Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 15, 2022

Unthreatened

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Have you ever been threatened? Most likely, every one of us has been in a situation where we have, either physically or mentally. Maybe it was a verbal confrontation in a store or a workplace clash. Perhaps an impending hurricane or tornado. Regardless of the circumstances, humans tend to react to threats (real or perceived) in one of three ways: we fight, flee, or freeze.

When it comes to each of us individually, our responses differ depending on a multitude of factors. Some of us are generally “freezers”—we’ve sadly learned from a very early age that the best thing to do is stand still and “play possum” in hopes the threat will go away. Others of us are super-scrappy fighters, because self-protection has been imperative (“if we don’t protect ourselves, no one else will”). Of course, running away as fast as possible, either literally or emotionally, is a popular go-to reaction for a lot of us. Obviously, we don’t always choose the same response, but there’s typically a general pattern.

But of all the potential threats, there are three universal ones that all people must face—believers and unbelievers alike: moral law founded on the Truth of God’s Word; death; and eternal life.

Let’s start with the law. When God first called out His special people, He gave them the Law in the form of the Ten Commandments. And, from the beginning, the Jews (and all people) could not keep them. Even so, the Pharisees (Jewish leaders) continued to add law after law, rule after rule, making it exponentially more difficult to keep it. When Jesus came on the human scene, He boiled all of God’s law into two simple commands: Love God with all you are and love others. And although it’s just two items, we, as fallen humans, cannot meet God’s high standard of perfection. Not one of us.

You’ve heard there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. Not everyone pays what they owe the government…but we all will face our last breath on earth. We can stay as healthy as possible and even try to ensure our face doesn’t match our birthday count, but the death rate remains at 100%.

Finally, there’s life after death. The spirit of every human being is eternal. Our bodies decay and die (someday to be glorified), but to be absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). This face-to-face meeting, friend, will either be a joy-filled experience or one of terrible judgment.

So, how will you face these three threats? Will you freeze, ignoring reality? Will you run away, embracing the world and the lies propagated by its ruler, the devil? Or will you stand up and face the Truth, “fighting” for your soul’s victory? The law threatens us—it’s unattainable. Death threatens us—it’s unavoidable. Hell threatens us—it’s unimaginable. But Jesus. He came to earth to fulfill the Law and trade His righteousness for our sin. He conquered death and reconciled us to God, so we can live forever with Him. Friend, please trust in Him today—He has conquered every threat.

“Lord, thank you for conquering sin and death, removing the threat of an eternity of suffering.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 14, 2022

Love You More

“We love Him, because He first loved us.”  I John 4:19 (ESV)

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother (Lazarus) would not have died.”

Heartbreaking words hitting the harsh reality of loss spoken by Martha and then Mary.  How could the miracle maker Jesus who healed the sick and lame simply delay coming until it was too late (John 11:37)?

Aren’t those the words echoing from our lips in the midst of great loss, disappointment and sorrow?  Why didn’t Jesus heal our loved one?  Why didn’t Jesus intervene and prevent this tragedy?  Why didn’t Jesus rescue us from heartbreak, loss and pain?  Why didn’t Jesus fix it? Why did He allow us to experience financial devastation?  Why didn’t Jesus step in and manipulate the circumstances so we wouldn’t lose our job?

Lots of whys birthed in the midst of deep doubts.  Overcome with emotion, we wrestle through those moments when love seems absent for surely if God loved us He would have ____________(fill in the blank).

While I’ve never audibly spoken those “why” words, my soul definitely conveyed to my Jesus what my lips couldn’t dare speak.  The year was 1987 and in the bitter cold of a February morning, I stood by a hospital bed overwhelmed with grief.  My sweet little girl had taken her final breath. I would eventually leave without her and begin a journey no one wants to take.

Weeks later as grief and exhaustion overtook me, I pleaded through the nights for God to help me –  to give me something to hold on to.  Silence filled those nights as I waited for some grand gesture, some great revelation to catapult me forward in His strength and peace. Yet what Jesus gave me was a reassurance of His deep, sacrificial love for me. A verse I’d known from the time I was a little girl, John 3:16, resonated in my mind and heart:   “For God so loved the world (which includes me) that He gave (willingly) His only begotten Son that whosoever (including me) believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

I love John 11:5  which declares the love Jesus had for Mary, Martha and Lazarus before we witness their heartbroken grief and frustration over the absence of the One who could have changed it all.  Yet I am reminded of the greater glory found in the rising not the dying.  Jesus would indeed resurrect Lazarus’ life and echoed these words found in John 11:40:  “Jesus said to her (Martha), “Did I not say to you that if you believe you would see the glory of God?”

Living one’s life in the presence of the Lord is a glory beyond my comprehension.  I can’t even begin to imagine the joys of Heaven my little girl has experienced. And for those who remain on this earth, the sweetness of Jesus’ abiding presence with us resonates deep of His perfect love. Wrapped up in all our doubts and questions, He gently whispers, “I love you more.”

Sweet friends if you find yourself on this day of all things hearts doubting and questioning – you don’t have to wonder who loves you more – He’s proven it over and over again. Jesus welcomes our questions and is there in the midst of our wrestling surrounding us with his unconditional love and reassurance.

“Father, I’m totally blessed and grateful for Your amazing love which covers me.  Even in my doubts and wonderings, Your love runs deep and wide. You are truly the Lover of my soul.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Love

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 10, 2022

Always Present

“Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

When I was 17 years old, I was the recipient of a Rotary Club Youth Exchange Program scholarship and came to the United States for my senior year in high school. I did not know the English language and was nervous about going so far away from my home in Brazil without my parents. Nonetheless, I knew that if anything were to go wrong, I could just call my parents, and everything would be okay.

There is a great sense of assurance in a young person’s heart when she hears her parents say that they will be right there if she needs them. In that situation, I was very aware that my parents would not be able to board an airplane and go rescue me at any little teenager issue I may be faced with, but to know that I could pick up the phone and call them was very comforting.

As classes began, I started to make friends and feel more comfortable in my new temporary home. I also got involved in the Yearbook Club and participated in my school’s newsletter, and both helped me to develop my language skills. I loved art, so I attached myself to my lovely art teacher like jelly to peanut butter. She was patient and kind, and though I was only in her classroom for one period, she became like a mother figure to me, someone I could call or visit if I needed to talk or just sit quiet for a chill.

Everything worked out well and my year in America was a success, after which I returned to Brazil. When I remember those days, I smile in gratitude for the opportunity that was given to me. What could have been a difficult situation that could culminate with my doom, was, in fact, one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life, because I trusted my parents’ promise.

When God allows us to go through the unknown, He promises us He is there. If we choose to trust Him and listen to His voice, we will reap the rewards that come with that trust.

“Abba, there is nothing better in the world than to know You are right beside us. Thank You for loving us that much!”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Gratitude, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 9, 2022

Sufficient Ministers Of A New Covenant

“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit.  For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, ESV)

Growing up, I attended a church that had a lot of rules.  The rules were given as “advice” and were meant to help guide new followers of Christ.  By keeping them from worldly influences that may pull them away from God. There was good intention behind the creation of the rules.  However, they erroneously gave people a false sense of “sufficiency” that somehow if they did all the right steps God would love them more. The notion that if they followed all these rules, they would be “good enough” for God.

As we saw in the Old Testament, the letter of the law (rules) didn’t change people’s hearts.  It only told them what to do.

However, by accepting Jesus as Savior, the indwelling Spirit becomes the law written on our hearts. Under the new covenant, the Spirit and the law are friends, not enemies.  Working together to change the person from the inside creating a desire to follow God’s Word for our life.

Paul wrote the letter of second Corinthians to the church in Corinth after he had visited them. There had been an upheaval at the church.  He had been insulted by some of the members, and his apostolic authority had been challenged.  Instead of responding with a long list of deeds he had done that proved his qualifications to minister, he boasted in the sufficiency of Christ.

We are competent in Christ. Through the power of His blood shed on the cross for our sins.  Not through our own strength or deeds.

Some people refuse to be used by God.  They cling to their comfort zones fully convinced they “are not ready,” but truth is we are never ready or worthy.  If we were then the sufficiency to change our lives or others would be in ourselves, not God.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  (Matthew 9:35-38, ESV)

The harvest is a world full of hurting people looking for hope in all the wrong places.  We are the laborers chosen to go to those hurting.  Yet, we often refuse our assignments because we don’t believe we’re “sufficient” enough.

Paul (previously Saul) wrote thirteen books of the Bible while embracing his own weakness and ministered to thousands over the years. (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

What will you allow Christ to do through you for the Kingdom?

“Father, help us to embrace our weakness and claim the sufficiency of Christ to do what You have called us to do today.”

 

For His Glory,

Laura Holmes  (www.ephraimministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 8, 2022

A Bedazzled Life

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b

Back in the 1980s (best decade ever, just saying), there was a trendy little crafting tool called The Beddazzler. It allowed you to add rhinestones and metallics to your clothes, belts, purses, etc., creating a uniquely sparkly ensemble. The commercials promised the ability to turn your “$8 jeans into a pair worth $50!” (Wait, $8 jeans? Again, best decade ever.) And although I love most things 80s, this sparkly sensation was not something I embraced personally.

Why talk Bedazzle? Well, I was just attending a conference at our church with the visiting pastor from Africa was teaching for three nights on 1 Corinthians 15:58. (You read that correctly: three evenings of study on one verse—it was amazing.) During the final night I was captivated by an offhand word he used to describe a life lavishly serving the Lord. He was talking about how fulfilling it is to labor for Christ, and he noted the joy, peace, and sparkle it brings.

Upon salvation, every believer understands the amazing love that Jesus has extended to us through His death and resurrection. Because it is a gift of grace through faith, the new life we receive cannot be earned. In fact, salvation is followed by living a life of surrender and obedience to God because of His love for us—and we respond to demonstrate our love for Him, not to show Him we’re good enough for it. And our service to Him results in joy!

This service is not done in vain (as the Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15 and also in Philippians 2), because we receive amazing, abundant blessings. We experience blessings in the here and now—just think about the joy you have bringing a meal to a family, counseling a brother or sister, or sharing the Gospel with others. Even when we may not see fruit right away, we feel rewarded by the Lord!

The New Testament writers share often that we will be rewarded in heaven for our righteous labors on earth. On his deathbed, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy that he is looking forward to his crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Even Jesus taught that when we serve others in need, we’re actually serving Him—and our rewards are waiting (Matthew 25:34-40).

Joy comes with salvation—through our blessings and God’s daily miracles, through our experienced and anticipated rewards for service, and even through our trials and storms of life. And this joy of the Lord should bedazzle our everyday lives. We have the opportunity—the responsibility—to live a joy-filled life, so that other people will see our sparkle and ask, “How can I be Bedazzled too?”

“Lord, restore to me the joy of my salvation (Psalm 51:12), so I live a sparkly life that attracts others.”

 

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 7, 2022

Leaning On Jesus

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock.”  Isaiah 26:4 (ESV)

February 2020 we were all doing normal life – work, church, eating out and gathering with friends. My husband (Jay) and I celebrated Valentines and then he headed off for his annual skiing trip with the guys.  By the end of that week normal eclipsed us.  My sweet man broke a major bone in the back of his knee (tibial plateau) which required immediate surgery in Denver including plates and screws.  Less than twenty-four hours after leaving the hospital, he was on the plane headed back home – talk about uncomfortable, painful (ouch) moments.

Recovery was slow, agonizing and extremely painful even weeks after his surgery.  Confined to a hospital bed for weeks and unable to drive was definitely challenging for my extrovert husband. And then came the adventure of maneuvering on crutches – not fun – and enduring physical therapy. Many weeks later, the day he had long anticipated finally arrived – Jay was free to lay those crutches down.  While he assumed his legs would be flying down the sidewalk to our front door at rapid pace, the reality was his leg was used to that crutch – the limp and sway was still there even though the crutch was gone.

Reality check here haven’t we all been there when our “crutch” propped us up – someone or something gave us the support or assistance we needed at a critical point in our life.  We leaned heavily on a dear friend or maybe we resorted to shopping, drinking, overeating, etc. to drown out the pain. Simply to get us through what we couldn’t face.  Note to self:  Not all things are good crutches.  And when the time came to release our crutch – well I think you get the picture, we were still limping and swaying as if the crutch were still there.

The effects of our choices in these pivotal moments are crucial. Eventually, we have to release those crutches – after all they are only temporary props.  Assistance to help us until we are strengthened to move forward. If my husband had remained on his crutch then his leg would have weakened, the rest of his body would have been affected by his inappropriate stride and he would have missed out on a lot of things he loves to do.  Key point release offers us the opportunity to truly heal.

The only permanent crutch which strategically positions us to be strengthened, to grow and move forward in freedom is leaning on our Lord Jesus Christ.  His wisdom, guidance, comfort, peace, grace and love sustain us even in the most painful circumstances.  Guiding us each step of the way, Jesus is our constant companion, our Rock, our steady ground we can stand on and not lose hope.  We can fully place our trust in Him knowing He will navigate us through and even carry us until we can stand firmly in His truth.

“Father, You are the One who holds us up and enables us to walk in the freedom found only in trusting Your name.  Help us to release crutches that don’t serve us well and lean into You – our everlasting Rock.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 2, 2022

Not Be Outwitted

“Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure – not to put it too severely – to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.  Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive.  Indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” (2 Corinthians 2:5-11)

“She’s so phony.  I just can’t stand to be around her. You just don’t know what she’s done.”  Her face was blood red as tears streamed down. Her fists were tightly clenched as she shook them in the air. “I just can’t go back there again and be around her.”

Ever been betrayed or hurt by someone.  It can be devastating.  Most of the time our initial reaction is to protect ourselves by completely pulling away from them and others. Isolation feels like the “safe” thing to do.

But in doing that we’re playing into the enemy’s hand.

Our true enemy is Satan, not the person who offended you.  When we allow Satan to outwit us with his strategies, he takes things that belong to us in Jesus, things like peace, joy, fellowship, a sense of forgiveness and victory.

Satan looks to take advantage of our mistakes, as a church and individuals. He uses it to cause division with each other and distance in our personal relationship with Christ. It becomes a hindrance in our ability to reach others with the gospel.

When we choose to hold onto a grudge, we’re basically saying that the pain this person caused us is greater than what Christ has done for us.  We’re elevating it into a position of authority in our lives.

Satan’s strategy against Paul was simply to make him so stressed out and upset over the Corinthian Christians that he lost peace and was less effective in ministry.

Paul was upset over other believers. He was encouraging them to forgive a fellow believer who had made a mistake.

If we don’t deal with these emotions in a Christ like manner, we will keep them. We will feed them, and they will grow.  And they will lead us in the wrong direction, which will not only hurt ourselves but others – which is what Paul was stressing.

Don’t elevate the offense – elevate Christ. Mercy always triumphs!

“Father help us to see those who have hurt us the way You see them.  Help us to offer forgiveness and keep us from being outwitted by the schemes of Satan.”

For His Glory,

Laura Holmes (www.ephraimministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

 

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 1, 2022

Choosing Stones

“This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very cornerstone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.”  1 Peter 2:7-8

When our boys were in elementary and middle school, respectively, we went on a family vacation to the mountains of North Carolina. Looking back, I would label this the “rock” vacation. We went hiking on rock-faced Humpback Mountain and descended into Linville caverns, in awe of the limestone and stalactites. And we went horseback riding—which was a very, very rocky experience. (Suffice it to say, none of us have any desire to ever ride again.) But the highlight of the trip was probably when we went gem mining—or gemming.

Although pickaxes were not required, we were able to search for precious gems like garnet, aquamarine, amethyst, ruby, sapphire, and even emerald. But it’s not like in the old movies, when people are going through rocks and a bright, shiny emerald appears. Nope. Every stone in the bucket we were given looked like regular, dirty old rocks. We rinsed and sorted them, then reviewed a chart to figure out which gem we may be holding in our hands. Then we took them to the experts inside who inspected our choices and shared the value of what we had.

But without the chart and the experts, we would have rejected and tossed out every one of those stones.

Throughout the Bible, Jesus is talked about as a Rock (Psalm 18:2; 1 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Samuel 2:2; Psalm 62:2). And all these verses, Old and New Testament, are so encouraging, as they tout the incomparable value of the Lord. When we trust Him, we are setting our feet on a solid foundation of Truth. So, when the winds and wave of life crash down, that foundation stands—and so do we.

But God’s Word also warns about rejecting this Rock—tossing Him out as without value (Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:7-8; Romans 9:33). In fact, this foundational cornerstone becomes a stumbling block to those who reject Him. They don’t see His precious value, what He means for a more joyful life now—or the eternal significance. Maybe they’ve “scooped up” some Truth at some point, but they looked at it and thought, “This old, outdated stuff isn’t relevant for today.” Or, “Why would I give up living life my way?” Although there’s a clear “chart” (the Bible) and “experts” (pastors, teachers, preachers), they choose instead to dump what they see as a stumbling block and walk away.

Friend, at some point in our life, we are all sitting at the gemming bench. We have a choice to see Jesus as the Rock of salvation, accepting Him as the Cornerstone of our life. Or we can reject Him, tossing Him aside for the shiny (and valueless) trinkets the world has to offer. Which stone will you choose today? Will you choose to accept Jesus as your solid foundation? Or will He become your stone of stumbling toward eternal separation from God?

“Lord, I pray that those who have rejected You will open their eyes to recognize Your value—that they trade their worldly trinkets for the Rock of salvation.”

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 31, 2022

In The Midst of Hard

 

“But this I call to mind and, therefore I have hope.  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end.”  Lamentations 3:21-22 (ESV)

Absolutely don’t like winter – so sorry to all of you snow and cold weather fans – but winter is not my fave time of the year.  And did I mention it is only the end of January.  Lots of time left for winter to happen.  Just the thought of going out on a cold day chills my soul to the core.

Bet you can definitely relate to the thought of attempting to avoid unpleasant.  Ease and comfort make much better friends.  Warm sunshine, happy, carefree days invigorate us. Stress free, worry free, problem free – the dream list is endless.  Moments we gravitate towards rather than avoid.

Gotta be real here – life is full of unpleasant and awesome days.  It is the mixing of the two which makes life doable on this earth. If all was ease, we’d default to depending on self and probably would become very complacent.  However, its’ those hard days which propel us to lean on Jesus.  Depending on Him stretches and grows our faith in ways we would have never imagined.

Clinging to God’s truths and promises is just the right prescription we need to survive and thrive in the midst of hard, uncomfortable and unpleasant places.  Why?  Because we see God’s character sprinkled throughout the pages of His word.  We learn how God interacted and communicated with His people.  We see examples of those who despite difficulties and hardships rose above the challenges and ultimately glorified God.  All these add up to tons of encouragement, hope and trust in the One who meets all our needs even in the hard places.

The last two years has definitely charted a lot of hard places for a lot of people.  In the past few months, I’ve witnessed friends losing a family member to cancer, friends faced with aging struggling parents, friends serving as caregivers for their mom and husband.  And that sweet friends is just the short list.  I’m sure you have your own list of those who are facing huge challenges – perhaps your name may even be on that list.

So right in the midst of hard, I’m praying we fix our gaze on Jesus.  Rather than pull away, I pray we draw close because He is already drawing close to our broken hearts (Psalm 34:18, Psalm 147:3). I pray we remember He is ever present and will never leave us even when we don’t sense His presence (Hebrews 13:5b).  I pray we recall His faithfulness and divine interventions as we continue to navigate hard (Psalm 26:3). But most of all I pray we never forget the depths of His great love for us (Psalm 36:5) – a love that is unmoveable, unshakeable, unchangeable and knows no limits – the ultimate source of our hope.

“Father, even in moments when doubts and fears overwhelm us, You draw close and reassure us of Your love and presence.  Praising You for birthing hope right in the midst of our darkest days.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 28, 2022

Conforming To God’s Image In The New Year

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)

After days and weeks of planning, decorating the house, buying and wrapping gifts and meal preparation, the holidays are over. Christmas decorations have been put away and the New Year has begun. Left behind are sweet memories…and for some of us, maybe some painful ones tucked in there as well. Because despite all the careful planning to create the perfect Christmas, we fall short. It could be my expectations that were unmet or realizing that I failed to meet someone else’s. Maybe it’s a careless remark made by a family member, or something I said that I regret. Whatever the source of the sorrow, we can trust God’s ability to use that very thing for His good purpose of conforming us into the image of His beloved Son.

We see Romans 8:28 at work in the life of Joseph who says to his brothers who sold him into slavery, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). This does not mean that Joseph escaped the grief and sorrow caused by his brothers’ actions. Familial wounds are always painful. Not to mention the years he spent in prison as a result of their betrayal. But Joseph trusted God and his faith told him that God was using his plight for good. Romans 8:28 is also powerfully displayed in Christ’s crucifixion. The worst thing that ever happened, is also the best thing that ever happened.

When we are on the receiving end of insensitive remarks or when loved ones fail to meet our expectations, our emotions try to tell us they meant it for evil. But the reality is that God wants to use even that for good—His ultimate good, which Paul describes in the very next verse: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29). This is the good God desires for us, and what I struggle to want most for myself. I do want to be conformed to Christ’s image, but sometimes I want other things more. To feel understood, to be right, or to feel appreciated by others. So, I cling to I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” And I trust. Trust that God will use all things to conform me to the image of Christ as I pray for Him to create in me a pure heart that desires this above all else.

“Lord, create in me a heart that wants what You want. Forgive me when I want other things more. Thank you for loving us enough to send Jesus to the manger and then to the cross. Help us to love you more than anything else.”

For His Glory

Ann Skalaski
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope, Love, Spiritual Living

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