Let's Go To The Beach! A Summer Devotional

Summer is always a fun time of year. There's just so many things to do when the sun's shining and the weather's good. Going to the beach to me has always been one of those fun summer things to do.

The only thing about going to the beach is that you have to be prepared. There's a few things we need to take with us in order to enjoy the beach. Pack your bag and come go along with me!
Here's what we'll be putting in our beach bag...


Sunscreen.


One of the first things we'll need is protection from the sun. There's so much skin damage we can get if we don't protect ourselves. The sad thing is , we don't even know sometimes we've gotten skin damage until later down the road and are diagnosed with some type of skin cancer.


It's just like when we as Christians walk in the world and get too close to those worldly attractions and follies. We get burned and get damaged as it were. Sometimes we don't even realize how much we have been damaged by worldliness and those fiery darts of the devil. We could avoid it if we'd just put on some protection.

We'll be using that wonderful brand called, "Christian Armour". It's the highest protection there is. Off brands won't do as they don't contain all the right ingredients. Make sure you apply it liberally.


"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereuntowith all perseverance and supplication for all saints."


Ephesians 6:11-18


Sand Shovel.


One of the most delightful things to do at the beach is digging and playing in the sand. Making sand castles with moats, or for the little ones, just digging in the sand can be just the best of fun. Digging a hole in the sand and just putting your hands deep into it can be the best of sensations.


Digging into the Word of God can be the best too. Bible study doesn't have to be dry and boring. Just dig in! Find some verses that just tingle over your soul like sand does to your fingers when you are digging at the beach. Take those verses and concentrate on them for awhile. Put them in your bucket, pat them down, and dump them out and admire them awhile, just like you'd do a sand castle at the beach. God's Word will just glisten. Dig in and take in all the intricacies God's Word has to offer.


"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have
tasted that the Lord is gracious." I Peter 2:2,3


"Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. Psalm 119:140


Sand Bucket.


Let's bring along a bucket or something we can collect our treasures in while we are at the beach. Aren't the shells you can find along the beach just amazing? They are so beautiful and interesting.


The treasures found in God's Word are amazing too. There are so many things like the promises and assurances that are wonderful finds to put into our buckets and keep. Here are a few of my favorites to
pick up and admire.


--The treasure of strength...


"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10


--The treasure that Christ is unchanging...


"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Hebrews 13:8


--The treasure of eternal life...


"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."


John 3:16


There's so many more treasures in God's Word just waiting for us to pick up and put in our buckets.


Beach Ball or Frisbee.


Having a little activity at the beach is always fun. Playing with a beach ball or Frisbee can be great.
Activity as a Christian can be fun too. The Christian life can be so rewarding when we are actively living it to the fullest. There is so much joy in serving Jesus! We've got to embrace all there is to serving the Lord and put all we can into what we do as Christians. It not only furthers the cause of Christ but it enhances us as individuals.


"Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." Romans 12:11


"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31


Sunglasses.


We wouldn't want to go to the beach without our sunglasses. We not only need them to protect our eyes from the sun's damage, but they also help us to focus. When we don't have them on in the bright sunlight, we tend to squint and not see as clearly.


The type of sunglasses we'll be using is the "God's Love" kind. When we look at the world through Christ's eyes we see a lot more clearly and things look a lot more different. Just like the sun doesn't bother us so much when we've got on our sunglasses, things won't even annoy us so much when we are looking through the eyes of God's love. We can focus better and begin to see the souls of the people around us too.


"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34


So, are you ready for the beach?

by Julia Bettencourt

Codependency

When God gave us His Ten Commandments, He began with these words, "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3)  He knew that if we would make our relationship with Him our top priority, He would bless our lives, and, through our other relationships, we would be a blessing to others.  The primary problem with codependency is that it violates the heart of God's first commandment.  In a codependent relationship, you allow someone else to take the place that God alone should have in your heart . . . . You allow another person to be your "god."  If you have a misplaced dependency, you will have neither peace with God nor the peace of God.  But if you put the Lord first, living each day dependent on Him, you will have God's peace, even when others are not peaceful toward you.  This is one reason God says to us,

                                            "You shall have no other gods before me."

                                                                  (Exodus 20:3)

DEFINITIONS

Imagine that you have been handpicked by God to impact all the people around you, You have been chosen to be the liberator throughout the land . . .chosen to have the respect of all the people . . . chosen as the highest judge over the entire nation.  God has even spelled out the specifics you must do in order to protect your power and safeguard your strength.  Soon, the awesome stories of your success spread like wildfire.  Then . . . in walks Delilah!

You know you are not to reveal the secret of your strength, because God has said, "Don't tell."  Yet you feel torn.  You want to please God, but you also want to please Delilah, who has asked you to disclose the source of your strength.  You try to resist, but the more you do, the more she cries and begs, prods and pleads.  Now you find yourself in the Delilah Dilemma.  As you take care of her feelings, you cave in to her manipulation.  Finally, you confide that your strength is in your obedience to God in never, ever cutting your hair.  Big mistake--a big mistake that leads to unimagined misery! Delilah tells the enemy Philistines, and they cut your hair and take you captive.  However, your biggest mistake is not what you said, but what you did--you let Delilah be your "god" instead of letting God be your God. (See Judges chapters 13-16 to read this story in the Bible.)

What is Dependency?

If Samson had not been so dependent on pleasing Delilah--if he had not been a "codependent people-please"--he would not have lost his strength, his status, or his sight . . . nor would he have lost his spiritual insight.  Ultimately, his dependency, which in turn led to his downfall.  In truth, Samson's pride caused his own downfall, for he prioritized the words of Delilah over the words of God.

                                            "Before his downfall a man's heart is proud,

                                                  but humility comes before honor."

                                                             (Proverbs 18:12)

- A dependency is a reliance on something or someone else for support or existence.

"I have to have this to live."

- A dependency can be either negative or positive, such as being dependent on cocaine versus being dependent on Christ.

"This is necessary for my life."

- A dependency can be an addiction to any object, behavior, or person that represents an underlying attempt to get emotional needs met.

"I must do this to meet my needs....to make me happy."

Objects-

- A chemical addiciton to drugs (or alcohol)

- A sexual addiction to erotic items (pornography)

Behaviors-

- An addiction to behaviors that appear to be bad, those that are not widely socially acceptable and can be harmful (inappropriate sex, gambling, excessive spending, compulsive eating)

- An addiction to behaviors that appear to be good, those that are widely socially acceptable but may be equally harmful (perfectionism, workaholism, caregiving)

People-

- A "love" addiction is which you feel that your identity is in another person ( A weak "love addict" is emotionally dependent on someone "strong.")

- A "savior" addiction in which you feel that your identity is in your ability to meet the needs of another person ( A strong "savior" needs to be needed by someone "weak.")

Because addicitons provide a momentary "high," good feelings are associated with them.  However, the Book of Proverbs gives this poignant warning . . .

                                               "There is a way that seems right to a man,

                                                     but in the end it leads to death."

                                                                (Proverbs 14:12)

RANDOM CHAOS OR DESIGNED DISORDER

Random Chaos or Designed Disorder


by Ginny Anthes



Come into my kitchen and look into a drawer of mine that I consider to be “managed chaos.” It means that I have put things in there that don’t fit in the more ordered drawers, yet I know roughly what is there, and precisely where a few of the often used items are. One drawer like that is fine, but when our life begins to spin out of our control and feels cluttered with items that we don’t remember choosing to put in it, there are two truths we must get a good grip on if we are to experience peace in our lives.
Since the opening chapters of Genesis when Adam and Eve sinned and were sent out of the perfectly ordered garden, into a world of chaos, women have been coping with life that just seems “to come at us.” What is it that robs peace from your heart? In ministry, just when we feel we are exerting some control over our home domain…bam! That brings us to the first truth: Our God reigns! “And he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.” (Dan. 4:35) Does that mean when you are sitting in Intensive Care with a deathly sick or injured child, that God is ruling and ordering your life at that moment? When peace has descended on your home in the evening and the knock comes at your door, or the phone rings…you know something out of your control has happened. There was a period of time in my life when all the following were happening simultaneously. My father came for a short visit, but ended up with heart surgery, that went awry, making him a total invalid. Half of my house was torn off for a remodel, our church of fifteen years was exerting tremendous pressure on us, all of my children were living at home and with little sleep or energy, I felt that I was going from one crisis to the next, day after day, week after week. The Lord reminded me that I was to welcome these trials as friends, and by his grace, I set my heart to do that. Day after day, he sustained me and gave me joy, and peace, that were not mine.
That brings us to the second truth that we must anchor our souls to: The Spirit Produces Peace. In I Cor. 6:19-20 Paul tells us that our “body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.” In Gal. 5:22 we read that his fruit, among others, is peace. God’s gracious provision for us in Christ is the Holy Spirit who lives in us, reminding us of the truth that Christ is sufficient for all our needs, and it is he who produces peace. When life becomes difficult, fix your mind quickly on the truth that our all wise, sovereign, loving God is directing your path. Turn you heart and mind and spirit towards him with dependence on his Spirit to give you peace. While I never go looking for trouble, when God directs it my way, I realize it is an amazing opportunity to glorify him, demonstrating to the world, that in the midst of the storms of life, Jesus Christ is sufficient. Jesus himself has gone before us, taking each insult, each lash on his back, each nail in the palm, knowing from eternity that it was his Father’s will for him. Let us learn to trust and depend on our gracious Father who loved us enough to design such a life for his beloved Son.
Ginny is married to Paul Anthes, who is pastor of Community Bible Church of Placerville, Ca., and a graduate of The Cornerstone Seminary.

STUFF I HAVE LEARNED........I WANT TO SHARE WITH MY FRIENDS - GIRLS

Words of Wisdom that touched my heart, mind, & soul from a sweet sister in Christ, Marissa Namirr from GA.

For my Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

Some people cannot love you. Some people are in your life for a brief season. Some people may even exist to cause you pain, and make you feel like trash...for a minute. Then, without realizing, they push you back to the arms of your LOVER, the LOVER OF YOUR SOUL...the One we can trust, a...nd long for, with no hesitation!

For my Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

Do not underestimate the power of girlfriends. Be faithful to the one's who have been there forever, and leave room in your heart for new ones. I know both old and new ones have pulled me out of the muck of life, too many times to count. (You know who you are, and I love you!)

For my Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

Turning the other cheek, does not suggest hurling yourself headlong into a lion's den. Use your boundaries, and don't martyr yourself.

 

For my Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

Not everyone will let you love them. Love them anyway!

For my Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

Mean what you say, and say what you mean. Life is too short to mince words, or play mind reading games. Don't expect anyone to automatically know what you are thinking. Live out loud!

 

For my Girls: I have learned, and hope you know (this is one of the MOST PROFOUND and PRECIOUS things I have ever learned in life):

For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel...

 

For my Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

There is no substitute for a godly husband. He will lay down his life for you, forsake all for you, give all to you, BUT He is not GOD...do not idolize Him. He is made of dust, just as you are!

 

For my Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

If someone makes you want to slit your wrists, maybe they shouldn't be in your life.

 

For my Single Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

Say the word "love" to a man and it means something completely different than it means to you. A woman wants love to mean protect, and a man wants love to mean respect. If a man protects you, it will be much easier to respect him.

For my Single Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

If a man loves you, he will protect your character, not destroy it!

For my Single Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

Don’t give your heart to a man who is settling for you. If he is not completely smitten, he is not worthy of you.

Will he love you like this: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it~Eph. 5

For my Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

Love is not temporary. It is not here today and gone tomorrow. If someone loves you, they always will. If they suddenly don’t, they never did.

Charity never faileth~I Cor. 13

For my Single Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

Just because someone says they love you, does not mean that they do. Your guide to knowing is I Cor. 13. Does he love you like this?…

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.Charity never faileth~I Cor. 13.......if a woman is lonely she is not ready to marry...she needs to find her joy, fulfillment and contentment in CHRIST first and foremost...His love will be the standard for all those who will try to pursue her...high standard? YES, it is GOD's standard.

 

For my Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

If you want a man to see your soul, it may be wise to veil your other assets.

Whose adorning ... let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.~I Pet 3

For my Girls: I have learned, and hope you know:

Flattery is not the same as admiration. If someone admires you, it should be about your character, not your appearance.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. ~Prov 31

I was decieved years ago by her false prosperity gospel!

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Tim 4:3-4)

JOYCE MEYER

Did you realize that Joyce Meyer is a word-of-faith teacher? Are you aware of the word-of-faith atonement heresy Joyce Meyer teaches? - that Jesus paid for our sins in hell?

What?!

Christ told us that His blood would remit our sins (Matt. 26:28). Where is it that His “precious blood” was shed? In hell or or on the cross? Please answer - you eternal soul is in the balance based on whether or not you believe this Bible truth or the false teaching of Joyce Meyer and the word-of-faith wolves.

By believing and teaching this heresy, Joyce Meyer has denied the LORD.

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily (secretly) shall bring in damnable heresies (falsehoods that damn the soul to eternal hell), even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” 2 Peter 2:1-3

Jesus told us that He paid for our sins by His own blood on the cross - "It is finished" is what Christ cried on the cross (John 19:30). Did the Son of God lie? OR were our sins fully paid for their on that cross? To believe this truth is essential to be saved and to deny it is to deny Christ and be lost. This false teaching (that Jesus paid for our sins in hell) denies the sinless blood sacrifice He offered on the cross. No one can be saved that believes "Jesus" paid for our sins in hell instead of on the cross - that is "another Jesus," a false jesus (2 Cor. 11:2-5).Was what Jesus did on the cross not enough? All word-of-faith teachers are completely false because they espouse and teach this “doctrines of devils,” and “damnable heresies.” (2 Pet. 2:1-3). The Bible says they are “false teachers” and “false prophets.” (2 Pet. 2:1-3)

Jesus Christ is the only One who paid for your sins on the cross.Who do you love more, Jesus or Joyce? “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exod. 20:3)

Is Joyce Meyer making “merchandise of you”? (see Bible text above)

Joyce Meyer says: "You're on the brink of a miracle. Go to the phone and give $1,000, $5,000, $10,000 and $1,000,000; go to the phone. God has a miracle waiting on your response." / "The anointing is tangible; some of you should leave your televisions on TBN all night when you're asleep to get the anointing." / "This is inspiration, Oh! I heard you Holy Ghost! God is teaching you right now how to hear His voice. Go to your phone!" / "I believe that there are 10 people that need to match that $10,000. Your believing for the greatest miracle of your life, then sow the greatest seed of your life." / "You're not going to your phone; you can hear me while you're on the phone! Your miracle is waiting! Your deliverance is waiting!" / " Why are all these heretic hunters trying to get people to know God by criticizing people by name?" / " I won't get to the text until you get to the phone." (TBN, March 31, 2004)

Joyce Meyer says: "God said, 'you can sow for whatever your soul lusteth after.' Sow $2,000 says the man of God." (TBN, April 6, 2003)

Joyce Meyer says: "I just love to talk about your money. Let me be very clear. I want your money. I deserve it. This church deserves it." ("An Empire Of Souls", Page 35)

Friend, if you are resistant to hearing an objective perspective about Joyce Meyer, it is perhaps because you have made an idol in your heart out of a mere woman - “Thou shalt have NO other gods before me.” (Exod. 20:3). Is Jesus Christ your “first love” or not? “No man can serve two masters.” (Matt. 6:24) If God’s Word is not first place and does not hold the highest authority in your life, He wants to bring you to true repentance and save you (Mk. 8:38; Jn. 8:47; 2 Tim. 2:16). Jesus is coming for those who are looking to and for Him alone and no mere human (Eph. 5:25-27; Heb. 9:28; 1 Jn. 2:28-3:3). Idolatry is a soul-damning sin (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5). Those who will be saved worship Jesus Christ alone and therefore have no idol in their heart (Ezek. 14:3; Eph. 5:5-9; 1 Jn. 5:20-21).

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=260772221

http://www.pfo.org/wan-star.htm

http://www.forgottenword.org/meyers.html

http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac17.htm

http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/meyer/wants.htm

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=FCF21NNU

http://more.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/special/joycemeyer.nsf/0/c5099399d2fcc5fa86256ddf00661c5f?OpenDocument

A great review of the Shack

Focusing on just three of the subjects William
Young discusses in The Shack, we’ve seen that
errors abound. He presents a false view of God
and one that may well be described as heretical. He
downplays the importance and uniqueness of the Bible,

subjugating it or making it equal to other forms of
subjective revelation. He misrepresents redemption
and salvation, opening the door to the possibility of
salvation outside of the completed work of Jesus Christ
on the cross. We are left with an unbiblical
understanding of the persons and nature of God and of
His work in this world.
But this is not all. The discerning reader will note
as well that the author muddies the concepts of
forgiveness and free will. He introduces teaching that is
entirely foreign to the Bible, often stating with certainty
what is merely speculative. He oversteps the bounds of
Scripture while downplaying the Bible’s importance. He
relies too little on Scripture and too much on his own
theological imaginings.
All this is not to say there is nothing of value in
the book. However, it is undeniable to the reader who
will look to the Bible, that there is a great deal of error
within The Shack. There is too much error.
That The Shack is a dangerous book should be
obvious from this review. The book’s subversive
undertones seek to dismantle many aspects of the faith
and these are subsequently replaced with doctrine that
is just plain wrong. Error abounds.
I urge you, the reader, to exercise care in reading
and distributing this book. The Shack may be an
engaging read but it is one that contains far too much
error. Read it only with the utmost care and concern,
critically evaluating the book against the unchanging
standard of Scripture. Caveat lector!

I encourage you to read the entire review here:

http://www.justinpeters.org/The_Shack.pdf

WAY BEYOND THE MAN OF YOUR DREAMS:

HELP FOR SINGLE MOMS

I have been reading a wonderful book called "Women Counseling Women" Biblical Answers to Life's Difficult Problems by Elyse Fitzpatrick, General Editor. The Lord has truly been working in and through me as I continue to find such useful help as I learn the answers from life's difficult problems from a Biblical point of view. I praise God for teaching me these things. At times "I wish" that I found these answers "long ago". But God in His Sovereignty has me learning them now at age 36 as a single working mom. I want to share Chapter 12 from this book with you. It has taught me to trust God with my future and to rest in knowing that THIS is His plan for me. My hope is in Him and He TRULY is all that I need in this life. The most important thing that I've learned from this most powerful and life changing chapter is that God alone is the source of all I need because He is the source of life!!!!!

I pray that you too, will be blessed and encouraged as I share with you this chapter that has been such an encouragement to me. This section was written by Lynn Denby. She lives in Simi Valley, California, with her husband, Dennis, with whom she enjoys traveling and hiking. After homeschooling their three children through high school, she had the privilege of completing her MA in biblical counseling at The Master's College. She has a passion for counseling women one-on-one and leading small-group Bible studies. Presently, as part of her church's women's ministry board, she is helping to oversee spiritual growth and prayer among the women at her church.

~Chapter 12~

When Cherie finally made it into bed, she collapsed from exhaustion. She didn't know how she and her children would make it. This was all just too much. There were overdue bills, the bathroom sink was barely draining, the car engine check light had just turned on, her son wanted to join Little League, and her daughter needed new shoes for school.

How could she possibly be both mother and father for her children? What had happened to her dream of raising a family together with her husband? It had already been two years since the divorce, but she still was not coping much better than right after David announced he was leaving her for someone else. At times she was consumed by anger and resentment over being left to raise the kids alone. She just wanted some time for herself without all of this responsibility. Was that asking too much?

Gabrielle, too, struggled with being a single mom. She thought she and her boyfriend would be together forever, but they split up when the fighting got to be to much. She felt guilty for shuttling the girls between two homes and often felt envious when she saw what appeared to be happy couples together. The lives of others looked so much easier to her than her own.

Latoya, a successful career woman, purposely chose to become a single mother, but raising a child alone had proven to be more challenging than she had imagined. Between working full-time and caring for her son, she had little time to spend with friends or pursue her own interests, and she felt so lonely, starved for adult companionship.

Amber found herself in a situation she had never imagined. She and her husband had been happily married for 15 years when he was suddenly killed in a car accident. Her life was shattered. She was consumed by fear and worry as she tried to support her three children. How would she ever earn enough money and where would she find the time to give each child the attention they needed? She often found herself wallowing in self-pity as she trudged along facing what seemed like impossible demands on her.

Struggling Single Moms

Cherie, Gabrielle, Latoya, and Amber are all struggling. The feelings they wrestle with are feelings common to many women. Yet the fact they are all single mothers makes their struggles much harder. Whether by divorce, the death of a spouse, the break-up of a relationship, or by choice, single mothers face a difficult task. In the midst of raising their children, they may grapple with loneliness, guilt, grief, self-centerdness, anger, resentment, fear, worry, envy, and self-pity.

At times these emotional responses are God-given human reactions to life experiences. God made us feel guilt when we break His law, to feel fear when our lives are in danger, and to feel righteous anger when we see evil. Grief and loneliness can also be normal responses to loss and isolation.

However, sometimes our sinful nature takes what God has given for our good and turns in into self-oriented, sinful responses. We can become angry and worried when we are not getting our way. We might feel guilt over shortcomings or wrong actions or struggle with envy when we see others getting what we want. These self-oriented, sinful responses, however, can be turned into the fruit of God's Spirit (joy, hope, peace, etc.) as we learn how to trust in God and change our thoughts, especially when we change what we think about God Himself.

You Are Not Alone

As a single mom, you need to know that you are not alone in your struggles. God is with you, ready to help, support, guide, strengthen, and encourage you. He wants to be, and can be for you, way beyond any "man of your dreams." God is faithful, loving, involved, and supportive of His children. God can be trusted to be with you and for you (Romans 8:31-39). But, as in any relationship, we can only trust someone to the point that we know them, so we need to get to know God better (2 Peter 3:18).

What Do You Really Know About God?

What people know about God most often comes from what they were taught as children or how God is portrayed in the media. You may wonder if God is even real if you've been taught all your life that God does not exist. You may have heard people describe God as a cosmic killjoy or a stern judge who is waiting for you to have fun or make a mistake so He can zap you. Or do you think of God as being disinterested, more like the way Morgan Freeman portrayed Him in the movie Bruce Almighty, wanting to take a break and leaving the universe in the hands of someone like Bruce?

Our human ability to comprehend God is limited (Isaiah 55:8-9). We must be careful to not create a "God of our own understanding," but instead to seek to know the true God as He is revealed to us in His Word, the Bible. While some qualities about God are visible in His physical creation (Romans 1:19-20), most of what we can know about God comes from the Bible. It is filled with descriptions about God. You might find yourself surprised by what the Bible has to say about who God is and what He is like.

God is Knowable

God is knowable because He has chosen to stay involved with His creation (Acts 17:27-28(. The Bible is the story of God reaching down to communicate to His creation the truth about Himself. In the Bible, we can learn about what God has done and about His character. This allows us to know Him, learn to trust Him, and live livest that please Him.

We learn about God and get to know Him as we read His Word and live by faith, trusting He will do and be what He has said. Our faith in God can only be as strong as what we know about the character of God. The stronger our faith, the more we will experience God's peace, joy, and hope, as opposed to being ruled by sinful responses such as fear, anger, and envy. But before we look at specific character qualities found in God, it is important for us to understand how our thought patterns can affect us.

What Does It Matter What We Think?

Our Thoughts Affect Our Feelings ~ What we think about greatly impacts what we do and how we feel. It is not our circumstances that lead to our feelings; it is what we are thinking about our circumstances that produces our feelings. Perhaps that is a new thought for you. So again, what you tell yourself about your circumstances will determine how you feel about your circumstances. As you look at your circumstances through the lens of who God says He truly is, you will view them differently, and then begin to feel differently.

Feelings Are Not Facts

We frequently live as though our feelings are facts, but our feelings, are not facts. It is possible for use to feel something that is based on a lie. For example, you may feel God could not possibly forgive you for some of the things you have done in your past. yet that is a lie, because God's Word clearly tells us that when we confess our sin God is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:9). Because our thought influence our feelings and our feelings so often affect how we live, it is essential for us to make sure we are thinking only those things that are true (Philippians 4:8).

Changing Our Feelings

Our feelings can change when we change our thoughts. While it is natural for us to think about the people and events connected with our circumstances, thinking about our circumstances can often lead to negative emotions. Negative emotions produce confusion, indecision, panic, and bad decisions, and keep us from positive, God-centered emotions and attitudes such as peace, joy, contentment, and thankfulness.

Choose to Think About God

We must choose to turn away from negative thoughts and instead focus our thought on who God is and what He is doing in our lives. This may feel like a battle at times (Galatians 5:16-24), but we're not alone in this battle. We can ask God to help us change what we think about. The Bible tells us to "take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). We are to "set {our} mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth" (Colossians 3:2).

Right Thinking About God

With the help of the Spirit of God, we can turn wrong thinking and sinful responses into right thinking and the peace and joy we long for. As we think about God more than about our circumstances, we can grow in hope, encouragement, trust, and understanding. We can work at putting our focus onto the facts of God's presence, God's purposes, and God's person.

God's presence: As a single mom, you need to remember that you are not alone in your struggles. God is always with you. All that God is and all of His character qualities are always present with you. Remember, He wants to be and can be way beyond what any "man of your dreams" could offer

God's purposes: Seek to remember God's purposes for your circumstances. God uses suffering and difficulties in your life to develop your character, to provide what you need, to mature and complete you, and to make you useful to others so you can bring honor to Him (Romans 5:1-3, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; James 1:2-4 1 Peter 1:3-9).

God's person: Think about what God is like. God is loving, involved, and supportive of His children. You can trust God to stay with you and care for you (Romans 8:31-39).

The more you know about God, the more you will want to follow Him, trust Him, choose His ways, and rest in Him, because you will see His love for you and His wisdom and power on your behalf. As you turn your thoughts to God by faith and obedience, you can rejoice in His presence, purposes, and person even in the midst of painful trials. You can begin to view your situation as a gift from God that allows you to learn more about yourself and about God than you would be able to do otherwise. This kind of faithful obedience is pleasing to God.

If you want to work at changing your thoughts about God and turning your self-oriented sinful response into God-centered thoughts and actions, you will need to learn more about God from the Bible. Let's take a look at some of what the Bible says about God and how knowing more about God can make a difference in how you face your struggles as a single mom. Along the way, you'll find verse references that allow you to look in the Bible for yourself and see what it says about God.

How Knowing About God Can Help You

When Facing Loneliness

Raising children alone can consume all the time you have. The loneliness you feel may not come so much from a lack of having people around you, but rather a lack of close companionship with someone whom you can share your life with. You may feel isolated,unconnected, and invisible. When you struggle with loneliness, remember God is always with you, and He desires to have a close relationship with you.

REMEMBER God Is ALWAYS WITH YOU

God did not create this world and then leave us alone to fend for ourselves. He created us and has stayed close by. He is close enough to see you, hear you, and help you (Psalm 23). God is close enough to not only see what is going on around you, but to also "see" what is going on inside you (Psalm 139:1-4).

You can count on God to stay close: "My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in" (Psalm 27:10); and, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" Hebrews 13:5). Before leaving His disciples here on earth, Jesus comforted them with these words: "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

REMEMBER GOD WANTS A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU

The Bible tells us that God is not only near to us, He has also made Himself accessible to us (John 14:23; Romans 5:1-2). The Old Testament speaks of us being able to dwell in His presence (Psalm 16:11; 23:6; 65:4). God has made it possible for us to have a relationship with Him through Christ (John 14:6; 1 Peter 3:18), and we can draw near to God with boldness (Hebrews 4:14-16).

In John 15, Jesus makes it clear He wants us to abide with Him or stay closely united with Him. When you find yourself feeling lonely, remember you are never alone, for God is always with you. The God of all creation wants to have a close relationship with you and give you all that He knows you need.

When Wrestling with Guilt

As a single mom, you may feel guilt over how you became a single mother, not having a father in the home for your children, or not having enough money or time. Whether you feel guilty because of wrong you have done or because you feel inadequate, remember that God is compassionate and forgiving, not wanting you to live overwhelmed with guilt.

REMEMBER GOD IS COMPASSIONATE AND MERCIFUL

God does not sit back and wait for you to mess up so He can pounce on you. God is described as being "rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2:4) and "compassionate and gracious" (Psalm 103:8). for God to be compassionate or merciful means that He feels concern for you and desires to help you in your difficulties, even if you might be to blame for some of the problems in your life.

Jesus illustrates the compassion of God in the story of the prodigal son. Despite all the wrong things the son had done, the father longingly waited and watched for the son, running out to greet him and celebrating when he returned (Luke 15:22-24). That God is compassionate means you can trust Him to stick with you and tenderly help you.

REMEMBER GOD IS FORGIVING

God, who is merciful, made possible our forgiveness through the life, death, and resurrection of His Song (Ephesians 2:4-7; Colossians 2:13-14; Titus 3:4-7). To forgive means to remove our sin from us. We are told about god's forgiveness in many places throughout the Bible, such as Psalm 86:5, 103:12, 130:3-4, and 1John 1:0.

When you are wrestling with guilt, remember that it is God's forgiveness, and only God's forgiveness, that can take away your guilt. Go to God, confess your sin, and receive God's compassionate forgiveness. Then continue to remember He has mercifully forgiven you.

When Working Through Grief

Single mothers frequently deal with the death of a dream--the dream of raising their children with their father. If this is true for you, when you are working through grief, remember that God is your loving, faithful comforter.

REMEMBER GOD IS LOVING

We are told in the Bible that "God is love" (1 John 4:8). Loving is not something God does, but is something God is. The Bible tells us that God loves His children (1 John 3:1; 4:16). This great love God has for you is a constant and enduring kind of love--nothing can separate you from Him (Romans *:31-39).

God took the initiative to love you when you were unlovable (Romans 5:8). his greatest act of love for you was when He sent His Son to pay the penalty for your sin( John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10). God's love draws you to Him (Jeremiah 31:3), and is is His love that is the basis for everything that He does for you (Romans 8:31-32).

REMEMBER GOD IS FAITHFUL

God is a faithful God (Deuteronomy 7:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Timothy 2:13). To be faithful means that God is dependable, reliable, and trustworthy. God never lies (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2). If God has said it, He will do it. You can absolutely count on Him.

REMEMBER GOD IS YOUR COMFORTER

The Bible declares God to be the "God of all comfort" (2 Corinthians 1:3). It also describes God as comforting His children like a mother (Isaiah 66:13) and a shepherd )Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:11). God can comfort you in your pain and sadness because His Son,, Jesus, can "sympathize with {your} weakness." He's intimately acquainted with all your sorrow because He lived as a man on earth for over 30 years and experienced sorrows Himself (Hebrews 4:14-16).

When you are working through grief over the losses in your life, remember to turn to God for His loving, faithful comfort. While the people and circumstances of your life may be unreliable and continually changing, God is not. You can depend on Him to stay with you and help you. He will follow through and do what He has said in His Word. You may feel great sorrow, but God is with you to soothe your pain and give you the courage and strenth you need to face your trials.

When Battling Self-centeredness

The inherent self-centerednesss of our own hearts is encouraged by our culture, which tells us to put ourselves first. But God did not create us to be the center of our lown lives. When battling with self-centerednesss, remember that God is our Creator and worthy of our worship.

REMEMBER GOD IS YOUR CREATOR

Your thoughts about God must begin at the beginning. The first words in the Bible are, "In the beginning, God created..." (Genesis 1:1). God is your Creator, and you are His creation: "Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his: we are his people" (Psalm 100:3).

As Creator, God is to be the center, the focal point of everythihng in our lives. As Romans 11:36 says, "From him and through him and to him are all things. T him be glory forever. Amen." Recoginzing God as your Creator will change how you live. The world and your flie are not random happenings but instead have purpose--His purpose (Isaiah 43:7; Epheisian 2:10). See out what God says in the Bible about how you are to live as His creation.

REMEMBER GOD IS WORHTY OF YOUR WORSHIP

Being our Creator makes God the one most worhty of our worship. To be worthy is to have value. The Creator, by nature, has more value than His cration. God's value is demonstrated to us by all he does on our behalf (Psalm 18:1-3). This seems so obvious, yet we do not readily live out these truths. We most often live self-centeredly, as though we are the creators of our won lives, and that our lives are for us and for our purposes and desires. Yet such self-centeredness is self-worship. God tells us plainly why He created us: for his glory (Isaiah 43:7, 1 Cortinthians 10:31). To give glory to God is to give God the attention, repect, adoration, and deoviton He so deserves.

When you are battling self-centeredness, remember that your life is not about you, or what you want, need, or think you deserve. Your life, as the creautre, is to worship your Crreator . Psalm 95:6 calls you to worship "the LORD, [your] Maker." Only when you turn first to worship and honor God as your worthy Creator will you be able to turn away from a self-oriented life.

When Filled with Anger and Resentment

You may feel anger and resentment toward your children's father, toward your children, or toward otherws who are not giving you the help you so desperately need. When filled with anger and resentment, remember that God is in control of everything in this world and he is good.

REMEMBER GOD IS IN CONTROL

As the Creator, God is the sovereign ruler over all things (Psalm 103:19; Daniel 4:17). What happens in your life does not happen by chance. No one is able to surpirse God or in any way mess up His perfect plans for your life (Job 42:1-2; Proverbs 16:4,9). In the Bible, we see how God is in control of all that happens--even in the worst circumstances. For exapmlle, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Then he ended up in prison. AFter years of adversity, God then raised up Joseph as a ruler under the Pharaoh of Egypt. This made it possible for Joseph to help his people when famine struck the Middles EAst. Joseph recognized that while his brothers had meant him harm, God was in control and had directed the painful cirucustances in his life in order to work out His purposes (Genesis 50:20).

REMEBER GOD IS GOOD

This God who is in control over everything is also good (psalm 86:5; 100:5). It is not at all in His character to harm us. you can know that His involvement in your life is for your benefit even when you cannot understand what He is doing.

When you feel angry and resentful over what is happening to you, or when you are not getting your way, remember that God, who is good, is in control. No sitatuion or person (not even your ex!) can interefere with God's good plans for you (Ephesians 1:3-12). Thought you might not get your ways, you can be assured that God is getting His way. You can tkae comfort by remmeber "that for those who love God all things work together for good" and that God's best good for us is that we would become more like His Son (Romans 8:28-29).

When overcome by Fear and Worry

Whether from real threats or from what you think might or could happen, fears and worry can overwhelm you as a single mom. You can fear for your children's safety or worry about how you will pay all of the bills. When you are fearful and worried, remember that God is your powerful protector.

REMEMBER GOD IS POWERFUL

God rules over His creation by His great power (2 Chronicles 20:6; Psalm 66:7). He has the power to accomplish whatever He wills (Jeremiah 32:27; Matthew 19:26). he demonstrated His power when He created the world (Jeremiah 10:12; 27:5) and when He raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20).

REMEMBER GOD IS YOUR PROTECTOR

In the Bible, God is decribed as our fortress and our refuge (Psalm 18:2; 91:2). A fortress is a miliatry structure used for protection and defense against enemies. A refuge is our a sehlter of safety away from danger. Psalm 46 telss us that because God is our refuge and helper, we need not be afraid (veres 1-3).

When you are overcome by fear and worry, think about the power God used to create the universe. Then remember that He will use that power to do whatever He knows is right and good for you. Turn to God as your place of protection and saefty from whatever causes your fears.

When Struggling with Envy and Self-Pitty

Life is difficult. The extra challenges you face as a single mom can make life even tougher. It may seem like others around you are enjoying a much easier life, and you may find yourself struggling with envy and self-pity.

Envy is feeling deprived when you see others having what you feel you deserve to have yourself. Envy can easily lead to fault-finding, discontentment, rivalry, and hated. When filled with envy, our eyes are blinded to all that we do have, and we can only see what we are lacking. We also focus only on those who have more than we do, rather than those who have less.

To feel self-pity is to indulge in thoughts about how terrible your life is and about how unique and alone you are in your suffering. Self-pity asks, "Why me? Why this? Why now? " It comes out of a heart that is self-centered and ungrateful. When you find yourself simmering in envy and self-pity, remember that God is your just and wise provider.

REMEMBER GOD IS JUST

God is fair and does not play favorites (Deuteronomy 32:4; Daniel 4:37). God does not judge by appearnce or by personal prefences (Deuteronomy 10:17-18; Epheisians 6:9). When you find yourself thinking, This is not fair! remember that God truly is fair--although He only treats us kindly because He was unfair to His Son. What may appear as unfair to you is part of God's purpose. Remember what Isaiah 55:8-9 tells about God: His thoughts and ways are not like our thoughts and ways.

REMEMBER GOD IS WISE

Our wise God (Job 9:4) knows everything (Job 37:16). God knows all things becaue he created all (Job 38-41), He is everywhere (Psalm 139:11-12; Hebrews 4:13)..

REMEMBER GOD IS YOUR PROVIDER

Scripture paints the picture for us of God as our tender, sufficient provider: "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1). God alone is the cource of all we need because He is the source of all life. God is generous in His provision. We are told that He "graciously gives us all things" (Romans 8:32). Jesus came so we could "have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). God is "able to do far more abundantly thatn all that we ask or think"" (Epheisians 3:20).

When you are struggling with envy and self-pity, remember that God knows what you need, can provide what you need, and will provide what you neeed because of His wisdom, power, and love for you. When you are feeling left out or you must do without what others have, remember that God is wise and knows even better than you what you truly need, and He does not play favorites. He is not keeping back from you what you need to live joyfully before Him. When you struggle with envy and self-pity, think about how God is at work in ways you cannot see. When you cooperate with Him, God will use the trials and struggles in your life to provide for you in ways beyond what you can imagine (2 Corinthians 9:8; Epheisians 3:20).

Growing Closer to God

There is great hope for single mothers like Cherie, Gabrielle, Latoya, Amber, and you. God wants to come alongside you and be the primary relationship in your life. God is your compassionate forgiver, you loving and faithful comforter, your good ruler, your powerful protector, and your just and wise provider. He's way beyond "the mand of your drams," isn't He?

Today marks the 38th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade....the day it became legal to murder precious babies in their mothers womb. This decision has caused over 53,000,000 human beings to loose their lives.

~Join me in prayer~

Let us pray that our President and our nation would be turned towards truth, righteousness and justice in regards to the unborn.

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is a reward." -Psalm 127:3