Whats in a name?

18 Jun 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , ,

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ~1 John 3:2 (ESV)

What’s in a name? It is easy to see the names or labels we don’t like about ourselves. When I was ten and a teacher was waving my test paper and telling my mom that I was lazy for not spelling a word correctly that was at the top of the page, I interpreted the situation to mean that I was stupid. I didn’t “see” that the word was misspelled. The result of living with some things just not clicking has turned me into a very hard worker. That has at times come to benefit me. I have learned to work around the things that I cannot do. But the pain from moments like those can sometimes be a huge stumbling block when I find myself in new situations. It can cause stress when God calls me to go and do things out of my comfort zone and I worry about what all I won’t be able to “see”.

But then God reminds me that I am not seeing things correctly. That I need to see myself through His eyes. God does not see me as stupid. He sees that I am creative in my approach to problems. God does not see me as lazy. He understands when sometimes I don’t understand things. He is the One person who can see me so completely and still love me unconditionally. I am totally known by Him. God recognizes that I am not perfect. He loves me anyway. This total acceptance by Him leaves me in awe and wonder. How can someone see me as I am AND see me as all the possibilities I could be? I am not limited by what has come before me. I am not defined by what others say. I am a child of God. That is the name I claim today.

Dear God, thank You for making me a possibility. Thank You for believing in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. Walk with me this day and be the confidence I need to be Your hands and feet in this world. Turn my pain into sight. Fill the holes in my heart with Your love. Help me accept the things that You see as wonderful. Help me accept that I am uniquely Yours. Help me to hear when You say I am beautiful. Amen.

 

 

 

Faith to see yourself in God’s eyes

17 Jun 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

You are from God, little children, and you have defeated these people because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ~1 John 4:4

It is so easy to judge ourselves by what others think of us. I often forget that my true value is through God’s eyes. My value is not from the people who surround me. If I base my significance on what others think I can be lifted up as high as the sky by their praise or I can find myself plummeting quickly be their disapproval. This creates such a roller-coaster effect on my emotions and is very dangerous to my well-being.

Instead I need to look in the Bible to find my self-worth. Who does the Bible say I am? If I look through the Bible I can find many references. One of my favorite verses on “who I am in Christ” comes from Romans 5:1 “Because of Christ and His redemption, I am completely forgiven and fully pleasing to God. I am totally accepted by God. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” My favorite part of that verse is that I am accepted by God, just as I am. No, I am not perfect. Whether I am at my best or at my worst I am still totally accepted by God. That is not always true of fellow humans. If I based my significance on others approval I begin to fear rejection. My fear of rejection can begin to control me and my self-worth. My dependence on others for value brings bondage and darkness.

God doesn’t want us living in darkness so He sent Jesus into the world to seek out those who find themselves in bondage. He came to speak truths to our heart about God’s love and acceptance. Taking this truth into our heart brings freedom and joy. I want to live in the light where freedom from bondage of what others think of me exists. I want joy in my life so I hold a simple truth in my heart, “I am a beloved child of God” (Gal 4:7). The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear (Psalm 27:1)

May I live securely in Your love and acceptance of me oh Lord. Help me this day to remember that my relationship with You is what matters above all others opinions. Hide deep in my heart Your truths of who I am through You. Amen.

A little padding

05 Jun 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence. Know him in all your paths, and he will keep your ways straight. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6 (CEB)

Oh, here we go, taking self out of the picture again. Trust in God, not me. Rely on His intelligence, not mine. But that isn’t all. The only self that should still be in the picture is in the form of self-control and self-discipline. These help establish boundaries and boundaries help us live a purposeful life that can side step most carelessness.

Knowing God’s word intimately helps me to understand and know what boundaries are important to keep my path through life straight and help keep getting lost down to a minimum. I also need to learn to give myself space on this path, margins that allow for a little weaving between the ditches of life.  When I work in needed space in my life, it is like padding for the bumps (stress) in the road that are bound to show up from time to time. If I do not work in extra space (time) into my schedule and have to swerve because of a bump, before I know what happens I end up in a ditch!

For me sometimes “padding” means not being so hard on myself when life happens. Those things that are out of my control are going to happen and I just need to roll with those bumps, shake myself off and stick to the path God has laid out for me. “Padding” also means for me trust in God to see me through all situations. From my children’s welfare, to the roof on my house, I need to be assured that God has my back. Finally, “padding” comes in the form of reading God’s word so that I can know and understand what God’s path is for me.

Father in Heaven, I thank You for Your word where I can learn what boundaries are good for my life. Help me put Your word deep in my heart so that it will be well padded for all the bumps that life brings. Amen.

I am sure about this

01 Jun 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

“I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus.” ~ Phil 1:6 CEB

When I read my Bible I like to highlight, circle, mark in some way things that stand out to me. What stands out to me in this verse is “I’m sure about this”. I would mark this phrase so that in times when I am feeling unsure about life in general I can skim through my Bible to remind myself of the things I know to be true.

What do I know to be true of the rest of this passage? Paul tells us in Phill 1:6 that God saved us and started a good work in us, and His work in us will come to full completion. As we think about God in work in us, we must remind ourselves that as imperfect as we are, God is perfection. Perfection may seem impossible. It is! God’s plan isn’t perfect because we’re perfect. The plan is perfect because God is the One who designed it. The perfection comes from Him alone.

I am thankful as I try to move on toward perfection that I do not have to rely on my skills alone. God knows me better than I know myself and He has designed and set into action a plan engineered just for me. I don’t have to know the whole plan yet. I just have to take those first steps of faith and follow Him.

Thank you Heavenly Father for sending Jesus into the world bringing You closer to me. As I step through this day may I be sure about this, You will go each step of the way with me if only I ask You to be with me. Help me to keep my eyes on You and not my circumstances. Amen.

A little goes a long way

30 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , ,

So continue encouraging each other and building each other up, just like you are doing already. ~1 Thessalonians 5:11 (CEB)

The power of thankfulness doesn’t just stop with thanking God for the things in our lives it also applies to thanking each other. Sometimes it feels to me that people don’t notice each other anymore. There was a time when we passed people on the street we would say hello. People held doors for each other. Thanked each other for small courtesies like coffee being refilled at a restaurant.

I know that there have been times when I have been guilty of passing people as if I didn’t notice them. Especially if they were strangers to me. I forget how much God has made us for relationships. I forget how much we need each other and those passing moments are important for my well-being as much as the person with whom I have walked right by not noticing.

At a retreat that I attended the speaker told us how important hugs were to our well-being. We need 27 hugs a day for our mental and physical health. I think we need to take that a step further to glances toward strangers with a smile and a good morning, to thank yous for small tasks done. Who knows who we might touch in a way that betters their day. Who knows how much it can better our day. A little encouragement goes a long way in adjusting attitudes. That can be some mighty power!

Heavenly Father, I can be so guilty of forgetting the importance of relationships. Please give me courage this day to lift my head and notice the people I come in contact with today.  Help me to make someone else’s day better with my hello or my thank you. May I remember Lord that I am to be your hands and feet to the world even in the smallest of deeds. Amen.

To walk with the Lord

29 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

 

 

 

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything. ~John 15:4-5 (CEB)

As a young girl, growing up in church, I heard things like “walk continually in the presence of the Lord” and “pray constantly”. I struggled with what these meant knowing too I didn’t want to do it as the Pharisees did… for show. So how was I to do this with a true heart?

Henri J. M. Nouwen has addressed this in his book The Living Reminder ~ “To walk in the presence of the Lord means to move forward in life in such a way that all our desires, thoughts, and actions are constantly guided by Him. When we walk in the Lord’s presence, everything we see, hear, touch, or taste reminds us of Him. This is what is meant by a prayerful life. It is not a life in which we say many prayers, but a

life in which nothing, absolutely nothing, is done, said, or understood independently of him who is the origin and purpose of our existence.”

I do think to thank God for the flowers, the decorated trees, bird songs, beautiful sky scapes… but some of the ordinary things slip by me unnoticed. A roof over my head, food on my plate… a bed to sleep in. May I remember this day to be thankful for EVERYTHING. Not just the things that make me gasp in wonder but also the simple reliable things of life.

Dear God, Thank You for the gentle reminders You put in my life of Your Presence. Help me tune in to those reminders so that I may feel Your Presence go with me this day. May all I do and say be a reflections of Your love. Amen.

Truth in love

28 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another. ~Proverbs 27:17 (MSG)

Only someone who loves you, or someone who is angry with you will tell you the truth about yourself. God uses both opportunities for us to learn about ourselves, especially the honesty of friends and loved ones.

Joyce Myer in a devotional says “When someone can, in love, honestly show you how you can improve, the results will be so much more valuable than empty, ego-stroking compliments. It’s this kind of relationship that the Bible describes as ‘iron sharpening iron.’”

Sometimes I don’t want to hear the truth. Often the truth hurts. But I have learned to be thankful in this journey for friends who love me enough to not let me stay in places I don’t need to be. If I want to be on a road moving toward perfection I need all the direction that I can get, even when I don’t want to hear the truth. Part of living in relationships is that give and take of honesty and truth. I need to be willing to hear it. I need to be willing to give it.

Father in Heaven, help me remember the responsibilities of relationships. Sometimes it means hearing the truth when I rather not hear. Sometimes it is telling the truth when I would rather not see. Open my eyes and my ears. May I live in truth this day. Amen.

A new life

27 May 2014 Leave a comment

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Jesus replied, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see God’s glory?” John 11:40 (NIV)

Have you ever felt that part of your life was dead? I know I have, stuck in my troubles forgetting that God has power that I do not have to turn things around. I, like Martha have cried out, Lord, if  You had been with me I would not be sitting here in pain now! There have been times that I have felt that Jesus seemed to be taking his sweet time getting around to my problem. That He would come too late.

In John 11:21-24 we find Martha in a state of despair. She had sent a message to Jesus to come quickly because Lazarus was gravely ill. Now here Jesus finally arrives and from Martha’s viewpoint He is too late. “Master, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21).

“Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother shall rise again.’ Martha replied, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day'” (vv. 23-24). I don’t think she really understood what Jesus was saying. She was looking toward a future possibility, not a present reality. She didn’t really expect things to change. Martha was seeing things from her viewpoint, not from God’s viewpoint.

I may be presently hurting, but I need to hold on to the hope that God can  bring a new beginning out of the pain. I need to believe that He can create a Lazarus moment in my life. There is more here than just the part I can see. He can show me glory in my present circumstances and he can use my pain for something great.

Lord, Help me to find the glory in my circumstances. I need to hold onto the fact that I may not be seeing the possibilities that exist from my vantage point. Help me have faith in you, the one who lives above life’s storms. Help me to trust your viewpoint on my present circumstances and that all will come together for my good. Amen.

A heathy hunger

24 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

“Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full. ~Matthew 5:6 (CEB)

Healthy people get hungry. Appetite is a sign of life. Matthew chapter 5 verse 6 tells us that Christians should be defined as people who are hungry for God. In the “Disciplined Life”, Calvin Miller says that our souls should have an excessive appetite to please God. But most of us don’t hunger to this extent. We are perhaps a little hungry for Christ, but we are more consumed with ordinary pursuits for shelter, food, safety, power and sexual appetites. This is part of being human, but can become dangerous when we lose our mastery over them and allow them to take over our lives.

God places within us a hunger for Him. Often I forget that the restlessness that I feel inside of me is because I have strayed away again and I try to fill that hole with other things that will not fit. Those things are just temporary fixes and because it doesn’t come from the true source I will find myself back at the well again. I need to be filled in such a way that I no longer thirst or hunger. I can only find this satisfaction in Jesus. I can only fight the cravings if I try to fill myself up with Christ.

Heavenly Father when I find myself back at the well, fill me with you. Fill me up until I want no more. Satisfy this restless hunger inside of me with your righteousness. Amen.

God’s confidence

22 May 2014 Leave a comment

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“When you are handed over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes, because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you.” ~Matthew 10:19-20 (CEB)

It is easy to sit at home and contemplate deep Godly thoughts. But if things got rough could I stand up for Jesus or would I turn away. Would I be like Peter and deny Him? God doesn’t want us to worry about these moments of trials. As long as we maintain an intimate relationship with God we have the confidence that the Holy Spirit is with us. When the time comes that we have to stand up for what we believe we can count on the Holy Spirit to give us the words that we need.

God wants us to be confident in all that we do for Him. Ephesians 6:10 says “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and his powerful strength.” Spending time in His word and in prayer helps to build and maintain an intimate relationship with God. The more I know of the Bible the stronger my words will be when it counts. If I hide His word in my heart it will find its way to my mouth in times of trial.

Despite the fact that I do not like to debate and that I want to avoid confrontations, even I can be confident in Christ. I can rest assured that if a moment comes that I must speak for Him, the Holy Spirit will walk me through the encounter feeding me the words that need to be said.

Gracious Lord, I find comfort knowing that at times of trial the Holy Spirit will stand with me. Help me build and maintain an intimate relationship with You so that I may feel the strength of Your Holy Spirit. Amen

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