel can’t always be trusted.

How I feel and what I know to be true don’t always line up.

I might feel weak, but I know God is strong.

When I feel defeated, I know God is never defeated.

“He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” Isaiah 40:28b-29 NLT

I’m stronger than I feel because God’s strength never runs out.

How I feel depends on what I can see and what I know, but God knows what I don’t. He’s not surprised by events or taken off guard. He knows what’s coming next. He sees it all.

I’m stronger than I feel because God is in control. Every day. All the time. Which means I don’t have to have it all figured out. And what a relief that is because no matter how hard I try, I just can’t.

But God can. He is in the details. No matter how big or small, God knows every bit of His plans.

When I don’t see any possible way, God knows the way.

What looks impossible to me is never impossible for God.

He weaves all the details of life together in ways we can’t imagine or understand. But in ways that astound us and leave us in awe.

I don’t have to have everything figured out before I take the next step because God does have it figured out. He knows where He’s leading me. I just have to follow.

I’m stronger than I feel because God is stronger than I could ever be. And I don’t have to figure it all out because He already has it figured out. Down to the very last detail.

His plan. His way. And His peace that passes all understanding.

“The Lord gives his people strength.
The Lord blesses them with peace.”
Psalms 29:11 NLT

By Laura Rath
used by Permission

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Growing up, I was always told to dream big.

Some days that meant being a successful entrepreneur. Other days, I aspired to be an award-winning actress. When I won first place at science fair, I was determined to find the cure for cancer.

My mother always nurtured my dreams and reminded me nothing is impossible with God. As I progressed through high school and college, I gained the tools necessary to reach my dreams. Friends called me Wonder Woman because they “knew” I would change the world. When I found success climbing the corporate latter, I believed they might actually be right.

After I got married and became a mother, however, the only thing I ever changed was diapers. My dreams didn’t line up with reality, and the only wonder in my life was about whether or not I still had value. I knew raising our children was the most important job in the world, so I never regretted staying home. But my sense of self-worth was non-existent.

One day I sat on the front step watching my three-year-old daughter play joyfully in our dandelion-covered yard. She knelt down, picked a blossom, and ran over to me. “It’s a flower,” she said, thrusting the yellow bud of a weed into my face. “I love you, Mommy.”

I saw weeds, but my daughter saw flowers. I saw disappointments, but God saw dreams. I was a missionary in the land of motherhood, and I needed to appreciate the season God had given me. I realized that although I might not be able to change the world through my achievements, I could change it through my actions, by loving and serving others, just like Jesus.

When Jesus walked the earth, He focused on relationships. He changed the world one heart at a time, and He still does today.

As my life transitioned from toddlers to teenagers, I enlarged my sphere of influence by forming relationships with elderly neighbors, forgotten friends, and unappreciated individuals. I found that a person’s true value lies in who she is, not in what she does. Freedom replaced frustration when I stopped thinking about how I was going to change the world and focused on how Jesus already did.

It took a long time to realize my discontentment was the result of an idol in my heart: the idol of the extraordinary—my mistaken belief that everything worthwhile had to be big. It was the small things in life—praying with a friend, inviting the grocery store clerk to church, or reading the Bible with my daughter—that made the biggest difference in my life.

The world’s oceans are the result of a thousand rivers and streams, and the mighty Himalayas are nothing more than one small stone upon another. We are the sum total of our experiences, and the most valuable experiences are relational.

Certainly, nothing is wrong with dreaming big, but dreaming small helps us remember Who is in charge of the big plan and the incredible opportunity we have to be a part of it. I may not be Wonder Woman, but I am a woman walking in wonder when I see how God allows me to influence the world for Him one life at a time.

When I surrendered my idol of the extraordinary, I was able to appreciate God’s hand in the small and the not-so-small moments of my life. Seeking God became more important than seeking goals. That’s what Jesus meant when he said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33 NIV). When we seek God first, He uses ordinary things in extraordinary ways. How is He using you?

By Glenda Durano
Used by Permission

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•   Fully Surrender to the Lord

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The post Becoming Wonder Woman appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Oh, the depth and riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out.”  Romans 11:33

Thought

God’s plan to save us is incredible. His blueprints for the creation of our universe are beyond our imagining. He is so rich in wisdom and knowledge. What else can we do but go to him and ask him to open our minds to his work and his will in our lives.

Prayer

Precious and Almighty Father, thank you for reawakening me each spring to the power of your sustaining presence in the world, but even more in my life. Bless me today as I seek to put you first in all I do. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by permission.
By Phil Ware from https://www.heartlight.org

Further Reading

•   Get Wise!

•  He Put a Song in My Heart

•  Salvation Explained

The post The Knowledge of God appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” Numbers 22:28

When I considered pursuing full-time ministry, I asked a good friend if he thought God could use me in ministry. He turned to Numbers 22 and shared the story of how God prevented Balaam from cursing the people of Israel. God opened the mouth of his donkey, who then spoke to warn Balaam. As my friend read the story, I wondered out loud, “What does this story have to do with me?” His quick response: “If God can speak through a donkey, He can speak through you.”

I took great encouragement from my friend’s use of humor to communicate a profound point. God did not need my ability; He wanted my availability. If I was available, He could make me able for his purposes!

Consider some of the characters in the biblical record: Moses reluctantly responded to God’s call, but God transformed him to preserve and deliver His people. The formula for Christ’s disciples was “follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). That troupe of unlikely recruits was changed forever by making themselves fully available to Jesus.

What does availability look like? Think of a servant. When a servant wakes up, his or her main concern is the wishes of the master. Think of someone in love. Not many moments go by without thoughts of the one they love. Any request becomes a priority. The loved one’s desires are anticipated and fulfilled. Availability to God is a beautiful blend of a love and servanthood.

Dear Father, today I give You may plans, desires, and time. I desire to be available to You each moment. I long to be used by You to accomplish Your purposes. Speak through me to communicate Your love to those around me. May my ears be attentive to Your voice in the noise of my day. Amen.

By Mike Woodard
Used by Permission

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“And they said to her, ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’” Ruth 1:10

Imagine never leaving your hometown. The only people you know are the ones who live there. It’s your whole life and contains all of your memories. You can’t imagine ever moving.

Now imagine unforeseeable circumstances render you unable to stay. You’re now moving to a completely foreign city filled with new people. Technology isn’t available to communicate with anyone you know. That’s exactly what Ruth did, not because she was forced to, but because she loved her mother-in-law and God more than her home.

The Christian life is full of dying to self for our God. Ruth is a prime example of that. Instead of doing her own thing, Ruth decided to care for her mother-in-law and bear the burden of loneliness and of widowhood, even if it lasted until her own demise. She chose to step out of her comfort zone, trusting that God would provide.

The happy ending to this sacrifice is that God honored her for her ability to let go and give him control. God gave her a spouse who would ease her financial woes, as well as a child, and he allowed Ruth to be an ancestor to the great king David.

Has there been a time in your life where you didn’t want to do what God commanded you to do? What if the best is yet to come, just like Ruth’s journey? Don’t settle for the familiar. Take up your cross and follow God’s leading. No matter what comes, you won’t regret it.

Dear Lord, please give me the ability to make sacrifices for your glory knowing that you will always do what’s best for me and guide me through all obstacles. Amen.

By Ashlea Massie
Used by Permission

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The post Not My Will but Yours appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “ O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31 (ESV)

I regularly find myself distracted, detained or sidetracked by the World, often because I am materialistic. It is a hard thing to be like me – in the world but not of it. Who wants to be a millionaire? I do – until I remember I cannot take it with me and that I have been distracted from God’s purposes. He calls out to me not to take my eyes off Him and to recall His capacity for the outrageous and miraculous and not always the ordinary!

I have, through my life, known the joy of being treated with acceptance and companionship, and I have also known times and situations to the contrary. When the World, and its menu of self-centeredness squeezes my spirit, I cry out to Jesus to deliver me before I am swamped.

As I move in the will of the Kingdom, my spirit rejoices in my Sustainer and Deliverer. However, experience has shown me that I am still two persons in one body. Whilst I rejoice in one part of my being, yet with another, I am filled with dismay. I guess it is all a part of being human, spirit and flesh, having faith, yet still living with some doubt that must be given to God’s care. I gain encouragement from the accounts of Peter, Jacob, and Joseph, because I see in their life struggles encouragement for my own.

Some people have great moments of clarity that change their life, whilst for others these are but a moment’s fancy that soon pass. Such are life’s choices: to see or not; to have faith or to doubt; to believe or not.

For those who are able to see and believe, Jesus has a perfect plan for each, to lift us up and out from the waves!

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV):- “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

PRAYER: LORD, thank You that You miss nothing and are ready to greet us once more at the beginning of the day. Thank You that You watch over us and protect us whilst we are vulnerable or incapable. Thank You that no one slips through Your Omniscience. Thank You that You do not pass by on the other side. Grant us, once more, Your Grace to lift us up today and lead us on. Let us hear Your call to us once more and not be distracted by the waves of life today. Amen.

by Roderick Marshall
Used by Permission

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The post The Plan appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Even though you planned evil against me, God planned good to come out of it. This was to keep many people alive, as he is doing now.” Genesis 50:20(GW)

Joseph was a dreamer. In his dreams he saw himself in a position of authority. Pay attention to the route the Lord allowed Joseph to travel to get to his place of purpose; the pit, the prison, and then the palace. The Lord used the challenges Joseph faced to mold him for greatness. Joseph had to humble himself and wait on God’s timing. He also had to forgive his brothers as we saw in Genesis 50:20. He discovered what they did was only a part of the Lord’s greater plan.

This should encourage us today. No matter what we may have encountered along our journey, it helps to know that the Lord has purpose in our pain. He desires that we learn to forgive and release those that hurt us. We must learn to trust that the Lord will not allow any of our experiences to be wasted. He will take the broken pieces and create a glorious masterpiece if we allow Him to heal our hearts.

Many of us are still bound because we have not fully forgiven others or ourselves. It is time to move forward. Make a decision today that you will no longer walk in bitterness, anger, or defeat. Make a choice now to forgive. Forgiveness frees you. It does not give the offender permission to hurt you again. It brings you to a place of freedom within. The choice is yours.

Father, grant us the grace to move forward just as Joseph did. We recognize how much pain and turmoil our decision to hold on to the past has caused us. We are aware of the joy it has stolen from us daily. We recognize that holding on to unforgiveness will only hinder us from seeing Your best plan for our lives. We want to be free Lord. Teach us to rest in Your peace as we allow You to heal our hearts. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Is there anyone that you are still holding unforgiveness towards? Then pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help you to forgive. Read: The Power of Forgiveness 

By Mary Pinckney
Used by Permission

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The post He Has the Master Plan appeared first on Thoughts About God.

” For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC)

There are many struggling in the area of knowing your true worth and value right now. You have been fighting to prove yourself to the point of exhaustion. This was never God’s plan for you.

It’s now time to lay aside the superficial things and realize that YOU MATTER. No longer look to people and things to prove your worth. The number of houses you own, the degrees you hold, the money you have in your bank account, nor the people you are connected to will prove you have arrived.

God assigned value to you the day He created you. You are His masterpiece. You have been formed in His image and likeness. The society we live in today should not dictate who you are. You are a child of the Most High God. Remember that!

Father forgive us for losing sight of who You have created us to be. Help us to recognize our worth and value lies in You and You alone. You have fashioned and shaped us fearfully and wonderfully and mighty are the works of Your hands.

By Mary Pinckney
used by permission

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Our thought for today comes from a woman who has had more difficulties to deal with than a lot of us put together. That is why she has a right to say what she says, and why we should take notice when she says it.

“I know discouragement comes easy, but I also know things happen when God is ready for them to happen and not a second sooner. God knows why he wants things to happen in the order they have to. We just need to be ready when they come.”

This is a woman in a complex situation seeking to hold onto a childlike faith while displaying an adult-like wisdom. What she’s saying is that she has recognized there are two different time zones going on when it comes to correlating God’s will and our experience. One I’ll call My Desperate Time (MDT) and the other, God’s Own Time (GOT).

Most of us run on MDT. MDT defines our reality. It’s what we see and feel always. We are conscious of it the minute we rise up in the morning until we put our weary heads on the pillow at night. We measure pleasure and pain by it; we judge our overall state-of-being by it.

God, on the other hand, exists in another time zone entirely. In GOT, His will is always done, and nothing is ever late. GOT also takes into account the MDT of everyone, which can often get tangled up. You see there are as many MDT zones as there are people, and that means they can often be in conflict. But with God there is never any conflict. There is only one GOT and as far as He is concerned, everything is right on schedule.

This is why it is utterly silly to wonder if God has heard our prayers based on whether or not He has acted in MDT. God always hears our prayers — He has most likely already answered them — he just answered them in GOT.

Most of our issues with God are all about time zones. Think about the hapless Bible character, Job. Job was smack in the middle of MDT all the while he was suffering, and his best friends were trying to figure out why God wasn’t doing anything in MDT. Well, we know now that God rarely does; He is always in GOT and we can see that now, in Job’s case, because his life ultimately caught up with GOT. Eventually, all MDT will be GOT. In fact, that will be what heaven is all about. We will all be kicking back in God’s Own Time.

So faith is mostly all about time zones. When you pray, know that you were heard, and move ahead, believing in GOT and just maybe, MDT won’t be so desperate.

Question: What “time zone” do you see yourself usually operating in?

by John Fischer
used by permission

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“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire.” Matthew 26:39b (AMPC)

It is not always easy to understand the will of our Father, but it is imperative that we choose to follow His lead. I have come to understand that He knows best. We don’t have to know all the details. It is up to us to TRUST His heart concerning us.

So, today, I encourage you not to lose hope in the midst of the pain you may be feeling right now. God has a plan. His plan is not always understood but it will be revealed. You may not know what tomorrow holds, but follow His voice as He leads you step by step to the next place He has for you. He is a God of purpose. He uses the good, the bad and the ugly to work together for our good. Trust Him.

Father, it is so hard for us to understand Your will at times. We know what we desire to happen, but that is not always what You desire. Teach us Father to submit our will to Yours. Teach us to trust Your heart for us. Teach us not only to know Your ways but to know  Your character. Teach us to find our peace and assurance in Your love for us. May we come to understand that Your plans are to give us an expected end and a hope. Let Your will be done in our lives Lord. In Jesus name Amen.

By Mary Pinckney
used by permission

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The post God Has a Plan appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 (NASB)

An idea occurred to me as I drove to Northern Ontario, Canada to help my sister and brother-in-law operate their fishing resort. They obviously knew a lot more about how to run one than I did. How could I be of the greatest benefit and not a hindrance during my two week visit? I settled on a simple plan.

Each day I would make it my goal to serve them by asking, “So what would you like me to do today.” Their wish became my command for the day. Two weeks passed quickly and I left with a deep satisfaction of having helped them by responding to their needs.

On my drive home, I had another thought, ‘What would it look like to start each day with the same simple plan spiritually? What if I started each day with the question, “God, what would you like me to do today?”

Just as I trusted my sister and brother-in-law to have far more knowledge of what was important for running a fishing business, in the same way I can trust God to have far more insight on everything in my day and the world around me. Because I know He does have far superior knowledge, seeking His will daily is a prudent and wise course of action. This humble act is, in fact, the logical application of “Your kingdom come.” Allowing God to be Lord by obeying His direction is our part in answering the prayer: “your will be done on earth.”

Lord Jesus, I confess my tendency toward independence from you and your desires. I want to trust you and acknowledge your will is the best plan. I humble myself before you to say “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” in my life. What is it that you would like me to do today? Amen.

Thought: Do you trust God? Start each day for the next week with, “God what would you like me to do today?” Listen for His Spirit’s direction. Is there anything that would keep you from trusting God, seeking His will, or asking this question?

By Mike Woodard
Used by Permission

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“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.”  Philippians 2:8-9

The reason why Jesus came into the world was to die on the cross for the sins of humanity. But it was far from easy: on His last night on earth, Jesus cried out to God three times, asking Him for another way. But God didn’t provide one. So, Jesus humbled Himself to God’s will. And His obedience led Him die one of the worst deaths imaginable.

What is God calling you to do that you are finding hard to obey? Are you sensing, deep within you, that God is speaking to you about something you’re meant to do? Maybe He’s calling you to take a risk, and you’re having a hard time letting go of your comfort zone. If so, I want to encourage you to humble yourself, obey, and step out in faith just like Jesus did. The reward for you will be great, as it was for Jesus. An obedient lifestyle may not be easy, but it is possible.

We may not understand how the entire process is going to work out, but we need to trust God, because He is worthy of our trust! He is good and His plans for us are good. It just makes sense for us to be obedient to Him and to His call.

Father, give us the grace to be obedient to what You are calling us to. May we have the courage to step out in faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.

By Folasade Oladapo
used by permission

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The post Called to Obedience appeared first on Thoughts About God.