DAY 1 DAY14 I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE I AM SET FREE

Transcription

1

2 DAY 1 I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. {Psalm 139:14} You were created as a masterpiece by the God of the Universe. He spoke everything in this world into existence, but He took His time to make you with His own hands. And, our God does not make mistakes. When He looks at you, He sees His child. You were created in His image. You are precious in His eyes. There is nothing you have to do to make Him love you anymore. Wherever you go, He goes before you. In times of need, He is there waiting for you. Call out to Him. Seek Him. Always Pray. Read His Word. Know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. DAY14 I AM SET FREE Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. {John 8:32} I read about a family who decided to raise chickens. They set up a coop, fencing in just enough area around it for the chickens to stretch their legs and have some scraps of food. The gate was locked, keeping them safe from predators during the night. During the day it was left open so the chickens could run free and eat anywhere on the grassy acres. In the morning when they opened the gate, most of the chickens ran free and excitedly set off on their new adventure. But there was one chicken who always stayed in the pen. Despite the gate being wide open, she stayed put, confining herself to pecking around at scraps, never joining in on exploring the vast world that was open to her. Jesus encourages us to hold on His teachings, and says if we do so we will know the truth, and that truth will set us free. The truth about us is that Jesus has already set us free. Like that chicken next to the open gate, we simply need to embrace the freedom Jesus has already given us, and step into it each and every day. Psalm 92:4-5; 2 Corinthians 2:14; Psalm 104:24 by: Amanda Massingill Galatians 5:1; Psalm 118:5 by: Krysten Case

3 DAY 13 I AM ADOPTED AS HIS CHILD He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. {Ephesians 1:5} I know a few things about adoption. I ve been adopted twice. When I was five years old I was at the courthouse, and our social worker asked my brother and me, Do you want to be adopted by your foster parents? After two years of multiple foster homes, I couldn t believe the question. YES, OF COURSE! We were adopted that day. A few years later, I was adopted again. The Lord pursued my heart in a deeply intimate way until it was undeniable to me, and I decided to accept His as my Savior and devote my life to following Him. My favorite things about adoption is that it means I am chosen and loved. However, adoption is not forced; it is offered and must be accepted. Scripture tells us that God wants us all to come to know Him personally through His Son, Jesus. He loves you deeply and has chosen you. He has offered you adoption into His family; you only have to accept the offer to become an eternal part of it. My prayer is that you will know that you are chosen and loved and that you will say yes to God s offer to adopt you forever. 1 Timothy 2:3-4; Galatians 4:4-5; Romans 8:15 by: Krystal Vento DAY 2 I AM NOT ALONE Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. {Ephesians 1:12} I wish I could reach out and give you a hug and invite you to my house for dinner. I wish we could sit together and share stories over pizza, because I think we d be great friends. But no matter how much I wish I could, I can t do that right now. So I close my eyes tight and ask God to pull you close and hug you for me. Will you do that, too? Close your eyes for just a second and imagine it, and rest for just a moment in the knowledge that you are not alone, that you are loved and seen and wanted by someone somewhere and by a God who is everywhere always. You are not alone, my friend. Be strong. Be brave. You have not been abandoned, you are wanted and you are loved. Know that you are in my heart always. Know that I love you, dearly and truly. You are not alone. Deuteronomy 31:6; Jeremiah 1:5 by: Krista Winbigler

4 DAY 3 I HAVE PEACE For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility {Ephesians 2:14} The ocean is one of my favorite places. I love the smell of the salty air, the feel of the sand beneath my feet, the color of the water, and the soothing sound of the waves. When I lived in Chicago, I missed the ocean despite nearby Lake Michigan being so big that it looked like an ocean. I would try to convince myself that I was by the ocean, but it was never the same. Similarly, there are things that look like they bring peace relationships, money, a good job, a house, going to church, etc. True peace only comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ though. Jesus is the only way we can access the Father, because on the cross He bore our sins that separated us from God. Many songs compare peace to a river, which the Webster dictionary defines as a large natural flow of water that crosses an area of land and goes into an ocean Jesus is our river our Living Water that flows and connects us to God and unites us as one body of believers. Take hold of real peace today it is the irreplaceable, priceless, gift of God s love. Romans 5:1; Galatians 3:28; Matthew 6: by: Jessi Hughes DAY 12 I AM GOD S CHILD Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. {John 1:12} Life is hard. A difficult, treacherous battle. For many the fight begins at birth and others show up for war in different seasons of life. In the darkness of the night and grip of the unknown, it can be hard to feel like a child of God; to feel chosen. Our longing to love and believe God, is often overshadowed by our asking, If He IS real and good, then why didn t he rescue me when I was in the trenches? Why am I in a place in life I never asked to be? God wants us to know we can t have a resurrected life without a crucifixion to the old one. No longer orphaned by sin and shame, but adopted and called by God, His. The Lord gives us promises breathed directly into the Word. It s a personal letter to each of us, ALL of us, especially the broken us. His love is the glue that puts our lives back together. Allow Him to stand you up in honor. Take the hands that have always wanted to hold you. Believe that Jesus wants to fill you with a permanent peace and wash you white as snow. You are clean and free. You are loved and wanted. You are known and appointed. You are whole and sought. You are His. A beloved child of God. Psalm 27:10, 13, 14; Jeremiah 31:3; Ephesians 1:4, 5, 14 by: Jada Schiessl

5 DAY 11 I AM ASSURED ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. {Romans 8:28} We have a God of hope. When I make a mess of things, when my world is crumbling, when I feel lost I turn to the promises of my Heavenly Father. I tell the inner voice to silence and stop whispering the lies of defeat. Instead I choose truth. I choose God s word. I rise up, sometimes slowly, but I rise and focus on God. Friend, if you are feeling despair or in a situation that seems hopeless know this, our God works ALL things for good for those who love Him. We have a God who can do all things and even if you cannot imagine it, this situation will be worked for good. God has a plan for you, a good plan. Keep leaning into God and remembering his promises. DAY 4 I AM A LIGHT TO OTHERS For you were once darkness; but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. {Ephesians 5:8} You are not here to blend into the world. The longer you stand apart from everything around you, the closed you come to God. It is through developing our relationship with Him that we discover lasting liberation. And yet, we are promised God will never leave us, trouble comes. Bringing light to others seems like a luxury we cannot afford until our personal issues are resolved. We ll always have flaws, friends, but they do not prevent God from using us to bring joy into someone s life. Extend a warm smile or listening ear to another; you never know how these seemingly small acts of kindness are healing their sorrow. Each time you do this, you show everyone our God of love and grace, because He lives within you. Where there is heartache, you sow hope. And as you lift others, you glorify our Heavenly Father. Jeremiah 29:11; Matthew 11:28-29; Isaiah 40:29-31; Romans 8:37-39 by: Ari Heick Psalm 139:10; Matthew 28:20; Matthew 5:14-16; Hebrews 6:19 by: Emelda de Coteau

6 DAY 5 I AM NO LONGER CONDEMNED I AM SET FREE Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. {Romans 8:1-2} Have you ever done something, an unforgivable act, which you are not proud of? Something that you feel disqualifies you to be worthy of God s love? If so, then I am talking to the right person. As a believer in Jesus, you have been saved by grace. It cannot be earned; it is a gift from God. Jesus sacrificed His life for you ever before you knew Him, but He knew you and wanted to give you a clean start, should you choose to make Him part of your life. No sin you commit is greater than God s grace. God does not look at your sin. When He looks at you, He first sees Jesus hanging on the cross who took all your sins on Him, so that when He sees you, you are clean and blameless in His sight. Nothing about you can disqualify you before God. You are accepted and loved beyond all understanding. God s desire is for you to accept His love and let Him lead you to the future He designed for you. DAY 10 I CAN GIVE THANKS FOR EVERYTHING Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. {Ephesians 5:20} We can always be thankful to God. Are you breathing right now? Then you can give thanks to Him! I am saying this with a wink and a smile, dear friend. You may know him well or hardly at all, that doesn t matter. In everything, good or bad, we can give thanks to God. He has given us breath and life. Too often we spend a great amount of time thinking about what we are NOT thankful for rather than what we are. Thanks changes our current attitude or perspective to a new one. I have discovered that taking a breath (or many breaths!) and allowing myself to linger or sit somewhere, helps me to be more thankful. Sit. Breathe. Be. The more I slow down, whether it s five minutes or an hour, I have an easier time to recognize small or big things I am thankful for. To give thanks in everything does not mean you won t have difficulties, but rather your focus has been changes to what you CAN give thanks for. It is a daily choice and decision to give thanks. May this be a beginning or a continuing of your journey to thankfulness my fellow travelers. Hebrews 8:12; Galatians 5:1; Romans 3:23-26 by: Maretha Retief Psalm 100; 1 Corinthians 15:57 by: Stacy Smith-Fulia

7 DAY 9 I CAN FORGIVE OTHERS Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. {Ephesians 4:32} I think most of us could agree forgiving others is one of the hardest things to do. When someone hurts you, the last thing you want to do is let it go and forgive or maybe that s just me. When I am hurt I tend to see the situation through my eyes of pain and offense, instead of through the lens of God s love. God s love covers all pain, hurt, abuse, neglect, heartbreak everything. In our lives we will mess up and sin against God and other people. But with God there is grace. Grace is defined as the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God. I love this quote by Lysa TerKeurst, Grace given when it feels least deserved is the only antidote for bitterness. When we ask God to forgive us of our sins, He does. Right then and there. He doesn t hold on to it or bring it back up later when we sin again, because we will we re human. We are called to forgive others, even when we think they don t deserve it. God is just and will judge, that is not our job. Live today, forgiven, and give grace. DAY 6 I CAN BE STRONG Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. {Ephesians 6:10} No matter what, be strong. I tell myself that every day. I struggle with anxiety and depression. So on the days when my children are arguing over everything, my mind is spinning with a hundred things on my to do list, my medication hasn t kicked in and I m at my weakest I have to stop and connect with God and grab hold of His strength which is so perfect. His strength provides a covering over me in those moments when I want to break, Thank God, right?! Strength and weaknesses are not always exclusive. Sometimes we are both. Sometimes we need to be. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. That same verse also say in a different translation to quit focusing on the weaknesses, but look at them as a gift. Let Christ s strength move in on those weak spots. Let Him take over and watch His power work through you. I am strong and you are strong today, tomorrow and forever. Matthew 10:8; Mark 11:25; Matthew 6:14-15 by: Katelyn Quattlebaum Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 138:3 by: Jada Black

8 DAY 7 I HAVE HOPE in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. {Ephesians 1:12} Life can bring us to places that the only adequate word to describe getting through that space is trudging through. The truth is, life hands out no guarantees. There are no definitive guidelines that ensure if you follow the required steps, you reach your desired end result. Yet Christ equips us with hope. Our hope in Christ gives us something to hold onto when the waters get rough. Our hope in Christ lets the doubt and fears subside so we can rest. Today lay down the pieces of your life that need to be let go of. Pick up hope in the absence of what you have laid down. Let hope be what you carry with you when the tension, the struggles, the pain, the mistakes, the fears and the doubt beg to be with you on your journey. Announce loudly, there is no room, for I HAVE HOPE. Carry hope and be aware that it is a gift to praise God for. DAY 8 I AM PROTECTED I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. {John 10:28} You belong to Jesus. You have nothing to fear. He will never, ever let you go. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords has waged war against all the powers of sin and darkness to set you free forever, and now death has no hold on you. The moment you believe in the name of Jesus, the very same Spirit that brought Him back to life filled you and marked you as His, forever. God will never change His mind about you. Even when the world around you falls apart, you can always trust Him to hold you tight. No matter what trouble comes your way in this broken world and it will come know that His perfect presence is a guarantee. For eternity. God hears you when you call. Be it a feeble whisper or a desperate cry, even demons will flee at the name of Jesus. You can trust Him He is stronger than anything or anyone. Nothing you face is outside of His attention or control. He will never abandon you. Jesus is with you now, guiding you, guarding you, loving you in this very moment. You are protected forever because you are His beloved child. Hebrews 10:19; Psalm 62:5 by: Kelsey Joy Karsten Isaiah 41:40; Isaiah 43:1-2; Romans 8:38-39 by: Jillian DeBritz