Encouragement Today/ Sitting At Home, Alone/Proverbs 31 Devotion

This was just too good to not share with you all as well. It was the devotion from yesterday, but I missed it. Thinking God wanted me to see it today instead. It was so good that I shared it with my Duck as well. I hope it touches your heart as much as it did mine.

Devotions | Proverbs 31 Ministries

Daily Devotion for February 21, 2013 Sitting At Home, Alone

By Lysa TerKeurstAbout LysaView Our Archives

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Confidence, Identity in Christ

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"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority." Colossians 2:9-10 (NIV 1984)

They were laughing in their matching neon pink t-shirts with the words "Bethany's Birthday Girls" printed on the front. They were going bowling after school. Then to get pizza. Then a sleep over.

When Bethany passed out the shirts that morning I pretended to be too busy to notice. I stayed hyper focused on unpacking my book bag into my locker. And then I hurried off to my first class.

It was clear. Bethany had made a list of her friends and I hadn't been included. I thought I would be. We'd gotten together before. I'd invited her to my pool party.

"No big deal," I tried to tell myself all day. I had plans that night too.

To sit at home. Alone. And wonder why I hadn't been chosen.

It's been years since I watched those neon pink shirts all pile into a station wagon after school and drive away. But it hasn't been years since I've heard the negative inside chatter that ensued afterwards.

"You're not liked."

"You weren't invited."

"You weren't chosen."

Here's what I wish I could have told my little non-wearing pink t-shirt self back then ... and what I need to remember when those same feelings creep in today ...

Don't put the whole of your identity into the smallness of this situation.

Not getting a pink t-shirt that day felt like a defining moment. And maybe it was for that day. I wasn't invited to Bethany's party. And that stunk.

But it wasn't a defining moment of my identity.

It was a moment. And moments shift. People are fickle. People shift.
In the moment Bethany made the list of who to invite to her party, I wasn't on the top of her mind. Not because she didn't like me, but simply because she hadn't thought about it. It was a small situation.

And I can't put the whole of my identity into the smallness of this situation. Or any other for that matter.

My pastor used a verse in his sermon recently that echoes these same thoughts, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ" (Colossians 2:9-10).

I have been given fullness. I am filled up by Christ. With acceptance. With love. With all the fullness of an identity that can't be shaken.
I can place the wholeness of my identity in that reality ... and see everything else as small in comparison.

Dear Lord, I praise You for Your faithfulness to me in every situation. I don't want to get hung up on the small things of this world. Please help me to place the wholeness of my identity in who You are and the everlasting acceptance that You provide. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

 Lysa TerKeurst has a special gift that she's giving away on her blog today – personalized scriptures you can print out and use as daily reminders of your "fullness" in Christ. Click here for more information.
If you have a daughter or know another young woman who might need encouragement for her walk with the Lord, Lysa TerKeurst's book What Happens When Young Women Say Yes to God would be a perfect gift. Click here to purchase your copy.

Reflect and Respond:

What past hurt are you still processing that seemed like a defining moment in your life?

Reflect on our key verse and power verses. Write them down in a place where you'll see them every day. This will help you remember what God says we are to Him – His beloved children who have been saved through His grace.

Power Verses:

 Ephesians 2:4-5, "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." (NIV)

John 1:12-13, Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." (NIV)

Be Who You Are:

‘’Who you are at home is who you are.’’

Galatians 5:22-23

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

 The way we act at home should be the way we act at church, school, and work. Often people act harsh at home and don’t treat their family right, but they go places and act perfect like they live for God.  It’s like we are lying without saying a word. We should all learn to act the same way we do in public at home. This means, yes, treating your family right (your parents, brothers, and sisters). The Golden rule says to treat others the way you would like to be treated.

Luke 6:31

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Even people you don’t like or don’t get along with well you should treat with love, kindness, and respect. This is what God is telling us we should do. If we want someone to be positive to us we need to be positive to them.

                                                                                                     ~ Written by Duck for Bible on Aug. 13, 2012

     

God's Tender Love

  God  will always love you and care for you no matter what you do that might be wrong. He always knows what’s in our best interest. He will never do anything to put us in harm’s way, or hurt us.

Romans 8:38-39

‘’ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’’

  In your heart do you really believe that God loves us no matter what we do or say wrong? Sometimes we do enough bad that we forget God is there to forgive us for it. Often we cover Him up with the sin in our lives, and forget about Him. He won’t forgive us of our sins if we don’t ask Him and tell Him what we did wrong.

  We are like Christian from Pilgrim’s Progress, he carried a big huge sack on his back that resembled all his sin. When he lost the sack he felt so much lighter, and he felt closer to God.

‘’He shall Gather the lambs with His arm and carry them (near His heart)’’~ Pilgrim’s Progress

  ‘’ Presently he came to a place where there was a hill by the side of the road, and upon the hill he saw the very thing for which he was longing. There stood the Cross, and the moment little Christian began to climb the path that led to it he felt that the bands which fastened his burden were breaking. Then it fell from his shoulders and rolled to the bottom of the hill, and when he turned to see what had become of it he found that it was quite gone…."

  ‘’Now I can walk as quickly as I like,’’ he said. And he stayed looking at the Cross, with his heart full of joy and thankfulness.’’~ Taken from Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen L. Taylor.

Always remember little Christian and how once he lost his sin he felt so much better. Even the little thing we do will pile up and eventually become big.

God's Hands

 God can always see the end of our problems; we have to learn to trust Him, impatience makes waiting for our problems to end even harder.

 ‘’Do you wait patiently for God to work things out? Being upset won’t make problems go away, but they will make you miserable. Remember that every problem has an end, and God sees and knows just when that end will come…” ~ Keys for Kids~ A Long Wait

Psalm 37:7

‘’Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.’’

  Do you ever sit somewhere impatiently like at a traffic light, or in a long line of traffic and think that it will never end. The bible tells us that God has his hand in everything.

Deuteronomy 31:8

‘’It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you: He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’’

  This verse is to remind us that no matter how big or small our problem is, that God has His hand in it and He won’t let anything happen that he does not think is right for us.

                                           ~ Duck wrote 2/1/2012  for bible/writing

Small Tasks

  No matter how small the job is God always appreciates it. The littlest jobs we do in life always matter to God. It’s the attitude we do these things with that matters the most. God likes it much better when we do things for Him with a cheerful heart.

1 Corinthians 14:40

‘’But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.’’

  God has set aside different works for everyone to do, he expects us to do them no matter how big or small they are. You might think that doing this task is not important because it is so small, but to God it matters a lot. Someone needs to do this task or it won’t get done.                    

1 Corinthians 12:22

‘’Those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary’’.     

  Some people might have what seems to be the big task that everyone notices’, but our little tasks matter too. Try to make sure that you recognize other people as much as you would like to be recognized.

  We always have to remember that even if no one recognizes’ the small tasks we do in life, that God does .He will always appreciate them.   

                                        ~ Duck wrote Jan 31, 2012 for bible/writing time

God made you to be like you.

 

Keys for Kids Devotion~ Created Different ~ Jan 24, 2012

Be Thankful God made you to be you.

I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. ~Ps 139:14

 God made you to be like you. To have your own traits and most importantly act like you. God likes you the way you are and that's what's most important.

~ Duck's summary of her Bible Devotion today