"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'” -2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV
As rain comes down from the sky, so does the grace of our Father in Heaven. Rain, at first, when falling from the sky, seems cold and hard to see in. It is hard to focus when there is a downpour. After it has watered the earth, it nourishes and helps to yield abundant crops and so much more. Rain is necessary for growth.
In relation, Jesus came down from His throne, shed His blood, and was crucified. He gave His life willingly and obediently so that we could have an abundant life in Him. Today, I have come to realize, through different seasons, downpours of trials, and tribulations with Him in this amazing relationship, His grace is always sufficient. It is through these times He is able to nourish and help us to grow into all He has called us to be for His kingdom.
All those times I felt weak, hopeless, and unworthy, that was when I was able to look up and humbly ask for my Father’s help to do what I could not do. Each day I am learning more to ask, and receive the grace that is freely available to me at all times. God desires our heart. He has never intended for us to take or make this journey alone. He will never leave nor ever forsake us. Even when we turn our backs on Him time and time again, as I have, He is still there with His arms open wide beckoning us to receive the life we were always meant to have and live through His Son Jesus Christ. Today, my weaknesses are my Father’s strengths. Today, I am strong in Him. Apart from Him I can do nothing. He is the “Divine Vine” that pours down His grace like rain on me. Look to Him and receive the true riches and blessings of The King of Kings.
“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (KJV)
There are no boundaries, no borders, and no limits to what God can do in your life. Just when you think there is absolutely no way out, God comes through for you and makes a way out of no way.
Just when the people of Israel thought it was over and were stuck between a Red Sea and an Egyptian army, God split the Red Sea and caused them to walk through it (Exodus 14). Just when the widow thought her and her son wasn’t going to make it another day and had accepted the fact that they were going to starve and die, God sent the Prophet Elijah to bring increase into her home (1 Kings 17:7-16). Just when Peter thought it was over for him because He had denied Jesus, Jesus came and restored him, encouraged him, gave him a charge, and later we find that when he preached his first sermon on the Day of Pentecost that 3,000 men were saved and his very shadow caused men to be healed (John 21:15-17, Acts 2:41, Acts 5:15).
Just when you think there is no hope for you, God comes in and turns your life and your situation completely around. Just when you thought that it was over for your relationships because too many hurtful things had been said and done, God comes in and makes it better than before.
God can make a river in your desert, a stream to flow through your dry places, repair what’s missing in your life, bring dead situations to life again, and do the impossible for you! Don’t you put Him in a box, thinking there is only one way, and only one solution. He is God, remember?!
Take the limitations off of Him and let Him be God in your life!
*NEXT WEEK!!*
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10–11, NIV).
Take a moment, get your Bible, and read aloud Ephesians 6:10–18. I’ll wait. . . .
These words should light a fire of passion under every daughter of the King! Paul was well aware of the battles believers face, and he wanted us to understand that the battle is being fought in the heavenly realms against evil itself.
So what do we do? We “put on the full armor of God.” Why? So we can “stand against the devil’s schemes” (v. 10), “stand [our] ground, and after [we] have done everything, to stand” (v. 13), and to “stand firm” (v. 14). There’s not a lot of laying around going on here. We are standing our ground, we’re fighting with all we’ve got, we’re beating back the devil.
But we don’t do this in our own strength, and we don’t do it without some preparation. No soldier goes into battle without armor—and neither should we. We have the belt of truth wrapped around us. A Roman soldier’s belt was the foundation of his armor. When we have the belt of truth wrapped around us, we know that we can stand tall with the truth of God on our side. No apologies. No flinching.
The breastplate of righteousness covers us from the neck to the thighs, front and back, and it protects all our vital organs. This righteousness is given us by Christ alone, and we stand in that righteousness because of what He did for us. Satan attacks saying we’re not good enough, not worthy. Our breastplate of righteousness clangs against his weapons and sends him running.
Our shoes—be they slippers or stilettos—are ready to carry us forward into each new day and each day’s battle. They give us “the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” We’re ready for anything and have peace about everything because we’ve got on the right shoes.
Then we have our faith held out before us like a shield that “can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (v. 16). Make no mistake, you’re a target simply because you’re aligned with Christ, Satan’s enemy. But your faith forms a shield to extinguish the flaming arrows he shoots your way.
Now we need our helmet of salvation. We wear it to protect our mind from doubts that arise in times of adversity, questions, or trials. We’re saved, and that needs to always be foremost in our mind.
Finally, we have the sword of the Spirit—our only offensive weapon—and it is the word of God. When Satan attacks, we do as Jesus did (see Matthew 4) and speak back to Satan the words and truths of Scripture. We need to know God’s Word and have His words ready at a moment’s notice, for we never know when we’ll need them.
As you get dressed each day, ladies, don’t forget your armor. Prayerfully put on every piece. There’s a war happening, and we need to be able to stand.
Hey Spotlight ladies! Here's your devotion to start off your week!
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 NIV
Sometimes our only available transformation in life is a leap of faith!
You may be perfectly content in your box, the safety of your comfort zone all snuggled up with fear. What we fail to realize is that everything we want is on the other side of fear. If we keep making excuses, one day we will wake up and there won’t be anymore time to do all the things we’ve dreamed of doing.
Sometimes in order for you to find your true potential you need to attack fear. Trust where God is leading you and move out of your comfort zone. Don’t make excuses. Be about the Father’s Business!
Do what you know is right even though it may not be easy. The choice is yours. Will you remain in the confinement of your box or the endless possibilities with God?
