Joy: February Link-Up

It seems like yesterday the ball dropped and we issued in 2017; however, here we are welcoming in February.  This month's link-up theme is JOY.

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of JOY; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
- Psalm 16:11

Joy is described as a feeling of great pleasure or happiness.  The fullness of JOY is only found in total surrender to Christ.  This means giving up control, yielding to the Lord's will, submitting to his Lordship; and in the process, receiving and experiencing the ultimate joy of freedom.

It's no surprise to anyone that life changes quicker than the seasons.  Sometimes those changes are expected, and sometimes they aren't.  Regardless, life continues and we must adapt.  This past month our second child, Piper Joy, was born.  For as much as you can prepare your home, heart, routine, and attitude for a new addition to your family, you never are prepared until you get thrown into it first hand.  We can read all the books, get all the advice, go to all the prenatal classes, and even practice taking care of little ones; but it in no way compares to living out the daily grind of a changed life.

If there is one thing I have learned in the past two weeks since Piper's arrival, is I have to actively choose joy.  I have to actively seek joy.  I have to commit to patience. I have to demonstrate patience.  I have to call upon the Lord.  I have to rely fully on the Lord.

"The meek shall obtain fresh JOY in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel."
- Isaiah 29:19

My husband is such a thoughtful, gentle, and strong man.  He knows how difficult it is for me to be content in my sacrifice to be a stay-at-home-mom, but he also knows it is a daily struggle for me to rest in the peace of Christ, exhibit joy in my attitude, and deal patiently in my speech.  He's seen the tears and he's heard the cries.  When Piper was born, he presented me with a homemade prayer project.  He created a guide with a bible verse each day for me to prayer over for Piper, Ezra, and myself.  Each verse has to do with JOY since that is Piper's middle name.  After praying over these verses the last couple days, it has been amazing to see Christ provide strength in care-taking, soften my speech, and definitely provide JOY despite the thunderous cries, shotty routines, cranky toddler and milk-guzzling newborn, and a blown out diaper.

Our daughter Piper Joy has brought a fresh perspective of what it means to have JOY in our lives and what it means to rely on Christ for strength, joy, and patience.  I am grateful for this change in our lives.  It has truly brought great pleasure and happiness, but I only get to experience this joy to the fullest extent because my life belongs to Christ Jesus.

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Are you linking up this month?

If you do decide to participate, please put one of the buttons on your page so others will be sent to the link-up and can link their posts too. (More button options HERE, if you don't like any of them, feel free to make your own.)

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• Any link that is unrelated to the specific topic or does not link back to this blog will be deleted. 
• Make sure you give some love to at least 2 other bloggers who have linked their posts.  I will be reading and commenting on each link that is left. YAY!  Remember, it's about community. 
• This link-up with expire on February 10.
• If you tag me in your post on Twitter, I will retweet you! (#linkupJOY and @noodlenay42)

An InLinkz Link-up

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28-Day Prayer Guide for Women

Over the next 28-days, I pray that you will be able to draw closer to the Lord in the spiritual discipline of prayer.   I pray that you would commit to pouring out your heart to him and commit to listening to his precious Word.

Grab a journal, a pen, and your bible, and with a willing heart sit down before the Father in the stillness and write out your requests to him.  It might be a struggle at first, but stick with it. It doesn’t have to be fancy or eloquent. We have a Father in Heaven who hears and listens, and he delights in us.

• There is no right or wrong way to begin writing down your prayers. You may have had a diary when you were younger. The premise is the same, except you are writing to holy Jesus, not a lifeless, emotionless journal.

• There is no right or wrong length of prayer. Some days you may write a few lines, while other days may take a page or two. It’s your time with the Lord, an intimate fellowship that is an open line of communication between you both. You make your requests, but you also listen.

• Prayer asserts our dependence on God. We are helpless. We are not in control. We need to pour out our hearts to the one who has rescued us and holds the universe together. We need to tap into that rich love and that incredible power.

• Prayer is your lifeline to the Father. You may find that writing your prayers done will help you stayed focused. You may be a doodler and draw in the margins. You may find that the first few days are awkward. And that is all okay. God does not think you sound stupid or wordy or weird or whiney, he just wants to hear you. Don’t neglect this spiritual discipline. Commit to being with him.

You can download the 28-day prayer guide by clicking on the graphic below. 

Have a question? 

Ask me in the comments below. 

We are not Self-Sufficient

Why do we treat dependence as such a negative thing, and celebrate every aspect of independence?  I am reading the book "None Like Him" by Jen Wilkin, and she talks about the unique self-sufficiency of God among other unparalleled attributes of our God.

When I think of self-sufficiency in my own life, I automatically think of that as a good thing, a celebrated thing by society, and something on which I can instantly pride myself.  However, God is truly the only self-sufficient One.  We are finite, created beings, and severely limited by our needs.  Our needs drive us to action, sometimes that's a good thing and many times that can be a bad thing.

For me, I get a kick on being able to do it all.  I selfishly love that people might think, "Wow, she's got it going on."  But the truth is, I don't; and I'm not sure I have really ever fooled anyone except myself.  Certainly I have never fooled God.  I often times pride myself on being able to do most things without asking for help, but it leaves me drained and overwhelmed.  That festers into an unpleasant demeanor and a bitter spirit.  I definitely do not have it going on.

"God created us needy, that in our need we might turn to the Source of all that is needful, acknowledge our need, and worship." #NoneLikeHim

— Renee Young (@noodlenay42) January 18, 2017

I simply can't do everything by myself, and neither were you.  We weren't created to be.

"We are not needy because of sin, we are needy by divine design."
None Like Him, page 63

And finally, I am okay with that reality.  Are you?

We were created to be dependent on the One who created us and on other believers.  Only God, the uncreated One; the One who has always been, is incapable of being dependent on anything he creates.

It would be like me saying because I painted a picture, I need it to complete me or help me survive in some fashion.  It would be like me saying that the picture is free to do what it pleases: it can hang itself on the wall, it can choose the frame it wants to be put in to, it can copy itself, it can choose its own value.  That's insane, or is it?  Of course that picture would need me to do those things for it.

Same is true for God. We need Him, but he certainly needs us not.  He created us for his good pleasure, but not to sustain him or fill some need.  He is already self-sustaining, self-sufficient.  It is who he has always been, and will always be.

God created us.  We are God's picture.

Maybe a hard and challenging pill to swallow for a finite, created being like us to try and understand the creation of the infinite, uncreated Father.  But let that cause you to fall into a deeper worship of God, the one who created you for his pleasure, who delights in you.

"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.
Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for 'In him we live and move and have our being;' as even some of your own poets have said,  'For we are indeed his offspring'."
Acts 17:24-28

we humans must confess "i am because he is." only God can say "i am who I AM." @jenniferwilkin #nonelikehim

— Renee Young (@noodlenay42) January 17, 2017

Jen provides a self-evaluation if you think you may be attempting a self-sufficient life without dependence on Christ or fellow believers:

• Prayerlessness
• Forgetfulness
• Anger in trial
• Lack of conviction of personal sin
• Avoidance of Christian community
• Concealment
• Lack of accountability
• Lack of humility
• Exhaustion

So basically if I check myself with this list, I've been living in self-sufficient sin.  Time to repent and seek the Lord.  This is causing me to worship my self-sufficient, self-sustaining, all-knowing Creator even more.

To combat some of these areas, I have created a 28-day prayer guide that I will be walking through in February.  If you are interested in downloading it, you will be able to do that on Saturday right here on the blog.

Where are you at in the battle of self-sufficiency?

pic.twitter.com/sm9zWDDxJ8

— Jen Wilkin (@jenniferwilkin) May 11, 2016

Note: I am in no way affiliated with any links, authors, companies.  I do not get paid for any clicks, likes, or shares.  

Day 13 Idolatry + Day 14 Journaling

Today's scripture:
1 Chronicles 16:8-36

When you read the title of today's devotional, a few things might have run through your head.  Upon thinking about idols, you may have thought about the popular TV show American Idol.  Maybe you thought about the carved statues in East Asian religions.  Or perhaps you thought of your celebrity role model.  Regardless, you have a pretty good understanding of what idols can be and may be in your life.

After reading the passage in the Bible however, you might think that titling today "Idolatry" was odd.  True, this is song of thanksgiving from David. However, I think it is really important to note that David understood his place before God.  He knew God, and most importantly, he was known by God.

David refused to worship anything or anyone but the Lord.  In this song of praise, David shows so much adoration to our heavenly Father.  We can learn a lot from that.

When we have a grateful heart toward the Lord that pours out praise and adoration and thanksgiving, it enables us to have a proper posture before the Lord.  We cannot serve two masters as we looked at last week in Matthew (Day 3).  That means we cannot worship both God and something or someone else.  When you are ascribing glory to the Lord, thanking him for your salvation, remembering his great works, trembling before his throne, and seeking him continually; there is no place for worshipping a lowercase-g god.

Idolatry is the act of worshiping some thing instead of the one true God.  Anything is capable of becoming a god in our lives: marriage, money, children, cars, body-image, time, social media, food. 


Verse 11 holds the keep for us.

"Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually."

The Lord promises he will be found if you earnestly seek him (Matthew 7:7).


However, as it says in Psalm 115 (please please don't neglect this passage in your 'New Bloom' devotional), when we forgo the glory of Christ and glorify the man-made, the finite, we become as is our idol: worthless and useless, absolutely dead.

Worship the one true capital-g God.  He is worthy of our praise.  He never ends. He is not man-made. He is living. He sees.  He speaks.  He hears. And he is our empathetic Savior.  Abandon your idols, hold fast to Christ.

What tends to becomes an idol in your life? 

Do you lead a life of gratitude and thanksgiving to the Lord?

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Day 14 is designed to let you reflect on this past week of scripture readings and questions. Revisit a verse that really stuck out to you.  Jot down a phrase with which you really connected.  Scribble a prayer of gratitude or repentance.  Ask Christ to give you a desire for more of him. However you choose to do use your quiet time, stay focused on your time with the Lord.


Love,

More from New Bloom:

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6+7 

Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13+14

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, likes or dislikes about the New Bloom devotional, I would love to hear your thoughts.  Leave a comment below and I will respond.  Thank you so much for taking this 2-week journey with me.  It has truly been an exciting adventure and I hope you grew in your walk with the Lord as much as I have.  I hope you have been encouraged in Christ these past 14 days.  

Day 12 My First Love

Today's passages:

Revelation 2:2-7

Do you remember when you first surrendered your life to Christ?  The sweet wooing process of the Lord drawing you out of darkness and into his marvelous light.  Do you remember with what eagerness you dove into the bible to consume his Word?

It doesn't matter if you were saved when you were 6-years-old at Vacation Bible School or you were drug through the trenches before crying out to Christ later in life, you were dead in your sin but God in his great mercy opened your eyes to his wonderful salvation.  That is a beautiful picture.

You can read the messy but beautiful story of the Lord drawing me out of darkness here.

Nic Dampier Photography - March 8, 2014 - Starkville, MS

However, as we get more comfortable in our relationship with Christ, as with a significant other, we stop investing as much time with that person.  We might get lazy with intentionality.  We stop pursuing moments together and start figuring out what we can get from the relationship.  Unfortunately, those same principles can paralyze our walk with Christ.

Return to your first Love, the only Love that will never depart or fail.

Listen to I Am They's "From the Day" and return to your first Love.  Find a list of more suggested songs at the end of the New Bloom devotional.


More from the New Bloom devotional:

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6+7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11

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Share your redemption story in the comments below.  We could all be encouraged by your testimony.

Day 11 Shhhhh.....

The average woman speaks nearly 20,000 words a day.  That's more than 13,000 additional words than the average man speaks each day.  And with the use of social media and the ease of hitting the "SEND" button, there are countless other words exchanged each day.  How are we using those words and what do those words say about who we are?

Today's scriptures:

Ephesians 4:29-32
Ephesians 5:4
Colossians 3:5-8
Philippians 4:8-9
James 1:26
Ecclesiastes 10:12-14

Clearly the Lord designed man and woman distinctly different in a myriad of ways, it just so happens that talking may be one of the most obvious differences character trait differences.  Sure, we all know men on the chatty side and women on the silent side, but this is talking about the majority of the population, regardless of religious affiliation.

So does this mean that we just need to put tape over our mouth and keep quiet for the rest of our lives?  Well, if your words are damaging to those around you then, yeah, maybe.  But no, there is something more edifying and God-glorifying.  God has shaped us quite uniquely as women, and we have an incredible opportunity to use those 20,000 words a day (or more) to influence and build others up.

When we use our words to tear down, to slander, to promote self, to curse others, it reveals a heart problem.

"For out of the heart the mouth speaks."
Matthew 12:34b

A sinful heart produces sinful words.  Sinful words are not attractive, not appealing, and definitely not appetizing for those receiving.  We are reminded in James 3 that our tongue is set on fire by hell itself.  We can begin by confessing how our words have been anything but God-glorifying and ask Christ to renew the words that are on our lips.

"Guard your heart above all else, for it effects everything you do."
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT, 97)

Christ is the only one who can soften our hearts of stone.  Instead of using our speech (and texts and tweets and posts) for temporary worldly gain, we can exchange them for eternal glory.  Philippians 4:8-9 says that we can think about everything that is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.  When we fill our hearts with these things, our speech begins to reshape.

Take a minute to listen to Bethel's "Ever Be."


As a follower of Christ, we are to look like Christ and when our conversations with coworkers, and tweets about politics, and group text messages with friends sound no different than non-believers, we literally waste the blood of Christ that he mercifully poured out for us on the cross.  Let the praises of Christ and a God-glorifying, positive message be on your lips at all times.  Walk (and talk your 20,000 words) in a manner worthy of your calling as Ephesians 4:1 describes.

Love,

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If you haven't downloaded the New Bloom devotional, you can do so by clicking the logo.

More from New Bloom devotional:

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Day 6+7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10

Day 10 Be Different

Today's scripture from the New Bloom devotional:

1 John 1-3

I am 27 years old and I literally just realized that the phrase "law abiding citizen" and "please abide by the rules" use the same word "abide" uttered throughout scripture, specifically 1 John.  Talk about a lightbulb moment.  To abide by the rules means to follow the guidelines set before you.  It means to stay within the confines of set boundaries. Likewise, abiding in Christ means to follow Christ's example, to remain in his teachings and commandments.

If you are like me, two words that may have jumped out at you more than any other words were "sin" and "abide."  These two words couldn't be more opposite.

In chapter 3 you see the phrases "practice of sinning" and "keep on sinning" repeated a number of times.  If you remember from Day 3 Freedom, we touched on this point.  I don't mean to simplify a sin struggle or distort the reality of habitual sin because I have been there and I know how binding it can be; however, scripture is clear that the love of sin does not rule in a believer's heart.  A heart surrendered to Christ cannot occupy both Christ and the love of darkness.  This is particularly challenging to me, and I don't want to seem like I have it "all together" in this life, so please don't read the following words as if I am on a pedestal.  It's just my wish to grow closer to Christ.

If you are walking in a state of habitual sin, it is impossible to walk in the light.  These are not my words, they're God's.  As a struggling 21-year-old college student living in habitual darkness and trying to walk in the light, it was evident that I was leading a double-life completely inconsistent with scripture.  I was living in rebellion, numb to the consequences of my sin, and far from the presence of Christ.  I knew who could rescue me from sin, yet I didn't truly want to be rescued.  I loved the darkness.  There is a distinct differences between being okay with your sin and hating it.  You can read more of that process here.

I am walking, living proof that darkness and light cannot coexist in one's heart; but I am also living proof that Jesus Christ is a merciful Savior who is ready and willing to forgive a penitent heart.

"Little children, let no one deceive you.  Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous."
-1 John 3:7

We will continue to sin in this world, but we need to ask ourselves if sin is the defining characteristic in our life.  Is our life outlined by habitually rebelling against what Christ commands?

If you don't know, ask yourself these questions:

• Is there something in my life that I know is sinful, but I don't want to give it up?
• Is there something that I keep going back to in order to be satisfied?
• Is there something that brings initial gratification, but leaves me completely broken?
• Is there something I know is wrong to do, but I do it anyway because I know Christ will forgive me later?

If so, you may be like 21-year-old me.  Trying to live a double-life, a fake-life.  It's time to be different, be made new in Christ. Christ is ready and willing to forgive your past, and give you a bright tomorrow.  Will you turn away from a lifestyle of habitual sin and turn toward to a life of righteousness in Christ?


Love,

Here is Sovereign Grace's "All I Have Is Christ."  This is a great song to listen to with today's devotional.  Check out more suggested songs in the back of your devotional.



What stuck out to you in the 3 chapters we read in 1 John?

What was your favorite verse from these passages?


More from New Bloom devotional:

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Day 6+7 | Day 8 | Day 9

Day 9 Not My Plan

Today's verses:

Isaiah 55
Romans 8:15-30

Lots of things happen in life that aren't in our plan.  It can be everything from big events like sickness to small things like a car accident.  We all have these things in life that just aren't "planned" by us.  For me, six separate injuries in college athletics weren't exactly planned, both pregnancies weren't planned, and moving to Virginia wasn't necessarily the plan; but in all and through all, God was faithful and provided and it was for my good and for his glory. 

What are things in your life that weren't in your 5 to 10 year plan but ended up being for your good and for God's glory?

My best friend was getting married in a matter of hours and I was so excited to get to stand next to her on her big day as a newlywed myself.  Mark and I had made a 2-hour trip to Memphis, Tennessee for a late afternoon wedding.  As we finished up the girly pre-wedding festivities, I called my husband to make sure he knew what time to be at the venue and how to get there.  About 30-45 minutes before the wedding started, Mark called me to tell me that the car was overheated and he couldn't drive but 30-seconds at a time.  He was all the way across an unfamiliar town, and there was no way he was going to make it to the wedding.

He finally made it to the wedding, but he missed the ceremony and almost all of the reception.  The hot, southern, summer day turned to a humid, thunderous, rainy night in a hurry.  My car's radiator hose was busted.  It was 10 at night.  How in the world were we going to get back home!?

We had no other option but to call a tow truck and ride the 150 miles home to Starkville, Mississippi in the cab with our driver.  This was not how I wanted to spend the night of my best friend's wedding.  I didn't want to deal with my car.  I didn't want to pay the expensive repair bill.  All I could do and that point was cry.  I was overwhelmed.  It was not what I wanted, nor was it what I have expected.  It was inconvenient and frustrating.

But even in this God was working.

Mark reassured me that God would take care of us.  Mark reassured me that this was an opportunity to glorify him.  Mark reminded me that God was in control and that he saw us in our distress.  Mark reminded me that God was at work despite the situation. (By the way, ladies, marry a man who is more concerned with the things of the Lord and how to give glory to Christ than whether or not his night is ruined by uncontrollable circumstances.)

So Mark started the conversation with our driver, realizing that she probably didn't want to make the long trek either.  We used this opportunity to ask about her.  She loved this.  Our driver had a pretty tough life.  We talked with her the entire way back, and I was just trying not to fall asleep.  Mark shared the gospel with her.  We finally arrived in Starkville and parted ways after praying with our driver to have a safe trip back to Memphis.

Even though the night hardly went as desired, God was working; and God used us; and God took care of us.

God promises that for those that love God, the out of reach circumstances in life are for our good and for his glory.  In the midst of the chaos with the car and the rain and making sure my best friend got off to her honeymoon, it didn't seem like any good could come out of it.  But it did.  And when it didn't seem like God could be glorified in the situation, he absolutely was.

Oh, and guess how much we had to pay for my car to get fixed?  The repair bill was $463.11, but what you don't know is that we had $463.10 left over from our wedding budget.  God provides, especially when you are faithful to your calling.  We paid one penny for a ride back to Starkville and an opportunity to share the gospel with an unbeliever.  I can't make it up.  This is when you get to see your faith grow and are reminded that God is truly in control.

Look for opportunities to make the most out of terrible situations.  It will be for your good and God's glory.

Love,

Take a minute to listen to All Sons & Daughters' "Called Me Higher." You can find more great songs at the back of your New Bloom devotional.



How can you trust God at his word that your good and his glory will result from an unexpected circumstance?



For more on New Bloom:

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 
Day 5 | Day 6+7 | Day 8

Day 8 Made New

Today's passage:
1 Peter 1

1 Peter 1 focuses on the living hope we have in Jesus and our calling to be holy.  Though various and at times unexpected trials come into our life such as an unexpected sickness, the death of a child, an unfaithful spouse, or the loss of a job, our hope is set in Christ.  I don't mean to simplify this or even diminish the pain and hurt we walk through.  However, Christ never promised that life was going to be rainbows and butterflies if you are a Christian.  Christ isn't a genie that if you pray enough, you get what you want.  Christ knows what is best for us, and even if it is walking through a sticky situation outside of our control, he promises to be there with us and that good will eventually result from it.  I know the tunnel can seem dark.  I know it can seem like the world is falling a part, but stay with me.

In verses 6 and 7 in the New Living Translation, Peter says this.

"So be truly glad.  There is a wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.  These trials will show that your faith is genuine.  It is being tested as fire tests and purified gold- through your faith is far more precious than mere gold.  So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."

Did you catch that? 

Your faith is being refined in the process.  You have the opportunity to become more like Christ through a difficult circumstance.  I know it is hard to have that outlook.  I know it is hard in the midst of the storm to want to run to Christ.  But if we can't turn to Christ, where do we set our lasting, eternal, living hope?  Where else can we go that will never leave or forsake us?

The jack pine is a coniferous tree that grows mostly in the north eastern United States and parts of Canada.  It looks similar to a traditional pine tree you think of, except it has one incredible adaption unlike its cousin.  In order for its seeds to fall from the cone, it must be exposed to fire.  The tree has to burn, go through a fiery trial, in order for new growth to appear.  The heat from the fire has to melt the sap-like substance that encases the sticky cone.  It can be years before a forest fire sweeps through and releases the seeds.

I am sure if we could ask the tree if it enjoyed being exposed to fire, it would say no.  A forest fire isn't a pleasant situation, nor beautiful or easy.  But at the end of that fire, the cone opens, seeds fall, and new growth will appear.  Without the fire, no growth occurs.  

Do you see how this relates to our spiritual lives?

Even though it's difficult, even though it can hurt, even though it's messy and ugly, because our hope and salvation is in Jesus.

James 1:2-4 should encourage us.  Even though we go through trials, we know that our faith grows and does not remain stagnant.

Join me in making this your memory verse for the week.  You can write it out on the memory verse cards found at the back of the New Bloom devotional.  Place the card some place where you will see it multiple times this week.

"According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in that last time."
1 Peter 1:3-5

Love,

For more on New Bloom

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6+7 

Day 6 Serve + Day 7 Prayer and Journaling

Serving is the definition of humility; however, if we are not careful we can get in the habit of serving for the wrong reasons or to solely make ourselves feel better.  Christ, God in flesh and eternal king, came to serve others.  This is completely opposite of what you would expect of a king (and what we see in culture).  He is a holy God, if anything we should be the ones serving him; yet, he came not to be serve, but to humble himself and serve others.  As Christ-followers, we are called to reflect his glory.  One surefire way of doing this is to serve others with a heart made righteous by Christ.

Humbling ourselves doesn't come naturally, or even comfortably.  Maybe it does to you, but having teeth pulled feels easier some days.

Today's passages:

Philippians 2:1-11
Ephesians 5:15-21
Galatians 5:16-26
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 20:26-28

If I am honest with myself and honest before the King of kings, I would have to say my lifestyle tend to disagree more than agree with the following:

• I go out of my way to serve others
• I want to know Jesus more
• I submit to authority/others easily
• I believe others are worth my time
• I have the mind of Jesus
• Spiritually, I use my time wisely
• I demonstrate great self-control

And my heart tends more to agree with the following:

• I have a prideful spirit
• I get jealous easily

Now I don't know what number you gave yourself in the self-evaluation, but humbling ourselves starts with a right picture of who were without Christ and who we have been made to be in Christ.

Ephesians 2 tells us that without Christ we were dead and considered children of Wrath.  To quote Landon Dowden from a BSU sermon at Mississippi State, "When you're dead, you can't get deader than dead. "  Without Christ, we are dead.  A dead person can't do anything, but be dead.  There is no life within.  We were children of wrath, completely isolated from the great redeeming love of Christ.  As children, our father was not Christ, it was Satan.

But because of God's great mercy and incredible love, he rescued us out of darkness and became our Father.  We are now children of the Light.  If you are in Christ, you have no reason to boast because there is absolutely nothing that you did to deserve Christ's love.  You didn't jump high enough or have a good enough voice. You didn't give enough money or say enough kind words.  You didn't serve enough or make good enough grade on every test.  You can't do anything enough.  If you have submitted to the Lordship of Christ, it is because Christ so graciously opened your eyes to his majesty.  You did nothing to win his grace.  He bestowed that grace on you freely.  And because of his great redeeming work in your life, we are to demonstrate Christ's love to others by serving them.

I don't want to disagree with the points above.  I don't want to agree with the points above.  I have done an awful job at serving others and reflecting the salvation that Christ provides.

Tomorrow is Day 7 of the New Bloom devotional.  It is designed for you to have a quality prayer and journaling time.  If any specific thing resonanted with you and the season you may be in right now, I encourage you to go back to that scripture and write it down.  Commit it to memory. Mediate on it. Use it as a guide to pray.  Whatever you use Day 7 to do, the Lord is patiently waiting for you to call on him.  He has so much to say to you.


Love,

Will you join me in committing to serving others with a right heart?

How did you evaluate yourself?

How did these scriptures challenge you today?


Here is Sovereign Grace's "Behold Our God."  Find more great songs on your suggested song list in the New Bloom devotional.



For a recap of New Bloom week 1:

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Day 5 Love

The scriptures for today:
Psalm 107
Romans 5:8
1 Corinthians 13

Love is a pretty incredible thing.  We get to extended it to our spouses, our friends, our families, and coworkers.  However, our society seems to be obsessed with the idea of love, but not willing to commit to love or even sacrifice for love.  We are surrounded by ideals of love and ideas of what would make someone love expertly.  Don't believe we are frantically searching for love and obsessed with it?  Look at your TV.  Almost every TV show idealizes or glamorizes the worldly concept of love in romance and friendship.

But what does God's infallible word say that love is?  How can we know if we are loving others in a godly way?  How can we know that God is absolutely for us and wants the best for us? 

This answer can be found in a supplemental scripture for today's devotional: 1 John 4:7-21

I count at least 29 "love" words in just a few short verses.  If you haven't read this passage, go read it now.  It will truly comfort your heart.

God is love.  It is who he is.

So in 1 Corinthians 13, we can replace love with God.  God is patient, and kind, and rejoices with truth.  God doesn't envy, or boast, or rude.

We get to see in Psalm 107 how, despite their constant rebellion, God loves his people actively.
He delivers, he leads, he satisfies, he fills, he brings, he shatters, he sends, he heals , he changes, he blesses, and he rescues.

And despite our constant rebellion and chronic sin nature, God actively is pursuing us in love.  He is waiting for us to surrender our lives to him so his love may be perfected in us.

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Be renewed by the words in "Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery" by Matt Papa.  Find more great songs at the end of your New Bloom devotional.



Love,

How has today's study on biblical love impacted you?


For more:

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Day 4 The Word

Today's passages are:

Psalm 139:23-24
Psalm 119

There are only two passages to read today; however, Psalm 119 is the longest book in the entire bible.  It is longer than some books in the bible.  Take time to really read through all 176 verses in Psalm 119 and let it transform your thinking today.

Psalm 119 "reflects the view that the Lord, who abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness and who therefore freely and fully forgives his people when they confess their sins, loves his people without limits, and therefore also guides the faithful in the way of life that is genuinely good and beautiful." 
(from ESV study bible notes)

Psalm 119 illustrates that if you meditate and walk steadfastly in obedience to the Lord's commandments, you will not easily forget them or go astray.


Did you know that you can listen to the bible being read out loud?  I encourage you to listen to Psalm 119 as someone else reads it and you follow along.  It's incredibly powerful to just listen to scripture.

Take a minute to listen to Bethel's "I Will Exalt."  You can find more encouraging songs at the end of the New Bloom devotional in the suggested song list.



What is the one word or phrase you are taking from Psalm 119 and meditating on today?

For me, it is "steady my steps" in verse 133.  I pray that as I meditate on the Lord steadying my steps, that I would be able to resist temptations and sin that it would have no dominion over me as I walk in the statues of the Lord.


Love,

If you have not had the chance to download the New Bloom devotional, you can download it by clicking on the logo.