Truly Treasured {And a GIVEAWAY!!!--You Don't want to Miss!!}

Her sunlit silky straight hair bounced delightfully on her shoulders as we strolled around the neighborhood circle.  Her stroll was more of a skip-like dance as she zipped by grass patches neatly trimmed and tidy.

She paused briefly as her eye caught a glimpse of golden treasure sparkling in the sunlight.  Wide-eyed and giddy, she bent down and picked up her treasure.  Clinching her fist, she held the new found treasure tightly.

Her excitement bubbled over like a fountain without containment as she gently opened her palms to reveal the treasure she had found.

"Mom!  I have a surprise for you!", she exclaimed with joy! "Come see what I have for you in my hands!"

She opened her hands to announce her precious find. Within her hands lay a dry, crinkled dandelion.  However, to her, this dandelion was not a tattered yellow weed, it was a dazzling treasure miraculously found growing amid the boring green patches.

"The Lord will hold you in His hand for all to see--a splendid crown in the hand of God."  Isaiah 62:3 

The Lord holds you in His hand.  You are His treasure, "a splendid crown", securely fastened in His hand.

You may feel like a dry weed, but He doesn't see you as crinkled and tattered.  He sees beauty.  His creation. His treasure.

Today, I want to offer you a chance to win this beautiful wallet I purchased at the Proverbs 31 She Speaks Conference last weekend.  The conference was amazing and I wish I could have taken all of you along with me (how fun would that be!).  However, since that isn't possible, I wanted to bring you something back.

Isn't it cute!!  

To enter, all you have to do is "Like" my Facebook page and share this link on your Facebook page.  

If you have already "liked" my page, then all you need to do to enter to win this gift is share it on your Facebook page then go to my page to comment on this post to let me know you shared.  

You have until Friday to share.  I will be drawing the winner on Saturday morning and will announce the winner here! 

A wallet holds treasure.  I pray that every time you hold your wallet in your hand, you will be reminded that the Lord holds His greatest treasure in His hand, you.

In God's Eye

Day 19:

For thus says the Lord of hosts, “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apples of 

His eye.” Zechariah 3:8

The Lord calls you the apple of His eye.  In the pupil of another person’s eyes, we can see a reflection of ourselves.  The pupil is referred to as the “apple of the eye.”  We are literally in the apple of God’s eye as our gaze locks with His.  Also, His image is reflected in us as we keep our eyes on Him.  

The enemy fears who God created you to be and He knows you are meant to reflect Him.  Therefore, the enemy has plundered and taken from you.  His intent is to destroy God’s creation and squelch His image bearer.  However, the Lord’s heart is to restore you to wholeness and take back all the enemy has plundered.  

The Lord will gain back what is rightfully yours and bring glorious redemption.

   

Father, my heart rejoices that I am called the apple of Your eye.  Thank You for fighting for me and taking back what the enemy has stolen.  Father, I pray that I would keep my eyes fixed on You so that I would indeed reflect Your glory.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

You are Seated

Day 17 of Finding True Identity:

 "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.  

BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."  Ephesians 2:1-6

Can I just say I love it when I see a "But God" in the Bible?!  If you look closely at the verses above, there is so much to see.

Once we were dead in our sins, BUT GOD!  God made us alive!

I have to do an infomerical for God here, "but WAIT, THERE'S MORE!"

As if God making us alive wasn't good enough, God went on to add more. He also raised us up to sit together with Christ Jesus in heavenly places!

One of the things I love about the picture of sitting with Christ is that it indicates rest.  When I feel overwhelmed, Jesus is sitting.  When I feel afraid, Jesus is sitting.  When I feel anxious, Jesus is sitting.

He isn't running around trying to figure out what to do.  He is sitting.

And if I choose to, I can sit with Him.

I can exchange my feelings for His faithfulness.  I can sit with Him and choose peace. I can sit with Him and choose joy.  I can sit with Him and choose patience.  I can sit with Him and choose love.

Today, will you sit down with Him in heavenly places?

You are Acquitted

Day 14:

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?”

 

She said, “No one Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:10-11

We have an accuser and his name is Satan.  Our accuser would like nothing better than to defraud the name of Jesus.  

Jesus doesn't accuse us.  When the enemy can get us to agree with him that Jesus condemns us, he is indeed seeking to disprove our Lord and claim that Jesus is our accuser.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  

Jesus defends His daughters and raises them out of the dirt.  The context of the verse above was that a woman had been caught in the act of adultery.  The "religious people" of that time had drug her out and thrown her in the dirt to stone her to death.  Jesus stepped in and saved her.  

Jesus stepped in and saved us.  Don't let the enemy or "religious people" condemn you.  Jesus doesn't.   He carried away our shame on the cross. He was beaten so we could be made whole and healed.  He was accused so we could be acquitted.

You are Covered

Day 13:

“He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”  Psalm 91:4

Shame’s number one objective is to distort and destroy identity.  The enemy specializes in exposing.  His mission is shame.  

Shame is deceptive.  Shame exposes.  Shame silences.

God’s mission is grace.  Grace transforms and restores identity.  Grace covers. 

A “pinion” is a wing.  Picture the Lord with wings as eagles, spread out wide, covering and protecting from the shame of the enemy.  Under His wings we find refuge.  Under His wings, we find grace.  Under His wings, we find mercy and protection.   

Every time the enemy tries to throw his darts of accusation and condemnation, they bounce off the Lord’s wings covering us like a shield. 

Under the Wings of freedom, shame loses its power.  It cannot get to us with His pinions covering.   His covering frees us to truth, breaks the silence, and gives us voice. 

Forty Days of Finding Your True Identity: You are a Slave (#SayWhat?)

Day 7:

"And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." Romans 6:18



I have to admit that at first glace, this verse made me cringe.  After all, I thought finding my identity was about freedom.  It is.

Do you ever feel defeated because you responded the wrong way... again?  Have you ever felt in bondage to sin and it seemed impossible to break free from the old destructive habit?  That is slavery.

Just this week, I found myself responding to something in my old nature.  I became offended, when I should have been trusting the Lord.  It did not take long for me to recognize that my response was a result of my humanity and I felt stuck in it. Notice I said, "I felt stuck."  The truth is I'm not, I've been made free and have a new Master. 

Father, I so want to respond well when others do something that could cause offense (intentionally or not).  Please help me respond well. 

I think the problem is that sometimes we don't know or we forget who we are.  When we forget who we are, we act like our old selves because we don't remember we have been set free.

In verse 16 of Romans 8, it says, "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or obedience leading to righteousness?"

We are slaves either to sin (leading to death) or to obedience (leading to righteousness and thus, life!).  The Holy Spirit lives inside of us and the good news about Romans 6:18 is that it says that we became slaves of righteousness.  We have the power inside of us to obey and do what is right, which leads to life!

When I think about sin leading to death, it bring my spirit to attention.  God has said that He has given us a choice, life or death.  He then says, "Choose life" (Deut 30:19).  Choosing to obey is a lofty matter and knowing that I have the Power inside of me to help me choose to obey, allows me to be able to rest in Christ.  His grace is sufficient.

You are no longer a slave to sin.  Your old nature died with Christ and You became alive with Him when He was raised from the dead.  Your new Master is benevolent and kind and has empowered you with His grace to live in Christ.

You are Christ's Friend

We are on week 2 of our 40 Days of Finding our True Identity.  If you are just joining us, welcome!

Day 5:

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."  John 15:15

Merriam-Webster defines friend as:  1.  a person you like and enjoy being with
or 2. a person who helps and supports someone or something.  

Friends are a treasure.  It can be hard to find tried and true comrades who enjoy our company and are willing to help and support us when needed.

The best kinds of friends are those that know everything about us, yet still love us.  Jesus is that kind of friend.  Jesus is a friend who likes us even on our worst days.   In fact, verse 16 says that we did not choose Him, but He chose us to be His friend!

"You did not chose Me, but I chose you..." John 15:16a

Doesn't it feel good to be chosen?  He knows all our flaws, our shortcomings, our insecurities, our weaknesses and faults, and yet, He still chose us!  He chose you to be His friend!

So, what are you waiting for?!  Your friend is waiting for you to call Him.  

Father, we thank You that You said that we are Your friend.  Father, thank you for choosing us.  Thank you that You love us regardless of our weaknesses and flaws.  We thank You that where we are weak, You are strong.  Lord, I pray that You would show us what You are doing and I pray that we would grow in our relationship and friendship with you.  I pray that we would become more like you and that we would introduce others to You, our friend.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.  

We are in Christ

Day 4:

"I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." 



I see many Christians who have lost their joy and seem exhausted.  Jesus said that when we remain in Him, our joy will be full.

We aren't called to do every Bible Study, to attend every church service, to volunteer for every good cause or help with every church function.  Not that any of those things are bad, in fact, they are all good.  However, if what we are doing is draining the life out of us, then we need to evaluate what we are doing and why.

We are called to do one thing...abide.  It is the classic story of Mary and Martha ( Luke 10:40-42).  Martha was busy serving,  while Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet.  Jesus said that Mary chose the one thing that was needed.

Friends, without abiding in Jesus, we can do nothing.  It is only through staying connected to the vine that we can bear any fruit.  Jesus is the vine and we are the branches.  We are alive and a part of Him.

We are "in Christ".  What does it mean to be "in Christ"?

It means we are never alone.  It means we are secure in Him.  It means He is our strength.

 Rest in Him. Stay connected to Him.  Don't try to do anything He isn't doing.  Without Him, we are nothing.

In Him is rest and fullness of joy (John 5:11).

If you are feeling dry, exhausted, and joyless, may I encourage you to stop striving, and instead just be still in His presence.  Rest.  Breath. Live.

Abide.

Child of God

Day 3:

You are a child of God

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name."  John 1:12



For those of you just joining us, we are on day 3 of 40 days of finding our true identity.  It just so happened that the memory verse for the Proverbs 31 Online Bible Study Limitless Life lined up perfectly with today's verse for finding our true identity!

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be the daughter of a king, a princess?  My little girl is seven and just the other day she was telling me how she would love to be a princess and live in a castle.  I would venture to say most little girls dream about being Cinderella at one point or another.

When an earthy prince or princess is born, it is not of their own power.  They didn't do anything to become royalty.  They were simply born into royalty.   And as a result of their birth, earthly princes and princesses receive certain privileges and rights as heirs in their kingdom.

When we were reborn into our heavenly inheritance, it was not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). When we received Christ and believed in His name, we became royalty not by any effort on our part, but by the power of God.

We became a child of the Most High King.

Rest on that thought for just a moment.

God.  The One who created the Universe.  The One who formed the seas and separated them from the land. The One who existed before time began.  The One who carefully placed every star in its space.  The One who measured the distance from galaxy to galaxy.  The One who formed mankind out of dust and breathed life into our beings. That God loves us and calls us His.

It is amazing to imagine that He (most powerful Being in the Universe!) could love us as His own child.  Yet, He does.  And He doesn't get it wrong like some earthly parents do.  He is a loving and caring Father, who longs for a close, intimate relationship with you, His child.  He never gets it wrong.  He will never leave.  He will never reject.  He will never abandon.  He is love.  He is waiting with open arms.

As children of God, we have a spiritual birthright and are heirs of His Kingdom. Because of our birthright in Jesus, we have been given spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).  Since we are His children, we are His heirs.  We are heirs with Christ of God's glory.

We may have all dreamed about being Cinderella at one time (and for the record I love Disney fairy tales). But I have to say, Cinderella, your fairy tale is a shoe short.  We don't need a fairy god-mother when we have the Father God as the Creator of our glory story.

Father God, Your love amazes me.  You love me as your daughter, the same as You love Your Son, Jesus.  You loved me so much that You sent Jesus to die in my place.  Father I pray that You would surround me with Your love and reveal more and more of Yourself to me.  And I pray that I would rest in the assurance that I am Your beloved child.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.    

You are Light

Day 2:

"You are the light of the world."  Matt 5:14a

Matt 5:14-15 says, "You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."

Think about New York City at night.  When the night lights of New York are shining, the city is radiant and there is no way to hide it.  If the power goes out, only then do the lights go out and it is hard to see in the dark.  

God created us to be light.  God's very presence is light.  In Revelations 21:23, it says, "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp."

The Living God lives inside of us and His light is present in us.  He has made us new, bright and shining!

His power is what fuels our light.  As long as we stay connected to our power source, our light shines.

People are attracted to the light inside of us.  They are aware of their need for light in order to find their way. It is hard to see in the dark.

 Father, You said that we are light.  I thank you that Your light is inside of us and I pray that we would shine for You.  I pray that others would be drawn to You in us and would want to move out of darkness and into the Light so they too can see.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

You are Salt

Day 1:

"You are the salt of the earth."  
Matthew 5:13a

Have you ever sat down to a delicious looking meal and bit into it only to realize that it was missing something....salt?  Salt is an important ingredient and without it, there isn't much taste to most foods.  

I did some research on salt.  In ancient times, salt was considered extremely valuable and the lack of it could effect the health of an entire population.  In a world without refrigeration, salt was the only means of preservation.  This fact made it a popular trade item worth its weight in precious jewels and ounce per ounce in gold.   

I found it particularly interesting that about 2500 years ago, salt was a highly valuable commodity in Rome. Roman soldiers were paid with "salt money" or "salarium argentum", which is where the word "salary" was derived. 

So, when Jesus was teaching that we are the "salt of the earth",  "salt" was viewed as one of the most valuable resources of the day.  

However, like food without salt in the ancient times, if we are not sprinkled with the seasoning of God's Word, our spiritual health will decay.  

We are valuable, and as a result, we need to stay in God's Word so we don't lose our "saltiness".  Food without salt is just bland.  As children of God, we need to show the world that God brings flavor to our lives so they too will want to "Taste and see that the Lord is good." (Ps 34:8)

Our saltiness or lack thereof, can also effect the health of the population around us.  Please pass the salt...

Would you consider "passing the salt" by sharing this post with your friends today?  

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40 Days of Finding our True Identity

 

This summer I wanted to spend some time going through different scriptures discovering our true identity in Christ.

Currently, I am reading two books.  I am reading Limitless Life by Derwin Grey with Proverbs 31 Online Bible Studies and Victory over the Darkness by Neil Anderson.  Both of these books focus on finding our true identity in Christ.

Through Derwin Grey's book, I am finding that I have believed labels about myself that simply are not true. Labels such as failure, afraid, rejected, unloved, unlikable.  These labels or other negative labels, if believed, limit our lives.  These labels are false and do not define us.  God defines who we are and He says we are complete, courageous, accepted, loved, and His friend.

In Neil Anderson's book, he states, "It is not what you do as a Christian that determines who you are; it is who you are that determines what you do."

When we have the wrong labels on us, it determines what we do and like I said above, it limits us and what God wants to do in our lives.  When we believe what God says about us and replace wrong labels with the truth, our actions will reflect our beliefs and God is able to work more effectively through our lives.

So, for the next 40 days or so, I want to focus on identity.  I want us to see ourselves differently, through new lenses by the end of this summer.  I want us to see ourselves as Christ sees us, a perfect reflection of His grace and love.  Who is with me?  Who is in for this 40 days of finding our true selves?!