How To Be Sure We Heard From God | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

I would like to talk about how we can be sure we heard God even when others doubt. God has a plan for our lives. He tells us that repeatedly in the Scriptures. He has a plan for everyone's life, including His only begotten Son, Jesus. Often we think of Jesus as a little baby in a manger. We find it hard to believe that a great and merciful God would plan for Jesus to die the cruel death of crucifixion. If we think in the natural, we can understand someone questioning that. Jesus was more than a good man. He was God's own Son and so we cannot think logically, we have to think about God's plan supernaturally. The Bible is very clear on what God's plan was for Jesus. Let's look:

ISAIAH 9:6-7 (6)For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (7)Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 

MATTHEW 1:21 And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. 

ACTS 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 

ACTS 5:30-32 (30)The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. (31)Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. (32)And we are His witnesses of those things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him. 

2 CORINTHIANS 5:20-21 (20)Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead (behalf), be ye reconciled to God. (21)For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. 

JOHN 1:1-4 (1)In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2)The same was in the beginning with God. (3)All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. (4)In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

JOHN 3:16-17 (16)For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (17)For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through Him might be saved. 

JOHN 17:3-5 (3)And this is life eternal that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent. (4)I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do. (5)And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. 

REVELATION 22:1-7 (1)And He shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (2)In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (3)And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: (4)And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. (5)And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (6)And He said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the Holy prophets sent His angel to shew unto His servants the things which must shortly be done. (7)Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of this book.

It is clear from today's reading that God's plan was to redeem fallen man by sending His pure and Holy Son Jesus to die for our sins. He has a place prepared for us and He is going to bring His people Home one day. Yes, the crucifixion was an unimaginable horrific sacrifice for you and for me, but it was needed. We would all be lost in sin and would be separated from God for all of eternity if Jesus didn't do that. All we have to do is believe that He did that. He did the very hard part.

The devil hates God and he hates God's people. He hates everyone! There is no love in him. He wants to confuse us of our purpose because he knows if he can get us distracted we can be tempted to go away from God's plan and step into his deception. Please understand it is important to know his tricks so we can be watching. He has no new tricks. He uses the "You sure?" tactic. He used it on Eve in the garden of Eden and he used it on Jesus in the wilderness. He still uses that tactic on us today because often it works. We get confused and discouraged and we give up. Let's look at what happened in Eden and again in the wilderness. We have to follow Jesus's example of how to handle the questions the devil plants in our minds.

GENESIS 2:16-17 (16)And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17)But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 

GENESIS 3:1-6 (1)Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (2)And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (3)But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. (4)And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (5)For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (6)And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her; and he did eat. 

GENESIS 3:21-24 (21)Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (22)And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: (23)Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from when he was taken. (24)So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 

MATTHEW 4:1-11 (1)Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. (2)And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered. (3)And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (4)But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (5)Then the devil taketh Him up into the Holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple. (6)And saith unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. (7)Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (8)Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; (9)And saith unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me. (10)Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. (11)Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.

The devil questioned Eve in the garden. He twisted the words of God and asked if God really told her not to eat the fruit of any tree. God was very specific that they could eat of any tree in the garden as much as they desired except they could not eat of the tree in the middle of the garden. She listened to him and got confused and mixed up and then the deception began. He started to lure her in by promising she would have wisdom and be like God. He didn't mention that eating the fruit would be in disobedience to God which is sin which leads to death. He conveniently left that part out.

The devil questioned Jesus. He wanted to make Him question His identity. He kept saying "If you're really the Son of God..." He does the same thing to us. We are not exempt from this tactic. He wants to get in our minds and bind it up so we cannot think clearly. We forget what God told us as we listen to his lies and deceit we are tempted to stray from the path God put us on. We must not listen. Jesus fought the devil with the Word of God every single time. It is written. It is written. It is written. Do you hear the swish of the sword as He hit the devil again and again and again.

The devil will use people you care about to make you doubt. He will use your friends, your family, your pastor! He will use anyone he can to make you question if what you know you heard from God is really what God said. This happened to us when we were moving to Alabama. It sounded crazy to leave everything we knew and leave it behind. We left family and friends, a church we served faithfully in, and jobs we were promoted in. Our children left friends and family and schools. We went to a part of the country we never knew before. It was 16 months of God's plan unfolding before our eyes and He took us on a journey to change us. It's extraordinary what He did in that time frame. Yet, before we left we had people laughing at us, telling us we were crazy, that God doesn't talk to people anymore, and that we didn't hear God say that. They accused us of being irresponsible and selfish. Some even said they were praying against us that God would stop us from moving!

God will use people too. Even though we were fought hard, we knew God had told us to move, because it was definitely NOT our idea! God gave us great friends in the church and some of our family members who were encouraging, quick to pray for us and with us, and even blessed us financially and other ways to make the journey easier. I will never forget them and their kindness and I hold them dear in my heart.

We were questioned by some of those same people who didn't want us to go to Alabama when God lead us back to Indiana. He gave us a purpose of why we were to come back and what we must do. Just like the devil again tried to plant seeds of doubt in our mind through others who asked, "Are you sure you heard God? I thought God told you to go to Alabama. You better ask God what you did to deserve coming back here!" But God uses people, too, and He allowed us to have praying family and friends who were encouraging and kind and supportive; who gave us provision and prayers for the journey back and it was so amazing how much He has done for us since moving back, which was NOT our idea!

So now we know that God had a plan for His own Son, Jesus. We know He has a plan for us. We may even know some of the things God wants to do with our lives right now and maybe like Joseph we share those dreams and we are attacked. We are forsaken by our family and friends. They don't believe God talks to people anymore. They think you are a fanatic or have lost your mind. They question if you are sure you heard from God. So what can we do? How can we be sure we have heard from God?

There are those who desire to do something for God so much that they get ahead of His timing and His plan and then disaster happens! Then they question if God ever told them to do anything. The devil is quick to pour seeds of doubt and confusion into our minds and before long we give up and quit doing anything for God. Please know that there is a perfect time and season for everything. We must wait for God's direction.

We can be sure we heard from God when we read what the Bible says is God's plans and thoughts for us. We pray and ask God to show us what He wants us to do. Then we get quiet as we listen for His voice, read His Word, and obey what we have been told.

God doesn't want us left in the dark, wondering aimlessly through life with no sense of direction. We can find out God's plans and thoughts concerning us by searching the Scriptures.

PSALMS 139:17-18 (17)How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! (18)If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee.

JEREMIAH 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

When we pray to Him, He hears and answers us. He wants to talk to His children. He enjoys hearing from us and He has a lot to say to us, too. Prayer is powerful because it prevents us from being tempted by the enemy. We are to lift our hands in sweet surrender to our Lord and Savior. We have to let go of anger and doubt because it does not please God. Sometimes we have to wait when we pray but we know He listens and hears our prayers.

JEREMIAH 29:12-13 (12)Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. (13)And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.

LUKE 22:46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

1 TIMOTHY 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up Holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

PSALMS 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 

Let's ask God what He wants to do in us and through us. If we need wisdom, all we have to do is ask the giver of wisdom and He will generously give it to us. When we ask, we must have faith and not doubt because we won't get anything from God if we do not trust He will provide. We need to ask Him to check our hearts and motives. Are we lining up our will with God's or are we asking Him to change His plans for us and follow where we lead? It is best to surrender to His will and His plan because He sees the end from the beginning. He wants to bless us and give us good things. He is a wonderful Father and He only wants to give His best to His children. Have we poured His Word into our hearts? Does His Word abide within us? Are we abiding in the True Vine? Are we seeking God's approval, or are we wanting His permission to do our own will? We can ask what we want from God and will get it when we have God's Holy Word in our hearts and allow it to guide our decisions.

JAMES 1:5-7 (5)If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (6)But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (7)For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

PSALMS 139:23-24 (23)Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: (24)And see if there by any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

MATTHEW 7:7-11 (7)Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (8)For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and he that knocketh it shall be opened. (9)Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? (10)Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? (11)If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?

JOHN 15:7 If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

We must listen for God to answer us. Do not believe the lie that God does not talk to His people anymore. Of course He does! He does not change. He communicates with His children and He is our good Shepherd. We know His voice and another we will not follow. He tells us to call upon His name and He will answer us. It is very plain to see that He wants to tell us things, answer our questions, and give us insight for the plans He has for our lives.

ISAIAH 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

JEREMIAH 33:3 Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

In the book of Ephesians we are told that our spiritual sword is the Word of God. If we want to sharpen our swords, we must study God's Word. We cannot let someone else read it for us, or tell us what it says, because they could get it wrong. We need to study ourselves and learn and grow in the Spirit by feasting on God's Word. We cannot survive on natural food in the Spiritual realm. We must feed our Spirit God's Word. Open the book and devour it yourself. It is so good!

JOHN 8:31-32 (31)Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; (32)And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

2 TIMOTHY 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.

MATTHEW 4:4 But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

JOSHUA 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 

We can be sure we heard from God when we recognize He has a plan for our lives. He thinks about us and plans things, experiences, and opportunities to help us grow and mature into the man or woman of God He designed us to be. And once we recognize that He has enabled us with gifts and talents that align with His purpose and plan for us, we can then pray and ask God to help us use those gifts in a way to honor Him. It isn't about getting the accolades and the high-fives of this world. We must look to God for His approval. When we become still we can hear His voice, as we remember what His Word says, and we start behaving in a way to obey Him, we will be blessed and walk in the fullness of our purpose.

ROMANS 12:1-2 (1)I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (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.

PROVERBS 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

JAMES 1:22-25 (22)But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (23)For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: (24)For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. (25)But who looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Don't listen to anyone tell you that God has stopped talking to His people. It is a shame more of us are not seeking Him and listening for His still, small voice. As we put these things into daily practice we can be sure we heard God's voice and no one can tell us otherwise. No well-meaning friend or family member, no doubting spouse or significant other; and definitely not our enemy can discourage us from following after God if we remain faithful to our King Jesus. I pray that you are encouraged and strengthened as you seek out His purpose for your life. Trust and believe He has big and exciting plans for you and He wants to tell you about it!

I know this was a lot to unpack. I hope it is something you can take the time to study more on your own over the weekend. Take your time looking up these verses and others as Holy Spirit leads you. Do not get discouraged. You can know for sure that Your Heavenly Father is speaking life over you and to you! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

God Said Go Forward | Thankful Thursday

 The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section of my blog to share what I am thankful for. I started it on a Thursday and decided to call it "Thankful Thursday." Each week I share what I am thankful for. Come back each week so we can count our blessings together.

I am thankful for many things this year. God has kept our family safe. He has blessed us with jobs and my son likes his new school. I have so much to be thankful for. I never have a shortage of things to thank God for. 

Yesterday after work I drove to a little park outside of town with a creek beside it. It was nice and peaceful for a little while. I sure missed being able to drive to the ocean like I could do anytime in Alabama. It wasn't the same, but it was still a blessing. I am always drawn to the water.

I started reading my Bible and God began to share with me some things to encourage me. I am so thankful for that. Some people say they pick up the Bible and don't know what it means, have trouble with the words, and just don't know where to begin. I am thankful for time in God's Word. It encourages me and helps me... gives me guidance on what to do and how to conduct myself. I miss the mark but God's grace covers me and gently leads me back on the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. If you find reading the Bible difficult, I encourage you to pray and ask God to open the scriptures to you and He will do it!

I cannot look back to my life in Alabama and long for it; I am in the place God wants me. I cannot look back at my mistakes, because God has forgiven me and taught me to do better. I am thankful God urges me to move on with my life, just like He said to Moses and the children of Israel.

Exodus 14:13-15 (13)And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He shall shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. (14)The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. (15)And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

I am thankful God says to us not to be afraid. We have to do something, stand and watch! We have to stand still and watch God deliver us and He will do it! He told the children of Israel that the enemy that had tormented them so long, would be obliterated and they would never see them again! What an incredible promise!

I am thankful God fights for us and we must hold our peace. It's not easy to remain silent when people say mean things, or falsely accuse us, but God doesn't want us to say anything. When we are silent, God begins to fight for us. He rushes to our defense and we do not have to say a thing. I have seen Him do that for me already this week!

I am thankful that God asked Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? Tell my people to move on, go forward... don't look back, don't cry about it. It's time to move! There's a time for crying and praying and asking God for something, but there's also a time to move! When we have stood in silence and watched Him deliver us and fight for us, then we need to go forward! We have to get out of the place He is setting us free from.

What areas has God been delivering you from? Addiction? Anger? Jealousy? Bitterness? Gossip? Manipulation? What has God fought on your behalf so that you can be victorious? What have you overcome? I am so thankful that He has helped me so much with many, many areas of my life. He still goes before me and fights my battles and He always wins! He never fails. He never loses. He never says, "Sorry, Bridgett! I am almost had that!" No!!! He never fails. He is always victorious and He always delivers me from the bondage I find myself in.

I used to compare myself to others and I didn't want what they had, but I started to feel like I didn't have value or worth. I felt bad about myself and I questioned all the decisions I had made. I started to wonder if God could ever use someone like me. Then I started reading the Bible to help others and it transformed my life. God took away bitter hurt and disappointment, unforgiveness, anger, and fear. He took my low self-esteem and changed the way I looked at myself by telling me what He saw in me. He showed me what I could do through Him and I got confidence. I learned to lean heavily on Him and every day I walk with Him gets sweeter and sweeter. Note, I did not say easier... but it is sweeter.

Yes, week after week, I have so much to be thankful for. I hope you will reflect on the goodness of God and remember what He has done for you. Have you thanked Him? Have you just sat at His feet and told Him how much He means to you and how grateful you are to be His? I don't do it enough. I love Him so much and I am so thankful for every single thing He does for me every moment of every day! He is so good to me!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Overcomer | Wednesday Bible Study

I have been fought today! In the Spiritual realm, it has been a battle! I am in a spiritual valley, the fight is on, the noise of the battle is in my ears, and everywhere I look I see destruction. It's hard in the valley to remember what it was like on the mountaintop. All I can think about is the daunting task ahead of me to climb another mountain! God reminded me of someone in the Bible who was on the mountaintop but a deep, dark valley was up ahead and he didn't even know it.

Genesis 39:2-6 (2)And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man: and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. (3)And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all the he did to prosper in his hand. (4)And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had put into his hand. (5)And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house, and in the field. (6)And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand: and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly (handsome) person, and well favoured.

Joseph had a special calling on his life. Even though he had been sold into slavery by his brothers, his own flesh and blood, he was now in a prominent place and successful. He may have thought this was what the dreams meant. He was in a place of honor and all that he put his hand to was blessed. He had no idea that very soon everything would change and he would find himself in prison for fictitious rape charges.

God wanted me to remember that Joseph's mountaintop experience helped him in the prison. He knew God placed him in the Egyptian's house. He remembered his success and he remembered his dreams. These memories served him well in prison. He was able to rise in ranks in prison and even was given a place of honor to oversee the other prisoners.

I'm not so much like Joseph. I do remember the promises God gave me and the blessings He bestowed on me, but I have a hard time not looking at the prison cell walls instead of thinking about what I will do when I get out. In this valley it is hard and I don't like feeling so far away from God. I know He is with me and He always will be, but it's hard to hear over the noise of the battle.

This week I am memorizing 1 John 4:4 "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." This verse has been pivotal for me. It forces me to remember that the battle is not won by me or anything I do, but by the God who lives inside me and goes before me and fights on my behalf. I am an overcomer because He has made me so.

You may be facing a difficult situation and things just seem to be getting worse instead of better. Look up, for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28) Remember the God inside of you is greater than the devil in the world. You are an overcomer. You will get through this tough time. You will soon be on the mountaintop where the view is amazing. Don't give up. Don't grow weary. (Galatians 6:9) The valley season is not forever. 

Joseph found that he made a connection in the prison. He met someone who worked in the palace. He forgot Joseph once he was back at work in the palace until someone needed the very gift Joseph had. He was brought before Pharaoh and eventually became second in command. His dreams came true and he was promoted by God to save many people. 

Use this dry season, this valley season, this tumultuous season to make connections and use your gifts whether you see any change in circumstances or not. God is moving. Soon everything will come together and you and I will be exalted to a place of honor by God. He never takes His eyes off us. He has us in the palm of His hand. He is going before us and He stands behind us. He is all around us protecting us and helping us. Be encouraged! The battle belongs to the LORD and He wins every single time!

You are made an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. (Revelation 12:11) Let's take up our cross, with our full armor on, and suit up for battle. If you are not going through a tough season, just rest in His presence and regain strength, because before you know it, you will be back in the valley fighting the good fight of faith. Let's pray for each other and help each other make it Home!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Pacifier | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend. 

My mom told me that when I was a baby I loved my pacifier! She said I would have a fit if I lost it or couldn't find it. She tried to hide it in the cabinet from me but I would just keep crying until she gave it to me. 

Some kids love pacifiers and others don't want them at all. My daughter, Kadesia did not care for a pacifier. She was content without it. I offered it to her because I knew how much my mom said I enjoyed one and was surprised when she would try it and spit it out. It was not for her!

My son, Javan took a pacifier for a while. It was longer than his sister but apparently still not as long as I had one. It was a little hard to wean him off the pacifier because he liked to chew on it more than anything.

According to Merriam-Webster's definition, a pacifier is to soothe the anger or agitation of; to restore to a tranquil state. Babies may enjoy pacifiers, regardless of the various names everyone calls it, but adults do, too. Adult soothers may include drugs, alcohol, sex, overspending, overworking, violence, or overeating. These lead to more problems that require more soothers, but for Christians we have soothers that include prayer, reading the Bible, Bible study with others, attending church, encouraging and uplifting one another, singing, praising, and worshiping God.  Our soothers do not create more problems for us, and are available in abundance! We have hope that this life is not all there is.

What happens when Christians do not use the pacifiers we have, and we instead turn to other things to soothe us? We must be careful because God alone is the source of our peace and hope and joy. We can search but we will not find what we are looking for if we do not seek God.

JEREMIAH 29:12-13 (12)Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. (13)And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.

This is the beginning of a new month in a brand new year. Many people are hopeful that things will turn around and be like they were before March last year. The truth is, it might not. Covid is a terrible problem all around the globe. There's a new president going into office, and whether we like it or not, that will also be a change. We must remember things are never going to be perfect. I hear so many say they will be glad when all this is over. Some trust in the government. Some trust in money. Some trust in the stock market. Some trust in their jobs. Some trust in their spouse. Some trust in themselves. We must put our trust in God. He is the author and finisher of our faith.

PSALMS 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

The news is not going to tell us how to have hope; it is a joy killer. The world is not going to teach how to get closer to God; they hate Him. The economy will let us down. Look at the stock market through all the years. It is up and then it is down. It is good then it is bad. People gain a lot of money. People lose a lot of money. Bright, talented, and incredibly gifted men and women, young and old have taken their own life because of the outcome of the stock market. It is heart-wrenching.

What if things get worse this month? You want to be encouraged and I am going to encourage you; but, for a moment imagine that things don't improve this month? Are we looking at our circumstances? Or are we standing on God's Word and what He said about it? Whose report will we believe?

HEBREWS 4:14-16 (14)Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (15)For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (16)Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

God loves us! He loves His children. Jesus died for our sins. Jesus paid the price for our healing. He is in control. He sits on the throne and He is not shook or scared about the condition this world is in. He hates the wickedness; He hates the sin; but He is not nervous. He is all-powerful. He is in charge and He told us over and over again in His word to Fear Not! We cannot give up!

PSALMS 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Life may not go as planned. We may have to change course in the middle of what we thought was a good idea. We may have to get creative in finding ways to connect with other believers, but we must not give up or give in. We must refresh at the feet of Jesus. Let's help each other make it Home!

PSALMS 90:14 O satisfy us early with Thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

ISAIAH 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Take comfort in the Scriptures. God will guide us continually! He satisfies our soul in dry seasons. He makes our bones healthy! We are like a watered garden. We are growing, thriving, and flourishing because the Living Water does not fail. Instead of reaching for the carnal pacifiers that can never satisfy, tap into God's unfailing love and mercy and grace. Read God's Word and find joy in His presence! There is nothing else like it.

In 2020, while the world was in an uproar over Corona Virus, racial tension, politics, and the various storms and natural disasters that occurred, I was in perpetual peace. The Bible promises to keep us in perfect peace as we keep our minds on Christ. I was not always care-free or worry-free but I had peace. I had peace in my soul, peace in my marriage, peace in my home, and there is nothing like the peace God gives.

If our year is not starting out the way we thought it would, or if we find ourselves looking for ways to soothe our fears, let's turn to Jesus. He will return us to a tranquil state. He will soothe the agitation and anger we feel. He pacifies us. He is all we need.

I hope you have a blessed weekend! Be sure to check back next week for more inspiration. As you enter the weekend I hope something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

 

 

 

Praise A Creative Journaling Bible KJV | Thankful Thursday

The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section of my blog to share what I am thankful for. I started it on a Thursday and decided to call it "Thankful Thursday." Each week I share what I am thankful for. Come back each week so we can count our blessings together.

I wanted a journaling Bible for a while now. At first I could only find journaling Bibles in NIV and other versions. My favorite version of the Bible is King James Version but I do use other translations in cross-referencing and studying, but I really wanted a KJV journaling Bible. One day I was on my phone and I saw a message from Bible Journaling Ministries that said that the Praise Creative Journaling Bible was on sale for a really great price. She had an affiliate link and so I shared it with my daughter and husband and told them I really wanted that Bible. My husband told his mom and she bought it for me and gave it to me when I got to Indiana! 

Here are some photos of my new Bible:

I know it's already the end of the first week in January and I haven't touched it but it's because we have moved and we are not in our home yet. We are staying with family so when I get in my new home I will share lots more about this Bible, but probably I will do that on my YouTube channel. I am very thankful for my new Bible and I am so excited to get to use it soon!

Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

I am blessed to have access to God's Word anytime I want. I have the YouVersion Bible app on my phone. This is a free app and it has the entire Bible in one app on my phone. I can read from any version I like and I can also listen as the Bible is read to me. I have study plans and it's wonderful. I have compact Bibles, large Bibles, thin Bibles, and even miniature Bibles. I love God's Word and I am thankful for this new Bible to add to my collection!

Hope you are counting your blessings with me! Let me know what you are thankful for!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens 

Daily Bread | Wednesday Bible Study

My memory verse for this week is Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread." It is simple enough to remember. I have been meditating on this verse to commit it to memory. My goal for 2021 is to memorize 52 memory verses: one per week. This verse has a special meaning for me because of the book I hope to publish this year. I want to unpack this verse today in a brief Bible study.

Jesus is teaching His disciples how to pray. We have access to the Scriptures so we are learning how to pray as well. Jesus cautions in verse seven of the same chapter not to use vain repetitions when we pray. Prayer is a conversation we have with our Heavenly Father. It is not mysterious. It does not have to be a long conversation and we do not need to use big words and Jesus even says don't repeat the same things over and over. No one wants to talk to someone for a half hour and twenty minutes of that time is spent repeating the same phrases. Our Heavenly Father wants a real conversation from our hearts. When we pray to our Abba Father, speak clearly and honestly. He knows our thoughts and the intents of our heart. Nothing we say will shock Him!

Jesus goes through the different parts of prayer and when He gets to verse 11 it really got my attention. We are to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." Why should we pray this specific request? What does it mean? What are we really asking when we say Lord, today give us our daily bread?

We should pray this specifically because it was important enough for Jesus to highlight when He teaches the disciples. We are in a heart posture of recognizing we need something that we cannot obtain without God, our Heavenly Father, providing it for us. It is not a want. It is not a selfish desire. It is a basic human need and we cannot get it without God. What is this need?

We pray, "Give us" because we lack something. "This day" is every single day we pray. The need is repetitive. It is not met in one prayer session one day once in a while. We need this from God every single day we live. "Our daily bread" is not just the food we put in our mouths. Yes He does provide food for His children. David said, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread." (Psalms 37:25) God is going to meet your needs for food. He has done it for me time and time and time again. He never fails! But what else could it mean?

Matthew 4:4 reads "But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Our physical bodies require food to live, but we can live a while without food before our bodies are damaged and we waste away and eventually die. People fast all the time. In fact, in January many people begin the year with a 21 day fast, sometimes using methods Daniel used in the Old Testament and it is called the Daniel Fast. Others use those same 21 days to fast things they enjoy the most in an effort to grow closer to God. Fasting food is Biblical and is important for every Christian to do in some form or another. So if we do not need food to eat, why would we pray for daily bread?

Jesus said He is the bread of life. He said it twice in John chapter six. John 6:35 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and He that believeth on Me shall never thirst." Does that mean that once we become a Christian we never want food or water anymore? No! Of course not. This is spiritual. Jesus is the sustenance we need for life. Without His spiritual food and spiritual drink we will die. We cannot live without Jesus! We need Him every single day. We need the daily bread of life!

Jesus says it again in John 6:51: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." This was such a hard saying that many of His disciples couldn't take it. They turned back and stopped following Jesus. They had learned so much from Him but when it came down to acknowledging Jesus as their source of life, they decided they wanted selfish desires more than a closer walk with Him. They would rather be comfortable in their unbelief and their religious rituals than to uncover the truth that would give them eternal life.

When we pray "Give us this day our daily bread," we are actually asking for a daily dose of Jesus. We are praying for more of Him. More of the bread of life and the living water that sets us free. We are asking God to give us more of what we need to survive in this spiritual war we are in and without it we will die! We need Him that much!

Jesus included this request in His example of how to pray. It is so important we take time to not only ask for our daily bread, but to take our time enjoying the bread. Take our time getting to know the bread of life. Jesus wants to reveal Himself to us in a special way. He wants to draw us closer to Himself. He wants a deeper relationship. We can communicate with Him every single day, all day long because He taught us how to pray. We do not need to repeat the same thing over and over, but we must ask for a fresh portion of the bread of life every single day we live.

I had a really crazy day! It was a doozie! But God sustained me. He kept fighting for me and reminding me of how to win, how to persevere, and how to overcome. I am ending the day bruised, sore, and a little tattered but I have the joy of the Lord down inside my soul and strength and peace that does not make sense. I am going to bed tonight feasting on the Bread of Life and I never want to go one moment without Him!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Legacy | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

Happy New Year! It is the year 2021. God has blessed us to see another year begin. We have no idea what all this year will bring, but we can trust in God to order our steps and help us through whatever comes our way. Amen?

I want to share something with you. It's two verses in the Old Testament and yet it is powerful. It would be easy to overlook the incredible account, because it's sandwiched in the middle of verses about kings and disobedience and so forth, but there is something I think we need to take from these verses and apply it to our lives in 2021.

Without sharing too much, God has spoken to me about specific deaths that will happen in 2021. I do not want to go into detail and I have not been released by God to talk about it, other than to say, none of us are promised to live beyond this moment. Sure, we live like we will never die. We plan ahead and save money and book the trips, plan the events, do the things because we do not anticipate dying any time soon, if we are honest. Tragedy strikes and for a brief time we talk about how short life is and we may even become intentional about living life on purpose but when enough times has passed we simply go back to living for tomorrow.

I don't want to talk about death, but I do want to talk about legacy. What impact will your life have on those who are left behind long after you have gone on? My grandfather instilled God's Word deep in my heart. I am ashamed to say it, but I tried to run from it. I didn't fully understand it. I didn't think it was for me, necessarily. I needed to find God on my terms. I am so thankful He is a loving and merciful God that will allow us to explore who He is. My grandfather died when I was 17 years old, in the middle of my senior year. My grandfather was my hero. I highly esteemed him and now that I am 42 years old I can promise you those lessons were not lost on me. His legacy still impacts me today.

Do you think it's possible to live your life so devoted to God that you can have a direct impact on others even after you are dead and buried? I am here to tell you that it's not only possible, it happens! And in today's text we see the resurrecting power at work long after the prophet has been dead and buried!

2 KINGS 13:20-21 (20)And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. (21)And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

Can you believe that is all that it says about this incident? It was like this huge miracle takes place and someone adds it in the middle of this chapter and I'm like, "WAIT! I want to hear more! What did the man do when he came back to life?" This is phenomenal! I knew from reading about Elisha that he was a man of God. God gave him great power and might to do many exploits for Him but this seems like it needs it's own chapter, right?

So Elisha died and they buried him. That's good. I would expect that. And then the Moabites come along to carry on the annual tradition each spring of invading the land. Unfortunately another man has died and is being buried and just as they are lowering him into the ground, they see the raiders coming at full speed. They know how awful the Moabites are and so they basically throw him on top of Elisha! There is still so much power on that man of God that this corpse comes back to life, and stands on his own two feet, and walks right out of the grave! Wow!!

Do you know the things Elisha has done? Have you read the stories of how God gave him a double portion of Elijah's anointing? He was a brave, courageous man of valor. He had times of being scared and fearing for his life... but he was human after all. He was an incredible prophet! God used him mightily! There was so much anointing on his physical body that even after his spirit went back to God who gave it, there was resurrection power all over him that he caused a dead man to live again!

Wouldn't that be an awesome legacy? I hope that when my time comes to be with Jesus, that my life will be remembered as one devoted to God. I know I stumble. God says, Go! and I ask for specific details. But my heart is absolutely His! I want to serve Him. I want to run well. I want to win the crown of life He has laid up for me. I want to see His face and hug Him so tight! I want to kiss His nail-scarred hands and nail-scarred feet. I want to touch the side that was wounded for Me. I want to bow before my King and honor Him. I want to thank Him for everything He brought me through, every trial, every moment of fear, every time I was tormented.

I want others that knew me to be touched by the Master through me. I want to live my life so that it would please Him and bring Him honor. I want to glorify Him in the words I speak and the thoughts I think and the way I behave. I hope when it's all said and done that I lived a life that would please Him. I don't want anyone to remember the trips I took, the things I bought, the stuff I had. I don't want them to think about the clothes I wore, the vehicle I drove, or the career I had. I want them to look at my life and only see one thing: JESUS! I want them to see His hands that sustained me, His love that kept me, His blood that redeemed me, His grace that was sufficient. I want them to know that He is there for them too and that they don't have to wait to get to Heaven to experience His love, His mercy, His grace, His healing, and His forgiveness now. I want my legacy to be one of faithfulness to my Jesus!

God bless you all!

~Bridgett Owens