Time to Turn Around, Devotional 3/12/10

Time to Turn Around

Mary Southerland

Today's Truth

Ephesians 1:7 (NLT) "He (God) is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven."

Friend To Friend Several years ago, an interesting cartoon appeared in the Saturday Review of Literature. Little George Washington is standing with an ax in his hand. In front of him, lying on the ground is the famous cherry tree. He has already made his smug admission that he did it because, after all, he "could not tell a lie." However, his frustrated father is standing there saying, "All right, so you admit it! You always admit it! The question is when are you going to stop doing it?"

That really is the question we need to be asking ourselves. We often soothe our bothered conscience with admissions of sin, presenting them to the Father in obedience to the spiritual principle that we must confess our sin. One element of true confession goes a step farther, resulting in a changed lifestyle and behavior. It is called repentance. I once associated the command to repent with old-fashioned gospel meetings and screaming preachers on television. In reality, repentance is the very cornerstone of genuine forgiveness and gives credibility to the very act of confessing sin. To repent simply means to "turn away from." When we choose to turn from our sin and turn to God and His ways, we are practicing true repentance.

The Gospel of Luke tells the story of a prostitute who came to Jesus Christ seeking forgiveness. Her story is a beautiful illustration of authentic repentance, the result of her unabashed willingness to abandon her sin and seek God's forgiveness.

Luke 7:38 "As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them."

Notice that this woman stood behind Jesus like a "caught" child ashamed to look her Father in the eyes. I am certain that her guilt and sense of unworthiness prevented her from facing Him. Just being in His presence made her doubt everything about herself but nothing about Him. Standing so close to Him completely transformed her and she began to weep. Jesus was as pure as she was sinful. Every ugly thought, word or deed of her past must have flooded her heart and shattered it.

Tears of sorrow and joy spilled down her face onto the feet of the One - the only One who truly loved her. Those tears were the first genuine prayer of her life. She then let her hair down in total submission, dropped to her feet and began to dry the feet of Jesus with her hair. The social custom of the day demanded that women keep their hair bound up. To let it down was considered a brazen act and could even be grounds for divorce. But this woman was beyond caring about social custom and earthly rules. She was conducting eternal business, finally finding what she had been searching for in every wrong relationship, every failure and every dead end choice. She found Jesus!

This woman began kissing his feet and pouring perfume over them, totally oblivious to the condemning stares, lost in the wonder of His love. The word "kissed" literally means "to kiss again and again." She somehow knew that He understood everything she could not say and loved her in spite of her great sin.

It is very important to notice that Jesus did not move away from her. He did not condemn her or stop her. Jesus Christ knew exactly why she was there and He was thrilled! He saw her heart and received her humble action as an acceptable gift of worship. Jesus looked past her sin and saw her heart crying out for forgiveness. I love His response to this woman recorded in Luke 7:48 "Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven'." The verb tense of "forgiven" indicates that this forgiveness of sin was completed in the past, continues through the present and will keep working in the future.

Forgiveness is our greatest need and God's highest accomplishment, a complete and eternal gift bestowed on those who truly confess their sin.

Let's Pray

Father, I recognize that I am a sinner in dire need of Your forgiveness. I come to You right now, repenting and turning from the sin that has separated me from You. Thank You for Your forgiveness and love.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn Are you ready to make the following commitment? Read aloud the following statements as your decision to deal with your sin - God's way.

I recognize the truth that forgiveness demands repentance. I now choose to confess and turn from the sin in my life. I will destroy any paths that might lead to those same sins. I will trust God to forgive me and empower me to keep turning from that sin. And I choose to do so right now - today!

In Jesus' name, Amen.

More From The Girlfriends Don't wait another minute, girlfriend. Don't spend another day without purpose and power. Jesus is waiting for you; arms open wide, forgiveness and love in His heart - for you. Come to Him now. We would love to hear from you and celebrate the decision you made today.

Need help on your journey? Check out Mary's weekly online study, Light for the Journey. Or download one of her E-Book Bible Studies such as Anger Management 911, God's Answer to Stress, Getting a Grip on Fear, I Need a Friend… more.

Seeking God? Click here to find out more about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in GodP.O. Box 725

Matthews, NC 28106

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http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/

What does it mean to Believe? Devotional 3/11/10

What Does It Mean To ‘Believe?'
Micca Monda Campbell

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9 (NIV)

Devotion:
I didn't take the time to discuss it with my parents or even tell them where I was going. Inside that large arena, I leaped from my seat and ran toward the stage. I was running to Jesus. My mother called my name and begged me to stop. As I looked back at her, a sea of people began to fill the gap between us. Normally, this would have frightened a small child, but I wasn't afraid at all. The pull towards the stage was much stronger than the fear of being separated from my mother. Luckily, a counselor reunited us and my mother was there to witness my introduction to Jesus.

I was seven years-old when I met Jesus for the first time. While attending a James Robison crusade with my family, I was captured by the words of the evangelist as he described Jesus as the Son of God and the Savior of the world. That divine night, my eyes were opened to God's message of hope. When Pastor Robison invited all who believed to come forward, I went.

That was an exciting day for me. However, as the years passed I noticed something disturbing. I wasn't experiencing the change I had hoped for. In fact, each time I heard a pastor say, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and experience freedom from sin and a life marked by peace, power, and joy," I became more confused. I do believe in Jesus. Why weren't those truths a reality in my life?

Like some today, I had misunderstood what it meant to believe.

To "believe" means much more than simply acknowledging Christ's death on a cross.
Unfortunately, for many today that word has been reduced to just that - a mere mental acknowledgement. Like me, multitudes have said the sinner's prayer because they believe Jesus died on a cross. But without the call to confess sin and commit to a life of following Christ in obedience, no transformation takes place. That's the problem with knowledge alone. It requires no commitment and brings about no lasting change.

The Bible teaches that to believe means to acknowledge what Christ did on the cross and to be so changed by it that we want to obey His will and His Word. Therefore, to believe is to obey. A person who truly believes is compelled by God's love, and responds with a desire to obey Him. Their belief not only motivates them to obey but to trust God completely with their life.

When I finally understood this truth, I made a new and final commitment: "God, I so believe in Your Son who died for my sins that I surrender my will for Yours." Then, I began studying and applying God's Word to my life. That's when I noticed real change taking place. I noticed something else too. My problems didn't instantly go away, but I wasn't carrying them alone anymore. That's not all. No matter who mocked me or what trouble came my way, I decided to trust God. Doing so brought peace to my heart like never before.

A true believer is not only identified by what she confesses, but by the fruit of her obedience. The only way to identify genuine belief in your life and the lives of others is by a life that demonstrates it. When a person has experienced real change through a surrendered life, others will know it by their actions.

If you are like me, wondering why no change has occurred since you prayed to become a Christian, perhaps you need to move from acknowledging Christ to living a life of obedience to Him. I promise you … it's what you're looking for.

Dear Lord, for too long I have only acknowledged You as the Son of God and the Savior of the world. I long for real change. Today, I surrender my will to You. I commit to a life of obedience. Forgive me for my sins and fill me with your Spirit. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

This devotion was adapted from Micca's book, An Untroubled Heart. Order your copy now!

Visit Micca's blog

When Life and Beliefs Collide: How Knowing God Makes a Difference by Carolyn Custis James

Application Steps:
Begin today with this commitment: "God, I so believe in Your Son who died for my sins that I surrender my will for Yours." Then follow through by reading the Bible and asking the Holy Spirit to help you life out it's truths by obeying what it says there.

Reflections:
How does your life reflect the fact that faith and action are inseparable?

Can you feel secure in your experience with God if it never leads to obedient action?

Power Verses:
James 2:24, "You see then that a person is justified by what he does, and not by faith alone." (NIV)

James 1:23-24, "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was." James 1:23-24 (NASB)


© 2010 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/index.php

The Power of Being Weak, Devotional 3/10/2010

The Power of Being Weak
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth "God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong" (1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV).

Friend To Friend When our son, Jered, began to walk, I immediately noticed that his feet turned inward. Our pediatrician recommended a specialist who examined Jered thoroughly, then ordered several x-rays. The more he examined Jered, the more concerned we became. When we were finally called in for a consultation, we braced ourselves for bad news - just in case. The doctor's stoic face revealed nothing but his diagnosis was a gift." There is nothing wrong with Jered's feet," he said. "They are simply the feet of a natural athlete and were designed to give him great balance." What we feared as a weakness and an obstacle to overcome was really a great strength and part of God's plan for Jered who attended and graduated from college - on a football scholarship.

The same is true in our lives. We were created by God, according to His plan, in love and with purpose, weaknesses and all. "God in heaven appoints each person's work" (John 3:27 NLT). We tend to view our weaknesses as liabilities. However, since our worth doesn't depend upon us in any way, we can and must be honest about our weaknesses, knowing they don't diminish our value in the heart and mind of God but can, in fact, become the areas through which He does His greatest work. Instead, we try to ignore weaknesses, hoping no one will notice. We live in denial, assigning blame to others when we fail. Eventually, we attempt to bury our weaknesses only to find them resurrecting themselves when we least expect it. A powerful life embraces pain, brokenness and weakness and understands that perfection is for Heaven, not Earth. The words of Paul are profound, "God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong" (1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV).

I love the bible story of Gideon, because I can relate to his way of thinking. Gideon is a great example of someone who used his weaknesses as an excuse for disobedience. Gideon's act of threshing wheat in a winepress reflected both his fear of discovery by his enemies, the Midianites, as well as Gideon's small harvest. Normally, wheat was threshed in an open area on a threshing floor by oxen pulling threshing sledges over the stalks. Gideon complained about God's direction, "My clan is the weakest … and I am the least." I would probably have said something similar since the Midianites were nomadic invaders of great number and formidable strength. God wanted Gideon to defeat them, freeing the Israelites. Gideon's response was so human and so like our own when God calls us to do something that makes little sense and seems impossible.

God's commitment to Gideon reaffirmed His presence with Gideon and the ease with which Gideon would defeat the Midianites. In fact, God told Gideon that he would defeat his enemy "as if they were but one man". I love it! Here was Gideon, probably the last man anyone would choose to face the Midianites, and God is telling him the victory will be so easy it will seem like he is facing one man instead of an army of fierce invaders. Even then, Gideon's attitude was lousy. I can almost hear him whining as he blamed God for getting the Israelites into their current mess and voicing major doubts about God's willingness or even His desire to save them. Still, God said Gideon was the man for the job.

When we are honest about our weaknesses, we are conceding the fact that only God can accomplish anything good in or through us. God's power is instantly recognizable in obvious weakness. Just like God was with the flawed Gideon, He is with us. "God has promised, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV).

Let's Pray Father, I have to confess that I tend to depend on my strengths while trying to hide my weaknesses. Please help me to be real and honest when it comes to who I am in You. Help me celebrate the weaknesses that keep me on my face before You and in total dependence upon Your strength and power. Without You, I am nothing, Lord. But with You, anything is possible.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn
· Make a list of your top three weaknesses as you see them.
· What have you done in an attempt to cover up those weaknesses?

Has it worked?

· What do you think would happen if you began to view those weaknesses as opportunities for God's strength to be illustrated in your life?

· Choose one of the three weaknesses you listed above. Right now, thank God for His willingness to work through that weakness to illustrate His power and love.

More From The Girlfriends

I hate to admit failure or weakness, but looking back over my life, I can see how God has used those dark times and failures for my good. Romans 8:28 tells us that God will use everything for His good if we love Him and seek to obey Him. Do not be afraid to recognize your human frailty and celebrate the fact that God's grace covers it all. The CD, Getting Good at Being You, can help you understand and apply this powerful truth in your life. Check it out!

Looking for encouragement? My first DVD is now available! Check it out! Strength for the Storm is my story of God's power to turn a broken life into a trophy of His grace and restoration. It will encourage and equip you to face and discover the purpose of each storm in your life.

Visit my website at http://www.marysoutherland.com/ to enroll in my weekly online bible study, Light for the Journey. The current lesson topic is "Love That Never Fails." Be sure to check out my book, "Escaping the Stress Trap" for more ways to face those storms.

Seeking God? Click here to find out more about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in GodP.O. Box 725Matthews, NC 28106

mailto:28106info@girlfriendsingod.com

http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/

The Title Deed, Devotional 3/9/2010

The Title Deed
Sharon Jaynes
Today's Truth "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).
Friend To Friend Hebrews 11:1 gives us a wonderful definition of faith: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The NIV Bible Commentary says, "It is that trust in God that enables believers to press on steadfastly whatever the future holds for them. They know they can rely on God." Neil Anderson, in his book, The Common Made Holy said faith is the "avenue through which God invades our lives."
In the Greek, the original language of the New Testament, the word faith is pistis, which means assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity. So when we say that we believe God, we are saying that we have faith in God.

Another Bible translation of Hebrews 11:1 notes, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed) of things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality--faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses" (Amplified).

I love the idea of a "title-deed." That means when Satan comes snooping around and accusing us of being anything less than what God has declared, we need to show him the title deed, the Word of God, to prove him a liar. We have been bought with a price and stamped with the official seal - the Holy Spirit.

When we built our home, we were blessed with a big backyard that served as playground, shaded flower garden, and gazebo refuge for many years. Our neighborhood's border was about 150 feet from our backdoor. We didn't have a fence along the border … didn't think we needed one.
The Smiths (not their real name) had lived in their home about fourteen years before we came along. Previously, Mrs. Smith had cleared and used about a third of our lot as her own. She had planted a nice ivy bed, hung flower baskets under the trees, and even had a sitting area under a big oak tree. When we bought the property, Mrs. Smith was furious that we were encroaching on her annex. But in truth, the land was not hers. The surveyors marked out the property line before we bought the lot, and even though our back boundary ran smack down the middle of her driveway, we didn't insist that they move it.

But over the following five years, the boundary line grew a bit fuzzy for Mrs. Smith. Gradually, she began to inch her way back into our yard, acting as though it were her own. At first, it was trimming the bushes along the back border, and then it was pulling up and thinning the ivy some ten feet within our yard. But when we drove up and saw her on a ladder trimming the lower branches off our trees, we knew it had to stop.

"Mrs. Smith," Steve said, "What are you doing?"

"I'm trimming the trees," she said.

"We don't want our trees trimmed," Steve said.

"Well, they need trimming." Then the dam broke loose and the deluge of hatred held back over five years burst forth.

"You didn't plant that ivy! You didn't plant those bushes! You didn't plant these trees!" she yelled. "I planted them and I can trim them if I want to."

"No, you can't," Steve calmly replied. "This isn't your yard. You can't come over here and act like it is."

"You're just selfish," she continued to rant. "What about ‘love your neighbor as yourself!'" (She did not attend church, but knew this verse well.)

Honestly, Steve and I were exasperated after seven years of a battle that continued to escalate. Finally, we did what we should have done in the first place. We put up a fence.
See, in Mrs. Smith's mind, she would not accept the fact that the property was not hers. She had used it for so long, and had even called a lawyer to try to claim squatter's rights like in the Old West. It was not hers … it never had been. She was actually breaking the law.

Why do I tell you this story? Because there is someone who would like to come into your territory and pretend that it is his. Before you knew Jesus Christ, Satan used you and pretended that you were all his. He planted thoughts in your mind, sinful acts in your will, and insecurities in your emotions. But God came along and chose you to be His prized possession … His personal property. He paid a very high price for you when He gave His only Son. And honestly, Satan was not and is not happy about that; as-a-matter-of-fact, he is furious.

Satan knows where the boundary line around your heart lies, but just like Mrs. Smith, he will attempt to creep back into your yard. He plants a little thought here, a little temptation there, and the next thing you know he's standing on a ladder trimming your trees! Well, maybe not your trees, but he's lopping off areas of growth in your life and whacking at anything within his reach. He might even throw out a few Bible verses taken out of context.

So what do you do when you see the enemy creeping back onto your conquered and purchased territory? What do you do if he tries to claim squatter's rights? You show him the title deed.
"Right here, Satan," you shout. "Right here in the Word of God it says that I have been bought with a price! I am no longer your property! I am God's! You have no right messing in my yard or in my life. You get out of here this instant! See that fence? That is there to keep you out. The Bible says that my boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places and they don't include you in my territory (Psalm 16:6). Jesus owns the title deed to my heart and you have no right messing with me! You got that? Now get out of here in Jesus' name!"

Let's Pray Dear God, I feel all pumped up right now. I'm not going to let Satan take back any of the territory in my life that You have already purchased! The title deed is signed with Jesus' blood and sealed with the Holy Spirit's imprint. I'm Yours!
In Jesus' powerful Name,
Amen and Amen.
Now It's Your Turn Are there any parts of your life where you have let the enemy creep back in? Here are some areas to consider: bad TV or movie viewing, bad language, impure thoughts, overeating, negative attitudes, overspending, lack of faith, worry over circumstances, neglecting your marriage, confused priorities…
I'm not going to ask us to ponder anything else today. I think that is enough. Ask God to reveal any area that you need to take back.

More From The Girlfriends Today's devotion was taken from Becoming Spiritually Beautiful: Seeing Yourself from God's Perspective. If you would like to learn more about who you are in Christ, what you have in Christ, and where you are in Christ, this is the book for you! To learn more, read an excerpt, or watch an interview, just click on the link.
Seeking God? Click here to find out more about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in GodP.O. Box 725Matthews, NC 28106

mailto:28106info@girlfriendsingod.com

http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/

Don't Scratch that itch! Devotional 3/8/2010

Don't Scratch That Itch!
Gwen Smith
Today's Truth "When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed" (James 1:13-14 NIV).
Friend To Friend I once woke up with a spider bite that was the size of a quarter. It may as well have been the size of North Carolina for as much as it itched! I was half-tempted to scratch off my arm. That nasty bite was just begging to be scratched. However, I have learned a thing or two in my thirty-something years, and one thing I know for sure: it is best not to scratch this type of itch.
It would be like opening a bag of chips with the naive intention of eating only one (yeah, right!) I knew that if I started scratching my bug bite, it would be nearly impossible to stop. I would regret having ever started.
Super-itchy bug bites are a lot like temptations. Temptations are itchy! The call on us with urgent voices that scream, "Scratch me! Scratch me!" Yet, in all reality, a little scratch will not satisfy temptation's itch at all…it will just make matters worse. When we scratch the itch of temptation, the itch does not diminish. To the contrary, it increases.
The Bible teaches us that when we resist temptation, our faith is then mobilized and the muscles of our character are strengthened. Let's look at what that looked like for a guy named Joseph. (For the full account, pause here and read Genesis 39.)
Joseph was a man of integrity who did right in the eyes of the Lord, but he definitely faced some temptation! He was seduced by temptation in the form of his master's wife, Mrs. Potiphar. You see, Mrs. Potiphar wanted her husband's right-hand man to sleep with her, and she pursued him with aggression. Hers was a hand-delivered invitation for Joseph to sin that had itchy written all over it. But he flat-out refused. His heart was determined to honor God.
"My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her (Genesis 39:9-10).
Temptation chased Joseph relentlessly. Oh, how he must have longed for the itching to stop! To give in would be sinful. To give in was simply not an option for this young man of character. So on the day that Potiphar's wife caught him by the cloak and begged again for Joseph to sleep with her, Joseph ran out of the house. He ran from that tempting situation as fast as his legs would carry him.
God was honored in Joseph's response.
He ran from temptation.
We would be wise to do the same.
What do you need to run from today? Have you determined in your heart to honor God in everything? Temptation comes in all shapes and sizes. It might be calling your name from your pantry - or from your computer - or from a bottle - or from another cubicle in your office. What temptations do you face today? Name them and run the other way! Don't scratch that itch! Determine in your heart that you will choose the path that brings honor to God, and call on Him for strength.
I realize that dealing with temptation is not easy. When that nasty spider bit my arm, I struggled not to scratch the bite. I had to re-direct my thinking to persevere through the temptation. When we come face to face with temptations, God's strength is always available to us. We need God's strength. Ours will fail us. Friend, when we resist temptation, we get to experience the peace and protection of God, our faith is mobilized and the muscles of our character are strengthened.
Let's Pray Dear Lord, I need You so much. I constantly find myself being dragged away and enticed by temptation. Please give me strength to run the other way, and give me the wisdom to run to Your arms. I really want to be a woman of godly character. Help me be that woman! In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Now It's Your Turn Contemplate the following questions: What have you been dragged away and enticed by in the past? How did you respond? How have you grown from those experiences?
Though our sovereign God allows trials to enter our lives, He does not ever tempt us. (James 1) Tuck that truth in your heart today, and the next time you experience a temptation - great or small - recognize that the enemy is behind the allure. Then tell him to get behind you and pray that Jesus will re-direct your thinking.
More From The Girlfriends I wish my temptations were always as simple as the itch of a pesky little bug bite! But, of course, they are not. Each of us will encounter some real whoppers in our lives. James chapter one tells us that when we persevere through trials and temptations, one rewards is maturity. That really encourages me! I hope it encourages you as well.
NEED ENCOURAGEMENT? Allow this prayer song to lift your heart to God's. Turn your speakers up, click over to my Face book page, and listen to TAKE MY HEART CAPTIVE.
LIKE SAVING MONEY? Check out the SPECIALS on Gwen's website! When you order more than one CD, you save!! :-)
EVENTS: Interested in having Gwen speak and sing at your women's event? Send your Women's Ministry Director to Gwen's website (http://www.gwensmith.net/) and fill out the booking inquiry form found on her site.
Seeking God? Click here to find out more about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in GodP.O. Box 725Matthews, NC 28106info@girlfriendsingod.comhttp://www.girlfriendsingod.com/