Distractions

Posted on by Evangeline
Signage at a Michigan left intersection. Two l...
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My life has had a lot of distractions-some big, some small- that have taken my gaze away from God’s plan and His loving hand. Those distractions have come packaged in a lot of different ways: as boys, when I was a teenaged girl; as extra-curricular activities, when I was a college student; and, as church activities, when I was a young mother.

Each of these distractions, among many others, brought their own set of consequences and kept me from fully enjoying God’s plan for me. Emotional turmoil resulted from the “boys distraction.” Poor grades resulted from the “extra-curricular distraction.” And yes, believe it or not, church activities were a distraction! They slowly began to eat away at the time I spent at home with my husband and children. It was hard to recognize that my schedule was problematic and even harder to make a change to it.

Hebrews 12:2 in the Amplified Bible encourages us to look away from all that will distract us and look to Jesus.  After all, His plan is the BEST for us because it is birthed out of love and is filled with good and perfect gifts [James 1:7].

But in order to keep our eyes on Him, we have to be convinced that Jesus is the answer to our problems at hand and trust that there’s no need to look anywhere else for our solution.

What’s the distraction in your life today that pulls your gaze to anything other than Jesus? No matter how big or small it is, how will you re-focus in order to experience God’s plan?

Focus Friday

Posted on by Evangeline

Focus on the following promise throughout the day. God said it and it’s what He desires. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak the Word continually and expect God to do what He has said!

“No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame.”  

~~ Psalm 25:3

Want Great Results?

Posted on by Evangeline

Ruth, a woman whose story is found in the Old Testament, was living a life that seemed desolate of anything good. Her husband had died, leaving her childless. Her father-in-law and brother-in-law had both died, leaving Ruth, her mother-in-law (Naomi) and sister-in-law without a family provider. She was living in a country that was not her own so she had no nearby relatives who could help her. There was famine throughout the land. Talk about unfavorable life circumstances!

But Ruth chose to put her faith in the God of her Hebrew mother-in-law. She was determined to see the salvation and deliverance that she believed God had for her. Even while she lived in seemingly unbearable conditions, she believed that God would ultimately show her favor.

Ruth and Naomi traveled back to Naomi’s homeland, hoping to find a family member who would show kindness and assist them.  Ruth chose to declare that God would help them and provide for them. She trusted that He would lead her to the right field to glean and to its kind owner. God honored her faith in Him. She began to see His hand of favor operate in her life. God led her to Boaz, who loved her and redeemed her. Instead of being a poor, childless widow, she experienced marriage, wealth, and motherhood. Faith in God’s favor produced great results!

Want great results in your life? Believe that God’s loving hand of favor is on you. Declare it every day!

Please come back and share the wonderful results you experience due to believing and declaring God’s favor in your life.

My Horizon

Posted on by Evangeline

When I was a little girl, summers were spent playing outside. I loved playing hand games with the other girls in my neighborhood. A particularly favorite hand game was about a sailor. Do you remember this?

A sailor went to sea, sea, sea

To see what he could see, see, see

And all that he could see, see, see

Was the bottom of the big blue sea, sea, sea.

The other day, that lyric came to mind as I was reflecting on what I choose to look at in my life. Do I hang my head and look down, focusing primarily on all the negative things that happen? Am I like the sailor, who could only see the bottom of the sea, even though there was the beauty of the horizon right in front of him to enjoy? Or do I choose to look up , focus on the positive things and find the joy that may be hidden in my  negative circumstances?

I hope that on a daily basis, I will look up and see Jesus and allow Him to be the author of my life story and the One who directs and perfects how the ending of my story turns out. I know that when I put my day-to-day life in Jesus’ hands, the horizon of my life will always be beautiful.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” ~~Hebrews 12:2 NIV

Focus Friday

Posted on by Evangeline

Focus on the following promise throughout the day. God said it and it’s what He desires. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak the Word continually and expect God to do what He has said!

” …by his wounds you have been healed.”

~~ 1 Peter 2:24 NIV

God’s Circle of Blessing

Posted on by Evangeline

Each day, take time to remind yourself that because of Jesus, you live in God’s circle of blessing. It’s the place where He lovingly pours out provision, safety, healing and favor.

Here’s an excerpt from my devotional ebook, “A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility.” Enjoy!

God’s Circle of Blessing

“I will bless you richly. I will multiply your descendants…”

~ Genesis 22:17 ~

The Living Bible Translation of Psalm 25:13 says, “He shall live within God’s circle of blessing, and his children shall inherit the earth.” To whom is this passage referring? The previous verse tells us…the person who reverences God.

Living in God’s circle of blessing enables us to enjoy the best in life even when circumstances around us tell, and sometimes yell, otherwise. Isaac, Abraham’s son, was a great example of living in the circle of blessing.

The Bible’s account in Genesis 26:1-13 tells how there was a famine in the country where Isaac lived and he wondered if he should leave like so many others and go to Egypt where there was no famine. God told him to stay and that He would be with Isaac in his obedience. God promised him increase in all areas of life, including children.

In the midst of his country’s famine, despair, lack, and death, Isaac was blessed with extreme abundance because he stayed where God wanted him—in His circle of blessing. Infertility is like a famine—extreme hunger and despair—except it’s for a child. Just as Isaac experienced great bounty in the midst of famine, so can you, when you choose to remain in God’s circle of blessing even as your circumstances scream “famine.”

You can live in God’s circle of blessing by keeping the ears of your heart open to His Word. Hear Him as He speaks to you through it. Receive the Word by faith, as personal promises from God to you.

Receive His wonderful blessings by saying “thank you” to Him for the promises you find in his Word for your child. Repeatedly speak His Word, His Truth, over your life. When we speak the Word, we’re in agreement with God. Receive His blessings by living in His Word and resting in His grace.

No matter what the doctor’s reports say, you don’t have to be stuck in the famine of infertility. Declare that you live in God’s circle of blessing because famine can’t exist there. Jesus is God of abundant joy!

Nothing is too hard for Him to change; therefore He can change your circumstance of infertility. His Truth, His Word, can bring extreme abundance in its most wonderful form—the blessing of a child.

Speak the Word: I choose to stay in God’s circle of blessing.  He is my source of everything good. 

More Encouragement: Galatians 3:14; Hebrews 6:14

To receive another free sample of  additional devotions from ” A Seed of Hope,” click HERE.

An Affirmation

Posted on by Evangeline

From an old hymn of the church, comes a wonderful affirmation to not only sing but to whisper to ourselves throughout the day. It reminds me of John 15:5 when Jesus said, “I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

This song was written by Annie S. Hawes and Robert Lowry:

I need Thee,

O I need Thee.

Every hour I need Thee;

O bless me now my Savior.

I come to Thee.

Focus Friday

Posted on by Evangeline

 

Focus on the following promise throughout the day. God said it and it’s what He desires. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak the Word continually and expect God to do what He has said!

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”  ~~2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT

Deceptive Panic

Posted on by Evangeline

Sometimes, when we feel alarmed about an issue in our life, we can draw hasty conclusions that are wrong.

The Bible tells us that David experienced this. He wrote in Psalm 31:22 [NLT], “In panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the LORD!”

Infertility can make you feel that way, especially when it has lasted for a while. It’s as if God doesn’t care, like He’s turned away and cut off from hearing you. But that’s a deception straight from the devil. The devil’s mind games and antics are always meant to make us draw away from God because he knows the solutions to our problems are found in drawing near to God.

David did eventually see the folly of his panic-inspired thought that he was cut off from God. He chose to draw near to God and encourage himself in the Lord by remembering God’s love for him. David told God, “But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.” [Psalm 31:22 NLT]

God passionately loves us and will never turn away or cut us off. As believers in Jesus, we can be fully assured of this. Jesus said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always.” [Matthew 28:20 NLT]

How do you deal with deceptive panic whenever it raises its ugly head in your life?

A Penny For Your Thoughts

Posted on by Evangeline

I’ve been thinking about the issue of trust. Nowadays, how do you know who’s trustworthy?

Look closely at this penny. It’s a great reminder about Who to trust!

Trust in Jesus’ finished work on your behalf.

Trust in the unshakable, true promises of God.

Hold tightly  to your dream. Don’t let circumstances break you loose from it.

Make a decision to believe in and stand on the Word of God as the absolute Truth in life. The Truth will shake up your circumstances in a positive way!

What do you use as a reminder to trust God in your circumstances? I’d love to know!