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Need a Vacation from Your Boring Life?

5/29/2014

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By Renee Fisher
“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1, NIV).
I never thought I’d say that married life is boring. Well, actually it’s nothing like single life was. I think the word I’m looking for though is “routine.” In the morning, I kiss my husband goodbye, and then I turn on my computer and go to work. At first glance, any routine can seem exhilarating, but it seems no one talks about how we get there. Everyone wants a vacation from life. There are seasons of fighting and seasons of enjoying the view—hopefully somewhere tropical.

I’ve fought a fierce fight, faced my fears, and overcome many obstacles to get where I am. Of course, I want to enjoy it! I love my house because it is up against a beautiful hill with avocado trees. It reminds me to take time to admire where I’ve been and how long it took me to get here. I’m living in the freedom of being married, owning a home, and writing full time—something I prayed many years for.

After running for his life as a fugitive for many years, David learned to enjoy his life as King of Israel. He called this his place of safety or spacious place. He also respected God’s boundaries (Psalm 16:6).

David was in his “spacious” room with a view when he noticed Bathsheba. I didn’t connect these two until recently. It was in the springtime that David stayed behind.

He stopped fighting. I’m not sure if he was hurt or if he was generously tired of fighting. Maybe he just needed a vacation. Sometimes I need a vacation. The only person who truly knows David’s heart is God. While David was up on the rooftop of his palace enjoying his view, he noticed Bathsheba’s hot naked body. Yowza. He had two choices: turn and cover his eyes or take a vacation with someone else’s wife. Not only was David guilty of adultery, but murder. All because of his palace view. He couldn’t just watch her bathe. He had to have her.

I find it’s easier to slip quietly into sin when we are “on vacation.” It’s easier to justify spending way too much money on that vacation I can’t afford when I just need to get away. Like David, when I’m done fighting, I just want to get away. Friends, a room with a view is something to take very seriously. God provides our very own safe and spacious place because He knows how tired we are. That’s also when the enemy knows we are weak and bored. That’s when we need to be careful.

Maybe you’ve gone through a literal war and fought for our country. Maybe others of you have struggled on the battlefield of lust or pornography, and you’re not sure how to ask God to forgive you. I don’t know about you, but I’m so glad David’s example is in the Bible.

God forgave David’s indiscretions just as He forgives our sins today. We can thank God for that!
Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, thank you for the example of David. He fought and sinned greatly, and yet he was a man after your own heart. Help me overcome the wars that are waging in my heart. Give me victory to walk away no matter how boring or justified I feel in my weakness. Amen.
Has there ever been a specific time when you have felt more vulnerable than others?

Why or why not?

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*Excerpt taken from Dream Devotional, © 2014. All rights reserved.

You can purchase a copy of Renee’s newest book on Amazon for only $3.99 here: http://www.dreamdevotional.com. 


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Renee Fisher is a spirited speaker and author of five books including Dream Devotional (2014). She is the founding editor of DevotionalDiva.com, and a Dream Coach who loves spurring others forward (Heb. 10:24). A graduate of Biola University, Renee enjoys running on sunny days in California. She lives with her adoring husband, Marc, and their rambunctious pit bull named Star.


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A Powerful Life

5/22/2014

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By Erin Elizabeth Austin

Weak. Sickly. Puny. Fragile. Delicate. What comes to mind when you read these words? I can’t help but wonder how many of you thought about yourself and your chronic illness. We’ve probably all heard these words used to describe us and our health at least once; I know I have. Personally, I hate these words. I cringe whenever I hear them. I have been sick for almost eleven years, and I’ve lost count of the number of times these words have been used to describe me. Maybe one of the reasons why I hate these words so much is because of what our culture believes.

We Americans are taught at a young age that our goals in life should be to make money, become a force in which to be reckoned, and become a huge success. Yet living with a chronic illness changes all of that. We’re often too sick to work and make money, let alone become powerful or a huge success. It’s no wonder so many of us struggle with feelings of low self-worth! According to our world’s standards, we have nothing of value to contribute to society. But God doesn’t judge us according to what others say or think. When God looks at us, He doesn’t see sickly, weak people with no value. To Him, we are more than an illness and a broken body. Yet far too often, we forget this truth and judge ourselves in the same way the world does. We allow our diseases to define who we are and forget that a weak body doesn’t mean we have a weak spirit and mind. Some of the most brilliant minds in history came in the form of “weak” bodies. Beethoven was deaf and had an intestinal disease. Hellen Keller was blind and deaf. Stephen Hawking, who is considered to be a modern-day Albert Einstein, can’t even speak without the aid of a computer. Yet in spite of every challenge and obstacle these people faced, they chose to persevere and become more than the world said they could be.

Paul speaks of this very thing in Philippians 4:13. It says, “I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me.” Simple words but they have a powerful meaning. In fact, the Greek word for “strength” means “to put power in.” A more literal translation of this verse is, “I can withstand all things because Christ fills me with His strength and infuses me with power.”

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It’s no wonder Paul penned those words. He was no stranger to suffering. In fact, he went through more suffering in his life than most of us could ever imagine. Don’t forget, not only was he imprisoned many times, he was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, bitten by a poisonous snake, and most likely had a health problem. So to say “I can withstand all things” is a truly powerful statement. Paul wasn’t just another preacher saying what people needed to hear. He spoke from his personal experience. He knew how hard life can be, but he also knew that God is greater than any problem that can ever come our way. And for those who have a relationship with Christ, they can rise above the trials life throws their way because God will fill them with His strength and power. All they have to do is ask.

Let’s face it – our lives aren’t easy. Truth be told, they’ll probably never get any easier. For many of us, each day that we are able to get out of bed and accomplish something on our “To Do List” happens only because we willed ourselves to do it. Because of this, sometimes we grow tired and weary in our spirits from the daily battle to rise above the pain. But it doesn’t have to be this way. God is strong enough to carry our burdens, and He graciously shares His strength and power with each of us.

Will we still be physically weak? Most likely yes, but the great thing about having a weak body is we know we need to rely on our strong, mighty God. The more we lean on God for strength, the more He can use our lives in a powerful way. I don’t know about you, but I would rather have a weak body and live a powerful life that makes a difference in this world than to have a strong body but live only a mediocre life focused on myself. What about you?

“Look at your situation when you were called, brothers and sisters! By ordinary human standards not many were wise, not many were powerful, not many were from the upper class. But God chose what the world considers foolish to shame the wise. God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong. And God chose what the world considers low-class and low-life—what is considered to be nothing—to reduce what is considered to be something to nothing. So no human being can brag in God’s presence. It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus. He became wisdom from God for us. This means that He made us righteous and holy, and He delivered us. This is consistent with what was written: The one who brags should brag in the Lord!” ~ 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (CEB)

*Originally posted © January 24, 2013

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God Answers

5/20/2014

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By Josie Siler

I love a good thunderstorm! Sure, storms make my body sore, but they comfort my soul. They remind me of how powerful God is. Are you in a place where you need to be reminded of the power and might of the Lord? This week, I was reminded as I read in the book of Job. The book of Job begins with God asking Satan if he has noticed Job and what a righteous man he is. Satan replies that he is only righteous because God has blessed him. Satan was sure that if he was allowed to take away Job’s blessings, Job would curse God. God allows Satan to do whatever he wanted to Job and his family, but he had to spare Job’s life. In the chapters that follow we see Job’s children killed, his livestock killed, his wealth taken away, and his body afflicted. His friends come to comfort him, but end up accusing him of sin that was invoking God’s wrath.

Job suffered more than most of us can imagine, yet he did not curse God. Job was honest with God; he cried out to Him. Like many of us, he wanted to know why. At the end of the book, God finally speaks to Job. Job 38:1-30 (The Message) reads:
And now, finally, God answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said:

“Why do you confuse the issue? Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about?
Pull yourself together, Job! Up on your feet! Stand tall! I have some questions for you, and I want some straight answers. Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much! Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements? How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone, while the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise?


And who took charge of the ocean when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb? That was Me! I wrapped it in soft clouds, and tucked it in safely at night. Then I made a playpen for it, a strong playpen so it couldn’t run loose, and said, ‘Stay here, this is your place. Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.’


 And have you ever ordered Morning, ‘Get up!’ and told Dawn, ‘Get to work!’ so you could seize Earth like a blanket and shake out the wicked like cockroaches? As the sun brings everything to light, brings out all the colors and shapes, the cover of darkness is snatched from the wicked--
they’re caught in the very act!


 Have you ever gotten to the true bottom of things, explored the labyrinthine caves of deep ocean? Do you know the first thing about death? Do you have one clue regarding death’s dark mysteries? And do you have any idea how large this earth is? Speak up if you have even the beginning of an answer.

Do you know where Light comes from and where Darkness lives so you can take them by the hand and lead them home when they get lost? Why, of course you know that. You've known them all your life, grown up in the same neighborhood with them!

Have you ever traveled to where snow is made, seen the vault where hail is stockpiled, the arsenals of hail and snow that I keep in readiness for times of trouble and battle and war? Can you find your way to where lightning is launched or to the place from which the wind blows? Who do you suppose carves canyons for the downpours of rain, and charts the route of thunderstorms
that bring water to unvisited fields, deserts no one ever lays eyes on, drenching the useless wastelands so they’re carpeted with wildflowers and grass? And who do you think is the father of rain and dew, the mother of ice and frost? You don’t for a minute imagine these marvels of weather just happen, do you?

When I read these words, and the rest of God’s reply to Job, I am in awe and utterly speechless. Yes, God wants our honesty. He wants to hear all about our suffering. He loves us and He cares about us deeply. However, we must understand that God is God and His ways are best, even when we don’t understand them. There are things to learn in the midst of suffering. There’s an intimacy with God that is only developed through suffering. In the end, God restores Job’s life. He blesses him even more than before he suffered. 
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Job’s response to God is one of humility, intimacy, love, and revelation. This is my prayer to God today. What about you? 
Job answered God:

“I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset Your plans.
You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing My purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, ‘Listen, and let Me do the talking. Let Me ask the questions. You give the answers.’ I admit I once lived by rumors of You; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”


                                                                                                 -Job 42:1-6, The Message
© May 20, 2014
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Taste and See

5/15/2014

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By Josie Siler

I’m sure we can all relate to the phrase, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired!” I know I can. It wears at you. Day in and day out it’s the same old thing, not feeling well. Not a day goes by where something doesn’t hurt. If we happen to have a good day, we overdo it and end up paying for it the next day…or two…or three…. It’s hard to remember what day it is because each day seems to be the same as the last. Throw into the mix a long, cold winter (for some of us) and we’re left feeling drained and maybe even angry.

Every year, right about this time, I feel a deep desire to get out and do something. I want to enjoy life, have fun, hang out with my friends, go on adventures, and live life abundantly! However, that doesn’t usually happen. When the time comes, I just don’t feel well enough. So I say, “Maybe next summer I’ll be able to…”. You know what? I’m getting sick of it! I’m sick of being sick, and this year I vow to do things differently. I have finally realized that I’ve been going about this all wrong.

It is quite obvious that my big plans for each summer haven’t been working. In fact, they end in defeat and misery. So this summer, it’s all about the little things. It’s about stopping to smell the roses. It’s about enjoying the life that God has given me. It’s about experiencing the world around me and finding God there.
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Psalm 34 is my favorite Psalm. Psalm 34:8 is my favorite verse of my favorite Psalm. It has been ever since I was a child. It says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!” When I read this verse today, I am reminded that God is good and there’s joy to be found in Him. Knowing that God is good is one thing. Tasting and seeing that God is good is something else entirely. To taste means to perceive. We are to experience God’s goodness with our senses.

What does this look like? Really, the sky’s the limit – so let’s start there! Have you noticed how blue the sky can be on a clear summer day? Have you seen clouds illuminated by brilliant colors as the sun sets? Have you watched clouds darken and let out rain to water the beautiful flowers and make the grass a brilliant green? Have you heard the birds chirp and sing their songs of praise to the Lord? Have you watched the eagle soar on wings that never seem to grow weary or tired? Have you watched the squirrels play or a group of deer run through a field? Have you noticed how comical your neighbor’s dog is and what a soft coat he has? Have you ever seen a double rainbow lighting up the sky after a storm? Have you enjoyed the feel of the wind on your face as you ride a bicycle or ride in the car with the windows down? Have you watched the mighty ant crawl across your blanket during a picnic, carrying away food 50 times its weight? Have you watched lightening light up the night sky with beautiful jagged patterns and then counted to see how long it would take the thunder to follow? Have you stopped to smell the roses, or lilacs, or any other fragrant flower?

I could go on and on, but the point is, God made each of those things. He’s incredible! He’s worthy to be praised and adored and worshiped with every fiber of our being. I know that this summer is going to be different for me because my perspective has changed. How can it not be an amazing summer if I spend it looking for God’s goodness in everything? I choose to take refuge in the Lord and I choose joy.

Please, won’t you join me? Let’s all have a summer to remember. A summer where we enjoy the life we’re living because it’s the life God have given us to live. Let’s not keep all the joy of God’s goodness to ourselves either; let’s share with each other all the amazing ways we taste and see God’s goodness. Leave a comment on the blog or share on Broken but Priceless Ministries’ Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you!

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”   --John 10:10--

© May 15, 2014
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Defeat, Death, & New Beginnings

5/8/2014

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By Erin Elizabeth Austin

Defeat. It’s a word which immediately conjures images of loss and discouragement. We've all experienced it. From losing an anticipated football game to the death of a loved one, we have all gone through various losses over the course of our lives. But what happens when defeat becomes more than a passing event in our lives? What if defeat is something we experience day-in and day-out? What do we do then?

Unfortunately, I’m all too familiar with defeat and its lasting effects. After being molested as a little girl, defeat became my traveling companion for all of life. I knew I was hideous and would never be attractive. When I contemplated trying new things, defeat reminded me I would fail, so I shouldn't even try. My heart knew trying to make new friends was pointless because no one would like me. And when I was diagnosed with lupus at seventeen, my failing health confirmed what I already knew to be true – I would never succeed at anything in life because my body wouldn't let me. Life was hopeless, or at least, my life was hopeless.

Defeat truly is a beast. A person can have the best of everything – health, money, friends, homes, cars – but if he is defeated in his thoughts, he will never accomplish anything in life. Yet if a person takes control of his negative thoughts, there is nothing that will stop him. I have seen this truth time and time again in my own life.

Maybe that’s why I love inspirational movies. They remind me what happens when a person chooses to persevere against all odds. Victory IS possible. Maybe you won’t become famous or a grand champion in a famous sport, but you CAN experience victory in life. It’s why Jesus went to the cross. His death and resurrection defeated sickness, suffering, pain, sadness, defeat, and death. His victory becomes our victory, when we allow it. Will there still be hard times? Absolutely! But going through difficult situations doesn’t mean we are defeated. Defeat happens in our hearts and minds, and the same is true for victory. When we walk in the truth and power of God’s promises, we ARE victorious! When we cry out to God and lean on Him throughout the circumstances of our day, we can accomplish more than we ever thought possible.

Below is my favorite scene from a movie called Facing the Giants. Whether or not you've watched this movie, I encourage you to watch this clip now. God is cheering you on today. He is walking right beside you, shouting for you to keep going, to not quit. Yes, what you’re going through is hard, but don’t quit! You are a champion! And if you've been walking in defeat, choose to walk this day in victory. Let today be a new beginning.

“Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” ~ Hebrews 12:1-3
© May 7, 2014
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A Good Shepherd and A Dream

5/7/2014

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By Josie Siler

Today the field that meets my backyard was being prepared for planting. I loved watching the soil get turned up and changed from a dull brown to a deep earthy brown. The path the tractor took was clear as the lines of dark brown got closer and closer until finally the entire field was turned over and ready for planting. Soon, new life will be peaking out of the evenly spaced rows and I’ll get to watch them grow into a bountiful harvest for the farmer.

Sometimes I feel like that dry, dusty field just sitting there waiting for the season to change. I’ve always loved the verse in Matthew that talks about the harvest being plentiful and the workers being few. This is widely known as a “missions verse” and it was one of the verses that motivated me to get my Intercultural Studies and Master of Arts degrees and go through the Consecration process with my denomination in preparation of being a missionary.

I have to admit, there are times I feel guilty for abandoning this call of missions on my life. Now I KNOW that my call has not changed; what has changed is the way it is being fulfilled. My life isn’t what I imagined it to be, but it’s good. God is bringing to completion the dreams He laid on my heart so many years ago. I find it amusing (when I’m in the right mood) that my dreams are being fulfilled in God’s perfect way, a way that is so different from what I imagined. I shouldn’t be surprised this is how God works! He just wants a willing heart. Once He has that, He will use you to accomplish His plans in His own special way.

Today I looked up that verse in Matthew again and what struck me was not the “missions verse” I know so well, but the words that come right before it. In the New American Standard Bible, Matthew 9:36-38 says:

Seeing the people, He [Jesus] felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

When we feel like that dry, dusty field, Jesus has compassion on us. He sees our distress and He knows we are dispirited and feel lost. We’re wandering around like lost sheep, but the incredible news is that Jesus is our Good Shepherd! No matter how far we’ve wandered off, He will find us. In John 10:14-15 (ESV) Jesus tells us, “I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

Your life probably doesn’t look like you imagined. Sickness can steal many things. It can try to steal our hopes and dreams, but we can put up a fight! How do we do this? We give God our heart. We give Him our heart and our lives when we accept His gift of salvation and decide to love and follow Him. We can give God our heart by loving Him, but we also need to give Him our willing heart - a heart that desires to do and be all that He dreamed for us.

I believe God gave us our hopes and dreams for a reason. The dream of being a missionary made me take many steps I wouldn’t have taken without that dream. That dream made me the person I am today and prepared me for the ways God is using me today. I don’t think we have to give up our dreams, but I do think we need to give up our expectations. We need to give our dreams back to God and ask Him to fulfill them however He sees best. Sometimes He will give us back a new dream and other times He will fulfill our dreams in ways that we can’t begin to imagine.

Will you follow the Good Shepherd wherever He takes you? Will you let Him turn your dry, dusty field into a field ready for planting? God wants to reap a bountiful harvest from your life. Will you let Him, in His own special way?
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“The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about Him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at Him and people turned away. We looked down on Him, thought He was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains He carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought He brought it on Himself, that God was punishing Him for His own failures. But it was our sins that did that to Him, that ripped and tore and crushed Him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through His bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on Him, on Him.” ~ Isaiah 53:2-6, The Message
© May 7, 2014
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    Erin Elizabeth Austin

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    Erin Elizabeth Austin is a writer and speaker with a passion to help people find healing in the midst of their brokenness.

    If you want to contact Erin directly please click here.


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    Josie Siler

    Contributor

    Josie Siler, like millions of others, is living with chronic illness. She is eager to share the hope and joy that she has found in Christ, whether that is in a church, at a women’s retreat, over a cup of hot cocoa, or through a blog post.
    Click here to email Josie.


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