I struggled with insecurity and thought being married would cure it. Marriage only made it worse.

My husband struggled with lust and fell into pornography during our early years of marriage. I didn’t know how to love him back or myself. Now that I reflect on these years, I am not surprised that I was anxious and shaken.

When our source of love is in the hands of imperfect people (we are all imperfect), our identity will be shaken, and we will be prone to having an insecure heart.

If we want a perfect and whole heart, we need to be rooted in a love that is perfect. That perfect love can only come through Jesus.

God’s love alone is perfect and has the power to perfect us (1 John 2:5).

I had to learn and still am learning to be rooted in God’s love. The truth is, we can all have access to an intimate, deep love from our husband, Jesus, if we surrender our lives to Him and choose to seek Him.

We can extend unconditional love to others when we actively receive the unconditional love Jesus has given us. We can only be secure in who we are when we have the revelation of how much we are loved and seen by Jesus.

You are the Bride of Christ

Who is the bride of Christ? It is those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Jesus desires that all of us be saved and become His bride (1 Timothy 2:3). Jesus came down from heaven and put on flesh so that you and I could be His.

Jesus did not die for some, but for all. But, we must accept Jesus as our Savior to be His. Saying yes to Jesus is like saying yes to a marriage. In order to be married to someone, we must first say yes, and agree to a covenant that includes being faithful and dying to ourselves to be one with our spouse.

The concept of marriage is the same as our relationship with Jesus. This is why throughout the Bible, we see the church described as the bride of Christ.

Revelation 19:7-9 says, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ”

Jesus is coming back for His bride, which is you and I. There is a beautiful wedding supper of the Lamb that is being prepared for us.

We are already married to Jesus when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and choose to abide in Him, but our final marriage union with Jesus will be sealed when He comes back for us.

In Jewish custom, a marriage was first sealed by betrothal, but the couple did not live together until a year later (once the groom had prepared a home for the bride).

We are now betrothed to Jesus, but He is coming back to officiate our union with Him. Jesus purchased you with His blood, and He is expecting a pure and faithful bride when He comes back.

You belong to Jesus. Just because you do not physically see Jesus does not mean you are not married to Him.

We must understand that we are the bride of Christ so that we continue to keep ourselves unspotted from this world (James 1:27).  Jesus is coming back for a pure bride.

Will you say yes to Jesus? 

Jesus Loves You

Don’t believe the lie that Jesus does not love you. Many people have a problem with God’s judgment, questioning God’s love if hell exists.

The truth is, we serve a righteous and holy God. God cannot fellowship with what is dark, because he is Light (John 1). But God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

God so loved the world, and He so loves you. This is why He sent Jesus to die on the cross, so that our sinful nature and sins could be washed away and we can be His bride. We don’t serve a dead Bridegroom, but a Bridegroom who is alive. Jesus rose on the 3rd day, and we are promised that the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the grave would raise us up too to have eternal life (Romans 8:11).

Jesus loves you so much. In John 3:36, Jesus says, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Jesus does not want any of us to experience God’s wrath. May we daily remember the deep love Jesus has for us, our call to be His bride, that we would not forsake Him. There is truly nothing in this world that can compare to Jesus.

Why do we care about capturing man’s heart when we’ve already captured the heart of Jesus?

‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ ‭says, “You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes, with a single jewel of your necklace.”

Did you know that you have captured the heart of God? He sees you as His treasure.

A bride only cares to be seen by her husband. What would it look like to live every day only caring to please our Husband, Jesus? What would it look like to let His love be our source of love, security, and identity?

We are all craving for attention and love, but are we looking to the right person to receive what we actually need?

To the single person or married person who feels unseen and unloved, know that there is One who is madly in love with you. His name is Jesus. His love is like no other. He surpasses all lovers on this earth because He is God and His love is perfect and pure (1 John 4:18).

Jesus cares to search you and know you (Psalm 139:1). He even knows your thoughts before a word is spoken (Psalm 139:4).

God is seeking after your heart, but are you seeking after His?

Jesus willingly suffered and died on the cross to purchase you back to be His bride, if you would accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Stop seeking after the attention of lesser lovers. The lust of the world never satisfies but leaves us empty and bound by sin.

Seek after a love that fulfills you and frees you. Seek after Jesus. 

Intimacy with Jesus

We all want to be intimately known, seen, and loved. So many times we look for “lesser lovers”, instead of our ultimate Lover who is Jesus. There is no one who can love you perfectly like Jesus. 

You were made to be loved, treasured, and sought after by Jesus.

Sin separated us from God, but God sent Jesus, His only begotten son, to die for us that we could be made right with God if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

We were made to have an intimate relationship with Jesus. Will you take time to seek Jesus and spend time in the Bible?  Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus as your bridegroom as you open up the Bible. May our response be to set our hearts only to please Jesus.

No earthly relationship can be your Savior and fulfill you. Only Jesus is your Savior. May we not forget that we have a Lover and Husband, Jesus.

Isaiah 54:5 says, “For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.”

If you are battling with insecurity, fear, or loneliness, turn to Jesus. You were made to have an intimate relationship with Jesus.

Apart from God, we will experience loneliness, insecurity, anxiety, and all other darknesses because only in Jesus can we be whole and complete. His love alone is what perfects us (1 John 4:18).

We can’t create a pure heart in our own strength. Only God can create in us a pure heart (Psalm 51:10). What is our part then to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with God? To actively live a surrendered life to Jesus. As the bride of Christ, we are called to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with God (2 Peter 3:14).

This looks like going to Jesus when you’re feeling hurt, angry, sad, anxious, envious, lustful, etc., and allowing His love and truth to wash over you. As we come to Jesus with an open heart to receive His love, His love purifies and perfects our broken hearts.

Are we living every day, preparing ourselves as the bride of Jesus? Are we setting our hearts apart to be holy and pure for when He comes back to completely take us as His bride? God wants you to live every day knowing that you are the bride of Christ. Satisfaction and fulfillment come from being rooted and established in God’s love.

So remember, you are the Bride of Christ.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for loving us with a perfect and faithful love. Forgive us for seeking fulfillment, validation, and security from lesser lovers instead of from You. Create in us a clean heart and help us to surrender every broken place to You. May we desire to please You above all else as we prepare for the day You return for us. Amen.

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We can easily be led by our fears or emotions, but we must learn how to be led by the Spirit.

Has a bad decision or a past incident left you carrying fear? I had 2 infections back in the summer. The doctors prescribed me a cream that caused bad itchiness all over my body throughout the night.

When the second infection came back positive, they prescribed me another medicine in a cream form. I had much hesitation with this cream medicine because of my bad previous experience with another cream medicine.

As I was about to decline the medication, I felt the Holy Spirit convict me that I didn’t seek the Lord, whether I should take the medicine, but instead I was about to make a decision out of fear.

To my surprise, I felt the Lord say to take the cream medicine. There was fear in my stepping out in faith, but I knew my decision to take this cream was out of faith and not fear.

I took the cream, and it didn’t give me any bad reactions but aided in my healing. This situation was a great reminder for me to be led by the Spirit.

Do not be led by fear

Before making a decision, ask yourself: “Am I making this decision out of fear or faith? Am I doing this because I’m afraid of (insert reason), or am I doing this because I feel the peace and leading of the Lord?

There’s a difference between being afraid as we step out in faith and making decisions driven by fear.

We cannot be led by the Holy Spirit and fear. The spirit of fear and the Holy Spirit are 2 separate spirits. If we want to be led by the Holy Spirit, we must remove fear by renewing our minds with God’s truth.

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Choose to be led by the Holy Spirit because He knows what is best.

Fear is a tactic of the enemy. It was fear that stopped the Israelites from entering the Promised Land (Numbers 13-14). Joshua tells the Israelites in Numbers 14:9, “Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

Joshua already warned the Israelites to not fear, but they gave in to fear and missed out on God’s best.

We also see in Jeremiah 42-43 that the remnant of Judah was afraid to remain in Judah under Babylon, and instead disobeyed God out of fear and went back to Egypt (to what seemed safe and comfortable). Jeremiah comforts the people with God’s word by saying, “Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,’ says the Lord, ‘for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭42‬:‭11).

The leaders of the remnant of Judah, unfortunately gave in to fear and ended up dying in Egypt. They disobeyed the Word of God out of fear.

Fear never leads us to God’s best. The enemy uses fear to cause us to disobey God. Let us not partner with the spirit of fear, but instead walk by faith and follow the Holy Spirit.

How to receive the Holy Spirit

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The verse that came to my mind after receiving the vision from God was Isaiah 54:2 which says, “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” The passion translation says, “Increase is coming, so enlarge your tent and add extensions to your dwelling. Hold nothing back! Make the tent ropes longer and the pegs stronger.”

2021 is the year to hold nothing back. God is increasing our capacity to steward assignments, people, and territories. Whatever fears have been holding you back from giving it your all, 2021 is the time to step into those assignments and pursue them. The grace of acceleration is still upon us to help us get the work done for God’s kingdom. Setbacks have risen and will still arise, but continue to persevere and put your hope in God. Anything is possible with God (Matt. 19:26).

There is a specific favor that God has set aside to those who have been faithful with the little. To the faithful, He is preparing to expand their impact and authority.

God led me to Luke 19 which speaks of the parable of the 10 minas, or what I’d like to call the parable of the faithful.

In this parable, a wealthy prince entrusted his servants each with 10 minas (fifty thousand dollars). The prince left and said to the servants, “‘I am entrusting each of you with fifty thousand dollars to trade with while I am away. Invest it and put the money to work until I return’” (Luke 19:13).

When the prince came back, the first one came and had multiplied the fifty thousand dollars ten times. The prince replied, “‘Splendid! You have done well, my excellent servant. Because you have shown that you can be trusted in this small matter, I now grant you authority to rule over ten fortress cities'” (Luke 19:17). The second one multiplied the fifty thousand dollars five times. The prince replied, “‘I also grant you authority in my kingdom over five fortress cities’” (Luke 19:19).

Another servant came but instead of investing the fifty thousand dollars that were given to him, he hid it. The prince ended up taking that servant’s money and gave it to the faithful servant that had multiplied his money ten times (Luke 19:24).

This parable shows that to those who are faithful, God entrusts us with more.

Luke 19:26 says, “But to all who have been faithful, even more will be given them. And for the ones who have nothing, even the little they seem to have will be taken from them.”

2021 is the year for God to reward the faithful; those who have invested their resources, time, and have given themselves fully to the Lord with purity. He is rewarding the faithful with authority and impact over lives, just as the prince rewarded the faithful servants in Luke 19 with cities. God is rewarding those according to their faithfulness.

How can you partner with the word “expand”  for 2021? How can you continue to be a faithful servant of God in the next coming year? 

God is looking for those with hearts who are good soil to receive God’s word and abide. Luke 8:15 says, “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” Let us let go of anything that is hindering us from walking faithfully with Jesus.

2021 will also be a year where God is redeeming what the enemy has taken from our childhood. For some of us, joy and love were stripped away, causing us to fall into anxiety or bitterness. For others, it’s purity that the enemy has taken which has caused many to fall into lust. Whatever it may be, God’s unfailing love will be evident as redemption comes. Jesus has already redeemed us all when He died on the cross, and 2021 will be a time where we will see the manifestation of His redemption lived out within our lives.

Be ready, expectant, and prepared to give your all to Jesus to see His expansion come upon you in 2021. So remember, now is the time to expand.

Prayer: Jesus, help us to continue to be faithful to expand your Kingdom. Keep our hearts one with you, hearing your word and obeying it. Gird us with wisdom and love.

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God has been renewing my mind and re-defining my value with His truth. I always saw my value in comparison to others because I grew up constantly being compared to others.

If I wanted to feel beautiful, I had to be more beautiful than anyone else in the room. If I wanted to feel accomplished, I had to strive to accomplish more than everyone else in the room. I would try to find flaws in others to make myself feel better, however, this never helped because it only highlighted my insecurity.

I eventually learned that I was viewing my value from the wrong eyes instead of my Heavenly Father’s eyes. God showed me that He didn’t want me to live each day feeling insecure and not good enough. He reminded me that we are all beautiful because we were all made by the hands of God. Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

The world may have a definition of what makes someone beautiful or successful, but God doesn’t because He has made each of us unique and calls us beautiful.

God showed me that I didn’t have to compare myself with others or try to be the best. He opened my eyes to see that there is no such thing as being better than anyone because we all have different gifts and talents that He has chosen to give us. Romans 12:4-5 says, “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”

God has given each of us different gifts and we were all meant to work together for His kingdom purposes. We each have our own unique place in God’s plan. He has chosen and positioned us where we need to be. We are not positioned where we are because we are better than others, but simply because God has chosen us there.

There’s no need to compete for a position or feel jealous when someone got the position you wanted. If you didn’t get the position you wanted, trust that God has a different position for you. Instead of competing with one another, let us appreciate one another. Competition leaves no room for love but is only self-centered. God tells us in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

God has chosen each of us to serve Him and to bear fruit (John 15:16). We get to serve God and bear fruit in our own unique way. Let us all remember the assignment that we all have which is to glorify God in all that we do. God says in Isaiah 43:7, “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

God has created you for a purpose and chosen you to live for Him. Will you look to Him for your value and purpose? 

We don’t need to earn our value because our value is found in being a child of God. God is faithful and will take you where He wants you to be. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.

God is always working for our good. We don’t need to take His job of placing us where we need to be. As we focus on loving God and others, we will find our place in His kingdom and see that we have been chosen by Him. You are uniquely made, loved, and chosen. So remember, you are chosen by God.

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Over the past years, I’ve had to learn how to navigate the divine tension of doing my part and trusting God to get me where I need to go. One thing the Lord reminded me of during my season of waiting is to not strive past His grace.

When you push yourself too hard in the gym, you injure yourself and end up pulling yourself out of the game. We can easily get excited about God’s promises and move ahead of God in hopes of achieving His promises faster than He may want to take us.

There is a journey to our promise land and God has His perfect timing for our destination. When we try to speed up God’s promises, we will end up restless and stressed.

If you are experiencing constant stress and lack of peace, then you may be pushing yourself beyond what God intended for you.

However, the opposite could happen. We could be relying on God yet neglect to do our part. If you want to build muscle, you can’t just sit there and stare at the barbell. You have to lift the weight beyond resistance without pushing your body too hard.

There must be a balance of us trusting God while doing our part in the season of waiting. The problem comes when we try to make things happen on our own because we’re afraid they won’t happen in the first place.

I’ve done that in the past where I was driven by fear instead of God’s favor.

When we try to make something happen out of fear instead of God’s favor, His promises never end up happening.

God has a perfect timing for His Promise. Trust the process.

When God seeds a promise inside your heart, He prepares you and prepares the promise for you. God is working in your waiting because He’s still preparing you. This season is crucial for where you’re headed. He is preparing you for the new anointing and blessing that is coming your way.

If you’re trying to control the outcome of God’s promise for your life, you’re not trusting in the One who gave you the desire in the first place.

Trust in God’s ability to open doors when the time is right. Psalm 90:17 says, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us.” God’s favor will establish our works and bring acceleration to see His promises come to pass.

If there’s a promise in your life that hasn’t been fulfilled yet, I want to encourage you to prepare yourself for it. Develop habits that make waiting on God’s timing easier. Press into His presence and word to comfort you when worry creeps in. Grow the skills that God has given you and serve where you’re planted. In the midst of waiting, the best way to grow your gift and prepare yourself is to serve others.

Surround yourself with people who are living in the promise that you’re believing for and sow into their dreams. As we sow into other’s dreams, we will reap those very dreams into our own lives (Galatians 6:7).

What is God calling you to do in your season of waiting? Are you running on God’s pace or your own pace? Have you been pushing yourself further than what God has intended?

Ask God to show you what your part to do in the season of waiting. There is always work in the waiting and it will look different for each of us. Trust God’s process and His ability to get you where you need to be. So remember, find your part and God’s part in the waiting.

Written by: Kristina N. Cummings

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I had finished a busy week filled with work and back to back calls. It was finally Friday and though I wasn’t finished with all I had to do, I was ready to just relax.

I hadn’t spent time with Jesus that day because I had a side job to do in the morning. By the time work was done I was just ready to spend time with my husband. At the time my husband reminded me to spend time with Jesus, but I kept running away from it.

I thought to myself, “Jesus can wait. I don’t need Him right now.”

But even after spending time with my husband, I still felt exhausted and anxious. What I failed to realize was that as I pushed Jesus further away, I became filled with more anxiousness.

I finally went into my alone time with Jesus and within 15 minutes Jesus changed my attitude completely. An hour passed by and all my anxiety and burdens were lifted.

He had asked me, “Why are you worried about many things? There’s only one important thing and that is me.” When He said that it reminded me of what He said to Martha in ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:41-42‬, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

God reminded me that there’s only one important thing in life and that is sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to Him.

We can do a million other things, but if we neglect to sit at the feet of Jesus and spend time with Him, we have missed the mark. We will be oppressed by the worries of the world and the things we put above Him.

I realized that I was putting many things above Jesus. I was putting work above Jesus, hence why I was feeling oppressed by work.

Anything put above Jesus oppresses us, but everything put below Jesus’s feet frees us.

If we put worry above Jesus, we will be oppressed by worry. If we put money or our families above Jesus, they too will oppress us. Only Jesus sets us free. John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

My husband is amazing, but even he couldn’t give me the peace that only Jesus can give. Jesus will give us peace like no other. He says in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

How many times have we said to ourselves, “Jesus can wait?” The truth is we can’t afford to make Jesus wait. We need Him.

Let us focus our attention back to Him and not our to-do lists or goals that need to happen. Our peace gets robbed when our eyes are off Jesus. The enemy will try to distract us by depositing worrying thoughts or making us focus on what needs to get done. In such moments, look to Jesus and His beauty. Trust that He is in control and will guide us and bring favor to get what needs to be done.

Have you been worrying about many things? Has Jesus been the first person you go to when you are in distress? 

No circumstance is too great for Jesus. We may feel that people can make us feel better, but the only person who can truly help us is Jesus. Run to Him first. He knows exactly what you need and His presence brings joy like no other. Focus your gaze on Him and you will not be shaken no matter what happens around you. Let your heart be set on one thing which is to be in the presence of God and to fix your eyes on His beauty.

David writes in Psalm 27:3-4, “…though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

When your confidence is in God, you will always stay confident. You will always have peace when your eyes are fixed on Him. So remember, refocus on Jesus.

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My year in marriage has taught me to see God’s love as a love like no other.

I had many reasons to be angry at my husband and to think bad of him. I wanted to forgive him, but in the midst of my emotions, I couldn’t.

This caused me to spend time with Jesus and ask Him to help me love my husband as He himself would love my husband. At that very moment, God gave me eyes to see my husband’s heart.

I no longer saw my husband as “not loving, caring, or trustworthy”, but saw his intention to love me. What touched me more was that in the midst of God showing me this, He reminded me that this is His love for us.

He doesn’t keep a record of wrongs nor focuses on our wrongdoings, but looks for the best in us. His love is so deep that not even the worst of the worst could escape His love. After this revelation, I was able to forgive my husband and truly love him as God loves him.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

We can easily hold up past offenses as an excuse to not forgive or love, but if we want to love as God loves, there is no reason for us to hold back in extending love.

God says love is “not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs”. This means we have no excuse of being easily angered or holding back past mistakes. He says love “always trusts and hopes” which means we should always hope for the best in others and not hold their past against them.

As we experience God’s love and mercy in our own lives, we will become filled to live out the fullness of God – to love as he loves.

Ephesians 3:17-19 says, “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.”

As we celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus, let us remember His love which is like no other. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

God sent Jesus to be our savior and to love us like no other. He sent Jesus to come in the flesh to die and suffer what we deserved. In 3 days Jesus rose again to become our savior so that we could be with Him for eternity. Luke 2:11 says, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Jesus was willing to…

• save us when we didn’t deserve it.
• hope for the best in us before we could ever prove ourselves.
• trust us with His assignments when there are many reasons for him not to.
• love us when we were unlovable.

His love is like no other.

God’s love knows no bounds – it is so deep and has no end. God created us in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). We are empowered to live the life of true love through Christ.

Will you receive His love and let it overflow into your life and others? Accept His love and live it out. So remember, there is a love like no other.

Saying no to shopping has been a hard thing for me to learn this year.

I had to stop my old shopping habits with the circumstances that my husband and I are currently at. However, with all the shopping hype that has been going on, I found myself in despair from missing out on shopping.

The truth was I couldn’t accept the fact that I wasn’t able to spend as much as I used to.

As I prepared for alone time with Jesus, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper into my heart, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.”

I was reminded of Philippians 4:12 which says, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

This verse reminded me that not only do I have to learn to accept the conditions of my life, but that I can find contentment in every situation that I am in. Just as Paul went through seasons of plenty and in lack, we too will face circumstances where we cannot always live as we used to live.

Whether we have more than enough or just enough, we can always find contentment in Jesus. Contentment is found as we focus on His love and goodness towards us.

Our no’s in life don’t have to deprive us of joy. When our joy comes from Christ alone, nothing can strip our joy away. Focus on His goodness and remember the love that He showed us on the cross. He loved us so much that He died on the cross and rose again so that we could have everlasting life with Him. His love overwhelms us to a place of satisfaction that no other can bring.

God changed my perspective and showed me that I didn’t have to shop in the first place. Instead of seeing my situation from a place missing out, I started giving thanks to God that I didn’t have to shop because I had more than enough from Him already.

As I found contentment in Christ, saying no to shopping wasn’t a big deal. Whatever struggle you may be facing, know that you can say no and still be satisfied in Christ.

Right after Paul says “I know how to be abased and I know how to abound”, he says in verse 13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Paul learned the secret to contentment which is Jesus.

When we are in Christ we are never missing out on anything. We don’t need certain titles, possessions, fame, or money to be content. Christ alone becomes enough. In Him, we have all that we need. He gives us strength when we are weary and provides all that we need.

We must focus our eyes on Jesus and not let the desires of this world pull us away from him. 1 John 2:15-16 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.“

We can easily talk ourselves into believing that we need that certain car, house, or possession by what we see around us, but we must remember that the only thing we truly need is Jesus.

All of us would be ok without shopping if Black Friday never existed. We all would be fine without fancy cars if we never saw them. Possessions last temporarily, but Jesus and His word will last forever. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

It’s ok to have possessions, but it should never be our source of joy. Nothing in this world will ever be enough. Only Jesus satisfies.

Where are you looking for contentment? Is Jesus your destination for satisfaction? 

If you are in a place where you feel tested and stretched, run to Jesus. Don’t let your place of lack pull you away from seeing God’s goodness. His goodness is what will lead us to satisfaction. It’s when we fail to recognize His goodness that will cause us to look elsewhere for satisfaction. The enemy will try to pull our focus on our circumstances and make us feel that Jesus is far, but if we choose to look for Jesus we will find Him wherever life takes us.

His presence is always with us no matter what we face. It’s not a matter of if God is with us, but if we can see Him.

Contentment is found as we center our attention to Jesus. Saying no to the things of this world can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Look to Christ in every situation and you will see His faithfulness. So remember, it’s ok to say no.

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I was head over heels when I found I was pregnant summer of 2018. My long dream of being a mom was finally here. I was scared because my husband and I were in debt and living paycheck to paycheck. This was not an ideal place to be when having a child, but I knew God would always be there for us.

I had confidence that God would help us as new parents, however, heartbreak came so unexpectedly. I found out I had miscarried.

The joy I once had was shattered.

I called out of work for the next 4 days and asked God, “Why me? God, it’s my fault, I will never be a mother.” As I turned to Him for comfort, I heard a whisper, “You will have a beautiful baby boy, you will bear children.”

My pain was exchanged with hope and love. The question became, will I believe the doctors or what Jesus says?

I chose Jesus.

I felt a burden to share with my community that I had faith I was pregnant. 2 weeks later I went to the doctors again to find that the miscarriage was confirmed.

I began to feel dumb for having faith that I was pregnant. My community of believers stepped in and reminded me about the promise God had given me about a baby boy. I went to the ER 3 days later after being confirmed for having a miscarriage and the doctor came back to tell me I was indeed pregnant.

Now a year later I have a beautiful 4-month-old baby boy. The whisper and promise of God have been fulfilled.

This kind of miracle isn’t new to God. We see in Genesis that God had promised Abraham and Sarah a child, even though Sarah was past child-bearing age.

Hebrews 11:11 says, “And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.”

Our job is to believe, God’s job is to do the impossible.

I could have simply believed what the doctors have said and not believed in what God had spoken, but I chose to have faith. The power of God came into my life, just as it happened to Sarah in the Bible.

We must have child-like faith to believe in the impossible.

What promises has God spoken to you? Will you hold on to those promises despite what you see?

When life seems to be falling apart and nothing seems to go your way, know that Jesus still remains. Jesus is always with you and he hears your cries.

You may say, “I am all alone”, but He says “no you’re not.”

James 4:8 reminds us that as we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. Do not swallow up the pain but let it out into the arms of God. Allow Him to speak into your situation and believe His very words.

Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Do not be afraid to be vulnerable with the community that God has placed you in. He never called us to live a lonely life. I am grateful that I had a community to remind me of what God had spoken. God wants us to have community with one another. Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep”.

Draw near to God and your community. You’re not on this journey alone. You have a mighty God who is with you and for you. He is able to move the mountains in your life and bring His promises to pass. So remember, believe despite what you see.

Follow Valentina Restrepo and her journey with Malachi on Instagram: @mrsvalrestrepo
Watch the testimony of her baby Malachi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNPcUSvwjYg

Please consider donating to the ministry if you have been blessed. You can do so by clicking here: GIVE
Every dollar counts towards spreading God’s truth. Help us reach more lives with the gospel of Christ.

Can you relate?

I thought leaving my full-time job would give me more free time for other things, but I quickly filled that time up with other things that God has called me to do. God has recently opened the door for me to lead Bible studies for Human trafficking victims with Samaritan Village. While I love ministering to the women, I started dreading the assignment because I was too overwhelmed with the other 10 things I have to manage weekly.

God spoke to me at that moment and said, “My grace abounds over every task that I have assigned you to.“

I realized that I was looking to my own strength which caused me to stress and question my ability to do all the tasks that were required of me. But at that moment I was reminded that it’s through God’s strength and not my own strength that I can do what needs to be done.

God’s grace is enough to get the work done. 

Philippians 4:13 reminds us, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.“

When you are feeling overwhelmed, remember who is with you and who has called you to do the task. If God has called you to do the task, He will empower you to complete it. There may be times when we put more on our plate than what God wants. However, there are times when God will give us the grace to do more than we ever thought we could.

Bring the assignments that worry you and invite God’s voice to speak over your life. If He speaks encouragement and fills you with peace and ease to do the assignment, then know that you can do it. If there is any conviction that you are trying to force your agenda and timeline, then God may want you to save that assignment for another time.

God gives grace for what needs to be done. We have to identify assignments that are for this season and which ones are for a later season.

Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts”. He has given us His peace to guide us in the right paths. When we are one with God, we don’t have to worry if we are doing what is right or what is wrong. His peace will rule in our hearts and guide us. His desires become our desires, and His thoughts become our thoughts.

Paul from the Bible always allowed the Holy Spirit to lead Him. Acts 16 talks about the time when Paul wanted to go to Asia but the Holy Spirit prohibited him from going there. Later he receives a vision of a man from Macedonia calling on him to come. Here we can see that God has clearly closed the door for Paul to go to Asia.

Paul then goes to Macedonia and we see God opening Lydia’s heart to receive the gospel from Paul’s preaching. You would think things get easy, but Paul and Silas end up getting into prison. They were able to get out but you can see from this one assignment that they needed God’s grace to complete their assignment.

You may be in a place where you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work needed to be done. Maybe you are in a place where you’re facing hardships like what Paul experienced. If you know that God has called you to the assignment, persevere and know that you will come out victorious.

Through God’s grace, Paul was able to build many churches and spread the gospel beyond his own capability. You too have the capability through Christ to complete the assignment.

Philippians 2:13 reminds us, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.“

What has God called you to pursue in this season? Has He given you His peace and open door to pursue that assignment? 

I have at times looked back at what I was able to accomplish and have always been in shock at how much was done. It shows me that only through God’s grace was much able to get done. His grace empowers us to do more than what we could ever do alone. Even in the midst of our weaknesses, His strength becomes enough (2 Corinthians 12:9).

We are in a season of acceleration where doors will be opened like never before and divine connections will align us to our God-given purpose. He will bring us the right people and resources to bring His vision to fruition. So remember, His grace is enough to get the work done.

Please consider donating to the ministry if you have been blessed. You can do so by clicking here: GIVE
Every dollar counts towards spreading God’s truth. Help us reach more lives with the gospel of Christ.

Purchase this Wave of Acceleration print for $15 here: bit.ly/35YI0NJ “God is inviting the body of Christ to ride the wave of revival and acceleration that He is bringing in this season. Doors will be opened like never before and divine connections will align us to our God-given purpose. Like a surfer, we must stand firm, not wavering in our faith so that the waves don’t crash over us.”