Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27
I lifted my tear stained eyes and looked upon my sweet Lord’s face.
Compassion dripped from His eyes as He scooped me into His arms.
My child, I love you.
I cover you this day with My peace.
May you lay every worry at My feet and allow Me to take it for you.
May you be filled with joy, knowing My sovereign power is flowing through your precious soul.
May you share this love with others, so all of My children can live with abundant life.
I know the beginning from the end.
I will order your steps and you will not falter if you trust Me to lead you.
You may not always get your way, but your heart will remain in peace when you trust Me.
I have never failed you and I will not start now.
I long to be your constant companion.
There are so many amazing and profound things I want to share with you.
But you have to come to Me.
I am here, always ready and waiting for you.
I will never leave, because I love you with everything I have.
I am faithful to you right up through the very end of your story.
Why do we entertain thoughts of doubt?
Because we don’t really believe God holds our life in His hands.
That He has our back.
Little moments of life stir up whispers of fear.
We listen to the whisper.
We think about the whisper.
Doubt creeps back in through our open door.
When we listen to the whispers, we unknowingly fling the door wide open, inviting doubt and fear to join us.
Sigh.
Make a list of your fears.
Now answer each one with God’s matchless truth, breaking the power of each fear.
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The LORD is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:28-31
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The next time doubt whispers in your ear, whip out the list and speak the written truth.
Immediately switch doubt into certainty.
Then go on your merry way thinking about something entirely different.
We mustn’t doubt God.
He’s been faithful to me in countless ways and He has been and will continue to be faithful to you.
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:11
He will give life.
To you.
Right now.
So here’s a question:
Why is any Christian walking around defeated?
Full of self pity or poor me?
Why do we let anger drag us down to the pit?
Why do we allow worry to fill our brains with dread?
Why do we become overwhelmed with life?
Because we forget.
We forget whose we are.
Are you wandering aimlessly through life, cowering at every arrow thrown your way?
Or…
Are you walking with purpose in every step, deflecting arrows whenever they fly?
“You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” Genesis 16:13
Pulled the chicken out of the oven and assembled the many dinner plates.
Peas, macaroni & cheese, and chicken on my blue dishes looked appetizing.
As I said out loud to thin air, “Good job, Amy”, I knew at that moment God had heard me.
I felt His smile.
Then it hit me.
I work for God.
Who do you work for?
Ok yes, your boss who signs your paycheck.
Your sweet spouse as you help each other tackle life.
Can’t forget the little people who depend on you for continuing their very existence.
We could add friends, church, volunteering, and society.
Let’s face it – we work for many.
Lots of people depend on us.
Too bad the amount of work we do doesn’t equal the thanks flowing to our ears.
What?
Most of what we do is unnoticed.
Unsung.
No thank you’s.
And that’s ok.
Why?
Because God sees it.
He notices.
And He’s the One we work for.
Every time you pull dinner from the oven
Fold sweet smelling laundry
Wipe up spills you never created
Greet a lonely neighbor
Go the extra mile at work
Cut out box tops for your child’s school
Soothe a crying baby
You are noticed.
Next time you do something for someone, remember God is well pleased.
Very pleased.
You helped God smile.
And that, in the end, is all that matters.
Because we work for an audience of One.
“….but as we go on in grace, we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, in the present minute. If we have God’s say-so behind us, the most amazing strength comes, and we learn to sing in the ordinary days and ways….” Oswald Chambers
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
God is sovereign.
Over all things.
The definition of sovereign includes these words: supreme permanent authority.
Well, that about covers it, doesn’t it?
God has supreme (total) authority (power) and it’s never going away (permanent, here forever).
He holds the world in His hands.
Now you can breathe.
Deeply.
Focus on this: God is never leaving.
He’s constant.
He holds the universe.
Yet He longs to help you.
Everyday.
With everything.
He wants you to give Him all of your burdens, big and small.
Examples?
Well, my large burdens include the children and where I should teach.
Too much to carry on my own.
Small burdens include transportation for kids going everywhere, holiday planning, and the sudden intense need for milk (who forgot to tell me we were low?).
Small burdens can easily morph into boulders if you’re not careful to give them immediately to God.
You’ll simply crumble under the weight!
So if God is sovereign, He’ll fix our burdens, right?
Well, yes and no.
When you give those troubles to God, He’ll take over and increase your dependence on Him.
He will give you just the right amount of strength, wisdom and peace, because youknow He is sovereign and taking care of business.
Will He immediately solve your problems?
Probably not.
He might because He can, but He also might use this time in your life to refine your heart.
To make you holy.
Because God is sovereign, He knows best what do with your burdens.
That knowledge should give you peace beyond measure.
God has your back.
He knows the beginning from the end.
Trust Him to finish what He has started.
And enjoy the journey as best as you can, resting in the knowledge of God’s love and concern for you.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you LIFE and DEATH, BLESSING and CURSE. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days. Deuteronomy30:19-20
Are you ever amazed at the ugliness inside?
At the emotions that pour out of your heart from nowhere?
Where on earth did that come from?
Is that me?
Am I really that selfish?
Am I really that insecure?
Jealous?
Nothing like real life to keep you humble!
We’re so not perfect.
Far from it.
But with Jesus, we can choose life.
Whenever ugly emotions rise up, you can choose to fling them off.
To step onto the other side, grinning from ear to ear.
The devil wants you to be grumpy.
He wants you to dwell in the past or whatever bothers you.
He wants to keep you there.
Stuck.
Why?
Because then you’re useless.
And you’ll sink others down along with you.
But when you choose life, Jesus lifts you up.
Those ugly emotions evaporate.
I see it in others, and yes, in myself too.
Part of living for God is allowing Him to work through you.
To change you.
To be a witness.
And to give you fullness of life.
Allow Him to pour His living water over you, changing you from the inside out.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
How does God see you?
As His beloved.
His miracle.
His greatest creation.
As someone worth dying for.
Your thoughts are precious to Him.
Your tears are held in His hands.
Your joys bring Him smiles.
And your praise gives Him delight.
He is constantly watching You, waiting to take Your hand and walk with you with every step you take.
Hand in hand.
Your burdens are His.
Your sorrows are His.
Your joys are His.
He loves you immeasurably more than you can possibly imagine.
After all, you are His beloved.
God says, Believe Me. You are loved. Valuable. Unequaled. Perfectly formed. Made in My image. Believe Me. I am here for you. Always and continually by your side. You are never forsaken by Me. Ever. Believe Me. I have ordained your steps. Your life is safe with me. I know your every move: you’re going out and you’re coming in. Nothing is hidden from Me. Believe in Me. Because I believe in you. Love, God.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
Does God ever confuse you?
Leave you baffled?
Speechless?
Or do you make sense of everything He allows?
I don’t.
I can’t possibly make sense of some things.
So I’m left in a confused state.
Left until I decide to trust in God once again.
God surprised us with a gift.
A baby.
The promise of new life.
I was anxious then thrilled once the idea settled into my mind.
But two months later – poof.
Everything changed and I found myself in a puddle of tears.
Longing for the baby I was beginning to know and love.
Why, God?
Simply why?
Sometimes God allows things and we cannot possibly figure out all the answers.
And when we question, that’s ok.
As long as we look back and are reminded of His faithfulness.
His goodness.
I have learned a few things though.
He showed me unconditional love.
He showered me with love from my family, friends, and precious husband (who has the patience of Job).
He reminded me how He is ultimately in control.
And He reminded me not to worry, because He’s got this.
He’s got everything.
He knows the beginning of my story to the end.
My entire life is in His hands.
And He’s got yours too.
Your life is precious to Him.
And He loves you more than you could possibly imagine.
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. Jeremiah 17:7-8
Smiling eyes
A helping hand
An opened door from a stranger
A handsome lunch date
Money for groceries
A giant beautiful Christmas tree
My warm cozy house
Baking cookies from my grandmother’s handwritten recipes
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me cup again. Psalm 71:20
Ever see God work?
Witness His marvelous plan unfold?
Take a breath and look around.
He’s working in your children’s hearts.
He’s organizing your thoughts.
He’s ordering your steps.
He’s revealing nuggets of wisdom just when you need them.
He’s providing a way through life.
He’s solving your mini issues which can overwhelm any person.
Your precious life is in His hands and He’s actively showing you the way.
You knew He would.
Come through.
Deep down, you knew.
Yet you still allow stress to step into your mind, completely distracting you.
Did you catch that?
We allow stress to literally step inside our mind and take over.
Completely distracting.
Hmmmmm…….
Oswald Chambers is one of my favorite authors.
Been reading his devotional for years.
His words are steeped with truth:
Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret. and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.
I want my family to be stamped with the presence of God.
Imagine if we all submitted to God and asked Him to work through us each and every day.
How blessed we and our families would be.
Not to mention everyone else God places in your path.
Your way way was through the sea, Your path through the great waters;Yet your footprints were unseen.You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. Psalm 77:19-20
God guides us by His hand using His plan.
His plan isn’t always what we think He should do, yet He is with us every step of the way.
He guides us and is not seen – but His miracles are.
He works through us to redeem ugly situations.
He guides us through the most unlikely places and leads us safely to the other side.
Imagine the Red Sea and the Israelites standing there, trapped.
Impossible situation in the world’s eyes.
But God is all about doing the impossible.
Step into their shoes and imagine the panic – the fear that would have gripped them,
doubting that God really knew what He was doing when He brought them out of Egypt.
Then, at the last minute, God delivered a miracle we still talk about today.
Life is like that.
Our situation may seem completely impossible – no options, doors all tightly closed.
But God comes through in a mighty way.
We simply must trust He is here with us, going before us.
That’s what trust is – believing in the unseen. The unknown.
God’s fingerprints are on your life. His footprints are next to you.
And He has your back as you trust in His unfailing love for you.
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. Psalm 86:12
It’s easy to thank God when times are good.
When life is smooth, it’s easy to raise our hands to heaven, thanking the One who created all things.
How ’bout when life turns ugly?
When your life hits a speed bump and you are thrown to the ground, what then?
Are we still required to give thanks during those winter months?
Yep.
Seriously?
Uh-huh.
When God places a boulder in your path, thank Him for giving you directions around it.
When God moves you firmly out of one job into another, thank Him for rescuing you.
When God lifts you up and places you down in an entirely different life, thank Him for His protection.
You have no idea what God is protecting you from when He changes your course….your direction.
Thank Him.
He knows all things and is more aware than you realize.
Change your perspective. Begin thanking Him for the storms in your life.
Storms are when God shows up in powerful ways.
Sure, He’s there in times of sunshine as well, it’s just harder to see Him work.
When life is smooth sailing, you don’t need God as much.
When life is hunky dory, dependence on yourself increases. You become less thankful of the good things, because they surround you.
During storms, little pops of glory are obvious, filling our thankful hearts with hope.
Cultivate a heart of thankfulness. Regularly communicate your gratitude during your constant conversation with the One who created all things. The One who orchestrates the music of the universe.
I guarantee your attitude will shift and peace will return to your soul.
God has a plan. And He will reveal it to you in due time.
In the meantime, thank Him. Because we owe Him everything.
Amy Linnea 
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