If you are anything like me, you have had a lot more time on your hands recently. It is easy to get caught up in the latest trend on Netflix, scrolling through endless feeds of social media, or go for a walk (sometimes multiple) throughout the day. I have noticed in my life that I can scroll through social media for hours at a time and still not be filled or satisfied. To be quite honest with you, if I scroll for too long it is very easy to be filled with anxiety, fear, and even anger. Even when scrolling through positive posts, it is called a time filler because it fills up hours of your day but not your soul. I am sure that you can relate, we all have these time fillers that truly never meet what we really desire.
With all this God given ‘free’ time it is easy to say we are bored, but have we stopped to ask how he wants us to steward this time? God desires you to seek him wholeheartedly, drink deeply, and to taste and see that he is good. God desires you to ask him to see deep and hidden things that you did not know about him before. I believe that both you and I unintentionally fill up our schedules with things that truly do not satisfy. However, the Holy Spirit is nudging us both today to lay down the ‘junk food’ and fill ourselves up with what will always satisfy, living water and the bread of life!
Evidence that God wants to spend time with you is closer than your breath. He sent Jesus to pave the way but did not stop there. Through the Holy Spirit you have access to unbroken fellowship with God. God desires nothing more than to spend time with you. And this my friends is the beautiful truth of the Gospel.
Instead of turning on Netflix or Disney+, tuck yourself under the blankets with a notebook, your favorite colorful pens, and The Word of God. Listen to the audio bible. God wants you to know him more and more and is calling you to do exactly what he spoke in Jeremiah,
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.” -Jeremiah 33:3 CSB
We should should “set our affections on the things above, not the things of earth” (Colossians 3:2) and not be surprised that as our thoughts are fixed on HIM, that we will kept in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Holy Spirit gives us full access to the heart of God. When we wake up, in the bathroom, at the grocery store, when we go to bed, and even when we sleep God wants to speak and spend time with us.
As we seek him wholeheartedly we will find him, this is a promise throughout scripture. As schedules have cleared and life has been much different, go to the only one that will ever truly satisfy. There has never been a moment where I have looked back and thought I spent too much time spending time with God or was unfulfilled by doing his will. The truth is, Jesus spoke that his food was in fact ‘doing the will of God’ (John 4:34). Will you intentionally take the time today to spend more time with God? As my Grandma Dorsey always reminded me, she just wanted my time. God is speaking the same thing to us today. Let us both spend time wisely by doing what matters on heaven and earth by spending time with the one who desires to spend time with us most!
As a Child of God, you will never be able to please the world and the Lord at the same time. You will go through trials and tribulations and people will mock you and ask you “where is your God”. People will be used by the devil (remember, our fight is not against flesh and blood) to keep your fire dim so you will become just warm enough to be spit out of the Father’s mouth and him declare he never knew you. These are things that I wish I was taught, but I believe it is exactly what he wants me to make you aware of. Our enemy is prowling around like a lion, ready to pounce on his next prey. We must be aware of his schemes and deceptions that have been the same since the very beginning of time.
As a people pleaser, the very first sentence probably made you shriek. I was once a people pleaser and without my heart being in check with the Holy Spirit it would be an easy trap to fall back into. But people are just that, people. What we want to be after is the heart of God. For a while I listened to a lie from someone that I trusted whom I thought honored and lived for God. He told me I was “too zealous”. At that time I was living a life that I wanted to please man rather than God. I feared what other people thought. What I did not know was that the purpose of the enemy’s lie through this person was to dim my fire so much that I would become complacent and start to regress back to a place where when I was met with that Father, he would say he never knew me.
The truth is, God want his children to be completely and utterly SOLD OUT for him! The Kingdom of God does not operate as the world operates so do not be surprised if your faith seems out of this world. That is because it is! God wants his children to be zealous. To be zealous means to burn with emotion, being red hot, spirit filled to serve the Lord. As I was warned to not be “ too zealous”, I am here to speak the truth in love. Be aware of not being zealous enough. Be aware of the schemes of the devil to try and put out the fire and love for God that consumes you. What he does not want you to know is that it is contagious and can set the world on fire for God!
Me listening to man’s opinion rather than the heart of God is where I went wrong. This seems so obvious to say but there is a reason why I must speak of it now. I was completely unaware of how the devil was using this person to plant seeds of doubt and mislead me. I have since this incident forgiven the person who spoke this and pray for him every single day. We must hear the heart of the Father louder than what the world is speaking. Some examples in scripture of how people pleasing can be so damaging can be found in the Psalms and life of King David.
“Because of my love for you, Lord,
I have been mocked, cursed, and disgraced.
Even my own brothers, those of my family,
act as though they don’t want anything to do with me.
My love for you has my heart on fire!
My passion consumes me for your house!
Nothing will turn me away,
even though I endure all the insults of those who insult you.
When they see me seeking for more of you with weeping and fasting,
they all just scoff and scorn at my passion.
When I humble myself with sorrow over my sin,
it gives them a reason to mock me even more.
The leaders, the influential ones—how they scorn my passion for you!
I’ve become the talk of the town, the theme of drunkards’ songs.
But I keep calling out to you, Yahweh!
I know you will bend down to listen to me,
for now is the season of favor.
Because of your faithful love for me,
your answer to my prayer will be my sure salvation.”
-Psalms 69:8-13 TPT
The people closest to David, his family, and the most influential leaders were mocking him for his ‘zeal’. If David listened to man rather than God, where would we be now in history? If Noah never built the ark because he listened to others more than God, would we even exist? David continued to call out to God and lived a life that is now known generations later. What other people think reflects their heart. We will not be held responsible for what other people spoke to us. But, we will be held accountable on the motive of our hearts. Our perfect example, Jesus Christ flipped over tables because zeal for his Father’s house consumed him (see John 2:17). You can see that if we listen to man and do things based on people pleasing rather than being obedient to God, history could be a lot different than what it is now. Losing the fear of man is essential to fulfilling the purposes that God has had for you since the beginning of time.
My question for you today, I want you to prayerfully ask Holy Spirit.
What is your heart’s motive?
This blog is called Let Love Be My Motive because I want God’s children to rise up with the sole motive of loving God with all their heart, mind, and strength and loving others because we will be known by our love.
I write about people pleasing today because I have dealt with the ramifications of choosing what looks good in the eyes of man rather than what may look silly to man but is obedient to God. God wants us to drop the agenda of man, including ourselves and run with zeal, being sold out and passionately pursuing the purposes he has had for us since the beginning of time.
Will you join me in turning away from complacency and the fear of man, and turn in the right direction by boldly pursuing God with all your heart? Will you Let Love Be Your Motive?
More Scripture To Meditate On:
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.So then, because you are lukewarm, and neithercold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.Because you say,‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel youto buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; andwhite garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.As many as I love, I rebuke andchasten.Therefore bezealous and repent.Behold,I stand at the door and knock.If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.To him who overcomesI will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” -Revelation 3:15-22 NKJV
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. –Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NKJV
For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. -Galatians 1:10 CSB
Title: For All Who Wander-Why Knowing God Is Better Than Knowing It All
Author: Robin Dance
Publisher: B&H Publishing
ISBN: 9781433643088
Price: $16.99 (B&H Publishing Website)
Study Guide Information:
ISBN: 9781535979849
Price: $9.99 (B&H Publishing Website)
For All Who Wander, written by Robin Dance an (in)courage author is targeted at specific audience and I believe that this is key to enjoying this book to its full capacity. The book is mainly about moving from a place of checking off the boxes of religion and growing into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I also had the study guide, that went along with each chapter of For All Who Wander. Both were generously provided by B&H Publishers for this review.
This book for me, was less about wandering and more about actually finding out who God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit actually are outside of religion and through a personal relationship. I believe Robin Dance’s words and the Word Of God have the capacity to challenge those who have grown up in church and think they know God to transitioning into really knowing him. As Robin Dance said throughout the book, she was one of those Christian’s that had to do this. She talks about a couple interesting subjects such as testimony envy and her college life friends that ultimately brought her to a relationship with Jesus. Topics that I believe are important and necessary but are targeted at a specific audience.
When I read the description of the book I was led to believe this was going to be a book that was going to be about unbelief in the sense of someone going through suffering and needing help to stand in faith. However, the unbelief Dance was talking about was no longer going through the Sunday school motions and into an intimate relationship with Jesus. She does touch on suffering but as I said, I do not feel that I was the targeted audience that this book is meant for.
Overall, I believe this book is very well written for what and who the book actually pertains to. It is not only through the blood of the lamb, but the power of our testimony. Robin Dance vulnerably shares with you how she went from a place of religion to a beautiful relationship with God. The only critiques I have are for the description of the book itself and in the study guide there should be more practical applications. There was one “resolve” that called me to plant an herb garden. The motive behind why she wanted you to plant the herb garden was beautiful. However, it just was not practical. For this I would give For All Who Wander, 3 starts out of 5. I would recommend this book to anyone who grew up in church or feels like they are just going through the motions of Christianity. Like Robin Dance displays throughout the pages, Jesus wants to take you deeper into a relationship with him! This book and of course the Word Of God is a great place to start!
Thank You:
A huge thank you for generously supplying both For All Who Wander and the Study guide straight to my mailbox. The quality of the books sent is always superb. Thank you for the opportunity to share many books with the audience here at Let Love Be My Motive. Also a huge congratulations to Robin Dance in her endevour of publishing this book. I know that you are going to be planting seeds to transform the hearts of many.
For those of you who are going through suffering and it seems to be sorrow upon sorrow, I first want to say that you are not alone. We have been taken through the valley and it has tested our foundation of faith, our roots, and have pruned off what is not fruitful in the eyes of eternity. As I write this, my heart is troubled. But I do know one thing, the Word of God will never fail.
It is so important what we intentionally feed ourselves. This is especially true through times of suffering. Many times we often want to blame ourselves, others, or even God for the hand we have been dealt. Sometimes it seems like we have been given a pretty crappy hand. We see across the board of churches that seem to preach the prosperity message but leave out the book of Job. When we look, we see in the bible many people who went through deep times of grief where they shaved their heads, were covered in ashes, and tore their sackcloth. Why are we, as the church, so quiet about the process?
I have always been told that I “share too much”, “too open”, and “not everyone needs to know that”. But, the more I press into God, the more I hear Holy Spirit say he desires us to share what is truly going in our hearts. Not just with him, but with those who are relentlessly chasing after God. He has shown me that the church is a living organism, we need one another. The gifts the Holy Spirit has given you, the trials you have been through, and the testimony you have to share may be exactly what I need in this season. What you have been through or age going through right now could be the very thing to encourage me to get me through. Are you willing to share?
There are two things that Holy Spirit has led me to do today through this post. The first thing is to let you know that you are not alone in your suffering. To encourage you to share what you are going through with boldness and without shame, dropping the fear of what other people may think. When we do this, we have the opportunity to get the support we really need. When we put up walls, it may feel like we can keep hurt and rejection out. In reality those walls keep love and healing out too. God uses people to display his love. Just as he wants to use you, he wants to use others to help you.
Last but certainly not least, I want to leave things off by giving you what is essential as food and water, the Word of God. I want to share with you a couple scriptures that I have been holding onto and declaring in hopes that you can hold onto some of them and seek out God and the promises he is speaking to you.
What I Have Been Meditating On:
To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory. -Isaiah 61:3 NLT
Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? -Romans 8:32 NLT
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. -Psalms 34:8:10 NKJV
If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath. -Psalms 34:18 MSG
Psalm 34 (THE WHOLE THING)
Whenever trouble strikes, I will keep crying out to you,
for I know your help is on the way. -Psalms 86:7 TPT
May the thought of this cause you to jump for joy, even though lately you’ve had to put up with the grief of many trials. But these only reveal the sterling core of your faith, which is far more valuable than gold that perishes, for even gold is refined by fire. Your authentic faith will result in even more praise, glory, and honor when Jesus the Anointed One is revealed. -1 Peter 1:6-7
As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. -James 5:10-11 NRSV
There are many times as we are walking with God he is calling us to a deeper place. We are faced with trials at the surface but God is just using these circumstances to go deeper. A deeper place of fellowship, faith, and trust in him. As I was studying The Prophet Elijah and his faith, the Holy Spirit revealed something so significant about his provision that I am writing this at 1am. (Lord, have mercy with these typo’s).
In 1 Kings 17, Elijah tells Ahab that the Lord is no longer sending rain due to Israel’s worship of baal and a fertility God they believed could bring rain. After Elijah spoke this to Ahab he went into hiding and God brought him provision through raven’s, bread, meat, and water each day until it ran out. After this, he was directed to a Gentile woman and her son. She did not have much, only some oil and flour. It is really only enough for her and her son to eat and soon die.
Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, for this is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land.’” -1 Kings 17:13-14 CSB
There is a promise of provision for the Gentile for now, by her obedience of bringing Elijah a small loaf to feed on. While there is another promise I did not see until now, there will be provision later for her when the Lord sends rain. I am going to skip a lot of important details you should read later if you haven’t read 1 Kings 18 for the sake of keeping this short and not getting off track. However, we see that there is no cloud in sight.
Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a rainstorm.” So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel. He bent down on the ground and put his face between his knees. Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.” So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” -1 Kings 18:41-43 CSB
Seven times, Ahab went to look for rain and could not find ANYTHING. Can you imagine the widow in Chapter 17? Where is the promise of God of rain so my son and I can eat? Often times, I think we can be like this with God. There is no hope in sight of what God has promised, yet God continues to tell us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking and knocking seven more times. However, I do think that the widow, could reflect on how God provided the time before and this gave her hope.
When we are needing a miracle and waiting on the promises of God to come to pass, it is important that we continue with perseverance and unashamed boldness. God is not reluctant to provide what we need. He is such a good father that he is going to have us wait until the perfect time. Waiting on his perfect timing may stretch us and have us press into his presence a little more. In the end he wants to take us deeper into understanding who he truly is. I would imagine that the widow reflected on the time before that God had came through for her had provided. I would imagine that she thanked him for this and praised him in advance for what he was about to do. After all, God’s word cannot come back unfruitful.
“On the seventh time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming up from the sea.”-1 Kings 18:44 CSB
Can you imagine this small cloud giving so much hope to the widow? When God’s promises come to pass there is such great joy. However, I do think we can learn something from 1 Kings 17 & 18 other than what is blatantly written. God promised to provide for her then if she obeyed and promised provision in the future and God has promised us the same. In the unknown, we can reflect on who God is and what he has already done. We can intentionally continue giving him thanks for all he has already done and praise him for the faithfulness he continues to show, ever before we see the small cloud come up from the sea. Faith takes knowing who God is and that he does everything out of the abundance of who he is, love. If you do not have the right perception of who God is it will be hard to trust that the rain will ever come.
Take this time to understand that God does not go out and wing it. He is a God of order. When it feels like the rain is never going to come, remember the faithfulness that he has done in the chapter before and thank him for this. Your rain will come, but for now we must thank him for the faithful father that he is. Trust in his goodness and know that it sometimes takes some extra knocking, for Ahab seven times of going back, for us to see the promises of God fulfilled. We must not give up. Knowing that God is always on time.
What you {think} goes to your {heart}. What is in your {heart} you will {speak}. What you {speak} determines your path.
What is your thought life?
Make it obedient to Christ by meditating on and therefore speaking on what is true, The Word of God! Join me starting today to be super intentional about your thought life, making them obedient to Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you take thoughts captive and replace them with the truth of God’s Word. Instead of binge watching netflix, watch a sermon or the bible project. Instead of reading a book that has imaginary characters, read a book that feeds your spirit. Pray for our nation and whoever Holy Spirit leads you to while you take a walk. Instead of spending hours scrolling through social media, feed on what will soothe your soul, God’s Word. Will you join together with me by intentionally taking your thoughts captive and feeding yourself what is honorable, lovely, and praiseworthy?
•Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. Proverbs 4:23 CSB
•Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! James 3:3-5 NKJV
•Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21 NKJV
•My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding. Psalms 49:3 NKJV
With many unknowns in the world right now, many are filled with anxiety and fear of what may come next. Thankfully while there are alot of things we do not know, we do have God whom all things were created for him and through him. God does have the answers. We also have the Word of God which is filled with promises to those who believe. We are encouraged to meditate on things that are pure, lovely, commendable, and praiseworthy. The Word of God is certainly all those things. Remember that just as what you digest in food fuels your body, your spirit is fed the same way.
This year, our family has faced alot of trials and tribulations ever before March came along. But through all the questions and sufferings, God’s faithfulness has revealed itself time and time again. The Word of God has came to fruition and our love for God has drawn deeper than ever before. One of the biggest area’s he has shown his faithfulness in is the area of provision. I have wanted to write about this for the past 2 months. But Holy Spirit has made it clear that now is the time to share. Maybe you have lost your job through unforseen circumstances that has been sweeping the globe or maybe you are not sure when the next pay check will come in, or maybe you are a small buisness owner and the numbers are not adding up. This one is for you…
On December 31st the Holy Spirit had led me to quit my job as a Store Manager and write full time. So, on January 21st we were blindsided in more than one way when a man just trying to get home from work, stopping for snacks slammed into my side of the car. We were on our way to church after we had met up for boba tea, it was dry and clear when the wreck happened. There was no reason this should have happened. We crawled out of the car with the help of a woman who ran from across the street and were greeted with the man who I could see was feeling condemned. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, what was in me came out. I proceeded to tell him that we forgave him, life happens, and I didn’t know what his finances looked like, but God would provide. There were alot of unknowns in this moment. There were sirens and lights everywhere. It was cold, I figured that’s why my nose was running. My knee and head were hurting, my husband was sitting on the curb, and our poor Rhonda the Honda was displayed all over Jackson street. I kneeled down and sat with my husband and began to pray the promises of God and his peace flooded over our soul.
The hospital visit will be another post. But we came out with minor injuries other than the concussion that left me a little fuzzy to say the least.
We got the news that Rhonda The Honda was totaled and we were down to one vehicle. The unknowns remained the same. We had no health insurance. How much were these bills going to be? How were we going to get the money? The Lord told me to quit, but should I go ask for my job back? Our car was upside down. Would insurance cover it? Everyone was telling us to sue, but is that biblical? That man needed forgivness and that was surely no way to show him redemptive love. But the Lord continued to meet us where we were at and reveal to us his promises again and again.
I want to share below some of the promises that he shared with us that we declared every single day, sometimes multiple times a day.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NKJV
Listen to my testimony: I cried to God in my distress and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears! Gaze upon him, join your life with his, and joy will come. Your faces will glisten with glory. You’ll never wear that shame-face again. When I had nothing, desperate and defeated, I cried out to the Lord and he heard me, bringing his miracle-deliverance when I needed it most. The angel of the Lord stooped down to listen as I prayed, encircling me, empowering me, and showing me how to escape. He will do this for everyone who fears God. Drink deeply of the pleasures of this God. Experience for yourself the joyous mercies he gives to all who turn to hide themselves in him. Worship in awe and wonder, all you who’ve been made holy! For all who fear him will feast with plenty. Even the strong and the wealthy grow weak and hungry, but those who passionately pursue the Lord will never lack any good thing. Psalms 34:4-10 TPT (and the rest of Psalms 34)
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10 NKJV
I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord , Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Psalms 121:1-3 NKJV
God will give swift justice to those who don’t give up. So be ever praying, ever expecting, just like the widow was with the judge. Yet when the Son of Man comes back, will he find this kind of persistent faithfulness in his people?” Luke 18:8 TPT
Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 CSB
There were many more. As I sought the Lord each time he spoke through his word and prayer. He was going to provide, he knew this was going to happen and he’s already made a way, and if I fixed my mind on what he was speaking, I would be filled with peace.
When we are going through hard times it is so easy to fill ourselves up with junk (social media, the news, what people think, ect.) but it is of great importance that we focus on what God is speaking.
God kept his promises to us. Our car may have been upside down but he answered our prayer to get out of debt and our car is paid in full through the accident. We didn’t have health insurance but our medical bills were paid due to the man at the accident taking fault at the accident through his honesty. I ended up getting paid through the job I quit months after the accident because they never took me out of the system. I called my previous boss and told them that I was still getting paid and he told me that he had already talked to HR and to keep the money and thanked me for my honesty. In turn I was able to share God’s faithfulness to provide with him and how he had been a vessel to provide for us in a time of need. Last but certainly not least, we did not sue but God still provided us money for the concussion and injuries we suffered.
There are a couple things I learned from this accident. One is that when hard times happen, what is in us comes out. We need to be constantly filling ourselves up with the ultimate truth, The Word Of God. If I wouldn’t have been filled up with the word it would’ve been easy to react in anger for the man hitting us. Yet, God’s love and forgiveness shown through to the man who just wanted to get home from work. The second thing that I learned from the accident is that faith is exactly what the word of God says, something we cannot see. We had no idea how God was going to work things out, we just knew he would because we had his promises and we believed he would come through for us.
I am not sure where you are right now or what you are dealing with. However, I know from experience that God is faithful and his word cannot come back void. Your job is not the ultimate provider, God is and he has promised to take care of you. Your health may seem like it is in shambles, but God has promised you not a Spirit of fear, or timidy, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Jesus took lashes upon his back for you to be healed and has promised through Psalms 91 Angel’s on assignment on your behalf.
Things could have turned out way worse in that accident. A concussion from cracking the windshield was not bad in comparison to what could’ve happened. Yet God my hedge of protection was with me and I am now healed of all injuries. Throughout healing from the TBI, I did not feel like myself but God continued to say “do you trust me?”. Today I believe he is saying the same thing to you, “Do you trust me?”. He is trustworthy, he is faithful, and has proved in my life that he can use anything he sees fit to provide. He does not have favorites and will do the same for you.
I challenge you to go into a quiet space and come boldly before the throne, laying all your concerns before him. There is where you will recieve his mercy and grace. Prayerfully dive into his word and grasp on to his promises, declaring them outloud throughout the day. Remember, they cannot come back void. God is willing to give you what you want and need, ask him. He does not do so reluctantly, he loves his children.
Grace Like Scarlett by Adriel Booker has been one of the pivotal tools to healing through the loss of our child. When I thought I was alone and my feelings I felt were out of the ordinary, I read through the pages Adriel poured her heart upon and the testimonies of the other women found within the pages. I was no longer alone, shame was no longer holding me captive, and I was well on my way to healing with Jesus’ hand interweaving with mine.
Grace Like Scarlett is a wonderful guide to help you grieve and begin to heal with absolutely no timeline attached. The pages are filled with grace and God’s love, from the very front all the way to the back. The book is not only memorable but easily relatable in one of the hardest journey’s you could possibly make as a woman.
I love that Adriel admits she is still healing and that grief is different for all of us. She reminds us to not compare our journey’s but to exhort one another. Another thing that I love about this book is that she always brings you back to the only one that can heal, Jesus Christ.
Everytime I thought the storm would consume me, his grace sustained me.
Adriel Booker (Grace Like Scarlett)
I was pleasantly suprised at the amount of tools that were given to not only the grieving Momma but the Father too. I believe the tools she placed in the back are a great bonus to the overall text of the book.
While I have finished reading Grace Like Scarlett for the very first time, it surely will not be my last. Throughout my personal healing journey from miscarriage I will be able to grab this and remember once again that I am not alone and where God is in the midst of all this.
Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5. I cannot put enough emphasis on how it has helped me heal and brought me closer to God during such a dark moment of my life. Adriel Booker points you to the silver linings of one if the hardest things you may ever endure as a woman, losing a child. If you or someone you know has went through or is going through the loss of a child, please give them this tool. I thank God that he has placed it in my lap to heal.
We love you Tater Tot and miss you every single day. We cannot wait to meet you in heaven. 03.01.2020 is the beginning of a redemption story that has yet to unfold. Loving and missing you always. -Momma & Daddy
**This book was not sponsored or given to be reviewed. I just loved it so much and believe in the words written on the pages that I had to share it with you!
“I promise you that as this wonderful gospel spreads all over the world, the story of her lavish devotion to me will be mentioned in memory of her.” -Mark 14:9 TPT
The statement above was right out of the mouth of Jesus. He was speaking about Mary after she has just received criticism for pouring a very expensive perfume all over the head of Jesus which in turn prepared him for burial that was soon coming forth. Wouldn’t you love for this to be apart of your testimony once your life passes away here on earth? Your devotion to God being so profound that it is talked about for generations to come. While I do not solely think being talked about for generations to come is a good motive. I do believe that our surrender to our heavenly father should be so deeply rooted in heaven’s bliss that others can’t help but realize that the God we serve is as good as it seems. Our devotion should express the deep love that he has for us and that we share in return.
If today was your last day here on earth, what would your hearts devotion say about you?
We see in the life of Mary that she constantly chose what Jesus said was important, laying at his feet (Luke 10:39-42) and devoting all she had to God even with the risk of criticism. Jesus is after the same thing he was many years ago, our whole heart. He does not just want a piece of our heart when it is convenient, he wants us to be unrelentless with our devotion to him.
This is going to look different for every single one of us. Which is why it is so important for your heart’s motivation to be pure! If we seek the applause of other’s this can bring us to shambles. In the case of Mary’s devotion, she received criticism from those closest to her, like her sister. This could have derailed what God had for Mary. But Jesus stood up for her once again in the midst of her laying all she had at his feet. Another example of this is the widow and the two coins.
Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had —all she had to live on.” -Mark 12:41-44 CSB
What the world would have saw as little, two coins, the Lord saw as all she had. Comparison has been the death of many dreams and stolen joy for ages. Let’s refuse together to not compare our journey with anyone else. The heart of Jesus repeats itself here. Jesus was after all she had, not just the left overs.
For me, ‘all I have’ is writing to you, investing in writing, taking care of my husband and our home. For you your “all I have” is going to look different, but is significant in the kingdom of God and in the heart of Jesus. I want you to encourage you today to give to him all you got! Our heavenly father see’s our heart and knows the role we have in his redemption story. May we take each day as an opportunity to grow in deep devotion towards our heavenly father, giving him all we have, and all of our hearts.
Reflection Question’s
Where does your devotion to the Lord stand right now?
How can you grow closer to the heart of the Father?
Why is it so important to not listen to the criticism’s of the world and focus on what Jesus is speaking?
The world is giving plenty of reasons for you to be fearful during this time. I know that the devil is trying his hardest for the bride of Jesus Christ to follow the rest of the world and shrink back in fear and doubt the goodness of God and his love for his chosen one’s. It is understandable for those who do not know Jesus to get caught up in fear, there is only one living hope and his name is Jesus. I can remember a time before I made Jesus, Lord that I was in a deep pit of depression and hopelessness. But as a believer, you no longer think things of the flesh that bring destruction, you fix your thoughts on the things of the spirit that gives life!
“For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.” -Romans 8:5-6 CSB
If you are in a place of fear my first question would be, what are you meditating on and what are you feeding yourself? Are you watching the news more than you are feeding yourself the word of God? One speaks to your flesh while the other speaks to the Spirit. While I do think it is wise to keep informed on what is going on. We should be seeking the one who knows all, sees all, and created all. Through the presence of God, hidden things are revealed. When we fix our eyes on HIM, we will be kept in perfect peace.
“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].” -Isaiah 26:3-4
Many are concerned about churches closing their doors. I want to remind you that churches began in homes, not the building we see today. We are as children of God, are the bride of Christ. WE ARE THE CHURCH. There is a reason that the body of Christ has so many parts but the same function. He has given us individual gifts for a time as this to come together in our homes and do what the church has always been called to do…PRAY, heal the sick, free the oppressed, worship GOD who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Just because many churches have been unable to gather in big numbers, does not mean that we should not be gathering in our homes. If two or more gather in HIS name, he is there WITH THEM. For more understanding in this, please read through Acts 2. It is here that we see the New Testament Church and the Holy Spirit falling like fire.
If you are fearful about being without, God is not one to leave you without. He knows what you need before you need it. Not only that but he is willing and able to supply all of your needs according to his riches and glory.
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” -Phillippians 4:19 NKJV
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” -Matthew 6:25-34 NKJV
If you do not know Jesus, as I said at the top, I can understand why you would be fearful. Jesus is the prince of peace and before I truly made him Lord I was scared, full of shame, hopeless, and in desperate need of saving. Thankfully if that is you, it is simple as believing and calling on the name of the Lord to be saved and these promises are yours!
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” -Romans 10:11-13 NKJV
The Holy Spirit has spoken to me that the devil wants the church to do nothing more than to look like the rest of the world. He wants to steal our hope and have us shrink back in fear and doubt the Love of God. I have wrote this on the terms of knowing that his weapon shall not prosper and his saints will rise up and speak the truth in love. If you are in fear, it is okay to ask God to help you with your unbelief. Darkness exposed to the light brings light! We see this in the case of the father and the son when he asks Jesus to help him with his unbelief (Mark 9:23-25). This article is written for the purpose of giving you some tools that can help you with combatting fear. Our enemy is not carnal and neither are our weapons.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. -2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
God is actively working everything out for the good for those who love him (Romans 8:28). There is no reason to fear with a God that is FOR you (Romans 8:31). While the world shrinks back in fear and chaos, may we as believers share the HOPE and PEACE found in Jesus Christ. May we actively share his love with those we meet on a daily basis, planting seeds of light in the darkness.
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us”. -1 John 4:17-19 NKJV
