Let's Be Thankful

Let's Be Thankful. There are times in our lives when we need an extra dosage of faith. In those moments, we need to ask God to fill us with more faith so we can believe that He will come through for us. One of the things we can do to increase our faith is to remember what He has done for us in the past. Another thing we can do is to thank Him for everything we have in our lives. Today’s devotional encourages us to be thankful. Enjoy!

Be Thankful for What God Has Done
# 284

Psalm 9:1 (NLT)
I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.

God loves the heart of a thankful person. When we are thankful to Him for all the things He has done for us, He wants to bless us even more. When we are going through bad things or circumstances in our lives, we tend to forget all the blessings God has given us in the past. It is in those times we need to remember what God has done for us and truly thank Him for every gift and blessing He has given us.

When we bring these things to our remembrance, it helps us get through the current situation. Our faith also increases, and we are able to trust Him again through yet one more thing in our lives. Thanking God is vital to our success in every area of our lives.

At home, thank Him for your house, husband (if you are married), children (if you have any), your friends, and family. At work, thank Him for your job, your boss, your employees (if you are in management), your peers, and friends. Thank God for letting you be His child. Tell people of the marvelous things God has done for you.

Just a Little More Faith

Just a Little More Faith. There are circumstances in our lives were we feel we do not have enough faith to get through them. Things do not look good and solutions seem impossible. But God has solutions to our problems that we have not thought about. In those moments, let’s just trust God that in His wisdom, He will resolve our situation. Today I want to share with you a devotional that will inspire you to believe – just a little more – to get your situation resolved. Enjoy!

All Things Are Possible If You Believe
# 151
Mark 9:23 (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

A man brought his child possessed with an evil spirit to the disciples and they were not able to cast it out. At that point, the child’s father, disappointed, told Jesus, “Do something if you can.” Then Jesus replied, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” After that, the child’s father said something that moved Jesus. He said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” The New Living Translation says it this way, “I do believe, but help me not to doubt!” (v. 24).

So often our spirit is willing and wants to believe, we really want to have faith, but our mind is going the other way, trying to rationalize everything and letting in doubt. The human mind is not capable of understanding the things of God. We need to put those thoughts down, believe with all our hearts, and ask God to help us believe. He is so merciful He even helps us believe when He knows we are trying our best and sincerely want to. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) say, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.”

Don’t stop believing for what is in your heart. Seek God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and He will help you. Remember, all things are possible to those who believe.

We All Have a Race to Finish

We All Have a Race to Finish. Our life is a journey and within the journey is a race that we each start when we are born and that we have to finish sometime. Today I want to encourage you to finish your race. Finish what you started and do not give up trying. If the pace in your race is too fast, slow down but never stop and lose hope. Jesus is there to help us make every step in our race. Enjoy!

Finish Your Race by Keeping Your Eyes on Jesus
# 228

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.

Jesus endured His own race here on earth. He “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (v. 2 KJV). Jesus’ reward for finishing His race is all of us living eternally in heaven with Him. Now, He is our helper during our race. He is the author and finisher of our faith, from the moment we start our race until we finish.

Don’t give up running your race at work and at home despite the suffering, the circumstances, or whatever situation you are going through. Cling to Jesus and He will help you continue the race. When you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus only, everything else will seem small. You will have the strength to fight, to get up, and finish your race. “For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can’t receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race” (Hebrews 11:40 NLT). “Them” in this passage refers to our fathers in the faith—what they started, we have to finish. They finished their race. Now we must finish ours so they can receive their prize together with us.

In order to finish our race, we also have to strip ourselves from sin and things of this world that are slowing our progress. We cannot afford the weight of sin on our lives. We must finish our race!

Balance Every Area of Your Life

Balance Every Area of Your Life. It is important for us to remind ourselves of the things we believe. Today, I would like to share with you a devotional that reminds us to be balanced in every area of our lives. In the next two weeks I will be asking God to help me balance my life on a daily basis because I have a lot of activities happening. I encourage you to do the same if you have a lot going on in your life right now. Enjoy!

Balancing Your Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Life Is Crucial
# 2
Isaiah 40:29 (NLT)
He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak.

How often do you feel tired, worn out, and weak? This would be a great verse to memorize and repeat on those days. We all experience physical, emotional, and spiritual weariness in our lives. Some days we may just be physically tired, but we move on because we are not mentally or spiritually exhausted. Those times we just need to rest, go to bed earlier that night, take a break from work, or simply change activities.

Dealing with emotional weariness is more difficult because when we are emotionally exhausted, it also affects our physical well-being. In those times, we also need to rest, do some exercise to relieve the stress, and spend time with the Lord. Just being in His presence will refresh our minds.

Spiritual burnout is the most dangerous because when we stop fighting in the spirit, everything else stops and dies away. Remember, we are first of all spiritual beings that live in a human body. Just as our body needs rest and food, our spirit does too. If we are spiritually starving, we will die spiritually.

We must avoid burnout in any area, but most importantly, we must avoid it in these three areas (physical, emotional, and spiritual) at the same time. In order to avoid that situation, we must have balance in our lives. Balance starts with a daily prayer asking the Lord to help us balance that day—one day at a time.

Put God in control of your life—every area and every moment. Spend time with Him. He yearns for that time. You will then be refreshed in every area. “But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (v. 31).

Keep Your Priorities

Keep Your Priorities. Whenever I have speaking engagements on the topic of life balance, I actually get out of balance because it is one more thing for me to prepare for. When I start feeling overwhelmed it is time to remind myself what I teach… that balance is a daily prayer. In addition, I remember what my priorities are in life: my faith, my family, my work, and then everything else. This helps me to refocus and only do the things I consider most important. Today I want to share with you a devotional from my book that reminds us about keeping our priorities in order. Enjoy!

Keep God at the Top of Your Priorities
# 6
1 John 5:21 (NLT)
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

The King James Version of this verse says, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” With so many things this world offers us, we have to be careful and guard our hearts at all times from things that have the potential of taking God’s place in our hearts. We all have desires and dreams we want to pursue in our lives. Most of them are placed by God in us. However, even when those desires and dreams are from God, we have to be careful they don’t occupy our entire life. These dreams can become our idols if that’s what we pursue day and night and if we spend all of our resources on them. Things that can move us away from God are not only natural things such as money, success, fame, popularity, hobbies, or even our children; they can be also our desires, dreams, and our idols (including people we idolize). In other words, anything that takes priority over God in our lives can become our idol.

To refocus, always go back to the Word. Matthew 6:33 (KJV) says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” The key is to put God first in your life. Everything else falls into place after Him.

Jesus is Your Rock

Jesus is Your Rock. When bad things happen to good people we don’t know what to do or how to respond. What do we tell our friends who are going through the hardship at the time? Through the years, I have learned that there are things we may never know the answers to during our lifetime. Today I want to encourage you to hang on to Jesus as your Rock. He is the only One that can help you get through the storms of life. I hope this devotional will help you in your journey.

I Will Not Be Shaken!
# 124
Psalm 16:8 (NLT)
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

When you know in our heart that the Lord is with you, you have a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is the peace of God working in you so you are not shaken.

There are certain life events that can shake you, such as the death of a loved one, the loss of your job, divorce, or living through a natural disaster. If you find yourself living through any of the above situations, know that God is with you. He is right beside you, walking through it with you. He is holding your hand and lighting the way when it’s dark all around you. He is your comforter, your helper, your hope, and the one who loves you more than anyone on this earth.

The Lord Jesus is your Rock. Building your house on the Rock means you build your life based only on the truth of God’s Word. It is doing always what’s right and knowing the foundation is the love of God. Everything He does in your life is founded on His amazing love. In fact, the whole plan of salvation is based on His eternal love for you and desire to be with you forever.

When you build your life, your house, on Him, you will not be shaken when the storms of life come. Your house will stand. When the storm is over, you will still be standing on Him and His Word. It doesn’t matter what it looks like on the outside or around you. You will know where you stand because of what you believe.

Remember these words when you go through a storm in your life. Hang on to the Lord, and you will not be shaken.

Don't Give Up!

Don't Give Up! In these economic times we all have been touched one way or another and some of our friends and family members have lost their jobs. Those of us who are still employed must help our friends so they can get back in the workforce. There are several ways we can help. For example, we can help them with their resumes to ensure they look professional and list all their experience correctly. We can meet with them to encourage them to continue (or start) the employment search. We can offer our names to be used as personal reference. This is extremely important and your friends will appreciate it. But the most important thing we can do is to connect them with other people that can potentially help them. Today, I want to end with a devotional from my book that will give encouragement to those who are looking for employment.

The Creator of All Cares about You
# 318
Psalm 89:11 (NLT)

The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is yours—you created it all.

The world is an uncertain place where change takes place on a daily, moment by moment, basis. On the other hand, God, our Father, never changes and He cares for each one of us and our everyday life.

If you recently lost your job or are going to be laid off, don’t panic. The Creator of all is in control of your life. If He is powerful enough to create the heavens and the earth, He can certainly give you a new job. It’s not easy to go through the experience, but with Christ you can take this opportunity to grow and get closer to Him. With His help you can overcome and have the victory on this situation.

Ask God to give you wisdom, direct you to apply to the right jobs, in the right fields, and to connect you with the right people. Your part is to look for a job, work your network, and get out there. Leave the rest to God. Remember, the Creator of the universe is with you and cares about you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Don’t give up!

Faith and Patience

Faith and Patience. Today I just want to encourage you to have faith in God that He will help you with whatever situation you are going through at the time. I also want to encourage you to be patient while you wait for God to respond to your prayers. The devotional for today helps us to do this. Enjoy!

Faith and Patience Are Key to Your Success

# 266

James 1:2-4 (KJV)

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Part of living in this world is to experience trials and temptations. James encourages us to use those trials as an opportunity for joy because it is by going through those experiences that we grow and learn to be patient. When we become “perfect” (or mature in patience), we arrive at a spiritual place where we are entire and want nothing.

God allows us to go through those trials so we can grow in Him—in faith and patience. Remember, the test is on what we believe. When we pass those tests, our faith is stronger and we move on to the next level of maturity in the Lord.

Faith and patience are two crucial ingredients to your success in life. If you are experiencing trials at work or at home, ask God, in faith, for wisdom to know what to do and for patience to help you get through it. The first key is to have faith and believe God will answer you and help you out of that situation. The second key is to have patience while you wait for His answer. If you do this, you will come out in the end more mature and patient—wanting nothing.

Avoid Complaining

Avoid Complaining. Sometimes when we have a lot going on we may have the tendency to complain and feel sorry for ourselves. Even though we may be overwhelmed we must avoid complaining because that behavior drives people away. One of the ways we can avoid complaining is by not getting ourselves in situations where we are overcommitted. We need to keep balance in our lives and say no when we know we cannot commit to new activities. Today I would like to share with you a devotional that talks about avoiding this kind of behavior. Enjoy!

Avoid Complaining and Arguing
# 261

Philippians 2:14-15 (NLT)

In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them.

In our lives, both at work and at home, there are always reasons for us to complain and reasons to argue with other people. The Word tells us to do the opposite—to live our lives clean and innocent, to be an example to other people, to walk in love, and shine our light before them. When we do this, no one can speak anything against us. We accomplish this by following the example of Jesus. He did it by spending time with the Father. That is the only way we will ever become more like Him. Little by little we will learn to not be bugged by worldly things, to really walk in love, and see things from a different perspective—His.

Schedule time with the Lord and spend time with Him so you are able to avoid complaining and arguing.

Be Strong

Be Strong. Sometimes during our race of life we may feel like we can’t go on anymore. Usually we feel that way toward the end of the race, when we are tired and almost ready to give up. But it is precisely in those moments that God asks us to look up and ask Him for help. He is there for us to give us the extra grace, one last ounce of strength, just enough for us to finish our race. Today, I want to share with you a devotional from my book that gives us encouragement. Enjoy and be strong!

We Are to Be Strong
# 145
Psalm 18:32 (NLT)
God arms me with strength; he has made my way safe.

Most of us think of strength as being physical only. But we need to have emotional and spiritual strength as well to be successful in life. It doesn’t matter how physically strong a person is. If they are not strong in the other areas, they are not going to make it through the storms of life.

We draw our strength in all areas from God. All we have to do is seek Him above all things and ask Him for strength. The more time we spend alone with the Lord, the stronger our relationship with Him is and the stronger we become.

The most important area to be strong is our spirit because it drives the other two areas of physical and emotional strength. When we are spiritually strong, we know our purpose in life, we have a strong faith, and we don’t give up the daily fight as easily.

In the workplace, now more than ever, we must be strong working women. We must be strong to stand our ground and fight for what we believe. We must be strong to be able to meet all the demands of our jobs. We must be strong to make the right decisions on a daily basis, and then stand by the decisions we make.

Knowing and appropriating the Word of God and His promises gives us strength. The Bible gives us several scriptures that encourage us to be strong such as: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13 KJV); “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NLT); “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37 KJV).

Is Your Life in Balance?

Is Your Life in Balance? Today I want to wish all of you who are mothers a happy Mother’s Day. Being a mom is a big deal. The responsibility that comes with motherhood is immense yet it is all worth it because of the rewards we receive during the journey. I say the “journey” because once you are a mother you never stop loving, caring, worrying, nurturing, listening, supporting, and simply being “mom” for the rest of your life. As you celebrate Mother’s Day tomorrow, take time to reflect on your life and ask yourself this question, is my life in balance? Am I physically, emotionally, and spiritually burnt out?

The following devotional will give you tips to help you balance your life in every aspect. Enjoy!

Balancing Your Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Life Is Crucial
# 2
Isaiah 40:29 (NLT)
He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak.

How often do you feel tired, worn out, and weak? This would be a great verse to memorize and repeat on those days. We all experience physical, emotional, and spiritual weariness in our lives. Some days we may just be physically tired, but we move on because we are not mentally or spiritually exhausted. Those times we just need to rest, go to bed earlier that night, take a break from work, or simply change activities.

Dealing with emotional weariness is more difficult because when we are emotionally exhausted, it also affects our physical well-being. In those times, we also need to rest, do some exercise to relieve the stress, and spend time with the Lord. Just being in His presence will refresh our minds.

Spiritual burnout is the most dangerous because when we stop fighting in the spirit, everything else stops and dies away. Remember, we are first of all spiritual beings that live in a human body. Just as our body needs rest and food, our spirit does too. If we are spiritually starving, we will die spiritually.

We must avoid burnout in any area, but most importantly, we must avoid it in these three areas (physical, emotional, and spiritual) at the same time. In order to avoid that situation, we must have balance in our lives. Balance starts with a daily prayer asking the Lord to help us balance that day—one day at a time.

Put God in control of your life—every area and every moment. Spend time with Him. He yearns for that time. You will then be refreshed in every area. “But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (v. 31).

Thank God Today

Thank God Today. Today I just want to thank God for everything He has given me and that includes all of you, my friends. I want to share today’s devotional, "God is So Good to Us" from my book Devotions for Working Women. Enjoy!

God Is So Good to Us
# 292
Psalm 13:6 (NLT)
I will sing to the Lord because he has been so good to me.

Psalm 103:2 (NLT)
Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me.

The biggest thing God did is to send His Son Jesus to die for us so we could be saved. Jesus came to give us abundant life. This means He came to restore our relationship with the Father so we could fellowship and be with Him for an eternity. Wow, what a plan, and how undeserving we are! How can we forget this? If nothing else, let’s thank God for salvation every day of our lives on earth.

In addition to salvation, while you are living this life, you must notice the other small, simple things God does for you simply because He loves you. I challenge you to write a list of all the things you have, every talent and gift you possess, every person He put in your life, and all the nature around you. You will find yourself writing for a long time. God did all that for you.

Sometimes you may get wrapped up in your career and neglect your relationships, including your family. Remember, the most important gift God has given you, after salvation through Jesus, is other people. Therefore, you need to allocate time to nurture them. God put every person in your life for a purpose. You have the ability to influence their lives, and they have the ability to influence yours. Thank God for your current job (or for a new one if you are in transition) and don’t take for granted all the other things and the people He blessed you with. When you are surrounded by all the people you love—that is heaven on earth.

How Do You Respond to Bad News?

How Do You Respond to Bad News? Today I heard a relative of my husband’s was sent home to be in hospice because there is nothing else the doctors can do for him. What do we do when we get these kinds of news? We all hope for a miracle. But what if the miracle does not manifest in our lives? It does not matter what kind of bad news we receive, we must have complete confidence and faith in Jesus. He is the only One who knows why things happen.

Today I want to encourage you to believe in Jesus no matter what you are going through in your life. The devotional I have for today talks about having complete confidence and faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Let's not lose our confidence and trust in Him.

Have Complete Confidence and Faith in Jesus
# 310

Mark 4:40 (NLT)
And he asked them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?”

Jesus and His disciples were in their boat crossing a lake when a fierce storm arose. The disciples were afraid they were going to drown and went to wake up Jesus who they found peacefully sleeping in the back of the boat. Then Jesus asked His disciples the question above. It is insulting to Jesus when we have Him in our hearts, yet don’t have faith in Him to deliver us from the storms.

When we accept Jesus into our hearts as our Lord and Savior, we are telling Him we believe in His ability to save us from everything—including going to hell. How can we believe He saved us from eternal damnation in hell, but we don’t have enough faith to believe He can get us through the storms in our lives?

When Jesus was inside the boat with His disciples and a storm developed all around them, He was sleeping in peace. How could He do that? Simply because He had complete confidence in His Father, and He knew that no matter what was going on in the world around Him, the Father would take care of Him. This is a revelation we must appropriate in our hearts.

If you accepted Jesus, then He is in you now and all that He is and represents is inside of you, in your spirit. Having Him in your life means you have His power, His anointing, peace, love, joy, and everything else God wants you to have to be successful in Him.

Wisdom - A gift from God

Wisdom - A gift from God. From all the gifts that God can give us, I think wisdom is one of the best ones because when we have wisdom, we can discern God’s will in our lives. Wisdom helps us choose what is right and what is wrong. Wisdom gives us an awareness that the more knowledge we acquire the more we realize how little we really know and how vast God’s knowledge is. There are some things that happen in our lives that we do not know the reason or the answer when we ask why. Wisdom allows us to be okay with not knowing those answers because we acknowledge the sovereignty of God. Today I want to share with you the devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that talks about letting wisdom enter in our hearts. Enjoy!

Let Wisdom Enter in Your Heart
# 350

Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NLT)
The hearts of the wise lead them to do right, and the hearts of the foolish lead them to do evil.

God wants us to be wise. He wants to give us His wisdom because earthly wisdom is the same as foolishness. It takes us down the wrong path, leads us to do evil, and ends in destruction. The Word of God tells us to ask Him for wisdom. It is a gift He is willing and ready to pour out on us when we ask. But just as with other gifts, He can only give it to us if we are trustworthy. How do we become trustworthy in the eyes of God? By being faithful with all the other gifts He entrusts us with, by putting them to use for His Kingdom, and by developing them.

When we have godly wisdom we know what is the right thing to do every time. Godly wisdom gives us self-confidence, inner peace, and a knowing beyond doubt that we are doing the right thing. We are wise when we recognize we get wisdom from Him and when we ask Him what to do in every circumstance. Being wise is recognizing that our job, company, friends, relatives, or even our church are not our source—only He is. All those things and people are gifts from Him we must treasure and appreciate.

Ask God to pour out His wisdom into your heart. Ecclesiastes 8:1 (NLT) says, “How wonderful to be wise, to be able to analyze and interpret things. Wisdom lights up a person’s face, softening its hardness.” Proverbs 2:10 (NLT) says, “For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.”

Our Source of Strength and Peace

Our Source of Strength and Peace. As I sit here today and reflect over the past week, I can only thank God for all He’s done for all of us. Last Sunday was Easter and He gave us the gift of life—to each one of us. Last week was also my birthday and I received the news that one of my friends who was pregnant had lost her baby. I had just finished saying thank you to someone who had wished me happy birthday and I was sharing how much I like birthdays because it gives me the opportunity to celebrate another year of life. Today, another friend had her baby and everything went fine. Sometimes we do not know why things happen but we do know that God is there for us to celebrate our happy moments and to embrace us during our times of sorrow. Today, I want to share with you one of the devotionals from my book to give you hope and encouragement in your life.

The Lord Is Our Source of Strength and Peace
# 139

Psalm 29:11 (NLT)
The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.

God is so powerful! He used His power to raise Jesus from the dead. The Holy Spirit gives us that same power, which is the source of our strength. This is one of the many benefits we have as children of God. We are weak but made strong in the Lord. He gives us the strength we need on a daily basis to fulfill the calling He has given us. He also blessed us with His peace that surpasses all understanding. The peace of God cannot be found in this world because it can only come from Him. Peace is another great benefit He gives us because He loves us.

When the stress of life with work and home responsibilities is getting to you, stand on His promise and go to the source of strength and peace—God.

Let's Stay Healthy and Productive

Let's Stay Healthy and Productive. As we continue to hear about Social Security (In the United States) not being here for us when we get older, and as we hear more about the health care reform, two things come to mind: 1) we must remain in good health so we can continue to work longer than planned, and 2) we must keep a good attitude toward life and see our life here on earth as a training ground for what God has prepared for us in eternity. When we have that perspective in life, we start thinking of new things we can do and learn to help others while we are here. Today I want to encourage you to always be fruitful in your life and want to share one of the devotionals in my book, Devotions for Working Women. Enjoy!

Purpose to Remain Fruitful Always
# 271

Psalm 92:14 (NLT)
Even in old age they will produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.

In this verse, Moses is referring to the godly. In verse 12 he says, “But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like cedars of Lebanon.” I plan to be a godly woman who will continue to produce fruit, be vital, and healthy even in my old age. Do you see yourself that way too?

Are you of old age now and still working and being productive? Then I’m proud of you. Some women start saying they’re old when they’re in their thirties, forties, or even fifties. If you retire at fifty-five or sixty-five, you still may have thirty to forty years to live. What are your plans? If you work for God, you will never retire. You have work for an eternity—to rule and reign with Him forever. Your time here is only preparation. I’m planning to continue my learning, preparation, and training until the day I meet Him personally in heaven. Do you?

Change your perspective with regards to work. When you work for the King, the Most High, our Father God, He will never lay you off, His benefits are the best, and He pays with His riches in glory!
It’s never too late to go back to school, start your own business, or start a new career. Follow your heart through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Be fruitful.

We Need Rest

We Need Rest. We all live busy lives but when our lives get even busier and the level of stress increases yet another level, what are we to do? How are we to handle the additional load that we have to carry? Lately, I have been experiencing that feeling of being “overwhelmed” consistently with no time to rest or to get refreshed and renewed. So what do I do? I go back to the basics—if I have something new to add to my life, something else has to leave! Today, I would like to share with you the devotional that talks about rest as a gift from God. Enjoy and rest!

Rest Is a Gift from God
# 11

Hebrews 4:9-10 (NLT)
So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who enter into God’s rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world.

Exodus 23:12 (NLT)

“Work six days, and rest on the seventh. This will give your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It will also allow the people of your household, including your slaves and visitors, to be refreshed.”

Did you know God commands us to rest? He created us to be able to work six days and rest the seventh. He Himself gave us the first example in the Book of Genesis when—after spending six days creating the entire universe—He rested on the seventh. If God wanted to rest, what makes us think we don’t need to?

Unfortunately, we don’t allow ourselves to rest enough. We keep going and going until there is nothing left of ourselves to give. We push until we burn out physically and spiritually. Our bodies and minds need rest. Proper rest refreshes and strengthens our body; it reenergizes our minds so we can think clearly again. Not only that, when we clear our minds from the daily pressures and stresses of life, the Lord can speak to us in order to refresh, renew, and strengthen our spirit.

We can experience a special peace and rest in God—but only when we obey and do His will. Rest is a blessing and a gift from God. Are you getting enough of it?

See Others With The Eyes of God

See Others With The Eyes of God. Recently I have been dealing with a person who is usually not very friendly and sometimes rude to others, including me. How do you deal with people like this? While praying about the situation today, the Lord has put in my heart to give this person a chance, to see this person with the eyes of love, compassion, and understanding of God—just as He does toward us. Today, I would like to encourage you to give that person in your life another chance and to see them from God’s perspective. This devotional reminds us to be humble, gentle, and patient with others so we can fulfill the call of God in our lives. Enjoy!

Be Humble, Gentle, and Patient
# 29

Ephesians 4:1-2 (NLT)
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

In this verse Paul is writing to the church of Ephesus, and he is begging them to live a life worthy of their calling. We are all called to serve Him in a special way. But in order for us to walk in the will of God, in our calling, we must be humble, gentle, and patient with one another. These are rare character traits in the business community and the workplace. God cannot use us if we are proud because in our pride we become deceived, rude, and impatient. Gentleness is another rarity these days. People don’t treat each other gently, but abruptly. Our lives have become so busy we don’t have patience to wait for anything, help somebody in need, or just love people.

Have you realized that you have been called by God? I encourage you to strive to be a humble, gentle, and patient woman so God can use you to the fullest.

We Need Balance

We Need Balance. These past two weeks have been out of balance for me. The workload increased significantly and my school work was beyond what I could complete in one week’s time in between classes. Last Tuesday was going to be one of those days with back to back meetings and no time to do work. So I prayed and asked God to balance my day and cancel all my meetings… and He did! Out of five meetings I had during the work day, somehow four got cancelled. Even my prayer group got cancelled that night which gave me the opportunity to meet my daughter for dinner. My lunch appointment also got cancelled so I called my husband and asked him to take me out to lunch so I was able to spend some time with him as well. God turned what was going to be an out of control day into a blessed, relaxing day and I completed everything I needed to get done. This experience reminded me that we should ask God to help us balance our lives—on a daily basis. Today I want to share with you the first devotional I wrote for my book on the topic of balance. Enjoy!

Balance Is a Daily Prayer
# 1

Psalm 119:133 (NLT)
Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by any evil.
Psalm 25:4 (NLT)
Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow.

With so many important things in our lives to manage, we long for balance. Balancing our lives is a daily prayer. With God’s guidance, our personal discipline, and careful planning we can achieve balance in our lives. In His Word we not only find the truth, but also the strength and wisdom needed to help us complete and accomplish all God has called us to do.

When we pray we have to ask for the balance we need—on a daily basis. His Word says in John 16:24 (NKJV), “Ask, and you will receive.” Just as we ask God for our health, our jobs, or for wisdom, balance is a precious gift, but we can only achieve it by working together with God.

Therefore, ask Him to help you balance your daily life, and once He shows you the path you should walk, be sure to follow His lead.

How to Make Difficult Decisions

How to Make Difficult Decisions. What do you do when you are faced with important decisions to make and you have different choices? Do you think things through, analyze the situation carefully, and then make the best decision you can with the information you have at hand? I believe that we need to make those steps but there is one more step we need to take which is to ask God for wisdom to help us make those difficult decisions. Today I want to share with you one of the devotionals that talks about seeking God’s wisdom. Enjoy!

Seek God’s Wisdom
# 358

Proverbs 2:6-7 (NLT)
For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity.

Each day at work we encounter numerous situations that require us to make decisions. Many of these decisions can be challenging. In fact, sometimes we struggle with knowing when to act and when to make the correct decision—at the right time. However, when we seek God’s wisdom, He grants it to us as a gift. Once we ask, we must remember to stop and listen for His response. As we gain His knowledge and understanding, things become clearer and we know what to do. When we walk in His wisdom, we become women of integrity, with no hidden agendas.

Therefore, when people ask you why you are so wise, don’t forget to give the glory to God.