Believe for More in 2013

As humans, God created us in His image. He created us to commune and connect with Him.

John 10:27 says, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me."  

When we walk with Christ—the Messiah of the world—and stop to be still, and ask Him to cleanse us of all the unrighteousness that separates us from Him, we can hear His whispers softly speak to us.

So many people are afraid to trust the voice they hear in their spirits. If what we are sensing in our spirits does not align with the Word of God and its principles, then we can be certain that it must not be from God. But we can rejoice and know that He does speak. Jesus assured us in His own words that His sheep will hear His voice.

In my times of prayer, I often write the words I hear in my spirit in a journal. I love to go back and reread those words for encouragement.

Last spring, I was outside watering flowers and praying when the Lord began speaking softly to me. I was pondering the times when I couldn't imagine how all that had been lost would be restored.

I thought about how I had made a decision to leave doubt behind forever.  It was the season where great expectation replaced the doubtful thoughts. Expectation became reality and breakthrough came because I had chosen to believe Jesus to do the impossible for me.

As I thought about the belief that had replaced the doubt in my life, the Lord tenderly spoke to my heart and I rushed inside to write down the words trickling into my spirit.

These are the worst of times for some and the best of times for others. For the ones focused on the cares of the world, there will be more disappointment. But for those who meditate on Me and My Word, My GLORY will be seen. Believe the truth and you shall be free. Speak those things that are not as if they are. Who are you going to listen to? You can listen to Me or you can listen to the accuser of the brethren. You can believe the lies or you can believe the truth. I have promised to supply all of your needs according to My riches. I rejoice over the ones who trust Me fully. When you walk in My righteousness and place your faith in Me, My power is released in your life. I have good plans for you. So walk away from unbelief forever and trust Me to do the impossible. Trust Me to work out all things for good in your life. I am who I say I am. I am all you need to live a victorious life today and forever. Believe.
  
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Matthew 21:22 (NIV)

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations” in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did…Romans 4:17 (NKJV)

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:17 (NIV)

I have revised this post slightly because I want to be certain that others know that I only share words that I truly believe are from God—words that I hope will encourage others. I hope others will be inspired to believe that Jesus does speak to His sheep and He does have good plans for all of us.

A Prayer 

Lord, we fully surrender our hearts to You today. We ask You to fill our hearts with unwavering faith and belief. Let us walk with assurance in You to do the impossible in our lives. And let us live in victory every day. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Live Abundantly!

Amy

The photo above is a graphic design my daughter created in school.

An Unexpected Miracle

A favorite scripture of mine is, James 1: 2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." 

It truly is pure joy to face trials and hardships.  I have found that the greatest miracles happen during the most challenging seasons of life when we place our faith in Christ. Suffering is not fun. But joy can come from a season of hardship. It is especially hard to watch a loved one suffer. 

One of my close friends (Lori) has had serious health problems for many years and to make matters worse, her family has been struggling financially in recent years due to the economic crisis. Her husband has worked for a real estate investment firm for over fifteen years. But with the economic crisis, the real estate business is probably the worst to be working for presently.

Circumstances have been very hard for them. Yet, in the midst of her hardships, she is a shining example of the light found in living for Christ. Lori is a Jew by birth, but she found Jesus and I don't know anyone more in love with her Messiah than she is.

Lori's life proves that it's during the trials of life that we get to experience the most amazing miracles. During the past months, their family car has broken down repeatedly. It's a 1993 model and has been on its last leg for a while. Just a few weeks ago, she called to tell me her car had broken down again.

I felt so bad for her. I wanted to let her in on a secret I knew. But I couldn't because I would spoil the BIG surprise.

Just days before her car broke down again; I received an e-mail from a mutual friend letting me know that Lori's family had been chosen to receive a car as a gift from All State and Sterling Auto Body in Decatur. To see Lori's family receiving their new car, click here.

My friend Lori has a very petite stature, but she has the faith of a giant. And in the midst of their major problems she exudes the joy of the Lord.

My joy level is through the roof! When a friend is blessed it is way better than when I am blessed. I am elated. I can't stop thanking God for this unexpected miracle. I pray that He will continue showering my friend with blessings and that He will keep using her life to show that true joy comes through a relationship with Christ.

In every storm of life there is a treasure to be found. If we look toward heaven with a grateful heart, we will most certainly see a magnificent rainbow in the sky.

Live Abundantly!
Amy 

The above photograph was taken at my son's football game when another unexpected miracle happened in the form of a magnificent rainbow.

Rainbow Flowers and Small Miracles

 

If there were a magic solution to life’s problems and I could be delivered from all hardship, I would choose to hold onto the problems. As I look back over my life, there are countless blessings that have come to me as a direct result of the difficulties in my life. Would I really want to give up all of life’s blessings to bypass the hardships? I don’t think so. I would choose the hard road any day.

My life has had a number of disappointments, hurt, heartbreak and undesirable circumstances. But it has been while walking through the hard places that I have found true happiness. I've heard the statement, “When people experience hardship, they either get bitter or they get better.” I chose the latter. I have gotten better through adversity.  I decided to let go of self-pity and began seeking to know Christ better. As my heart turned toward Jesus and prayer,  my life began changing. My circumstances didn't change at first, but I found unspeakable joy in the midst of the trials. 

I remember a day when I felt pure bliss while experiencing hardship. My husband had been laid off from his job for several months and was busy seeking employment. I had recently begun working for a catering company on the weekends and I was also doing a few other things trying to make ends meet in ways that would allow me to keep my role as a mother my highest priority. Our cars were very old, our 22 year old house was falling apart in many ways. Yet, I can honestly say that I was the happiest I had ever been. My heart was at rest,  I had found a passion and love for life. To put it in a nutshell, I found pure gold in my relationship with God, our Creator, the One who gives us breath. He lifts us up in ways that nothing else can.

It was in 2008. I was sitting at my dining room table with a list of bills, wondering how we were going to squeak by that month. I spent thirty minutes talking to a representative with my mortgage company about payment options during my husband’s unemployment. After this conversation, I began jotting down some ideas. I realized how close we were to staying afloat. I had the thought, “If we could get some help with our groceries, we would be able to pay the remaining balance of the mortgage payment.” Simultaneously, as I was having this thought, the doorbell rang. I answered the door and it was my daughter’s friend, Emily and her mother, Kimberly. They were standing there with a beautiful bouquet of rainbow-colored flowers and a shopping bag full of food. With a huge smile on her face, Kimberly said, “The ‘Rainbow Buddies’ are here!” Instantly, I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, and like many times before, I was in awe of God’s perfect timing. This sweet woman that I barely knew had brought exactly what I needed at precisely the moment I needed it. What an amazing symbol of Christ’s love this was for me! My heart was rejoicing over this miracle from God.

It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that God allows hardship in our lives to punish us. I have discovered that it is really quite the opposite. God allows pain and sorrow in the lives of His children so that He'll have the opportunity to shower us with His love and bring glory to His name. Through adversity, we get to experience God’s love in the most miraculous ways. 

This reminds me of what God did for Noah thousands of years ago. Up until the flood waters receded, Noah must have really questioned God. But when the water receded and the rainbow appeared, I can only imagine how Noah’s heart was rejoicing over the miracle he saw God perform. He saw that God is real, He is love, and He keeps His promises.

I haven’t experienced the miracle that Noah did. But I have seen the realness of God. I feel His love encompassing my heart. I continually rejoice over the way He comforts me, the way He encourages me, and the way He showers me with His love by sending rainbow flowers and small miracles!

Genesis 9:13  "I have set a rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth."

Genesis 9:16  " Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds , I will remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on earth."

This article has been revised from a piece originally written in March, 2008.

Live Abundantly!

Amy

Living on the Edge

Over the years, I’ve read about those people known as adrenaline junkies who thrive on the high they get from living on the edge. Well, I haven’t bungee jumped off a cliff. But you could call me an adrenaline junkie for sure!

My journey on the adventuresome road with God began several years ago when my husband, Michael, and I were in the midst of an extreme test. Michael’s graphic design business was drying up, putting us in great need. During this season of testing, my heart was filled with questions: Would God lead us to the jobs we need? Would He rescue us in time? I woke up early one morning and prayed a final plea for God’s intervention. 

I was longing to know that our needs were going to be met. This day our need was for groceries. As I prayed, I heard God in my heart, asking me, “Do you trust me?” My response was, “Yes, I do.”

Within hours of my prayer that morning, God’s rescue mission was underway. It started with an unexpected call from my friend, Lisa. We hadn’t been in touch for months. It was God’s providence for her to call. I shared about our circumstances, which led to an invitation to her home. I accepted the invitation to visit her later in the day.

When I arrived at Lisa’s home, I was surprised to be greeted by a group of my friends. The floodgates opened to my soul and the tears came pouring out. At this moment I knew this was God’s answer to my call. Each friend prayed for me. Then they led me to the surprise that was awaiting me. It was surreal when I walked into a room filled with groceries – enough to fill 36 bags. It was more than my heart could take in at once. It was truly an "Extreme Grocery Makeover!"

God made a statement that day. He wants all of us, as His children, to believe that He is able to do abundantly more than we could ever hope for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). He used a group of ladies to pull together an incredible act of God. That one act changed my heart for all eternity. The words of James were inscribed onto my heart through this experience. James 1:2-3 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." My perspective suddenly changed. I considered it pure joy.

God allows circumstances in our lives that require us to have complete trust in Him. He wants for us to wait on Him, so that our faith can grow. Are you ever tempted to jump ahead of God when the Holy Spirit is prompting you to "Wait?" During difficult seasons there are steps we can take to draw closer to God's heart and experience His perfect peace while we wait:

1. Pray daily with your spouse or prayer partners.

2. Seek counsel and encouragement from a trusted Christian friend or leader.

3. Fast for clarity to hear God's voice.

Each time I wait on the Lord and seek Him wholeheartedly--He takes me to the edge. It's ALWAYS worth the wait to see God reveal His power in the most supernatural ways. In 2008, be daring and experience the high of living on the edge!

  

This article was originally written in February, 2008 for Intercessory Prayer Network of the Southeast.