Devotions for Moms » Glory of God

Ponder These Things

toshowthemjesus — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:31:37 +0000

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:16-20

The word Advent means coming or arrival of something long anticipated. The Messiah had been long anticipated for thousands of years. No wonder the excitement of the shepherds!

The season of Advent is a time of waiting and preparation for Christmas Day. It is a time to slowly consider and meditate on the wonder of the plan of redemption beginning in a stable. Remember the promise God made to Abraham and confirmed throughout the Old Testament. Read again about His faithfulness and love for His people. Meditate on the glorious truth that God became man. Be humbled as Mary was that God uses broken, imperfect people to fulfill His plan.

Waiting doesn’t come easy to most of us. In fact, it’s become an obsolete skill these days. This time of year it is even harder to quiet our hearts. Be intentional about meditating on the story of Christmas and expect your soul to overflow in joyful response.

This Advent, be filled with wonder and amazement as the shepherds were. Take the time to “treasure up all these things and ponder them” in your heart.

For additional study: Luke 1:46-55, Luke 1:68-75, Colossians 1:15-20

Download TODAY! ==> Faith - A Four Week Mini Bible Study

New Life, Dirty Clothes

CSAHM — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 22:24:22 +0000

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

As a mom most of my daily, or weekly, chores includes laundry. Laundry in a family of five is never ending, there is always laundry that needs to be washed, folded, and put away. I spend a lot of time washing clothes because I want to make sure my kid’s have nice clean clothes to wear. I go out and spend money on new clothes because I want my children to have clothes that fit them, and again I want them to have nice clothes to wear.

I try not to complain about doing laundry, even though it really is never ending. I try not to complain because having a lot of laundry is truly a “side effect” to the many blessings we have in this house. Lots of laundry means I have a family, we have clothes, and I have a washer and dryer to clean them in. It’s hard to complain about laundry when you look at it from the perspective that a lot of clothes equal many blessings.

However with all of the many blessings, there is one thing that irks me when it comes to laundry. The one thing that upsets me the most about doing laundry is when my children put clean clothes in the dirty clothes hamper. They have a couple of reasons for doing this:

1.) They put clean clothes in the dirty hamper because they don’t feel like folding and putting away their clean laundry.

2.) They don’t “like” the item of clothing so they just keep throwing it in the dirty clothes hamper.

This is a huge problem with me when they do this. Whenever it does happen I get upset. I wonder WHY buy them new clothes and put myself through the struggle of separating, pre-treating, washing, and drying their clothes so they can have clean clothes to wear, if they are just going to put on the same clothes again and again?

I know that God doesn’t doubt His sacrifice of His only Son when I put on my old dirty clothes. You see just like my kids, when they don’t feel like taking care of their new, clean clothes, we sometimes treat the new person we are in Christ the same way.

We have been clothed with glory by the King of Kings when we become believers, but too many of us are living our new life in dirty old clothes. Too often we cling to the lies that were told to us long before we became believers instead of living a life glorifying God.

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

Why as believer’s are we always taking off our robe of righteousness in order to wear the dirty old clothes? Why are we instead throwing our garments of salvation into the dirty clothes hamper?

One day I will learn to walk this earth wearing my robe of righteousness proudly all the while sharing the glory of God with everyone around me. I think for a lot of us we get comfortable in our old clothes. Everyone has that old t-shirt or sweatshirt that is soft against your skin. It may have holes in it, but it sure in comfortable.

Comfort and safety is what we seek when we wear our old dirty clothes. But the truth is comfort, safety, and the peace we seek only comes from the One who has blessed us with His grace and mercy. If we want REAL peace then we need to learn to wrap ourself with the robe of righteousness every single day, even if it is just a robe that hides who we truly are underneath. Only in Christ can we walk around this earth as royalty and a servant leader.

Prayer:

Dear Father God, Thank you for this beautiful day. God I am tired of wearing old dirty clothes. God, I am tired. Every day instead of putting on my robe of righteousness I put on my old dirty clothes. But not now. From now on I will wake up and put on my beautiful golden robe of righteousness, the gift you gave me through the sacrifice of your Son Jesus. I will walk this earth, imperfections and all, with confidence because I know that wherever I am weak Your grace will cover me. When there is less of me, those around me see more of YOU! Lord cover me in your grace. Today and tomorrow, and the next day, I will walk through doors and open my heart up to the life you have set for me. It won’t be easy, but I know you are right there with me. I pray this in Jesus’ name. – Amen

Download TODAY! ==> Faith - A Four Week Mini Bible Study

Healing

CSAHM — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:46:57 +0000

“My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.” Proverbs 4:20-23

With a New Year arriving I have been thinking about my “word” for the year. This word usually ends up being my theme for the year. Last year’s word was given to me unwillingly, it was: brokenness.

This time last year so many changes were occurring, against my will. The theme of brokenness had carried itself forward from the year before and nothing was safe from breaking down. It all seemed like a huge set back and the worst possible timing.

But through the brokenness so much had changed and I believe has led up to this year’s theme: healing.

When I think of healing I think of having A LOT of patience. Healing isn’t something that typically happens in an instant. When I broke my ankle in a car accident it didn’t heal in an instant. It took intervention from the doctor to heal properly, and it took 2 months of putting no weight on my ankle in order for it to heal. It took time. Even after all of that my ankle still wasn’t completely healed.

When something breaks it doesn’t return back to normal. Typically it changes and is never the same again. My ankle will never be the same again, but through that brokenness I experienced my heart was forever changed also, and for that I am grateful!

Through this past year, everything that had been broken was restored but it took time, and in most instances the broken item was replaced with something newer and better.

Newer and better…healing isn’t about getting back to the old, it’s about going to that next level and experiencing what God has in store for you.

I am grateful for the healing, however I’m not that patient with the process. It is definitely going to take some intervention from God to heal the brokenness and this is going to come from praying more and reading more of God’s word.

Prayer:

Dear Lord,
Thank you for your intervention. Thank you for your word. Thank you for always being there and showing me that brokenness isn’t typically a bad thing. I will always remember 2010 as the year of your provision, and I will always remember it with a grateful heart to You. It was a year of you revealing Yourself to our family, and how You showed up and blessed our family beyond what we would have imagined for ourselves. For all of this I am grateful. Thank you for another day, month, year. I pray that I never take you for granted and that throughout this year I continue to acknowledge You and realize Your presence in my life. I pray this in Jesus’ name. – Amen!

Download TODAY! ==> Faith - A Four Week Mini Bible Study

The Sovereignty of God

CSAHM — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:43:53 +0000

“For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. Romans 9:15-16 (NAS)

God’s glory is shown through our trials by simply reminding us that we are at His mercy. Sometimes we need to be broken in order to be fixed again.

A lot of times we simply do not understand “why” something is happening. However we must understand that God is the one in control, in the end it is all about HIM!

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” Job 38:4-5 (NKJV)

To often we forget how powerful God is. We end up taking for granted the vast UNIVERSE He created! We forget that the air we breath and the life we live have all been ordained by Him. He gave us life, an earth to live on, and food to eat. He can certainly take it all away if He so pleased.

When will we stop and realize that God is GOD, and we are NOT? Trials are great reminders that we cannot do this on our own. We have what we have because God said have it. We lose what we lose because God said lose it.

Then Job answered the LORD and said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, “Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, “I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:1-6 (NKJV)

How many times do we judge God simply because we do not understand Him? How many people do we know that do not believe in God because they do not understand His ways? Is it really fair to judge God? Why do we feel righteous enough to question God?

God has a purpose and a plan for everyone in this world and He will do whatever it takes to fulfill that purpose. God knows pain, and He certainly knows trials. He is God, but He also loved us so much that He chose to sacrifice His only Son for our sins. His sacrifice is greater than any sacrifice we could ever make simply because God is in control of everything.

He is the creator of this world. It all belongs to Him. Everything will be used for the glory of God. In the end it’s all about God and HIS purpose for this life and for this world!

Prayer:

Father God forgive me for questioning your sovereignty. Forgive me for judging you simply because I did not understand. I pray for the ability to accept Your will in all circumstances. Lord have mercy on me. Have mercy on my heart and my soul. Sometimes Lord life is just too difficult, too painful. I often just don’t understand. Lord help me to trust You when I don’t understand. I am at the mercy of Your will and purpose for my life. I am here because You allowed me to live. Help me to never forget this. You are the Creator, I am the image. Help me to be Your image, Lord. Forgive me for not respecting Who You Truly are, and the power You have over my life. I pray this all in Your MIGHTY Son Jesus’ name – Amen!

Download TODAY! ==> Faith - A Four Week Mini Bible Study