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Day 2: B is for Bear

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

B is for bear. Bear means to help (assist), to support (lighten the load), to show kindness (be gracious) to, to show patience and forbearance, and to strengthen. I realize that this is a very common verse to quote, but when I spoke on this very topic last year at the ladies meeting in New York, God showed me some things that I never had seen before. I want to share those with you today … and I trust that there will be enough space to do so!

First, did you notice that the subject (personal pronoun) “You” was implied?  What does that mean? That means that this is a command verse! As a command, it would read as follows … “[You] bear … one another’s burdens.” Ouch! That definitely brings it up close and personal, does it not? Now let us really get to the nitty-gritty and see how we are to bear:

To help: We all at some time or another find ourselves under a heavy burden or trial. In those times, our desire most often is to just get through it. There may be other times that our greatest desire is for someone to HELP us get through it … we do not have the strength or the knowledge on our own. Notice that I did not say “TAKE” one another’s burdens … there is a BIG difference. [Illus: Christ TOOK all my sin onto His body; I no longer have my sin] I am not going to take my sister’s burden from her, but I will bear her burden with her!

To support: “Many hands make light work.” How true this saying is! When I have a big project to do in the ministry, I often will seek help from others. Why? Because a project/chore that is a drudgery will take me much longer to get motivated to do and inevitably, will take me much longer to do it. But, when there is someone there to help, it makes the job more enjoyable and the extra hands do help make it go quicker as well! We may even learn from them! Then, sometimes we just need the extra nudge.

To be kind or gracious to: How much more sore our trials can be when others do not understand the situation. They are uncaring, or judgmental (they have never had this problem, or “they would never do that”), or they are actually rude or abrasive. Does this help our situation? No. It actually causes more pain and sorrow. Right? Some times that person doesn’t even know they have a need; but, if we are spiritual, we can see that need and we should treat them appropriately.

To be patient or forbear: Our flesh can be our biggest enemy. It wants to jump ahead. It wants to straighten other people out … like right now! It wants to rush forth acting and speaking things that can bring permanent damage. Instead, we should be patiently waiting on the Spirit for direction.

To strengthen: It has been said that a chain is as strong as it’s weakest link. When we join ourselves to another in bearing their burdens (trials), they will only gain strength IF we are strong. We cannot offer anything to someone else that we ourselves do not have.

Lesson Objective: To understand what it means to bear another’s burdens. To acknowledge that this is a command to Christians and that you must obey.

Did you pass or did you fail?

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Day 1: A is for Anxiety

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you …” John 14:27

A is for anxiety. It means a nervous, uneasy feeling often accompanied by worry. I personally have experienced and struggled with anxiety for a number of years. I do not believe that I have completely “arrived” yet, but, over time, I have found certain things that help and certain things that exacerbate the condition. I would like to share some with you today.

First of all, I would like to say that anxiety is a real thing. It is not something that you can just sweep under the rug and it magically disappears. That is as far from the truth as you can get. Anxiety is alive and thriving in our society and churches today. It is interesting to note here that depression and fear are very close relatives to anxiety.

I believe that anxiety has two main types of root causes. One is spiritual and the other is physical (which encompasses mental and emotional as well). This is not how anxiety is addressed in our society today though. Typically, it is addressed and treated as a mental issue. What is the problem with this though? It is never resolved! Why? Because the majority of the time, it is more than a mental issue; therefore, it has a much stronger physical root affecting it.

Imagine with me for a moment my friend who has seizures. When her body starts to go into a seizure, is she able to think positive thoughts or even mentally tell her body not to have the seizure and it obeys? No. That is ludicrous, is it not? Why? Because the body has a stronger power than the mind. I am not saying that the mind is not important in some cases (when it is a mind issue). What I am saying is that there are more than one type of roots and you must address the proper kind to get the results that you are looking for.

When it comes to the physical, mental, or emotional roots of anxiety, I believe that they have roots in not only dietary issues, but diseases of the body, allergies to food, mold and innumerable things, sugar imbalances, hormonal imbalances, etc. I know for me, I have a great fear of flying, bad storms, traveling in bad weather, etc. Is it because I mentally cause it? No, I believe, it is the things that are inside of me that are forcing my body into those modes. I have never done the mental “talk-through,” but I have done the “clean up my diet and get my body into a healthier state” and watched my anxiety disappear.

I cannot close this day without saying that anxiety can have spiritual roots as well. When there is sin in our lives, it can affect us mentally, which in turn triggers anxiety. I believe that anyone with anxiety needs to explore the possibility of BOTH the physical roots and the spiritual roots. It is very common for anxiety to be addressed from either one or the other, but rarely both; consequently, leaving it there to continue to fester and wreck havoc in your life. 

Lesson Objective: To understand what anxiety is. If you have anxiety, to determine if it is coming from physical roots,  spiritual roots, or both? Then, lastly, start working on digging up those ugly roots for good.

Did you pass or did you fail?

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Day 31: Stress

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you …” John 14:27

I opened up my Bible word search app and typed in the word stress and what did I find? Hundreds of verse that had this word? No, not a single verse! So, since the Bible does not use this word, then it must not mean anything, right? Wrong!

Since the word stress is not found in the Bible, how do we know how to deal with stress in our lives … because stress is a very REAL thing? Well, there are some very REAL things (sins) that happen to us when we are under stress. So, let us start there.

PEACE: We have a loss of peace, when we are under stress. John 16:33

FEAR: As it affects us mentally and emotionally, we can experience fear and anxiety. Isaiah 41:10

ANGER: We can become irritable and angry very easily and quickly when we are under stress. Ephesians 4:26

WORRY: Since it comes with a lack of peace and increased fear, it will also cause us to worry more. Luke 12:22-23

I like to follow the holistic, natural, or functional medicine doctors. What are they saying today is the #1 key factor in our health … and no, it is not the gut, although it does play an important role? It is STRESS! Stress is defined as a constraining force or influence. It has many sub-definitions, one of which is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension which can play a major role in one’s health.

Stress, just like sin, if left unchecked, can cause almost insurmountable issues. If this is the case … and it is … then we need to find out what are the stressors in our lives and systematically remove them. My life, life in general and life in ministry, carries a heavy load of stress with it. We can be told to de-stress til we can repeat it in our sleep, but that is not going to take care of our stress. We are going to have to start searching for what the key stressors are in our lives.

So, this is what I did. I sat down and listed EVERYTHING that I could think of that was a stressor … external and internal (feelings, thoughts, health, etc). Here is some things that you may find in as your stressors also:

Physical illnesses, Lack of sleep, Overloaded schedule, Rushed from being unprepared, Rushed from being short on time, Not eating properly (enough small meals throughout day to keep blood sugars stable), Not getting any exercise, Listening to demands of others, Marital issues, Child issues, Debt/Financial, Job (boss/co-workers), etc.

Do you believe that Satan just loves to keep us in a stressed-filled and stressed-out state day in and day out? I do! Because it brings our health down … in God’s temple (abiding place), which leads to less effectiveness in ministering and serving our Savior.

Stress CAN be controlled! Now that we know what sins that stress brings into our lives and what the contributing factors are, we can definitely start working toward lowering stress in our lives. What a great weight can be lifted by eliminating stress in our lives!

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A-Z Lessons of Life

Good morning, y’all! I just wanted to drop in really quick and give you a brief insight into the devotions for August.

The topic that I have chosen for this month is “Learning Life’s Lessons.” Life is truly about one lesson after another, is it not?

How many lessons have we listened to but did not learn? How many lessons have we studied but still failed? How many lessons have we actually passed?

I believe, that we have easily fallen into the mindset that we are adults now and we are not in school. But, school is in session every single day, my friend, in your life and mine.

May our lives not be filled with failures, but may we LEARN LIFE’S LESSONS! 

There is LIFE in LEARNING! May we learn our lessons well!
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Day 30: Serving

“But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, doest thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.” Luke 10:40

The life of Christ here on earth was filled with serving, was it not? He did not come here to be served, but He came here to serve. Matthew 20:28 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” He did this as an example for us to follow.

I grew up in ministry and have been in ministry my entire adult life so far and I have seen the pendulum swing (heavily) both ways when it comes to service. On one hand you have those who seemingly are content to fill the pew … when they decide to come to church … and on the other hand, you have those who seemingly spend 42/7 (no, that is not a typo!) “ministering” (serving). Which one is correct? Neither one!

It is just as much a sin to underserve as it is to overserve. Shock! But, it is true! The Bible just told us that in black and white in our verse for today.

There is a principle that we see in Matthew 6:33 that ties in here … “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Did you catch it? It hinges off of the fourth word in this verse. What it is? First, correct?

Do you know what the definition of the word first is? It is something that comes before all others. It is the primary or principle thing, is it not? It outranks all other things. But, do you know what? There are other things! Serving our Savior must be our first and primary priority, but God knows that there must be a balance found as well … because He knows that there are other things that require our time and energy as well.

In verse 39 of Luke 10, it says, “And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.” Now, let us go back and reread our verse for today … “But Martha was cumbered about much serving …” It really is, or should not be anyways, a surprise that Luke used the conjunction but here because clearly there is a vast difference between what Mary was doing and what Martha was doing. Correct?

Do you and I not find ourselves caught up in the Martha lifestyle being “cumbered,” or all tied up in knots, over-serving and forgetting that the first part (our first priority) must be our time spent at the Savior’s feet?

I am a slow learner, but I am learning. I am slowly moving forward in my proper service to Him and to others. May you also find yourself in this learning and growing process as well … and may we not forget that then “all these things shall be added unto you.”

We cannot do it alone, but we can do it with Him as our guide!

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Day 29: Suffering

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

What is suffering? Who suffers? What kind of sufferings can we experience? How can we bear up through suffering? These are several things that I want us to take a look at today.

What is suffering? Suffering is defined as the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship. Pain comes in different forms … physical pain from an injury, mental pain, or emotional pain are a few types. Distress is anxiety, sorrow, grief, or heartbreak. Hardship is destitute or deprivation.

Who suffers? All who are in human flesh suffer, do they not? Even Christ, when He was on the earth, suffered (I Peter 4:1).  He was even “tempted” (tested) as we are … Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

What kind of sufferings can we experience? Well, that is a very loaded question and one which I do not have enough space to cover every single kind. But, I will share some and I am sure that many more will come to your mind that could be added.

Poor health; Loss of a child (in miscarriage, in an accident, or from an illness); Infidelity of a spouse; Rebellious teenager; spouse who does not take the spiritual leadership in your marriage or family; drama-filled families (usually over petty things); financial debt; never having enough income to pay bills; death of a spouse;  disillusionment in the church; judgement of others towards you; demanding boss; someone you love distancing themselves from you

How can we bear up through suffering? Well, here are four simple principles that can make a huge difference:

1) Trials come to purge (purify) us of sin — Psalm 66:10-11 “For thou, O God, hast proved us; thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.”

2) Learn to gain our strength from God Himself — II Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in [your] weakness …”

3) Learning from our suffering — I Peter 5:10 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, and settle you.”

4) Using that experience to be able to help others who are traveling the same road — II Corinthians 1:4 “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

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Day 28: S-E-L-F

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

I hope that you did not jump straight to the text of this devotional and skipped the most important part … the scripture verse. Oops! Well, I will not tell anyone that you are taking a minute to go back and read it now. Oh! You did read it? Well, please take a minute to go back, reread it, and then meditate on it a moment.

What did God show you here? Did you see a pattern laid out in this verse? It is kind of a lengthy verse, I know! Yet, there is such a solid truth found right here in front of us!

“What is it?” you ask. Well, it encompasses this thought … life is ALL about God! Not me. Not self. But, simply God. Can you see it now?

I have been diligently planning and preparing for this year’s fall ladies retreat in Mexico. It is always the highlight of my year! I love to plan and share what God has given me to the ladies there. It is always such a blessing! This is your personal invitation to come join us one year. Typically, it is the last Friday and Saturday of September, but this year we have had to move it to September 13-14.

God always has a way of giving me the theme a year in advance. So, what do you think the theme is for next year (2020)? It will be based out of Galatians 2:20 and it will be “Giving it OWL to God!” I know, that owl does not translate to Spanish in this context, but the thought is what counts.

I enjoy scrolling through Facebook and Instagram from time to time. To be honest, I enjoy it less and less because there is so much out there about S-E-L-F. Self in this sense is so contradictory to the verse that we just read, is it not? Life is NOT about myself, my friend! Life is ALL about God! Do you agree?

· Savior — There is only one who could save me from sins … and it was NOT self! II Corinthians 5:21 “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

· Eternity — There is only one who can give me eternal life … and it is NOT self! John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ …”

· Love — There is only one who loved me enough to give their life for me … and it was NOT self! John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

· Faith — There is only one whose faith in counts … and it is NOT self! Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”

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Day 27: Confidence

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.” Hebrews 10:35

There are so many times in life where we are faced with important decisions and once that decision is made, we still have to wait for the fruition of that, correct? Who loves the waiting game? No hands?! Yeah, mine was not up either!

Really the only instant thing in life is salvation. Growing, learning and maturing take time. Starting training for a career, starting a family, looking for your first home, buying your first car, starting a business, planting a garden, learning a new skill, etc. All of these are decisions that we make but then have to wait for completion, correct?

So, during that waiting time, what do we need? Confidence, am I right? We need the confidence to see with eyes that believe and eyes that trust that the final product or event will take place.

In the beginning, there is usually a lot of excitement for what will be forthcoming. But, as time wains on, it is hard to keep up the excitement and the confidence that things will ever be fulfilled. I am going through one of those times right now in my health journey.

We need to be able, with confidence, continue forward even when there is no light at the end of the tunnel to guide us or to give us hope. Our hope must remain in Him who giveth life and giveth us all things.

I have recently made some very positive changes in my health regime. I know that what I am doing is very good for my body and my health, but yet there are many days and many moments where I find myself floundering in doubt. Maybe there is an area in your life where you are struggling as well. Do not give up hope, my friend! Keep your confidence! Keep your belief and trust strong!

¨ Psalm 42:11 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

¨ Romans 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

¨ Psalm 119:114 “thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.”

¨ Romans 5:3-5 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope. And hope maketh not ashamed …”

¨ Lamentations 3:24 “The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”

¨ Micah 7:7 “Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.”

¨ Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

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Day 26: Pride

“An high look, and a PROUD heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.” Proverbs 21:4

Pride is a very controversial word these days in our society. It has taken on many meanings and connotations. But, the pride that I want us to look at today is the one found here in this verse. It is the “high look.” The one which forces our nose and chin up into the air. Yep! You have seen this one before, have you not?

To be PROUD means “to be puffed up about your accomplishments; to think highly of yourself (that you are better or too good to do certain things); to trust in your own self and disregard the instruction of others (you think that you know better than others, especially those in authority over you).”

Pride is a powerful tool of the devil that can quickly and dramatically bring a child of God down in defeat. Pride can even be seen in a child of a very young age. Have you ever seen one who was so determined to climb a step or tie a shoe or ride a bicycle without help? There it is rearing its stubborn head right before your eyes … and in one so young.

What about we as adults? Do we let pride control our lives? Umm, I believe that we can claim a resounding, “YES!” on that one.

Pride can actually infiltrate many areas of our lives. We may be aware of one area, but have we checked all of the areas? When we went searching for pride in our lives, did we search every room? Did we search under every rug and behind every door? Well, let us see …

· In our finances – Do we trust God enough to give Him our 10%? Malachi 3:10a “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house …”

· In our friends – Are we are afraid that God won’t give us any friends, so we grab anyone who we can, whether they are a good influence on our lives or not? Proverbs 16:28 “A froward man soweth strife; and a whisperer separateth chief friends.”

· In our time – Do we demand “ME first?” I Corinthians 10:24 “Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.”

· In our sin – Are we willing to admit that we are wrong and ask for forgiveness, when needed? I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

· In our relationships – Do we think that we know more than our peers, our spouse, our pastor, or those in authority over us? Proverbs 3:7 “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”

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Day 25: Deadly D’s

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

I know I have done a lesson … well, a mini-series of 30 lessons actually … on the Deadly D’s, but I believe, that we need to focus on several that I see popping up in our lives as Christians.

The devil desires nothing more than to beat us down with these Deadly D’s. But, we are going to fight back, are we not? In order to do that though, we must equip ourselves (gain knowledge of these deadly darts that the devil hurls at us). We can gain victory in these areas!

¨ Doubt: means a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction — Romans 14:23 “And he that doubteth is dammed if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

¨ Discouragement: means depression of one’s spirit — Psalm 42:5 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”

¨ Distraction: means diverted; confused; lack of focus; not focused on the proper thing — Matthew 14:28, 30 “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water … But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.”

¨ Detour: means not the main, direct route; a roundabout way — Jonah 1:2-3 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa …”

¨ Discontent: means unhappiness of the condition of things — Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

¨ Dishonest: means untruthful — Romans 12:17b “… Provide things honest in the sight of all men.”

¨ Depression: means feelings of severe despondency — Proverbs 12:25 “Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop …”

I do not know about you, but I have seen some of these in recent days in my life. Seeing them here defined and scripture that talks about them, makes me realize how deadly they can be if I leave them unchecked.

Let us find strength from God today to overcome these Deadly D’s! Let us send the devil on the run and let God give us the victory!

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