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Devotionals

11/12/2024 0 Comments

Thirsty for Living Water

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I grew up watching my mother plant a garden every year for our family. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and beans, bordered by colorful snapdragons and zinnias produced a bountiful harvest. Gardens don’t flourish without tending. For starters, new plantings need to be watered until they have a well-established root system.

I’m not the best at growing a big garden, but I do love having pots brimming with flowers, herbs and greenery on my porches. My pots have little holes to drain excess water to prevent root rot so the soil dries out quite quickly in the warmer months. This means the plants quickly wither without consistent watering.

Spiritually speaking, we need the living water Christ offers in order to flourish. When we try to live in our little self-made pots apart from Him, we dry out pretty quickly. We can become like the bush in the wasteland in Jeremiah 17:6.
Have you ever been in a spiritual drought where you felt dry and barren? I think most of us probably have at one time or another. Sometimes we stay too long in the wasteland because we are afraid to admit we are dry and ask for help.

We hear Christ say in John 7:37b-39a, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” This is profound. Not only can we receive this living water through our faith in Jesus, but we can become channels He flows through to reach others. This means that when we see others withering in the wasteland, we can move toward them and offer them the Living Water from Christ.

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Even believers need to be refreshed with Living Water and hope after periods of grief, suffering or loss…to be carried into God’s healing, refreshing presence. We all need hope. The world needs hope. Christ is the source of hope, and He gave believers the Holy Spirit, who’s described as a Counselor, Comforter, Helper, Teacher and Guide. He reminds us of the truth that will keep us rooted in both the truth of Christ and in the power of the Gospel. With the combination of truth and power, we can then bear witness to others that are waiting to hear this marvelously Good News.

We will never have what we need apart from Christ. There’s one thing we all have in common (that also keeps us humble) - we all need The Lord. And the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever learned is that this life-giving, almighty, gracious, loving God invites all of us because He wants to do life with us - forever.

Let’s be people filled to the brim with Living Water. John 4:14 says, “those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” Sisters…drink deep…then turn and offer a drink to those standing near you who are parched from living too long in desert places. Then we shall all surely thrive!
““This is what the LORD says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
​Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NIV)
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About the Author

My name is Kerri Barfield. I am a wife and a mama to three teenagers. We reside in Upstate South Carolina. I am passionate about loving and following the Lord and helping others connect to His heart. I feel inspired by nature, and I enjoy long walks, horseback riding and spending time with family and friends. Connect with me at www.mymessengerangel.blogspot.com​
0 Comments

12/4/2023 2 Comments

Soul Restoration

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The word restoration is an attractive word but comes with a process. If you’ve ever had any kind of home renovation, you know the first step is the removal of the old pieces and parts and any necessary repairs before the new materials can be installed. Similarly, there are inferior things in our souls that need to be removed because they aren’t aligned with God’s Kingdom.
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Living on earth unfortunately means an assault on the soul. We experience loss, wounds, betrayal and effects of sin. When I first started walking with God, I had old mindsets that needed correcting, brokenness needing healing, and sin and shame that had to be eradicated.

​Thankfully, God tells each of us, “Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I rebuke and discipline [showing them their faults and instructing them]; so be enthusiastic and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will]” (Rev. 3:19 AMP).
God shows us what needs to be stripped away— what isn’t meant to be there. Though we can feel raw in the process, God gives us courage and grace to keep following Him on this path to restoration. We can hold onto the promise that, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]” (1 Pet. 5:10 AMP).
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God reveals His perfect plans and His perfect love for His children over and over in His Word. The woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus with condemnation and a death sentence, yet Jesus freed her from condemnation and offered an invitation to leave her life of sin (John 8:10-11). Encountering His love— a love that is so compelling, so real, and so safe— has a way of bringing humility to our wayward hearts so that God can begin the repairs of our soul. God sent Jesus and launched His plan to restore our identity as sons and daughters, connected to His heart and ways.

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It’s almost as if our soul sometimes has to catch up with the Good News. The Gospel is the invitation into the restoration process that acknowledges that “you were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News...” (Col. 1:21-23 NLT). Jesus did all the work and made a way for us to walk in fellowship with the Trinity, but we have to accept the gift and apply it to our lives. He wants to hand us treasure but we have to let go of the junk we hold onto.
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God never designed us to live apart from Him, riddled with guilt and shame. The Good Shepherd shepherds us through the entire process of restoration. Our part is to allow God to love us and teach us His ways, believing and remembering the Good News of the Gospel and the victory Christ secured for us. It is finished and He is seated in heaven, awaiting the appointed time for full restoration of all things (Acts 3:21). That day is coming friends so let’s take God at His word. Follow Him through the restoration process and take heart - He’s with us all the way.
“He restores my soul...” Psalms 23:3a (ESV)
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About the Author

My name is Kerri Barfield. I am a wife and a mama to three teenagers. We reside in Upstate South Carolina. I am passionate about loving and following the Lord and helping others connect to His heart. I feel inspired by nature, and I enjoy long walks, horseback riding and spending time with family and friends. Connect with me at www.mymessengerangel.blogspot.com​
2 Comments

9/21/2023 0 Comments

It’s Personal

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I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in a stadium full of people attending a women’s conference. I was in a season where I had lost my father way too soon, was home each day raising my babies, and felt a gnawing sense of insignificance growing in my soul. 

I sat expecting a lineup of dynamic speakers. What I didn’t expect was that the first worship set to kick off the conference would cause me to sink into my seat sobbing. The first song was the most unexpected song I’ve ever heard at a Christian conference.  It was a John Denver song - one of my favorite songs that my dad used to play on his guitar with me sitting at his feet as a child. 

In my little corner of the stadium I cried my eyes out while women around me passed me tissues from the bottom of their purses and asked wide-eyed if I was “ok.” How do you communicate to those around you in a moment like that how personally (and quickly I might add) God began ministering to my heart.
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In a moment, He addressed the grief I carried from the loss of my earthly dad, and addressed the lie of insignificance harbored in my soul by showing me He saw me and had in fact seen all my days. The healing that took place in my heart was nothing short of miraculous that day, and it gave me an abiding sense of purpose, value and communion with God. I'll never forget it.

In reading Paul’s letters to Timothy, I get the sense Timothy was needing this kind of ministry to stay at his post in Ephesus. Equally apparent is the evidence Paul really saw Timothy - his strengths and weaknesses, his gifts, his fears and troubles. Paul addressed Timothy as a son (1 Timothy 1:2) and expressed deep care, a desire to protect, train up, prepare and set him up for success. 

Paul spoke plainly of the hardships to come and the need to stand firmly on the Truth, regardless of the environment. He reminded Timothy of the sound teaching and spiritual inheritance he received from his mother and grandmother, and then reminded him of prophetic words spoken over him by others. All of this had helped develop Timothy into the man of God he was. Remembering gave him strength to stand strong.

We all go through difficult seasons that make us long for God’s personal affirmation and attention. Psalm 139:1 says, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” We all desire to know He sees us. It is sheer grace from the Father that assigns us our value and significance (Ephesians 2:8-10), and unfathomable mercy that He will comfort us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). When He does, it is like adding legs to our faith, releasing us to run as ambassadors of the King. 

I hope you have had similar experiences that have propelled you forward in your walk with God. If you can’t recall a specific time He spoke to the deepest parts of your heart, ask Him to. He is a God who gets personal. He is a God who loves you and longs for you to know it. Think of people in your life that have spoken life into you in moments of weariness, like Paul did for Timothy. Thank God for them. Once you do, go forth and be that life-giving presence for someone else. May God receive all the glory!
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” ‭‭Psalm ‭139‬:‭1‬ (NIV)
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About the Author

My name is Kerri Barfield. I am a wife and a mama to three teenagers. We reside in Upstate South Carolina. I am passionate about loving and following the Lord and helping others connect to His heart. I feel inspired by nature, and I enjoy long walks, horseback riding and spending time with family and friends. Connect with me at www.mymessengerangel.blogspot.com​
0 Comments

9/20/2023 0 Comments

The Favor of a King

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Anytime I’ve been asked to speak to a group of people, it felt like a blessing and a curse to this introvert. It usually comes with a feeling of not being qualified and thinking another should be chosen. Part of our journey with God is learning that He often asks us to do things that are bigger than we can handle on our own. When His favor rests on us - to lead or even write a devotional - it feels weighty. It costs us something, but at the same time it feels like an honor. 

Life came at Queen Esther fast and furious. Orphaned at an early age, she experienced loss and the need for rescue. Thankfully, God moved the heart of her older cousin, Mordecai, to adopt and care for her. When the King of Persia went on the hunt for a new queen, Esther found herself swept into the process and chosen to wear the queen’s crown (Esth. 2:17). Favor, like her crown, rested on her head. 

Once queen, an evil servant to the king devised a plan to destroy all Jews, and Esther found herself in a position to help save her people from execution (Esth. 3:9; 4:14). It came with risk…her life was on the line, too.
Not only was she under the same death sentence as her people, she could also be killed for going to the king without being summoned. Esther found the courage to act, and the king granted her favor. 

​There are some pretty cool similarities in Esther’s story that we find in our own stories. First, Esther herself was saved and shown favor - first through adoption and then by being chosen by the king. As believers, we are chosen (John 15:16) and adopted (Rom. 8:15). Secondly, Esther was invited to partner with God in saving her people. We, too, are invited into a partnership with God to usher the lost into His salvation. 


Here’s some mind-blowing good news: we have the favor of a King just like Esther did. There is a beautiful partnership between the God who saves and the people He saves. We aren’t saved and shown favor so we can live a life of self-indulgence or idleness. We are saved and ushered into great purpose and into the work of our Master. He requires something of us - our trust and obedience. The work He has for us to do is the work of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18). We are ambassadors of Christ, working with Him to bring heaven to earth and the lost to the same salvation we ourselves have received by grace. 

Salvation is at hand. It’s now. His favor is also now. In Luke 4:18-21, Jesus reveals He was sent “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” I believe that favor is upon us as we work in the family business with Him. By accepting the mantle, we are entrusted with the favor, resources and authority of the King. It’s a partnership - one in which we need to be in close proximity and relationship with our Partner. There is no greater quest, no greater Leader, nor no greater favor than that of King Jesus. Just like Esther, we can step into our role as highly favored daughters of the King. Let’s share the Good News of the Gospel and pray for lost souls to encounter His saving grace. 
“For He says, ‘In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬ (NIV)
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About the Author

My name is Kerri Barfield. I am a wife and a mama to three teenagers. We reside in Upstate South Carolina. I am passionate about loving and following the Lord and helping others connect to His heart. I feel inspired by nature, and I enjoy long walks, horseback riding and spending time with family and friends. Connect with me at www.mymessengerangel.blogspot.com​
0 Comments

9/18/2023 0 Comments

Equipped to Bear Fruit

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I left the hospital asking, “Are you really letting us take this baby home from here?!” It sounds ridiculous and the nurse at my side just laughed, but it was a window into my soul at the time. The moment we strapped our baby boy in his new car seat, a fresh wave of fear swept over me. All of a sudden, I felt completely unprepared and unequipped to take my fragile infant out of that hospital, having no ‘real world’ experience on how to care for him. 

It doesn’t sound pretty, but that’s often the way it goes when I’m given a new assignment. Sure, it might be exciting, but it’s often accompanied by an element of trepidation. What if I mess up? What if I’m not equipped for the job?

In Exodus, God gave Moses detailed instructions on how to build the tabernacle, including what materials to use, dimensions, and who to enlist to perform the work. I wonder how Moses felt receiving all of those specific instructions, knowing that mishandling any part of it could result in disaster. 
But God knew it was a tall order and was completely prepared to meet the needs of Moses and the Israelites in order for them to be successful. God knew the process required divine inspiration. 

The equipping that takes place in this story is what stands out. God equipped Moses to lead the people; Bezalel and Oholiab to build and create; and others to give possessions as offerings. The whole community was able to contribute and play a role in this beautiful creation of the tabernacle. No one person was overwhelmed because the whole congregation was contributing. 

Just as God put His Spirit in the artisans to craft the tabernacle, so the Son gave us the Holy Spirit so we can bear fruit. By His Spirit, we have everything we need to carry out our assignments. He knew the Holy Spirit was the comfort, power, wisdom, courage and truth we needed to stand firm in our identity and calling as His daughters.

Whether it’s raising a family, missions, or leading a Bible study, we can trust that He is going to equip us. Each assignment can feel overwhelming because it’s usually bigger than we can accomplish on our own. I’m pretty sure He designed it that way so we’d remain humbly dependent on Him and collaborate with the community He’s placed us in. We were never meant to do it on our own. My assignment to nurture my children was achievable because God was with me, equipping me each step, and because He set me in community with other moms to find encouragement and help when needed. 

In my experience, even if I’m a little intimidated by the assignment, there are a few things I can always look to for a boost in my faith and confidence: the scriptures, testimonies of other believers, and my personal history with God. When you feel the weight of an assignment, seek out a trusted believer that can help redirect your focus to scriptural truth and remind you of all the ways God has moved before. Remember He always provides, His Spirit never fails, and He’s always with you. That, my friends, is good news! 
“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ (‭NIV)‬‬
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About the Author

My name is Kerri Barfield. I am a wife and a mama to three teenagers. We reside in Upstate South Carolina. I am passionate about loving and following the Lord and helping others connect to His heart. I feel inspired by nature, and I enjoy long walks, horseback riding and spending time with family and friends. Connect with me at www.mymessengerangel.blogspot.com​
0 Comments

5/8/2022 0 Comments

The Helper

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​In a couple months, I’ll be sending my firstborn off to college. Some of you may know how that feels, while others just imagine it as you change the diapers of your littles.

​It’s not like I’m sending him to another planet nor is it like I’m sending him to something dreadful. It’s college! Yet I know a change is in the wind for our family unit and I honestly just grieve that a little. Seeing our kids leave the nest is natural and necessary, but I know I’m going to need God’s help as I navigate this new normal.

​We all need help sometimes. Even Jesus sought His Father’s help and often went to a quiet place alone to pray and seek His will. As Jesus, in anguish, sank to his knees in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed for Father God to take the cup from Him and for God’s will to be done. ​
It was at that moment, the Father sent an angel to strengthen Jesus (Luke 22:43). What a good Father! What a beautiful picture of the Father’s heart providing for His child. He knew Jesus needed help in that place of anguish, so He released a helper. As we catch a glimpse into this tender moment between Father and Son, can you sense that God wants to be there for us as much as He was for Jesus?
 
I think one amazing quality Jesus possessed was His ability to receive from His Father, and because Jesus knew how to receive, He also learned how to give to His followers. In John 14, Jesus shares about the coming gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus saw the sorrow and confusion in the disciples' eyes as He forewarned of His death and departure. He knew there were future generations to consider and was aware of all the enemy would dish out to them, because Jesus also experienced it. He knew we would need a Helper!
 
God never asks us to do anything without Him. How comforting that He sees, He knows and He provides. How wonderful to know we have full access to a loving Father. We can ask daily for a fresh filling and He loves to give it. His Spirit empowers, comforts, teaches, and reminds us what Jesus said and did for us. Remembering truth is vital as we continue on life’s journey. We need His truth in our marriages, our parenting, our workplaces, our homes - our everything. And just as we don’t withhold good gifts from our kids, He doesn’t withhold from us either (Luke 11:13).
 
Where do you find yourself needing some help? Maybe you are having a hard time in your marriage feeling like you can’t get on the same page. Maybe you are having a hard time being patient with your two year old. Maybe you are living in a place of isolation because you’ve been hurt, but you are longing to establish some deep friendships. All of these things can make us feel defeated before we even start to address them. Let’s get into the right posture as we move forward...on our knees and hands open expecting the Holy Spirit to come alongside us. Expecting He will help us, teach us, guide us and equip us. And knowing He’s enough for everything we will ever face.
 
The Helper. The Comforter. He is more than enough for all of us.
Memory Verse: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26 NIV
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About the Author

My name is Kerri Barfield. I am a wife to my husband of 20 years and a mama to our three teenagers. We reside in Upstate South Carolina. I am passionate about loving and following the Lord and helping others connect to His heart. I feel inspired by nature, and I enjoy long walks, horseback riding and spending time with family and friends. Connect with Kerri at www.mymessengerangel.blogspot.com​

0 Comments

1/9/2022 0 Comments

The Good Shepherd

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​“The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.”
 
I lived half of my life without knowing or following the leadership of the Good Shepherd. But when I was 24, I encountered Him in a tangible way and began what is now a 24-year relationship with Him.

​I have encountered the valleys and the mountaintops. I have needed His robe of righteousness, healing, peace, love and the fulfillment that only comes from living attached to Him. I have seen His hand protecting me, providing for me, and His heart loving me and blessing me. He is a GOOD Shepherd.
​The more I ponder what David penned in this special psalm, the more I see a picture of salvation in it by a God who is fully engaged with us. Each verse leads you further into God’s plans and purposes. Each verse exposes His heart to save His people and to dwell with us.
 
We read the elements of Psalm 23 throughout the Old Testament. The Lord pursued Adam and Eve after they sinned. It was The Lord that led His people out of captivity and into the promised land. He was the cloud by day and fire by night. It was The Lord that repeatedly saved them from their numerous enemies, and taught them how to live obediently to remain in that blessed state of salvation.
 
In the New Testament, we see the ultimate way God revealed Himself as a Shepherd ushering His sheep to salvation. Jesus (God wrapped in flesh) is The Good Shepherd in John 10, laying down His life for His sheep. He held fast to His Father’s words, ways and plans. He conquered the enemy and rose victoriously from the grave so that we could dwell in the safety of His care. Great is His faithfulness, for He is still shepherding us!
 
“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).
 
God is still supplying everything we need to be saved, healed and delivered. He has always been the provider and always will be. Salvation is His gift to His people because He values us. He created us for a relationship with Him. He wants us to live life in His presence, fully becoming what He designed us to be. We were made to reflect Him in this world and He takes perfect care to make sure we are successful in that endeavor. Every word in Psalm 23 reveals who He wants to be for us through all of life. David saw it from the time he was a shepherd and all through his kingship, leaning into the fullness of relationship with Him.
 
I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through these beautiful verses of Psalm 23. No matter what life has thrown at you, He is enough to save, heal and deliver you. To Him, you are completely worth it, so much so that He gave up His life for you. That, my friends, is love. And isn’t it what we all truly long for? To be known fully and loved fully? The Good Shepherd is the only One who can fulfill us and usher us into a place where we lack nothing. He is enough.
Memory Verse: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.” Psalm 23:1 NIV
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About the Author

My name is Kerri Barfield. I am a wife to my husband of 20 years and a mama to our three teenagers. We reside in Upstate South Carolina. I am passionate about loving and following the Lord and helping others connect to His heart. I feel inspired by nature, and I enjoy long walks, horseback riding and spending time with family and friends. Connect with Kerri at www.mymessengerangel.blogspot.com​

0 Comments

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