It is possible to layer one courageous choice upon another and find victory in your area of struggle. No matter what your struggle is, are you willing to make one courageous choice today?
Make that choice.
And then make it again.
And then make it again.
You are a courageous woman. Now, go out and prove it to yourself.
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I need Your divine help with each choice I make every day. I don’t ever want to step outside Your will and direction for my life. I am courageous only with You, in You, and through You. Please help me embrace Your courageous choices for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
45
TELLING MY FLESH NO
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
—EPHESIANS 3:17–18
I don’t like to be in pain. In any way. And if I’m not careful, this aversion to pain can lead to me grabbing at anyone and anything to fill the deep ache in my soul.
Maybe you can relate.
When you’re lonely and you see your friends post a picture together at a gathering you weren’t invited to—your flesh will want to grab at something. It’s hard not to comfort yourself by venting all your frustrations to another friend or family member.
When you’re listening to other moms talk about all the progress their children are making in reading and your child can’t even identify letters yet, your flesh will want to grab at something. It’s hard not to throw out a statement to one-up the bragging moms in an area where your child is excelling.
And all these things we’re tempted to grab at? They won’t fill us the way we think they will. In the end, they only make us feel emptier. But how do we tell our flesh no when we are desperate for relief?
I have discovered that the more we fill ourselves from God’s life-giving love, the less we will be dictated by the grabby-ness of our flesh.
One of the most beautiful descriptions of the fullness of God is found in Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians:
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14–19)
My favorite part of Paul’s prayer is him asking that we will have the power to grasp the fullness of the love of Christ . . . for then we will be filled with the fullness of God.
If we grasp the full love of Christ, we won’t grab at other things to fill us. Or if we do, we’ll sense it. We’ll feel a prick in our spirits when our flesh makes frenzied swipes at happiness, and we’ll pause.
In this pause lies the greatest daily choice we can make. Am I willing to tell my flesh no, so I can say yes to the fullness of God in this situation?
And this isn’t about us putting on a brave face and hoping for the best when we feel powerless. We have the power through Christ, who is over every power, including the pull of the flesh. When we have Christ, we are full—fully loved and accepted and empowered to say no.
This is true on the days we feel it, and it’s still true when we don’t feel Jesus’ love at all. If we live rooted and established in His love, we don’t just have knowledge of His love in our minds, but it becomes a reality that anchors us. Though winds of hurt blow, they cannot uproot us and rip us apart. His love holds us. His love grounds us. His love is a glorious weight preventing harsh words and hurtful situations from being a destructive force. We feel the wind but aren’t destroyed by it. This is the “fullness of God.”
If we grasp the full love of Christ, we won’t grab at other things to fill us.
There is power in really knowing this. This isn’t dependent on what you’ve accomplished. Or on another person loving you or accepting you. Nor is it because you always feel full. You are full, because Christ brought the fullness to you.
Yes, I am fully loved, fully accepted, and fully empowered to say no to my flesh. Speak that truth in the power He’s given you. Believe that truth in the power He’s given you. Live that truth in the power He’s given you.
That’s how we tell our flesh no. That’s how we live fully prepared in the fullness of God.
Father God, thank You for Your love for me that knows no end. Help me look to You and You alone to fill me. I want my roots to go down ever deeper in Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
46
WHY DO I HAVE SO MANY ISSUES?
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
—ROMANS 8:1
Have you ever looked at other people and thought to yourself, How does everyone else have it all together? And why is it that I seem to have so many issues?
I understand. As you have already read in the previous devotions, I’ve struggled with my weight and committing to a healthy lifestyle most of my life. My soul was rubbed raw from years of trying and failing.
I wanted something to instantly fix my issues.
I wanted to stop calling myself awful names I’d never let another person call me.
I wanted to be naturally thin like my sister.
I wanted to stop crying when I walked into my closet to get dressed in the morning.
So when I lost twenty-five pounds a few years ago and kept it off for the first time in my life, it was a huge victory.
But my real celebration hasn’t been over the smaller clothing size and reduced numbers on the scale. My real celebration is over the spiritual insights I gained while losing the weight and maintaining my healthy progress.
For me, this has been a spiritual journey—a significant spiritual journey with great physical benefits. I had been overweight physically and underweight spiritually, and finally tying those two things together was life changing.
How dangerous it is to hold up the intimate knowledge of our imperfections against the outside packaging of others.
One of the richest lessons has been realizing the amount of mental and spiritual energy I wasted for years just wishing things would change. All the while, I was beating myself up for not having the discipline to make those changes.
If you have an issue with weight and food, you know what I mean. But no matter what issue you are currently dealing with, can I offer a bit of encouragement?
Jesus wants to help you with that issue. He really does. But you’ve got to stop beating yourself up about it and determine to follow His lead.
We like to identify our shortcomings, form them into a club, and beat the tar out of ourselves mentally. Over and over and over again. We label ourselves and soon lose our real identity to the beaten and bruised fragility we call “me.”
We compare, we assume, we assess, we measure, and most times walk away shaking our heads at how woefully short our “me” falls compared to everyone else. How dangerous it is to hold up the intimate knowledge of our imperfections against the outside packaging of others.
If there is one thing that living forty-plus years has taught me it’s this: All God’s girls have issues. Every single one of us.
But we can make the choice to identify our shortcomings and instead of using them against ourselves, hand them over to Jesus and let Him chisel our rough places.
The grace-filled way Jesus chisels is so vastly different from the way I mentally beat myself up.
My mental scripts are too often full of exaggerated lies that leave me feeling defeated. His chiseling is full of truth that sets me free.
Oh what a difference.
Jesus doesn’t compare.
Jesus doesn’t exaggerate.
Jesus
doesn’t condemn. Romans 8:1 confirms this: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” What grace.
He simply says, “Hey, I love you. I love you just how you are. But, I love you too much to leave you stuck in this. So let’s work on it together. You can do this.”
Having issues isn’t the absence of victory in our lives. It’s simply a call to action reminding us victory is right around the corner. Today is a great day to start believing you were made to walk in victory and to say to Jesus, “Yes, with Your truth as my guide, I can.”
Dear Lord, help me see myself the way You see me. Remove the lies that defeat me more often than I want to acknowledge. You have set me free. Help me live like I truly believe that. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
47
IF ONLY WE KNEW
We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
—HEBREWS 4:15–16
Here is my prayer for you: May you catch even the slightest glimpse of the tender mercy of our Lord Jesus. For one drop of the Lord’s mercy is better than an ocean of the world’s comfort.
The situation that seems impossible.
The finances that never balance.
The hope so deferred it makes your heart sick.
The anxiety over a child bent on a wayward path.
The diet you are sick of.
The broken promises of a friend.
The lack of true friends.
The constant messiness always distracting from the peace you want in your home.
The impatience and frustration, anger and disappointment of losing it—again.
If only we knew how deeply Jesus understands and cares for us. If only we could see the wonder of His love. The skies He paints, the flowers He blooms, the world He arranges just for us. The love letters He’s written to us throughout the Bible.
These are all mercies from Him.
The world will offer us comfort in the form of escapes. We escape to movies, magazines, malls, chocolate, vacations, affirmations from friends. Not that any of these things are bad. They aren’t. But they are very temporary. They make us feel good in the moment, but that good never stays. We need more and more. Trying to fill our aching hearts with these things is like trying to fill an ocean with a tablespoon. It’s never enough. So we clench our fists and keep trying to find something to comfort us.
If only we knew how to stop clenching our fists so that we could open our hands and catch the drops of His tender mercy. If only we knew how to release the weight of trying to fix it all ourselves. If only we knew to stop in the midst of it all and whisper, “Jesus . . . help me.” Just a whispered breath formed in the wholeness of His Name carries all the power and mercy and wisdom and grace we need to handle what we face.
If only we knew.
If you find yourself wanting to escape today into one of the world’s comforts, first invest some time in asking Jesus to help you, show you, and direct you. Hebrews 4:15–16 reminds us of how approachable He is, how He understands our struggles and graciously offers us help and hope: “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
One drop of the Lord’s mercy is better than an ocean of the world’s temporary comforts.
Specifically, ask Him to help you see and notice His tender mercies. Then you will see that, indeed, one drop of the Lord’s mercy is better than an ocean of the world’s temporary comforts.
Jesus, I don’t want to spend another day chasing after things that will never satisfy. Instead, I pray that I would begin to truly see how high and how deep is the love You have for me. Help me catch the tender drops of Your mercy, and teach me how to fully embrace Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
48
THE REAL PEACE WE NEED
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
—JOHN 20:19
When Jesus rose from the grave and appeared in the midst of His disciples meeting behind locked doors, I imagine they were stunned, shocked, and overjoyed. With great intentionality, Jesus chose the words He used to greet them. Of all the themes He could have selected at that moment, He picked what they needed most. What was it?
Joy?
Hope?
Love?
While all of these certainly would have been appropriate, Jesus didn’t touch on any of them. He simply said over and over again, “Peace be with you!” According to John 20, it is the first thing He said. He said it again before breathing on them to receive the Holy Spirit. Then when addressing Thomas and his doubts, He said it yet again.
Each time Jesus is recorded as saying this, the writer ends the sentence with an exclamation point. Not only was Jesus intentional, He was also emphatic. His words were conveyed with great emphasis and urgency.
Why peace?
And why did Jesus use the particular phrase “Peace be with you!”?
I have a theory. This world is very good at conjuring up facades. Temporary moments of worldly happiness can appear joyful. The world takes hope and mistakes it for wishful thinking. And the world has made love an everyday word used to describe a feeling that can change quickly.
The peace that flows despite circumstances can only be found through Jesus being with us.
The world’s offering of joy, hope, and love is fleeting, temporary, and dangerously unstable, but it can put on a good show in the short term.
“I got that promotion—joy!”
“I think we can afford this house—hope!”
“He likes spending time with me—I think I’m in love!”
However, jobs can be lost in an instant, houses can be foreclosed on, and relationships can end.
So, really, what the world offers—for a moment or two—are false versions of joy, hope, and love.
But it cannot offer false peace. It can offer peaceful settings and rituals to conjure up peaceful thoughts, but not true soul contentedness. The peace that flows despite circumstances can only be found through Jesus being with us. That’s why Jesus phrased it the way He did: “Peace be with you!” In other words, “You can walk through anything, My sweet daughter, if you realize that I am peace and I am with you.”
Thank You, Lord, that You are peace and You are with me. Help me remember that You are with me everywhere I go, no matter what the day may bring. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Part 3
Embracing Him in the Midst of Hurt & Heartbreak
49
I HAVE TRUST ISSUES
God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
—HEBREWS 13:5–6 NLT
I want life to be as stable as a math problem. Two plus two always equals four. It will equal four today, tomorrow, and into the tomorrows years from now.
Math equations don’t experience heartbreaks and letdowns. They don’t get cancer. Or have their best friend get transferred and move across the country. They are highly predictable. Therefore, they are easy to trust.
But life doesn’t add up. People don’t add up. And in the rawest moments of honest hurting, God doesn’t add up. All of which makes us hold our trust ever so close to our chests until it becomes more tied to our fears than to our faith.
That’s where I was when Bob and Maria stuck out their hands to shake mine and invite me to their mountain home. I needed God to untangle some of my trust issues.
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br /> They were having a retreat at their mountain home with an eclectic group of some of their favorite people, and somehow I got on that list.
It was all going well until someone handed me a helmet. We were about to do a ropes course.
And not just any old ropes course. The grand dismount of this course was a leap from a platform to catch a bar suspended several feet away. I started looking around for the emergency exit, because there was no way on God’s green earth they were going to get me to jump.
And then Bob appeared. With his enormous smile, grandfather-gray hair, and arms magnetic with the purest grace, he drew me over to the edge.
“Lysa, this isn’t about finishing the ropes course. This is about conquering your hesitancy, resistance, and fear. These ropes holding you will only let you slightly drop if you miss the bar. Then they will catch, and you absolutely will not fall,” he whispered as if he had a window view inside of my soul.
What we see will violate what we know unless what we know dictates what we see.
I looked at the space between the edge of the platform and the bar. I saw death. Bob saw life.
What a visual for the word trust.
What we see will violate what we know unless what we know dictates what we see.
Bob knew the ropes would hold me. And he knew that my ability to survive this jump had absolutely nothing to do with my efforts. I was held safe standing on the platform. I would be held safe in midair. And I would absolutely be safe, whether or not I caught the bar.
Bob whispered, “You are absolutely loved. Now, when you’re ready, jump.”
I can’t tell you how long I stood there. It felt like days and milliseconds all at the same time. The world swirled and tilted and shifted without me so much as twitching a muscle fiber. I forgot to breathe. I couldn’t even blink.
Embraced Page 11
