Our Ministry of Reconciliation

I sometimes wonder what it’s like to be God. He is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and His love never ends. It’s amazing that in all His magnificence, He would still choose to use us as vessels to show the world who He is.

Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have the privilege to be witnesses and help others come to know Him too. Through the power of The Holy Spirit who lives in us, God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:18 NIV, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:”

When God gave us His Son, He gave us His very best. We can’t see past the current moment, but He can see all of our days from beginning to end. The life we are living here on Earth, should be preparing us for our eternal life in heaven.

As we prepare, we can help others prepare too, by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. The message of the Cross and the power of the blood that was shed there, bring life to this dying world.

Mental Health Awareness: Being Sensitive to Others

This past weekend, I visited the library with my daughter. While I was there, I ended up getting into a conversation with one of the library aides. She began to tell me about her brother, who committed suicide just three years ago. Before taking his own life, he also took the life of his daughter.

As she was sharing details about this horrific story, I could see how painful it was for her. I can’t begin to imagine how traumatic this experience has been for her and her family. She told me that her other brother is now a advocate for mental health awareness. She mentioned the importance of people getting help when they need it. The suicide rates have increased over the years. As a Christian, I want to be aware of people, their feelings, and their needs.

My fellow blogger and big brother in Christ, Matt at Jesusluvsall, wrote about mental health awareness all last week. I enjoyed his posts, and I want to share his final post from last Friday, May is Mental Health Awareness Month – Depression and Anxiety. Please prayerfully read it. He made many great points for us to be aware of.

My prayer is that we would be sensitive to the fact that people are hurting. I also pray that everyone would have access to the mental health care they need. Please pray along with me.

1 Peter 3:8 NLT, “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.”

Thanks for reading and praying. 😊

Thinking About Faith

I was out walking yesterday morning and I was thinking about faith. I was thinking specifically about the rest of this year. I guess like many of you, there are things I am believing God for. Even though I don’t yet have all the details of how things will work out, I’m learning to leave things in God’s hands. I’m noticing that by diligently communicating with the Lord my faith is growing stronger. Sharing all my concerns with Him, while professing His sovereignty over my situation, is bringing me to a place of peace.

Philippians 4:6-7 NLT, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Peace is what God wants for you and me. He knows that we can only achieve peace, by giving our worries over to Him. We must trust Him to take care of us, because He promised us that He will.

He Says…

Thank you Deandra for sharing these Holy Spirit inspired words of wisdom. I believe we can all learn from what you’ve written. God bless you always.

Dee's avatarImago Dei

As I continue to Relinquish, I feel Holy Spirit admonishing me of the below.

Come – Come to Me you that are weak and burnt out and I will give you rest. Come to Me daughter who is discouraged and you will find the courage to carry on. Come to Me you broken one, I am Your healer.

Rest – Relax. Get rid of the weight you have been carrying and lay on My shoulder dear child. Rest in My promises. Rest in My embrace. Read My Word and find delight there.

Time – I want to be priority in your life. Stop doing doing doing and start being. Live in My presence. Be the vessel of honor I have created you to be. Spend more time in My presence. Quit running thither and yonder and rest in Me. I want to spend quality time with you. I’m tired…

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Trust God’s Perfect Timing

After writing “Our God is the God of Abundance” yesterday, I kept thinking about God’s timing. I thought about how although we know God is sovereign over all things (Colossians 1:16), we must still wait for His plans to unfold.

Knowing that God is an abundant God with unlimited resources, it can be a struggle at times to patiently wait. When we are anxious, we can easily find ourselves wondering why God is taking so long to move in our situation. After persevering in prayer for days, months, or even years we may feel tired and discouraged.

Psalm 27:14 NLT, “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.”

There are times when God chooses to move suddenly and turn things around, but He doesn’t always do that. We don’t always know the reasons behind our waiting. God may reveal details to us, but other times He requires us to just trust Him.

I used to have a picture on the wall that said, “Faith is trusting God when you do not understand.” That’s what is great about putting our faith in Jesus Christ, we don’t have to understand. Everything does not have to make sense to our human minds (Proverbs 3:5-6).

We can find comfort in knowing that He will strengthen us as we persevere through our waiting. We can cry out to Him at anytime of day or night, and He promised to hear our cries for help.

Psalm 18:6 NLT, “But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.”

He promised to give us His peace in exchange for our prayers (Philippians 4:6-7). As you are waiting, remember that God will never leave you. With every trial you face, God has a purpose and a plan, so don’t lose hope.

Our God is the God of Abundance

The more the enemy tries to steal, the more I realize the importance of recognizing that we serve the God of abundance. Our God’s resources are unlimited. The evil one is always on the prowl seeking to steal our peace of mind, our stability, our resources, our joy, our loved ones, you name it. But probably most of all he wants to steal our faith and trust in our God.

2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Focusing on the abundance of God, reminds us that as we work to bring glory to His name, He will supply our every need. He will never leave His children empty handed. Mark 10:29-30, tells us that we will be rewarded when we give of ourselves, or our resources to follow Christ. I have days where I feel I want “more” of something. But when I stop and think about God’s goodness, I realize that He has always supplied exactly what I need, and even many of my wants. Remember that we serve an abundant God who has more than enough. He will faithfully take good care of us. In Him there is no lack.

Your Little Means A Lot

2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Has God ever spoken to your heart to give something, but you were afraid to because you thought it wasn’t enough?

No matter how small our offering is, it can bless the person receiving it. The smallest act of kindness can change the course of someone else’s day.

There is much more to giving than just money. Actually the things that many are starved for have nothing to do with money at all. It can be a simple phone call, a compliment, or an hour of volunteering, that can be used by God to lift a persons spirits.

Giving is an act of humility. We must put aside our own feelings and give what God is asking us to give. The fear of rejection can also keep us from boldly giving what we are being lead by God to give. Thoughts like, “What if they don’t want it” or, “What if they think I’m weird”, may plague our minds.

I recall a time where there was a lady at church who was having issues with her son. I had a small devotional book in my purse that was specifically for mother’s. I felt lead to give it to her. I was nervous. However, I did give it to her after service. She was very delighted and appreciative. I was glad I didn’t let my fear of rejection hold me back. I’m sure God used that book to encourage her.

Don’t ever hesitate to give the little that God tells you to. When your little is filled with His love, it will make a difference. As the old saying goes, “Little things mean a lot.”