There are times when I'm sitting, playing with my two year old son, and I look at him and wonder: "What is he thinking about?"

He isn't at the point where he can fully communicate what he is actually thinking, but one thing is for sure- he has no trouble coming to me when he wants or needs something.

Aren’t all kids like that?

When I think about how much my son depends on me; how he looks to me for his every need; how he is so excited to show me something he has accomplished; and how he comes to me when he is hurt it makes me think of what my relationship to God should look like.

Do I go to God for my every need, or do I try to take care of it myself?

When I accomplish something do I give Him praise and honor first, or do I seek praise from my peers?

Do I run to His loving arms and give Him my pain so that I can forgive, or do I hold onto that bitterness and resentment and block people out so I won't be hurt again?

I'm so quick to try to do things on my own.
I think, "I'm a grown woman- I can handle this myself. I'm in control."

When in reality, I have no control. Only my heavenly Father does. He is God, and I am not.

God alone provides the finances so the bills can be paid.
God alone calms my spirit when I'm overwhelmed and stressed out.
God alone pulls me out of my pit when I'm depressed.
God alone gives me the ability to forgive and give grace and mercy towards those who have hurt me.

On my own, I cannot do it. Just like my son cannot fix himself breakfast, get himself dressed, or drive himself to church. He is my child and is dependent upon me for nearly everything.

We are God's children, so we should be dependent upon Him.

So now, what must we do?

Surrender our lives and look to Him, daily.
Lay down our pride and admit to ourselves that we are not meant to be independent but dependent because Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:4, "Whoever humbles himself like a child is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven."

So today, as your children are looking to us, let us look to God as the children we are; dearly loved and cared for greater than we could ever imagine.

Let us put our trust in Him and have faith that He is our Father, and He will take care of us.

Word of the Day:
"Whoever humbles himself like a child is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 18:4

Prayer:
Heavenly Father break my will and my pride. Help me to fully trust in You and believe that You are able and capable. Help me to daily lay down my crown of control and rest in the knowledge that You are God. Help me to, like a child, come to You for everything. In Jesus' Name, Amen

Author:  Kim Crowe

​If you come over to my house you will usually find it neat, orderly, and inviting.

Living as a family of five in a just over 600-square-foot space keeps me on top of cleaning and laundry like never before, as it gets messy and cluttered just as quickly as it is cleaned.

“A place for everything, and everything in its place” is a mantra I hold near and dear.

Except for one little part of our humble abode…THE cabinet.

The cabinet is a catch-all for those things we don’t know what to do with.
The junk we hide when company is expected.
Those little items we’re not quite willing to part with yet.

This cabinet, which is supposed to function as useful storage, becomes a dumping ground for broken crayons, stray Legos and 6 different kinds of chapstick…
And the busier our family is, the worse it gets.

Recently we went through some crazy months, and with little-to-no time to deal, I just kept stuffing and stuffing. As you can imagine, after time, all the stuffed stuff began falling out on me every time those doors were opened.

So after several months of stuffing, hiding, and holding— I was finally forced to deal after a cup of scissors (yes- a cup holding scissors) fell out on my toe.

Ouch.

Oh, and what a project it was- it took a fair share of time and attention.
It was frustrating. It was work…
but it was so refreshing once it was dealt with.


Recently something happened in my life that hurt more than I felt it should have. Have you ever had this happen?

It was a small something— nobody’s fault— where I ended up feeling, well...just very left out.

Now, I’m 29 years old and surely should be mature and responsible enough to deal with feeling left out, right?
That’s exactly what I was thinking. I was more upset over being upset than I was upset. Does that even make sense?!


I sat there in the car, crying and feeling foolish, and prayed in desperation…

God, why is this bothering me so much?

By His grace I began to see it— clear as day…
My cabinet door had been opened.

I wasn’t just dealing with the situation at hand— My cabinet door had been opened, and stuff was falling out everywhere. I was having to face the hard reality of pain from all those past experiences of rejection that I had stuffed away instead of sorting out.

Now I was faced with a choice: I could either deal with those items once and for all, or frantically hide them away again, embarrassed of my mess...

I decided to deal. 

Husband by my side. Ugly cry face, snot and all— exposed (thank God for a loving and understanding husband).

And do you know what? Like my actual cabinet, I felt so refreshed once it was dealt with.


We all have cabinets.

A catch-all for those feelings we don’t know what to do with, our “junk" we hide from people, those little bits of unforgiveness we’re not quite willing to part with yet. 

Yes, we all have cabinets, and from time to time people or circumstances will— inadvertently or not— pull open the doors, revealing things stuffed inside. 

Maybe Satan keeps opening the doors to reveal mistakes of your past.

Maybe you have experienced abuse in your past but you shut the door, never processing the pain. Now that door keeps getting ripped open, threatening to reveal areas you never wished to give thought to again. 

Maybe you’re like me, and you simply got tired of dealing with the pain of hurt and rejection, so you simply began stuffing it away. Now situations have come up in your marriage and friendships that opens the cabinet doors wide, causing you to react in less-than-desirable ways. 


We need to learn to recognize that we all have a “cabinet,” and we need to learn to tend to it regularly to avoid entering crisis mode.

How do we do this? We bring everything out to the open, in the light of God’s Word. 
It's a daily habit of laying our “junk” out before God, allowing His truth to illuminate it all and deal with it.

Sometimes God puts a finger on something that happened just yesterday, other times on items long forgotten from many years past.

It takes bravery, you know— revealing your junk, working through emotions like anger, frustration, pain, and embarrassment. 

But it’s worth it. The next time something happens or someone says something that throws open your cabinet doors, you can respond lovingly, peacefully, and rationally. 

Let’s be brave. 

It doesn’t have to be all at once, but little bit by little bit we can deal with the clutter in our cabinets, starting today.

Verse: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.” Psalm 139:23

Father, Thank you that you know me better than I know myself. Show me those deep, hidden places of my heart that are in need of your healing today. Make me brave so that I may really feel and deal, instead of stuffing it all back in. Thank you for your unconditional love, and thank you for your wisdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

​Author:  Katie Gibson

No, thank you.

Thanks for the invite, but I can’t.

I’ll have to get back to you on that.

Sorry, we’re busy.

No. Just no.

I like saying no because I’ve got a lot of cozy things going on. Like, my zone, people. You know what I’m talking about because you’ve got one, too.

The Comfort Zone.

Blessed are the comfortable. As hard as I squeeze my eyes and wish, it’s just not in there. 
​
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven … Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matthew 5:10-11).
No, thanks.                                            
Sigh.

Sometimes we forget this: Even Jesus pled with His Father for a different, easier path. Christ wasn’t excited about the cross. Scripture is clear. He came to the Father on the night of betrayal, fell on the ground, and prayed for a less brutal option:
“… going a little farther, he (Jesus) fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.  And he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will’” (Matthew 26:39).

Ultimately, though, Jesus sought obedience over comfort. Obedience meant suffering in ways we’ll never know. Ever. And He did that for us. For silly, self-centered, petty me. The one who complains about long lines at the grocery store and my sticky kitchen floor. The one who deserves nothing but has been freely given everything because Christ obeyed the Father’s will. Because Christ stepped into brutally uncomfortable territory for me.

And the cross was the Father’s will, so Christ submitted. He obeyed perfectly. Sometimes, we aren’t excited or enthused about the path He’s called us to. Obedience isn’t about excitement; it’s about surrender.

Unlike Christ, we’re sinners. I don’t always obey my Father’s will. God, through His Spirit, opens my eyes to the path: what to do, where to go, what to say to this person, how He’d like me to forgive that one. And it’s going to be hard. So, maybe I choose to stay in the Comfort Zone and reply with a No, thanks.

There is no blessing there. I can tell you that. It’s easy, but it’s not blessed. Disobedience never is.

So, instead, I close my eyes and whisper, Okay. If You say so. If you really want me to. I’m scared, and I don’t want to do this. I can’t do this. But, yes. 

Yes.

Me and Jesus. You and Jesus.
Yes.

Word of the Day: Yet not what I will, but what you will. (Matthew 26:39)

Prayer: Father, You know. You know my weakness, my frailty, my fear. You know these things and love me through them. You’ve placed things before me and ask me to do this work for Your sake and glory. Hear me, Lord. Fill me with Your Spirit that I might face discomfort with Your courage. With You, I can do all things. Thank You, Jesus, for being the perfect model. And thank You for walking each step with me. In Your precious name, Amen.

Author:  Melissa Bronson

Here we go! It’s back to school time. A flurry of shopping for school supplies and sneakers, teacher meet-and-greets, school tours, and more has alerted us to the fact it’s time to start a new year. Excitement mixed with a dab of anxiety swirls together on each of my kids’ faces.  
​
Summer was so welcomed by all. But just as it always does, summer came and went  quickly. As a mom, I want to hold onto summer with two hands and wrestle to keep it here a little longer. Although on days when my kids are less than happy with one another at home, letting go doesn’t seem so bad!   

As a youth, I couldn’t wait for the next phase. I was always reaching for the next season. From middle school to high school. High school to college. Then I couldn’t wait to be done with school in general, so I could enter the “real”  world.  (That one was sheer ignorance!) Later, it grew into a longing to be married. Then to have a baby. Then for the next phase of growth in those babies that did come.  

I suppose it’s natural. We are maturing, transforming, evolving. Some might say this looking forward stems from  a lack of contentment. If that is so, then contentment for me was evasive. I slipped in and out of it like the tides. But I’m increasingly aware that the contentment, the satisfaction we crave, can only be found in the Lord. Our lives need to be grounded in Him, for in Him we find our true selves and fall into a sweet place of worship.  

There’s a tension between living in the present but living for the future. I love my kids being at home with me but long to see what they will grow up to become. I love their innocent childhood, yet anticipate their launch into adulthood. Don’t get me wrong, I will always wish I could hold them a little longer. Snuggle them a little closer. But part of what makes motherhood so amazing is seeing our children  fly.  

Still, this tension between now and then. I have been saved, but I look forward to the full salvation that comes when Christ returns. I love this dance with God as He teaches me more about Himself (and myself), yet I can hardly wait to see Him face to face in all His glory. I love living life with my family in the beauty of His creation, but know there’s a coming kingdom “home” that is so much better. There is contentment yet reaching.  

We just need to make sure that what we are reaching for is the Lord. That we are reaching for His goodness. That we are reaching for His likeness. Not striving, because Jesus has gifted us with salvation and right standing with God, but reaching for the ‘more’ that God has promised us: the abundant life that He holds for us.  The connection, the abiding in Him, that is offered to us.   

David cried out to the Lord from the desert He found himself in:

O God, you are my God;
   I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
   my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
   where there is no water.
I have seen you in your sanctuary
   and gazed upon your power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
   how I praise you!
I will praise you as long as I live,
   lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
   I will praise you with songs of joy.
I lie awake thinking of you,
   meditating on you through the night.
(Psalm 63:1-6)

Though David was in the wilderness, He focused His gaze on the One Who is and is to come. He found contentment in His God. Though David’s circumstances may not have been ideal, He was grounded in the salvation and deliverance of God Most High. He worshipped. He worshipped who God was for Him in the desert, and He worshipped who God would be in the future. He looked forward to the day when God would silence the liars, those plotting to destroy him.  
Because you are my helper,
   I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
   your strong right hand holds me securely.
But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin.
   They will go down into the depths of the earth
They will die by the sword
   and become the food of jackals.
But the king will rejoice in God.
   All who swear to tell the truth will praise him,
   while liars will be silenced.
(Psalm 63:7-11)

I, too, look forward to the day when God silences the liar. When He forever destroys the enemy and the grave. In the meantime, I will praise my God who is and is to come. I will worship Him in the beauty of His splendor, both now and then. Now in part, then in full.  

God, I thank You for saving me. I thank You for the glimpse at Your majesty that inspires my worship. I thank You for being here with me in the present. But I also look forward to the day when you come back for me and take me to my heavenly home with our whole family. I pray that You give me eyes to see what You’re doing now and what You will do then. I pray that my contentment and satisfaction will always and only be found in You. It is You I praise and long for in this dry and weary land. It is You I will praise and be with in paradise forever. I love You. Amen.


Author:  Kerri Barfield