Choke

Have you ever choked? I sure have many times. No, not physically, but spiritually.

Recently I heard a little bit of a preacher talking about how God asks us to do something but we “choke” and don’t do it. Just that little bit and I started thinking of the times at church or situations where I have choked.

I was talking to a lady the other day and she was sharing how she felt God wanted her to do something in her Bible study class. But she got afraid and did not do anything. She choked.

There are times when we have opportunities, open doors, to say something, to speak up, to testify. We might start out okay, but before we can finish, we choke. We stop. We don’t complete what we set out to do.

Part of it is fear. Like the time Peter was in a boat and asked Jesus to bid him to come where He was – out on the water. Jesus bid Peter to come. And Peter started walking on water. That took great faith. Of course Peter wasn’t doing it in his own strength. But after a while Peter choked. He got afraid and started sinking. And Jesus rescued him. What would have happened if Peter had not choked? How far would he have gone?

It is the same with us. What would happen if we did not choke? There is a song that says we are His body. We are His hands and feet. If we are His body, His hands, His feet and we choke, the world is missing out on what God wants to do for them through us.

I have started reading a book by Lysa TerKeurst titled “What Happens When Women Say Yes to God.” (I love her!) As I was reading the first chapter, the author tells a story about the first time she gave her Bible away. She felt God nudging her to do so. After hesitating for a brief moment, she said yes to God. That one act of obedience has had extraordinary results. But what if Lysa had choked and not given her Bible away? The countless lives would not have been touched in a spectacular way.

Let’s say yes to God – completely – all the way to the finish. Fear has no place. Let’s step out and lean hard on God and allow Him to use us to touch the world around us.

Let’s pray.
Father, help us not to choke. We desire to be women who say yes! Help us not to be afraid, but rather step out boldly and be Your body, Your hands, Your feet. Help us to touch those around us. Thank you Father for working in our lives and using us for Your glory. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Blessings,

Be Whole!

Mark 5:25-34:
25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Recently my husband taught on this passage of scripture and it really spoke to my heart. He said some things that I hadn’t really thought of.

I have talked about our prayers being answered completely. Today I want to talk to you about how we can be complete, whole.

In this story, we see a woman who has been sick a very long time. The Bible says that she spent all that she had and was no better (verse 26). This verse tells us so much. It tells us that she was desperate; that she probably went to see doctor after doctor for a cure; that she felt hopeless; that she was probably living in poverty now; that she was ridiculed, made fun of; she was isolated, probably had mind battles and so, so much more. Think about other ways she might have been feeling.

In verse 34 Jesus tells her that her faith has made her well, whole. When He tells her to be well, He brought salvation to her. When He tells her to be healed (whole in the KJV), He brings complete healing. He tells her to go in peace. This is not the same as wholeness of affliction. This is peace of what she is dealing with in life. So many times as we read this story, we only think about how Jesus healed her physically. But as we look more closely, we see that His words also spoke of healing her mind and her emotions. Jesus is interested in our emotional healing.

This is one example that God does care about our whole person. He cares that we are afflicted in some way. But He also cares about how that affliction affects us. God desires for us to be completely whole, not just part of the way, but completely.

Where are you at today? Are you suffering physically? Does that suffering affect you mentally or emotionally? Or are you suffering in some way emotionally? Or mentally? Know today that God cares about your whole person. He is there, ready to move on your behalf and speak to your whole being. Receive His words today: "Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague." (Mark 5:34 The Message) Receive healing of your mind and your emotions, as well as physically! Receive peace from what you are dealing with through your affliction. Be whole completely!

Blessings,

Donna

Seek to Love as God Loves

Today's devotion was written by Mary Davis, a woman in my church. I believe that she truly seeks to love as God loves. When we first started pastoring New Life, she reached out to me in love, and in doing so, I felt the love of God.


"For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16


Persis, a member of the early church, whose name means "one who takes by storm", "labored much in the Lord". Her labor was borne out of a heart of love for her Lord.


"Labored" in the above text means to feel fatigue by working intensely, and implies pain and weariness. This love is an action love, a love that transcends all other kinds of love and expresses the kind of love God is. Coupled with emotion and will, this love is the motivating force that breaks all barriers of complacency, birthing in the Christian a laboring love for our Lord.


This beautiful love knows no bounds, and sees only as God sees - the needs of the world.


Heavenly Father, may our love be a "laboring in love" like that of Persis. Father teach us to seek love's noble properties, practicing them in and among one another. Thank you Father, amen.



Submitted by Mary Davis.

Complete

The Bible tells us we are complete in Him, God. With that statement, so much can be said. Today I want to focus on our prayers.

This hit me one day while reading an email from a friend. Her dad had been very sick and in the hospital. We had been praying with her about several things with her dad. He was on medicine that made him hallucinate. He had several health issues that needed God's intervention. And he was going to move to a nursing home for rehab. This particular day her email was rejoicing and listing the many things God had done, had answered her prayer about her dad. As I read it, rejoicing with her, I realized that God took care of everything in our prayer – not just one item, or two, but all of it! He completed our prayer.

Last week I was talking to another lady, rejoicing with her about an answered prayer. Now this prayer, like the other one just discussed included many things. It was a tough situation . One item in her prayer was that the truth would come out. As I listened, I realized that God answered everything in that prayer – not just one item, or two, but all of it! He completed our prayer.

I began pondering all of this. I think that we sometimes are thankful if God does one item in our prayer. I can picture God ready to move on our behalf to answer everything in our prayer. So what happens? Do we give up?

The first lady prayed a week and seen the results. The second lady had been praying about the situation for just under a year. Yes, a year. She stood strong and continued praying and believing. This past week, she seen every item answered, every item.

These ladies received a full answered prayer, not half way.

I don’t know what you are praying for today. But I encourage you to not lose faith. God can and wants to answer your prayer completely. Continue to stand firm, believing, and you will see it all come to pass. Not just one item of our prayer, but all of it. And don’t settle for just one item answered. Continue until everything is answered.

Blessings,

Donna