The Space Between

"Christ Jesus is the same today as yesterday and forever." - Hebrews 13:8

When we're little, God is the old man with a long beard. We ask Him to protect us and give us sweet dreams. When we get a little older, we ask Him to watch out for us, to help us in school, with friends, and for other things we really want, like a new bike. As we get even older, though, we seem to leave our old friend and protector behind. A teacher once told me a story of a newly wed couple who would sit closely together in their truck as the husband drove home. Years passed and the distance between them in the truck got wider and wider until one day, the wife complained to her husband, "why don't we sit close together anymore?!" to which the husband replied, "honey, I've always been in the same place, you're the one that's moved away!"

In this story, God is the husband and we are the wife. God is the same with us today as He was when we were innocent, trusting children. He still sees us in the same way, why don't we? When we suffer and go through hardships and all sorts of problems and blame Him for it to the point where we don't even count on Him for anything, realize that it's that you forgot to trust in Him. You forgot to believe in Him like you did when You were younger. We often go around trying to create these worlds for ourselves without ever asking Him what He thinks and if these things are good for us. God hasn't gone anywhere, He's still waiting for you to come back and run everything by Him! Stop and take a look at your life and how close or far you've gotten from Him. Remember the total trust you had as a child that God would take care of you. Anyone that knows a child knows they speak the truth because they don't complicate themselves with all of the things we do. Therefore, go back to the way you were, and to the God who is still waiting for His child to get close so He could offer His protection.

Today's Prayer:
My God, as a child, You were my great protector and as I got older, I thought I didn't need You anymore. Oh, my God, allow me to return to You with the same innocence I had back then, and also with the same trust. Help me to see that You have been there all along while it was I who moved away from You. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Hope

"Let us hold fast to our hope without wavering, because He who promised is faithful." - Hebrews 10:23

When we are being defeated in a tough situation, the last thing to go is hope, and hope is the most important thing we need to survive. Our hope is what keeps us alive no matter the winds that are blowing against us. That's why when we're going through suffering, our hope and faith in God is the first thing the devil subtly attacks. First come the questions such us, why is this happening to me? Then it's anger against God and believing He does not care. Slowly we build up a bitterness against Him where we can't even pray. I know; I've felt like this before. But please, through the storm, remember this verse - hold on to your hope in God. He is faithful although it might seem to you that things aren't going to get any better. Scripture says in the book of Habbakkuk to set your eyes firmly on what you want (keeping hope alive) because the Lord will make it happen for you. Take your eyes off of how bad things are and how much you're hurting and focus on how big your God is. Your God is a king! Your God is Almighty! Your God is working on your behalf to help you now! Keep your hope alive! Set your hope on Him because He is faithful.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, break through the hurt and disappointment I feel. Sometimes the enemy gets in my head and leads me to think You don't care and have abandoned me. Fan the flame in my heart and keep my hope alive so that I can see Your love and mercy in my life. In Your Name we pray, amen.

The Word of God

"For the Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and judges the intentions and thoughts of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12

How often do you read the bible? When was the last time you did? More than a sacred book, it is the living, breathing Word of God. And if you doubt this, then you haven't truly read it or meditated on it. I can't tell you how many times I've needed to hear from God, opened the bible and felt Him truly answer me. There are certain books and verses that I've read time and time again but at any given time, the Holy Spirit will enlighten me to a newer, deeper meaning that I wasn't able to grasp before. Just the other day I was reading 1st Corinthians over again and this feeling came over me like I had been reading it for the first time. What Paul was saying to the people became so alive and I had never understood it so clearly. The bible has the ability to bring you closer to God, to make you repent of your sins, and to give you the answers you are looking for in life. Reading it consistently even increases your faith since faith is developed from hearing the Word of God. Paul says that the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword and you'll experience this when you read the bible and feel a verse touch you. When God is speaking to you through His Word, you read the words so loud and clear, and it even does feel like a sword has gone through your heart since the message is so unmistakably for you. You won't be able to deny that the Word is alive and God is speaking through it to you today.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, thank You for giving us Your Word. Thank You because You not only left behind the story of our salvation history, but You gave us Your Word and Your promises that are alive when we sit to read them. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Correction From God

"What you endure is in order to correct you. God treats you like sons and what son is not corrected by his father? Besides, when our parents according to the flesh correct us, we respected them. How much more should we be subject to the Father of the spirits to have life? Our parents corrected us as they saw fit, with a view to this very short life, but God corrects us for our own good, that we may share His holiness. All correction is painful at the moment, rather than pleasant; later it brings the fruit of peace, that is, holiness to those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12: 7, 9-11

I have a friend that is going through a very hard, very dark situation. She sees all that's happening in her life as God punishing her for the sins she has committed. I was praying for her one day, and God let me feel that she was lonely and hurt. It wasn't that she was sinful and needed punishment, but that being away from Him had led her astray and she needed Him in order to heal. She sees the bad in her life as God abandoning her and punishing her, but it is actually correction. Slowly, God has been taking away certain things that will cause her harm, and also showing her valuable lessons in humility. This isn't punishment, but correction. God let me feel that He loves her so much, but will let her reach bottom until she has no choice but to acknowledge that He's the only One that can help her. She, like all of us, are God's beloved children. He lets us go out and play in the world, but like a good father, He corrects when we have misbehaved for our greater good. We may think we are smart enough on our own, but when caught up in our errors, we suffer and cry out to the Lord like young children. But as the author of the letter to the Hebrews says, no correction is pleasant at first. My friend is struggling. She feels a pain and a loneliness in her heart that only she and the Lord can understand. However, God knows what He's doing and in time, His actions will bring her what she needs the most - peace.

If you are going through a difficult time and feel God is punishing you, pray and understand that you are going through what's best for your soul. It does not matter to God that you get what you really want right now if what you want makes you lose sight of Him and your salvation. God calls you to be holy and He works so that what He does give you will make you happy here on earth, and most importantly, in Heaven.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, thank You for loving us as Your own children, correcting us so that we don't go down the wrong path. Please have mercy and understanding for those that are lost, for those that are having difficulty seeing and following Your will. Help us all to know in our hearts that You are the way, the truth, and the Life and only You can bring us the peace we need. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Give Thanks Now

"They had not received what was promised, but they had looked ahead and had rejoiced in it from afar." - Hebrews 11:13

This chapter in the letter to the Hebrews talks about what faith is and how the early fathers like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had so much faith in God that they gave thanks for the things God was going to give them before they ever got it. Now, I've been asking God for something for the last 10 months and I haven't seen it yet. It comes so close that it even hurts when I see it's not what I had asked for. The great thing is that I keep telling Him that I want His will to be done so those things that came close, although I really wanted them to be the real deal, weren't for me at all. In the meantime, I'm still waiting. I get frustrated but I don't give up hope. Instead, I've started to do what it says in this verse and I thank God for what He's preparing for me because I know that when He gives me the answers to my prayers, it'll be perfect and better than I could have imagined. Right now, even though I'm stressed out waiting, I know He's taking His time to make things perfect and worth the wait. Even if it starts to look like it'll never happen, I know it's only a matter of time. He is loyal and good to those that keep His Word.


Today's Prayer:
Lord, thank You in advance for what You're preparing for me. Even though I get frustrated and sad because I don't see the power of Your hand just yet, I know You're working to give me the perfect gift. Thank You for being so good to me. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

What Is Faith?

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." - Hebrews 11:1

When you cry out "Lord, help me, listen to me," what do you expect to happen? Many of you do not get what you ask for because you really do not believe, you're full of doubt. It has been said many times that one needs faith to see the hand of God, but what is faith? Saint Paul says it is being sure of what you hope for. This means that instead of asking for something you should already be thanking the Lord for it because your faith in Him tells you and confirms to you that the Lord is already working to bring you want you want and need. When Paul says it is being certain of what you do not see, you need to believe more than 100% that Jesus Christ, the Lord Almighty, is with you. Because you do not see Him, because He does not talk to you does not mean He is not there with you! On the contrary, blessed are you if you have believed in Him without ever laying eyes on Him for your reward will be greater in Heaven! When I enter a church or when I kneel down in my room to pray to Him, His presence overwhelms me. He fills me with joy and the tears flow down my cheeks. Did He appear to me and say "Audrey, I am here, believe in me?" No, but the eyes of my faith have seen Him and nobody can tell me otherwise!!! This is faith!! If you want to see God active in your life, work on your faith!! Be sure of what you have asked God for and be certain of what you have not seen because God operates for the motives of your soul and your eternal salvation, not for your corporeal senses!

Today's Prayer:
Thank you Lord Jesus for being most active in me when I do not see You or feel You with my senses. Thank You Jesus for strengthening my faith and being more real to me than if You were standing right in front of me in body. May I always see You in this way. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

Jesus Stays In The Same Spot

"Christ Jesus is the same today as yesterday and forever." - Hebrews 13:8

The bible says that those that doubt and have no faith are like a wave that is tossed around in the sea by the wind. You never give yourself fully to Jesus and instead you let yourself be confused into thinking the truth is in one place and then the next week, the truth is somewhere else. But you always decide to run to the doctrine that fits your life easily, instead of focusing solely on Jesus. Then you ask to see the miracles described in the bible when you have no faith to deserve them. You might get close to God for a moment but then you let yourself grow cold and get off track.While you are tossed about and spend your days believing one thing and then the other, one thing remains true - Jesus Christ is your Savior, your Redeemer, He loves you and awaits you if you look for Him sincerely. When you run about confused, He will always be there waiting for you to come home to Him. When you feel that He's not there for you, test yourself, it is because you have gone off His course and He cannot follow you into the paths of evil. Change your ways and draw close to Him and you will find Him. He will fullfill His promises in you because once He promises something, He never takes back His Word.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thanking You for always being there for me. Although I come and go, grow cold and wander off, whenever I return, You are there with loving arms to embrace me. Please help me to stay firm in Your ways always. In Your Name we pray, Amen.