• Devotional,  Faith

    Who Are You Living For?

    Last Sunday at church, I heard one of the most transformative messages I’ve heard in a long time. I’ve been thinking about it all week and it has really changed the way I’ve lived this week. I knew right away that I wanted to share it with you guys. I’ve just been working on how to best put it into words. And if I’m being honest, I wanted to see if it actually “stuck” in my own life before telling you guys how great the message was. But it definitely has stuck and I find myself thinking about it at least a couple of times a day.

    The sermon was about worshipping and how we are commanded by God to worship him. My pastor explained how we are commanded to worship God, not out of obligation, but because God knows that it is for our good.

    He also explained how worshipping isn’t quite what we think it is sometimes. We think we are worshipping when we are singing to God, praying to Him, or just maybe even thinking about Him. My pastor explained how we are always worshipping something. Even though I knew this fact before, he explained it in such a different way that it really turned on a light for me.

    He explained that whenever we are doing something, we are always doing it for a reason. Sometimes I believe we don’t actually consciously think about who or why we are actually doing something, but if we stop and really dig deep we can figure out the reason behind the action.

    My pastor also explained how if we are doing anything that isn’t for God first, then we will eventually burn out or the thing will ultimately let us down because we were not meant to live for anything other than God. God has already shown that he lived for us, and in turn we are meant to live for him. It is the only thing that will truly satisfy our souls.

    So for me personally, I realized that I was living much more for my husband than I was for God. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to live for God but I kind of felt like my husband cared more for the things I was doing than God did. (How ridiculous.) I used to have maybe one or two productive days but then feel burnt out because I didn’t feel like what I was doing mattered. I knew that my husband appreciated my efforts around the house, but he couldn’t possibly notice and care for every little thing that I did and it left me feeling like what I was doing was pointless.

    After hearing that sermon, I repented of that and have been finding myself praying in the morning and asking God to show me how I can live for Him that day. Honestly, I usually end up doing the same thing that I would have been doing “for my husband” but instead I’m doing it for God first then my husband. So in the end I’m not upset or wondering what the point is when my husband doesn’t notice because I know that God has and He is proud of me.

    I hope that all of that makes sense. Living for God in all of my actions (or at least as many as I can) has changed everything. I don’t push myself to overdo it because I know that God cherishes me and wants me to work hard, but also wants me to rest. If you are interested in hearing the sermon I’m talking about I will link that here. My pastor did a lot better job at explaining this than I did. 😉



     

  • Devotional,  Faith

    How Jesus Satisfies Bible Study: Week Four

    Hi friends. I cannot believe that this is the second to last week of this study. While sometimes it feels like I’ve been doing the study forever, part of me feels like I just started. It has definitely been an eye-opener and I have loved it so far. In this week of the study, we went over two of Jesus’s “I Am” statements. The two statements were, “I am the resurrection and the life” and “I am the way, the truth, and the life”.


    “I am the resurrection and the life.”

    During this section I was convicted that I sometimes do not really believe that Jesus gives me life. It reminded me that I still turn to other things of this world to give me enjoyment and life.

    The study also walked through disappointment in believing that God really hears our prayers. Sometimes when we are praying things for years and years without an answer we can get very discouraged in our walk with God.

    The study reminded me that it is important to not give up hope. It reminded me to look to the ways that Jesus has shown up and is with me and use that to encourage me that God hears my prayers.

    Some bible verses that help with this.

    • 1 John 5:14
    • Philippians 4:6-7
    • Isaiah 41:10

    I would encourage you if you are struggling with knowing if God really hears your prayers to look up those verses and pray about them. Confess to God that you may be struggling with some unbelief and ask him to help you with your unbelief. I hope it brings healing to your soul.


    “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

    In this part of the study, the author broke down the definitions of the way, the truth, and the life. I want to share with you what she wrote. (These definitions are direction quotes.)

    WAY: a way, road, journey

    TRUTH: truth, but not merely truth as spoken; truth of idea, reality, sincerity, straightforwardness

    LIFE: life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence

    When I think of Jesus being these things for us it honestly comforts me. Jesus wants us to come to him for truth and direction and life. He is these things for us and what a relief that is. We do not have to search this world for truth because Jesus gives us truth.


    I hope you enjoyed learning about these two “I Am” statements from Jesus today. If you have been following along, link up with us below! I can’t wait to hear what you have learned this week.

     

  • Devotional,  Faith

    How Jesus Satisfies Bible Study: Week Three

    Hi friends! I had to skip a week due to life getting in the way but I’m back this week sharing about what God is teaching me through our online bible study. This week was another awesome week. The study is about looking closer at Jesus’s “I Am” statements. This week we studied his statements, “I am the gate for the sheep” and “I am the good shepherd”.


    The first part of the study was about looking closer at sheep and shepherds. Sheep are notoriously prone to wandering, follow each other without thinking, and very stubborn. It’s no wonder we are always compared to sheep in the bible.

    Good shepherds during the bible’s time were very dedicated to their jobs. They would care for their sheep very well. They would risk their lives if it came down to it to protect their sheep. This really puts it into perspective when it comes to God calling himself our Good Shepherd. He literally laid down his life for us (his sheep).

    There is so much good content in this study and it’s so hard to wrap it all up into one blog post. I want to share my favorite part of this study with you guys though.

    “I am challenged to recognize how important it is to bring my offering to the Lord first and in faith. But also, I want to give God my first thoughts in faith every day. I want to turn to Him first in faith as I’m thinking about the cry of my heart as well. He wants to be first and He wants me to come to Him in faith with all of my desires and daily struggles. He wants my heart. And He wants my heart to want Him.”

    Woah. This really struck me you guys. God goes so far as to lay his life down and care for his sheep well because he wants our devotion. He loves us and wants our hearts to love him back. How easily I forget this.

    If I am being honest my prayer and bible reading life have been slacking so much. There is a huge life change on our little families horizon and it has completely thrown me off. (I promise to tell you more as soon as I can.) I was reminded this week how important my time with Jesus is though. If I am not being filled up with his love my heart will drift and I will start desiring things of this world.

    I have decided to recommit to spending my time in the word daily because I desperately need the time with Jesus. I am not even capable of loving and putting him first without his help.


    \\Do you struggle with this? What are some tips you might have to keep me consistently in the word in a time of transition?


  • Devotional,  Faith

    How Jesus Satisfies Bible Study: Week Two

    Hi friends! Sorry I never got around to posting on Monday, I am feeling a little under the weather lately and have been so tired. I haven’t had much motivation to blog to be honest. I will try to get back into the groove of it but no promises. 😉 I couldn’t miss out on our weekly bible study link up though. Here’s what I learned this week.


    The bible study is going through Jesus’s “I Am” statements and really breaking down what each one means. Last week was his statement, “I am the bread of life”. You can see my thoughts on that study here if you’re interested. This week we studied his statement, “I am the light of the world”. My favorite part was day two. I want to share a quote that really stood out to me throughout this week’s study.

    Jesus isn’t trying to expose you to put shame on you. He’s trying to expose the sin that has its chains around you.

    I loved this because the study goes into depth about how Jesus is the light that we all need but don’t actually want. Because we are sinful, we are afraid of the light and hide from it. But I love this quote because it’s a reminder I really needed. Jesus doesn’t want to show us our sin to bring shame upon us. He wants us to recognize our sin because the sin is hurting us. He wants to set us free. He wants us to live closely to him and he knows that sin keeps us from coming to him.

    It’s so frustrating to me that I have such a hard time remembering that Jesus is GOOD and he wants the best for me. In the beginning of the study, Lysa Turkeurst gives you a prayer to pray before you start the study every day. The prayer is, “Please open and soften my heart. Help me hear from you. Help me trust you”. Our sinful hearts can’t even trust Jesus without his help. Praying and asking for help to hear from Jesus and help to trust him has made all the difference in this study.

    I believe hearing and trusting Jesus is the first step in repentance. We cannot openly repent of something unless we trust that Jesus is good. I need this reminder every day but especially lately.


     

    What have you learned from this study?


     

  • Devotional,  Faith

    How Jesus Satisfies Bible Study: Week One

    Hi friends! I’m so excited to share with you what I am learning through the Finding I Am: How Jesus Fully Satisfies The Cry Of Your Heart study! I already love this study so much. It’s so down to earth and really gets at the heart of some serious sin in my life. I thought I’d share with you some things I learned this week.


    1 | Fixing problems in our lives won’t satisfy our soul.

    Do you ever have that one thing that you wish would just change in your life? Maybe if only you could get married? Find a good job? Get along with your parents? I think we all do. The first day of the study explains how these are just lies from Satan. He twists one of our desires into a need and we believe that life won’t be perfect unless we get that thing. But have you ever noticed once you got that thing, you just moved onto the next thing? It’s a never-ending cycle and it’s exhausting.

    I’ve heard this before but it was definitely a huge reminder to me that seeking after that one thing that my heart so desperately wants won’t make me happier. Seeking after Jesus and making him the desire of my heart will fulfill me. Jesus is the bread of life. He alone satisfies that ache.

    2 | Thankfulness opens the door for God to bless us.

    I loved how the second day was all about thankfulness. The study explains how thankfulness opened the door of the blessing of the feeding of the 5000. It explains how Jesus thanked God the Father for the food and that is what opened the blessing to be able to feed so many.

    This was also a great reminder to me. It shows me that when we want something so badly that we are upset when we don’t get it, we are just being ungrateful for the things we do have. God wants all of us to live thankfully for the things we do have because he doesn’t withhold any good thing from us. He wants us to trust in his timing and he also does want to bless us. He can’t bless us if we aren’t thankful for the things we do have though. I love this reminder.

    3 | God is always our provider.

    For day three, the study talked about when God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness. It explained how God had manna rain down from the heavens (instead of from the ground) to shift their perspective up towards God as their provider. He did this to remind the Israelites that even before when they were laboring for their food, he still was their provider. He made it even more known to them by taking their work out of it. He provided for them in spite of them.

    I loved this reminder as well. It’s so easy to get caught up in thinking that it’s our works that are producing good fruit. And while we play a role in it, we often forget to turn back around and thank God because he is ultimately our provider. I love the literal example of the manna being rained down from heaven. I wonder how we would react to that today.

    4 | Jesus is the answer to the storms in our life.

    On day four the study looked at the story of when the disciples were in the boat and it started storming and Jesus came walking out to them on the water. It explains how as soon as Jesus was with them, their troubles ceased.

    This is the best example to me of how Jesus is the answer to the storms of our life. They were scared and worried that their little boat wouldn’t make it to shore and as soon as Jesus showed up they did. It’s a clear picture of how Jesus calms the storms in our lives.


    I am learning so much from this study and can’t wait to continue on with it. I’m a little bummed about not having the videos but it’s turning out to be a great study even without them! What are you learning so far? Link up with us below!


  • Devotional,  Faith

    5 Ways I Practically Cast My Cares On God and Why It Works For Me

    Hi friends! I promised I’d be back to share my guest post so here I am. I’m super excited about this one. I hope you all like it!


    Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. – Psalm 55:22

    I’ve struggled with anxiety before I even knew what anxiety was. I’ve always been a worrier. The only thing that has changed as I’ve grown up and gotten married is what I worry about. When I was five, I worried about making friends. When I was eleven, I worried about my grades. When I was fifteen, I worried about what all of my peers thought about me. When I was nineteen, I worried that I wouldn’t find a husband to marry. And now that I’m twenty-five, I worry that this little family that God has blessed me with will be taken away from me, or something terrible will happen to one of us.

    To read the rest of the post click here.