41 Years

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Today is my birthday!!  This is the day the LORD has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it! I am 41 years old today and God has brought me through so much in these four plus decades! It is interesting to look back on all the growth and spiritual maturity in just this year! I had no idea I would be living in Alabama! I had no idea God would change our lives in such a drastic, amazing, wonderful way. When He spoke to my heart in January this year and told me we were moving to Alabama this summer, my heart sank. I did not want to go. I grieved a little. I did not know anything about Alabama. I was sad to leave a wonderful job, a great job teaching Children's Church, many friends and family in Indiana. I had never even been to Alabama, other than driving through it to get to Florida. I was scared of the unknown. No job. No home. No church. No friends. No family. No idea what He wanted us to do in Alabama that we couldn't do in Indiana. So, I prayed and fasted. I went on seven God appointed fasts and He shared great detail of what we were to do and yet I was still scared. What would God be sending us to?

I had nothing to worry about. Why should I have worried? God of all creation gave me specific direction. He told me we were moving to Mobile, Alabama. We went to Mobile in July. We had a wonderful time. We spent so much time enjoying each other and reconnecting as a family. We found a church. We loved the pastor and stayed in touch with her. That was a divine appointment. She has helped us so much on this journey of a lifetime and I will share so much more in the posts to come. I look at what God has done and I am amazed!!!

So, we came back to Indiana this Labor Day weekend. I had a follow-up eye appointment from when I had Lasik surgery. Great news, my eyes are even better! 20/15 and 20/20+1!! So excited to see without glasses. We spent time with family, caught up with a few friends. Packed with the last of our belongings in Indiana, we headed home and safely arrived in Alabama on my birthday, today!

We had fun at Boggs campgrounds while we were in Indiana. We took this beautiful picture, which truly does not do that gorgeous sunset scene justice. While it was fun to be in Indiana a few days, I am so glad to be home. Sweet Home Alabama!

Hope you have a wonderful Labor Day! Enjoy the day off, if you get the chance. Take some time to reflect on this day that the LORD has made, be glad and rejoice in it!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Training Children

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 KJV

Do we believe God's Word is true? Do we stand on the Word of God and claim all of the promises in the Bible for ourselves? If so, what do we do when we face a scripture like this one and the circumstances of our lives seem to contradict the passage? Do we get confused? The Bible is true. It is God's Word and He cannot lie. This promise is for you! If you have children in your care, this is YOUR promise. Stand on it and believe it, even if it looks like it is not your reality.

So let's look at this scripture closer. The first part of this verse is a command. We are to train our children in the way they should go. How does one go about training a child? We train children for lots of things, but one of the most common is potty training. After countless diaper changes, the time eventually comes when most children are ready to be potty trained. 

The task seemed so daunting when I was potty training my daughter. She had great verbal skills and good understanding of instructions, yet it was difficult for me to know how to get the message across that if she felt the need to potty, she should tell me. She said, "What does it feel like?" I was not sure how to describe that.  I did the best I could. We tried different strategies. We messed up. We learned from our mistakes. We extended grace to one another as we struggled through the process. I learned as much, if not more, than she did. I learned patience. I learned how important consistency and routines are. I learned that it was important to cheer her on and encourage even the smallest efforts. I learned that I take a lot of things for granted. I learned to look at the task through the eyes of a child. Suddenly the toilet looked big and intimidating, even scary. The noisy flush. The water rushing out of the bowl and the curious look on my daughter's face as she said, "Where did it go?"

In the midst of teaching hand hygiene, personal hygiene, and the mechanics of all things "potty," we were both learning and growing together. Now my daughter is almost 18 years old. She has not needed her mommy to help her potty in many, many years. The days of hurriedly carrying her to the bathroom as she loudly exclaimed, "I gotta go! I gotta go!," are now a distant memory. The stress and frustration are all gone. The hard time of that season has been replaced over and over with many other training sessions as she has grown and changed through the years.

The verse in Proverbs is a process. Marathon runners do not practice one day and then they are done. They do not train for one race and that's all they ever do. They do not purchase running shoes one day and the next sprint through their first race with no other training or preparation. Similarly, we cannot expect to train our children in one aspect of life and expect good results. No, we are to consistently teach our child, or children, the skills they need to survive and thrive in life. We are to come alongside them and teach them about love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. We are to train them in the way they should go, regardless of the season they are in.

The promise in this verse is that when they are old they will not depart. This does not guarantee your child will never grow up and rebel. It does not mean that all the things you have taught them won't seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The promise is that what you have taught them will not leave them. This is true whether the training is good or bad. The things you teach your child will stick with them. Those who go on and live a lifestyle that contradicts the way they were raised, is not proof this scripture is invalid. No, often these kids will tell you they knew they were not making good choices but they chose to do it anyway.

The promise is that those lessons are still there. The promise is that the Holy Spirit will continue to work on their hearts if we have shared Him with them as children. It's hard work to be a good parent, but we are not ever commissioned to be perfect parents. We are told to be consistent coaches, helping to train these children through every season, just like our Heavenly Father does with us.

If you are a mom or dad, new to this journey, or a seasoned veteran, take heart in knowing God sees your efforts. Ask Him to lead and guide you in every area of your life. Give this season of training your children to God and He will give you wisdom and understanding. Give the same grace, forgiveness, mercy, and unconditional love that He gives to us. Mirror His parenting skills as best you can and I promise you will see this verse become true in the lives of your children.

If you have wayward children, never give up on them. God is long-suffering with us and we are to be the same with them. Pray for them every single day. Show that child the love of the Heavenly Father. Do not allow roots of bitterness to grow in your heart. Do not blame them. Do not blame yourself. Do not become discouraged. God sees the need and He wants them to be a part of His family even more than you desire it. Trust Him to see you through this journey and invite Him to take over the training session. He will teach you and your child more than you can imagine.

If you long to have a relationship with your Heavenly Father, you can! Just go to Him with faith and confess that you are a sinner in need of a savior. Acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God and He died for your sins. Accept Him as Lord of your life and He will come into your life. He will change you and you will never be the same again! You will never find a greater friend to do life with!

If you know someone who is struggling in this season of their parenting, encourage them. Share this verse with them. Invite them to check out this blog post. Offer to help with an area they may be struggling if you can. It is a hard job to be a parent, but thankfully we have a really great example in the greatest parent in the world: God.

I hope something I have shared today has given you strength for the journey and light for your way! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

God > Your Problems

We compare things. We all do it. If we want to describe what a food tastes like to someone who has never tried it, we often compare it to something they have had before. Remember the infamous, "It tastes like chicken" comparison? We compare experiences and feelings. Often we can compare individuals with one another. "She is just like her mother." "He gets that from his dad." When we compare one thing to another, we often want someone to have a similar experience that we have had. What do we do when there is nothing to compare with? It gets a little more complex.

ISAIAH 40:18

To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?

Those are great questions! Obviously God has no equivalent, no match to compare features and mannerisms. In fact God says in Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. We were created in God's image, but even His very creation is not comparable to Him.

God asks again in Isaiah 46:5 To whom will ye liken Me, and compare Me, that we may be like? There is no one. God is omnipotent, omnipresent. He always was. He always is. He always will be. He was not born or created and that is hard to wrap our minds around because we are finite beings. He is infinite. We have a beginning and we have an end. He does not. We have time that stops and starts again. He is outside the realm of time. He is eternal. 

Yet God continues to ask in Isaiah 40:25 To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.  This question today, as I present it to you, is for you to let your mind explore the vastness of God. As I think about the God of the universe and what could compare to Him, nothing comes to mind. I imagine the world I live in and how huge it is in size and the miracle of its' orbit around the sun and how it spins on its' axis, yet we don't feel like we are spinning. He did that! I think of space and astronomy; the sun, the planets, the stars, the Milky Way, and celestial bodies. Space is so incredible and immeasurable and yet God is bigger and is in every single part of space. There is no where we can think of that God isn't. He is everywhere! That is a BIG God! We serve a great BIG God and yet He desires to be a part of every single thing we do or think.

ACTS 17:29

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

There is nothing created that we can compare with God because it is something He made to begin with. If I foolishly try to carve a piece of wood into something like God, I am using something He made (the wood) to imitate Him. There is nothing you can make that will do God justice. He is simply too complex and multi-faceted to ever duplicate. 

We are not the only ones who are curious about God. Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father. Jesus answers him with a question. John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? You see Jesus is the only begotten of the Father. To see Jesus is the only way to see God the Father. He is the only One worthy to be compared! Jesus is telling Philip that in order to experience God, he first needed to have an experience with Jesus. Philip was looking for something tangible, and Jesus said, "You're looking at it!" We may be searching to know God more, and meanwhile Jesus is knocking on our heart's door, lovingly asking for us to let Him in!

COLOSSIANS 1:12-17

12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:

14. In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16. For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:

17.  And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

It is difficult to stretch our thinking into comprehending that God made all things by Jesus and for Jesus and by Him all things consist. Jesus was there in the very beginning! 

HEBREWS 1:1-4

1. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;

3. Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

4. Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Jesus is the "express image of His person" and that is why Jesus could say to Philip, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." Psalm 89:27 Also I will make Him My firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. Preeminence means superiority. We see from these verses that Jesus was not some ordinary man. He was greater than a prophet. He was more than just a "good man." His authority is higher than any other. We will all know this when Jesus comes back! Revelations 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. Revelations 19:16 And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.  That should make us excited! That should remind us how powerful our soon-coming King is!

There is an order that society wants to disorganize. We have seen multiple problems with far-reaching consequences when the divine order God has set up is messed with. I don't discuss politics and I don't engage in spirited debates about women's lib agendas. I am not expressing Bridgett's opinion of how things ought to go. I am sharing God's Word today to help us see the clear picture God has for the order things ought to be. 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. God is at the very top and then Jesus. If we do not put Jesus in the position directly below God, we are not going to receive the blessings of God. They flow down from the Father to the Son to us.

Now that we have a clearer understanding of who God is; how great and powerful He is; think about the hardest trial you have had. Maybe you are going through a difficult situation right now. Do you know of someone else who is going through circumstances they just can't get through? I have great news for you! God is greater than your situation. He is greater than your problems! He is greater than your need! He is greater than your illness. He is greater than your diagnosis. He is greater than your marital problems. He is greater than your financial struggles. He is greater than your family issues. He is greater than addiction. He is greater than depression. He is greater than anxiety. He is greater than fear! He is GREATER!!!!

PSALM 56:3

What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

PSALM 30:10

Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be Thou my helper.

PSALM 54:4

Behold, God is mine helper: the LORD is with them that uphold my soul.

PSALM 72:12

For He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

HEBREWS 13:6

So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Please do not let the enemy deceive you! God loves you and wants to help you. He adores you and wants to help you through these struggles. Every single situation that is difficult and messy, God is standing before you, with outstretched arms, asking you to trust Him.

PSALM 139:17

How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

And after you have placed your hand in the hand of the Master, expect great things! You will receive the answer. You will get your miracle. You will be free. You will be equipped to help others and you will be instructed to share your testimony of God's faithfulness to others just like Jesus told the man in Luke.

LUKE 8:39

Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

I have no doubt your story is going to impact many others. Keep talking about the goodness of God. Send me an email at bridgettowens78@gmail.com or send me a note in the mail letting me know what God is doing in your life. I would love to hear from you!

Bridgett Owens

PO Box 471

Mitchell, Indiana 47446

USA

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Aaron Did What???

Imagine that you have a friend or close relative who has been called into a very important ministry. This friend or relative determines they do not have what it takes to fulfill their mission. You are then selected by God to be this person's voice, their spokesperson, to share their message with the masses. How do you feel? Happy, scared, intimidated, insecure, confident, hopeful? You may feel a myriad of emotions. This actually happened in the Bible. God called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and Moses tells God He picked the wrong guy. He goes on to say that he is not eloquent with speech and he does everything except completely shove the offer back in God's face. So, God is exasperated with Moses but appoints his brother Aaron to help.

Moses and Aaron finally lead the children of Israel to Egypt. They are free! The enemy was drowned in the Red Sea! Moses had gone up to talk to God, and receive the Ten Commandments. Wouldn't you think that the children of Israel would have been waiting in eager anticipation for Moses? Unfortunately, that is not the case! Let's open our Bibles to the Old Testament. We are going to Exodus 32.

Exodus 32:1

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron and said unto him, "Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

Aaron is the mouthpiece of God. He has heard the voice of the living God speak and direct him in what to say. Now he is alone. Moses is up on the mountain with Joshua and this man of God is surrounded by a mob of ungrateful people who have dismissed Moses as their leader. He is just some random man that brought them out of Egypt. Can you hear the disdain in their voices as they demand Aaron get up and make them idols to worship instead of the very God that anointed Aaron to be their leader. What would you do? How would you feel?

Aaron does not try to change their mind. He does not remind them of the blessings! He does not put up a fight. He is called to be a leader and yet his response is one of compromise. He actually instructs them to bring him gold. He forms it into an image. When the people see it they proclaim it as their new god that brought them out of Egypt. He could have regretted what he had done but instead he builds an altar so they can offer a sacrifice to this false god.

Moses is not dead like they may think. He did not get lost in the mountains with Joshua. They are talking with God and He is giving them these laws for the children of Israel to obey. God sees what they are up to and tells Moses to quickly get back down there because of the evil they are doing. He told Moses He would consume them all and kill them for their stiff-necked ways. He would not destroy Moses, though, and promised to make him a great nation. Moses convinced God to reconsider and God obliges him. He extends mercy instead and Moses is on his way back down the mountain in an angry fury.

Exodus 32:15, 16

And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

Joshua hears the noise of the children of Israel dancing and playing around. He mistakes it for a battle cry, but Moses knew it was no war breaking out... yet! He gets near the camp and sees the dancing and looks over to see what the celebration was about: there is a calf... the golden idol. Moses is so angry that he throws the Holy tablets down to the ground. The tablets broke into pieces. Moses had taken the Holy gift of God and destroyed them because he was angry about the sin of others. It was a good excuse but it was still wrong.

Moses demands to know how the people have deceived Aaron into sinning so greatly. Aaron immediately throws the children of Israel under the bus. He explains it away. He even tells Moses, "You know how they are!" He minimizes his part in all of this.

Exodus 32:24

And I said unto them, "Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf."

Aaron doesn't know how it turned into the shape of a calf. Really, Aaron? This is a really big deal! What would you say? Would you have given in to the people? Was the experiences Aaron had with God not enough to stand up against these stiff-necked people? It's easy to judge him when we are on this side of the book. But what about those times we compromise in our own lives? Don't we want forgiveness? Don't we want mercy and grace? None of us are perfect.

Our favorite preachers, singers, authors, and heroes of great faith are merely human. We are all in the Lord's Army and we all make mistakes. We are all flawed and broken. Our great example is Jesus and while none of us will ever be perfect like Him, we are to strive to live like Him. 

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

I don't know about you, but I breathe a small sigh of relief when I read that. I am not the only one who messes up. I am not the only one who gives in and follows the crowd sometimes. I am not the only one who does the easier wrong instead of the harder right. I am not the only one who answers in anger or sharp tones when I know a soft answer turns away wrath. (Proverbs 15:1)

Today I want you to know that I am not throwing any stones. I am not picking on Aaron. I hope you can see how human he is and that even though he had such a powerful calling on his life, when push came to shove, he fell in a way that you and I may have also. The good news is that we can get up and try again. God's mercies are new every single morning. Great is His faithfulness to us. (Lamentations 3:21-23)

If you have fallen, you can get back up my friend. God is right there, ready to dust you off, and refresh your soul. You are not alone. You are loved. You have not made so great a mistake that God stopped loving you. Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God and that is a great promise! (Romans 8:35-39)

I hope you are blessed by today's message. I hope you find encouragement and hope in this lesson. It's a beautiful reminder that God does not call perfect people to perform His perfect will, no, he calls the imperfect and then uses our mistakes, disappointments, and failures to shape us into a more perfect version of who He is calling us to be. If today's devotion has helped you, feel free to share the message with others, and together we will obey the Scriptures.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Rejoice, Be Patient, Keep Praying!

Hey everyone!

There seems to be so many bleak messages in today's news. We read about violence filling our schools, wounding or killing our precious children and the men and women who are devoted to educating our young people. The Democrats and the Republicans cannot get along and we, the American People, are the ones who lose. It seems someone is always so easily offended and unrest is common in our culture. Adults, teens, and even children have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders and depression. Where can we find hope? What does the Bible, the Good News, tell us to do in these troubled times?

Romans 12:12 says Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. That verse gives us three commands: rejoice, be patient, and continue to pray. Let's look at each section of that verse individually. How can we put this verse into practice? Are we capable of doing these things in today's world? Why rejoice, be patient, and keep praying? Shouldn't we be doing more?

Rejoice in hope. Hope is something we want but do not have. Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? We are to rejoice in our salvation. We are saved through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We still have to live in this world and face the many trials and difficulties of this life. We are to rejoice in the hope of our salvation. We can face these challenging times knowing that our hope is in God and someday soon we will be taken to a much better place! Rejoice in the hope you have for your future and do not dwell on the sufferings of this present time.

Be patient in tribulation. This may seem impossible at times to be patient in tribulation, but we must exercise this fruit of the Spirit because we know that patience has a purpose. James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. The Bible teaches us that these trials of our faith allow patience to work in us and when we are matured as Christians, we will be perfect and complete, and there will be nothing more that we need. We are all striving to get to that place and some mature quicker than others, but we must let patience do the work for us in these difficult times.

Continuing instant in prayer. The New International Version (NIV) says it like this: faithful in prayer. We are not to stop praying during these tumultuous times. God is still on the throne. He is in control. He knows what we need before we ask, but He wants us to ask in faith believing, without doubting, and then the Bible tells us that we will have the things we ask for. Ask for strength, ask for wisdom, ask for boldness, ask for a blessing, and believe that you receive it. Stay in direct communication with God. Praying does not just mean you give a laundry list to God and ask Him to start checking off the boxes. No, prayer is a sacred, holy communion with God where we can ask Him the things we desire, but we also get to praise Him for who He is and how wonderful He is. We get the opportunity to thank Him for all the many marvelous things He has done for us. We also have the open door to request forgiveness for those sins we commit knowingly and unknowingly. It is a time to be in His presence and experience His love and great mercy. This is a two way conversation where the Holy Spirit will hear and answer you.

Friends, it is easy to get discouraged in these last days. Many times I am tempted to give up on human nature as our society continues in a downward spiral. Then I am reminded that I belong to the Most High God and I will not be defeated. I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus. He is my Hope and my exceeding great reward. I will rejoice in hope that I have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. I will be patient in tribulation because I am walking by faith and not by sight. My circumstances do not determine my salvation. The status of this world today does not tie up the hands of my great God Jehovah. He is still bigger, mightier, and more powerful than any evil force of darkness and He will prevail. I will continue instant in prayer, with words of praise and adoration and thanksgiving on my lips at all times. I will bless the Lord and I will not forget the many wonderful kindnesses He has done for me. I will remember the times of healing, performing miracles, and blessing me more than I deserve.

Let's strive together to walk in unity. Let's pray for one another and encourage each other as we all look to Heaven, our home. God is great and mighty and powerful. We serve the Risen LORD and we must keep our eyes on Him and rely on Him now more than ever before. Do not give up. Do not give in. Do not compromise. God is greater!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

5 Joy Killers

What does every believer have that the enemy wants to take? Why does he want to steal it? The answer is joy! Such a tiny word, only three letters, but makes a great impact on those who possess it. What is it? According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of joy includes emotion, expression, a state of happiness, a source or cause of delight. What does the Bible say about joy? Galatians 5:22 names it among the fruits of the Spirit. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Satan wants to steal our joy because it strengthens us. He did not give it to us and he cannot take it away. Our joy comes from God! There are things we can do as Christians to give our joy away. We are going to look at five of the most common joy killers today.

JOY KILLER #1:
Comparing Yourself With Others Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Social media demands we compare ourselves all day every day. Think about it for a moment. Someone posts a beautiful family portrait on Instagram and you immediately have a reaction. You may be one of the few who sincerely appreciates the photograph for what it is, but many others will compare their own family to that picture. Someone on Facebook shares a paragraph about what a great time they had on vacation and may share an album for friends and family to share that time with them, but feelings of jealousy, anger, and judgment rise up so quickly. We may wonder how they can afford such an elaborate vacation. We may be upset that we do not have any vacation plans in mind, or be jealous that our finances won't allow us to take a trip like that. How many likes do you get on a post? How many thumbs up on a video, or new subscribers is enough to feel happy? I have watched videos from YouTubers who have subscribers in the millions and at the end of the video they continue to ask for more subscribers, likes, shares, and comments. Is this where we find our validation?

2 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. Please read this carefully! When we measure ourselves against each other, and when we compare our stories, our lives, our families, our blessings, our homes, our jobs, our spouses, our children, the Bible says we are not wise! Let's outsmart the enemy! Let's compare ourselves to God. How do we line up? We are not God but we are to reflect God's image by the things we say and do.

Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.  We are human and we mess up, make mistakes, say and do things we regret. Our Heavenly Father is perfect and as a Christian, we are supposed to become more and more like Him as we continue this journey. Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Read the Bible, reflect on what it says about your circumstances, your health, your family, yourself. This is how to become perfect like the Father. You will never be perfect until the day God calls you home and completes the work He is doing inside of you, but we must strive to be perfect and work toward becoming more like our Father every single moment.

JOY KILLER #2:
Discontentment This joy killer holds the hand of Joy Killer #1. Discontentment does not make us want to count our blessings; rather, discontentment makes us look at the things others have that we do not. There is a popular quote that says, "Happy people do not have the best of everything, they make the best of everything they have." See the difference? A truly happy person may not own the nicest vehicle, but they will be thankful for the automobile they have that takes them and brings them. We are warned by Jesus in the Scriptures to be careful about doing this. Luke 12:15 And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Jesus tells us not to look around at the things others have and begin to think we are somehow lacking, because our lives are not valuable because of the things we own. It steals our joy when we see ourselves as lacking. The Apostle Paul says he knows what it's like to have things and what it's like to have to do without things, but the key to holding on to joy is contentment. Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Paul got it! He said just be content with whatever circumstance you are in, whatever trial you may be facing, whatever thing you think you are lacking. Then he adds the underscoring statement, that it is only possible to be this way through Jesus Christ as He gives us the strength to be content.

JOY KILLER #3:
Ungrateful For Blessings We live in the greatest country on earth. In America we have freedom that citizens in many other parts of the world do not. You would think that we would be a grateful nation, but it turns out, we have become the "spoiled brat" nation and God is not pleased. I am not saying every American is ungrateful, but I am saying that in our culture, the attitude of gratitude is often mocked and seldom practiced in our society. A few years ago I was on Facebook and participated in a Gratitude challenge. It was in November and for all 30 days we were to post about one thing we were grateful for. Many people joined in the challenge and it was beautiful, but then there were so many posts that month from others taunting and poking fun at those of us who shared our blessings online. Somehow when we were grateful, it offended those who weren't. As a family, we bow our heads before a meal, and often we hold hands. It's a quiet act, no big drama or display, but simply a moment to thank God for allowing us to be together as a family and enjoy that meal. We get looks from some on occasion and some pretty mean glares at times, too, which is so odd to me. Why wouldn't we want to see others expressing gratitude? Could it possibly be a mirror into their own life and they don't like the reflection?

Christians in this nation can change that. We have so many reasons to thank God for all He has done and given to us. When we are truly grateful, we will have joy that flows from deep inside our souls and bubbles over. We are told in the Psalms to be thankful. Psalms 92:1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High. This is a great way to display our fruit, when we are thankful we are honoring God. He is due all the glory and honor and praise. He alone is worthy of our thankfulness. We should bless the Lord at all times, not just on Sunday, not just in front of our "church friends" but at all times. Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 

Gratitude is an attitude that we all should have, as followers of Jesus. He expects it from His children and I know this because the Bible tells us what group unthankful people are put in. 2 Timothy 3:1-3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good. I don't know about you, but I read this list and I can see signs of the time everywhere I look! Notice that in these last days that we are living in, God said people would be unthankful. I have witnessed this so many times in my own life, but there are those who are unthankful to God. If we want to keep our joy, we must remain thankful to God.

JOY KILLER #4:
Unrealistic Expectations I once heard a man say that to be happy in life, we just need to have our expectations met, and to be really happy, those expectations must be surpassed. I worked for a healthcare organization and they taught us to always under-promise and over-deliver. It works great! For example, I had an appointment for an outpatient exam. I was told what time to arrive, what to bring, what to wear, whether or not I was supposed to eat or take medications, and how long the procedure would last. I went to the appointment at the time they said, they got me in right away with no waiting, everything happened just as they said it would, and I was out of the department a while before I thought I was going to. That gave me a sense of joy and I was very pleased with the visit. Those extra moments to get there early for registration was not necessary that day but they couldn't predict that, so they gave me the standard 15 minutes early bit. By chance, there were a couple of cancellations so I was able to get my test done sooner. Because the test itself didn't take long, I was able to leave quickly after I had arrived. So these things were all lined up. What if I had to wait longer than I expected? I would have been upset and maybe I would have started to complain. I would not have been happy if my expectations were not met. So, what expectation should we have?

Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. Our hope or expectation should be gladness. We know that our only expectation should be when we expect God to keep His promises. Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good? Straight out of the Scriptures! If God tells us He will do something, He will do it. If He says it, then He is speaking it into existence. You can count on it!

Psalm 62:5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. When my dad had stage 4 colon cancer with mets, I was trusting God to heal him and make him better. I watched miracle after miracle that God did for my dad. One day when we were in the doctor's office, I was reading through a radiology report and I knew the medical terms and what the note said. It was worse than my parents were being told and I was upset. I remember feeling so desperate for answers and for any source of hope and I said, "Dad! Why aren't they telling us anything? What kind of hope do we have?" And my dad who had been a minister for all of my life and most of his, looked up at me with almost shock on his face, and he said, "My hope is in the LORD and not in these doctors!" It sucked the air right out of my lungs! How could I have so quickly dismissed the Scriptures at such a time as that. More hope in doctors than in Thus Saith The LORD. What a shame! I have NEVER forgotten that conversation. Yes, my soul will only wait on God and my expectation is surely from Him. My dad had his expectations surpassed I am sure when he became face to face with our blessed Savior, but I will keep expecting until the day I go home and with me I have joy! This scripture makes me think of the way my dad handled all that he went through. Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

JOY KILLER #5:
Forgetting The Source Of Joy I shared a story about how I forgot the source of my joy. The truth is, that in this society we live in, in America, it truly is easy to forget. We look to our friends, our spouse, our children, our career, our home, our finances, our possessions, our church, our pastor, our families to be our joy giver, but they are not, because they cannot be. Joy is given by the Heavenly Father to His children so all will know they belong to Him. Joy is contagious and many people will see our joy and want it too.

Many times people questioned me about how I could hold so tight to my faith when I was going through so much with my dad. I found that so strange! The only reason I did not crumble into a million pieces was because I had my foot upon the Rock of Ages. He carried me when I was at my darkest. He held me as I cried so hard for my sweet daddy that I will never get to embrace again this side of heaven. He strengthened me when I felt as though I may faint at one more poor report from the doctor. He sustained me when I was not sure how to even pray anymore. He sent the Comforter to me when I was told to take the rest of my dad's life moment by moment, not day by day, not week by week, not year by year, but moment by moment.

God is the giver of joy. He gives it to us full and free. Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. It truly is a precious gift from God. Jesus said in John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. When we go to God with our sincere requests, He will answer us and give us what we desire, and we will be full of joy!

In times of great suffering, loss, or pain, God will give us great joy. I Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. God will get you through those very tough times and He will get the glory. You will overcome and that will give you great joy!

We have joy in our hearts as we think of the blessed day when we will be with our Savior for all of eternity. 1 Peter 1: 6-9 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. This tells us that when our faith is going on trial, being held to the flames of fire to purify us, praise, honor, and glory can still be found at the thought of when our Lord Jesus Christ will return for us. We don't know what He looks like, but we have experienced Him through His Word and Holy Spirit as we are ministered to. We know Him and we love Him. As we continue in our faith, believing, we can rejoice with joy so amazing that we cannot even speak about it!

In closing, please hold on to your joy! The devil wants it, but he cannot have it. God gave it to you. If you have noticed a lack of joy in your life lately, perhaps it's due to one of these joy killers. Get your joy back! It is yours for the taking and for the keeping. I'd like to close with these beautiful words in Jude.

Jude 1: 24-25

Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling,

and to present you faultless before the presence of His

glory with exceeding joy,

To the only wise God our Saviour,

be glory and majesty,

dominion and power,

both now and ever.

Amen.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

God Is Setting You Free, Tell Somebody!

Have you ever prayed for something and then were surprised at the answer? Is that faith? The Bible gives us an example of some people who were praying to God and were needing a miracle, but when their prayers were answered, they had trouble believing it.

Herod is the king and he decided to persecute the church. He killed James with a sword and because that made the Jews happy, he thought he would kill someone else that had strong influence in the church. Herod set his sights on Peter. He arrested Peter and threw him in prison with four groups of four soldiers guarding him. That seems like an excessive amount of prison guards for one man, but Herod knew Peter was a pillar of the church.

Acts 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

So, let's break that down a little further. Peter was landed in jail, not because he had done something wrong, but for the simple fact that he followed Jesus and lived his faith out loud. He was a Christian and he encouraged others to serve the Lord, too, so Herod wanted to destroy him. The Bible says that the church continuously prayed for Peter. They gathered together and prayed fervently for God to intervene. They called upon the God that Peter served. They knew that Jesus performed many miracles and they had faith that God COULD do it, but did they really believe that He WOULD? Maybe Peter's fate would be like James. Maybe God would not grant their request for Peter to be delivered from this horrible situation. Are you fervently praying for something you need? Are you praying without ceasing? Are you trusting God will answer your prayer?

King Herod thinks he has this all figured out, but God is getting ready to foil his plans. He is getting ready to set Peter free! Herod decided what day he was going to present Peter to the Jews and ultimately would kill him, but the night before that happens God comes to Peter's rescue.

Acts 12:6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

Do you know what Peter was doing the night before he was going to be murdered? He was in prison and bound with not one, but two chains, and sandwiched between two soldiers. He was sleeping! He was not crying. He was not distraught. He was not asking God, "Why me?" He was not looking at his circumstances. Peter was asleep! God can give you the peace that surpasses all understanding as you keep your mind on Him. (Philippians 4:7) If you are in the middle of a dark circumstance and you don't feel like you have much chance of breaking out of the prison cell you are locked in, hold on to faith because you are about to be delivered! Rest in God's Word!

I love this story of how God sets Peter free. The angel of the Lord slaps Peter on the side to wake him up and tells him to get up quickly. When God tells you to do something, don't question it, just quickly obey. When Peter got up the Bible says the chains fell off from his hands. Obedience will always be the key to unlock the chains that have you bound. The angel instructs Peter to get dressed and take his sandals. Why? Because he was going to walk into freedom! Do you have your sandals with you? 

Now Peter had just been sleeping, so he didn't know this was even really happening. He wasn't sure if it was a dream or he was imagining this but he is going to find out very quickly that it is real! You may have been praying for so long and when the answer finally comes, you may be questioning whether it is real, whether you are really going to be loosed from the fear, the pain, the hurt, the loss, the chains that have held you bound for so long, but you are going to quickly discover that your victory is at hand!

The angel of the Lord takes him past the first ward of the prison, and then the second, and then they came to an iron gate which opened by itself. Don't stop in awe of what is happening. Don't try to figure it out. Keep moving! Peter did not stop to investigate the gate and wonder how it opened itself. It was made of iron, so we know the wind wasn't going to just blow it open. God opened the gate for Peter to walk through. God has the gate open for you, too. Go through!

Peter and the angel walked through the gate and passed on through one street, and then the angel left. God has set people in your path to help you get through one obstacle after another that is hindering you from being free. He has sent someone to tell you an encouraging message and that has got you through the first ward. Someone else may share a Bible verse and now you have moved beyond the second ward. Another person comes alongside you and now you are at the gate. The gate is opened and you are led further still. Keep moving forward. Don't let the fear, the pain, the hurt, the disappointment, the failure linger with you. Don't let those feelings convince you to go back into the prison cell. Do not let the enemy blind you to the fact that you are free.

Acts 12:11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, "Now I know of a surety, that the LORD hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews."

You have to get to the place where you come to yourself. Look at all that God has told you already. Hold on to those scriptures of faith and encouragement. When you do, you will be like Peter, who finally realized his prayers had been answered and he was free!

What now? After he considered all that had happened, what was he going to do? Where would he go? Where do you go when you are delivered? Where will you run to when your chains fall off? Peter went to Mary's house where many people were there praying. He wanted them to know their prayers had been heard and answered by Almighty God! Tell others when God has blessed you and helped you and delivered you. Tell them that their prayers were answered.

Peter knocks on the door and Rhoda responds by going to the door. She hears the knocking and she goes to see who it is. The others are in the other room praying for Peter. She is the only one who gets up to answer the door. They all could have heard it, but she takes the steps necessary to go to the source of the noise.

Acts 12:14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

Peter knocks on the door, Rhoda goes to see who it is, Peter responds with the request to be let in, and she recognizes his voice but she is so excited that she failed to take action and receive the answer. She left him standing outside the gate so she could go tell the others. Do you think they stopped praying, got up with gladness, and let him in? No! They called her crazy! She insisted she had just been talking to him and they didn't get up even then, they just dismissed it by saying she saw his angel.

Remember these are the very people praying for a breakthrough for Peter. They wanted God to help him and when God came on the scene, Peter was set free. Peter wants to tell them the amazing things that just happened, but no one will let him in because of disbelief and contention. How much faith did they have to believe God would hear and answer their prayer? It does not look like they believed God at all. Sometimes people, even in the church, dismiss what you know God has revealed to you. Keep standing on what you saw, you heard, you know to be the answer God has given to you.

We know that prayer works because Peter is standing at the gate! The Bible tells us that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. It says we are to pray for one another. (James 5:16) We must believe that God will answer our prayer if we have the audacity to ask Him. Jesus had died and rose from the dead and had revealed Himself to the disciples but Thomas wasn't with them. They told him what they saw and he was like the ones who didn't believe Rhoda. He said that unless he saw the nailprints for himself and could put his hand in the Lord's side, he would not believe that Jesus was alive. Jesus is so loving and compassionate that He paid a special visit to Thomas and told him to touch the nailprints in His hands and thrust his hand into Jesus' side. Thomas responded with, "My Lord and my God." Jesus told him in John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, "Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

Rhoda did talk to Peter, but the people tried to make her think she was crazy or just seeing things. Rhoda stood her ground because she knew she just talked with him. The disciples wanted to share the good news with Thomas that Jesus was alive and they had been in His presence, but doubting Thomas dismissed their claims and in skepticism claimed he would never believe it unless he saw it for himself. Rhoda and the disciples did not let the naysayers change their mind on what they knew to be true. Do not be persuaded. If God delivered you, don't take a vote, just rest in the truth found in God's Word and walk in your freedom!

Faith is the opposite of doubt. But what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is believing you will have what you are hoping for even though there is no proof that it is going to happen. Faith is taking God at His Word and believing Him even when the circumstances look like it will never happen. Do not get discouraged. Stop looking at the circumstances and look at what God has said about it. Whose report will you believe? 

I am not suggesting you believe everything you hear. We are not to trust everyone because some people's intention is to deceive. The Bible says in 1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. The Holy Spirit that dwells in all of God's children will let you know when you are being deceived and when you are not.

Acts 12:16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

Peter kept knocking! Sometimes you just have to keep telling your story and God will open their eyes to see the truth. Don't give up! Peter could have been insulted when Rhoda ran off instead of opening the door. Fear could have come upon him that the prison guards would discover he had escaped and come after him, but instead he stood there and kept knocking. Don't let fear come back on you when God has delivered you. Look at what the Lord has done for you!

Finally they hear the knocking for themselves and open the door. There stands Peter and they were shocked! They could hardly believe their eyes. Faith says they should have opened the door expecting to see Peter standing there. 1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we desired of Him. The Bible says we have confidence that God will hear and answer our prayers when we pray according to His will. Of course it was God's will to rescue Peter. 

Acts 12:17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren." And he departed and went unto another place.

Peter motioned for the group to be silent. It is difficult to hear what is being said if everyone is talking at the same time. Peter wanted to share his testimony with them. He knew they had been praying for him and he wanted to encourage them and help their faith to grow. They had to be quiet so they could receive the message and increase their faith.

Notice that after Peter testified of the miracle working power of God, he left. The glory was for God, not for Peter! You are delivered from the bondage of fear, discouragement, anger, abandonment, or failure, but you are not the hero in that story. Always give God the glory and share with others how He set you free because your testimony can help set others free. Peter knew there was no reason he should be seen as a hero. He shared his faith and removed himself from the situation so they could glorify God. Do not let pride rise up in you when God restores you to a good place. Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.

If you are struggling with an addiction, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, depression, anger, fear, anxiety, betrayal, or rejection give it to God. He will remove those feelings from you and give you something far better to help you live your life to the fullest. He will give you peace and His joy to strengthen you and help you on this journey toward home.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens