Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13-14
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. Psalm 63:4-5
You give and you give, while they keep taking and taking. You're empty; you're longing for affection. You search, but nothing satisfies.
Your soul craves more than the ordinary; your heart begs to be loved. You are lost and just want to be found.
The Lord says that if we delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). The answer to all of our longing is Jesus. He will always guide us and satisfy us (Isaiah 58:11).
We were created to love God. It says in Psalm 84:2 that our soul yearns and our heart and flesh cry out for the living God. Nothing of this world will truly fulfill us.
The Lord longs to be gracious and show compassion (Isaiah 30:18). He is waiting on YOU to seek Him with all of your heart and soul (Deuteronomy 4:29) and look to Him to fill your empty places. He is the the only One who can satisfy your deepest desires.
Let Jesus fill your soul. Seek Him and find Him. Chase after the One who created your innermost being. Let His love be all you need.
But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. Psalm 82:11-12
If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. Joel 22:23
There have been many times when I have ignored God and gone my own way. I bought into the lie that I knew what was best for me and I just wanted to do what I wanted to do (Romans 1:25). It never ended well.
The good news is, I was able to cry out to God each and every time I strayed and He took me back each and every time. The Lord says to return to Him and He will return to you (Zechariah 1:3). He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love (Joel 2:13).
We are so much harder on ourselves than Jesus is. When He died for our sins, he meant it. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). He says he will not always accuse and he will not treat us as our sins deserve (Psalm 103:9-10). We are no longer supposed to live in guilt.
Is guilt or shame keeping you from a relationship with Jesus? Just know how much you are forgiven and loved.
Run to Jesus. His arm is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear (Isaiah 59:1).
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
People are watching our every move and some of them can't wait for us to mess up. How do we look to unbelievers? Are we patient and kind (1 Corinthians 13:4) or are we frustrated and inconsiderate?
We have a responsibility as Christians to live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8-9). It says in Colossians 4:5 that we are to be wise in the way we act to outsiders, or unbelievers. We must make the most of every opportunity we are with them and make sure we are always full of grace.
We don't have to make some grandiose display, we can show people the love of Jesus in our every day life. More people look at our behavior on a day-to-day basis rather than what we look like on Sunday when we are at our best.
Our testimonies are a powerful weapon against the enemy to win the hearts of unbelievers. It says in Revelation 12:11 that we will overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. What have you been through that would change someone's life? What did God do to change your heart? How can telling your story make a difference to someone who doesn't believe? I pray thatMy Storywill tell the love and mercy of Jesus.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5
Jesus isn't sitting in heaven arguing with the angels and He isn't looking at us with anger, cursing us every time we make a mistake. He isn't selfish or arrogant and He isn't proud.
How much do we look like Jesus in our relationships with our husband or wife?
Colossians 3:7-8 says: You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. We are to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and be thankful (Colossians 3:15). We can't look like Jesus when we look so much like the world to our own spouse.
So how can we make this change? We set our minds and our hearts on things above, instead of earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2), like selfishness and pride, and refuse to conform to the pattern of the world (Romans 12:2). We have to realize that marriage is a gift (1 Corinthians 7:7) and every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17). We need to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires (James 1:20).
Satan hates marriage. He wants to destroy mine and he wants to destroy yours, but Jesus brings life (John 10:10). Choose life for you marriage today. Let God give you beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3).
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
With everything going on in the world right now, fear likes to creep in. From terrorist attacks to the dwindling economy, things don't look very good. It's our human response to be scared and uncertain. Without the Lord, the times we live in ARE scary and uncertain. But God says in Isaiah 41:10, "Do not fear, for I amwith you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God." He is serious when He says that He will keep you from all harm and watch over your life (Psalm 121:7).
Fear is crippling and it's binding. It keeps us stuck in our messes and won't allow us to walk in the plan and purpose God has for our lives. It keeps us focused on our present circumstances instead of the amazing future God has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). It has us more afraid of our enemies than in awe of our Deliverer. We talk more about what "they" can do to us than what Jesus can do for us. We are letting our enemies win. The enemy wants us full of fear. He came to steal our peace (John 10:10).
We can stand knowing that we don't need to be afraid; God fights for us (Deuteronomy 3:22). We can be certain that He does not give us this spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made in perfect love. 1 John 4:18
The next time I start to feel afraid, I'm going to look up at the One who takes hold of my right hand and tells me not to fear because He will help me (Isaiah 41:13-14) and I will realize that because of the LORD'S great love I am not consumed (Lamentations 3:22).
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7
Our suffering is not in vain. Our pain has a purpose. We go through this life experiencing triumph and tragedy; good and evil. We look at ourselves through our brokenness and insecurities. We see all of our blemishes, while He sees purity. God looks at us with pride and with purpose.
We are broken vessels with great power inside of us. We have the power to change the world.
Jesus isn't calling the perfect. He is calling ordinary people just like us. It says in 1 Corinthians 1:27- 28 that God chose the foolish things in this world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things and the despised things. He chose us.
We don't think we can do it, but Jesus says His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). It looks like the world is too far gone, but God says He will heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14). God is waiting for us to take that step. We are not in this alone. We don't have to be afraid or discouraged (Deuteronomy 31:6).
The time is now. The harvest is ripe (Luke 10:2) We are here to change the world.
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
"The least of these...."
We are so comfortable as Christians. We get dressed up, go to church, worship God a little bit, go out to lunch, then head home. I'm guilty of this a lot of the time. We maintain such a routine and we don't want anyone or anything to disrupt it. We are so self-absorbed.
Jesus didn't call us to be comfortable. He called us to get dirty. He wants us in the middle of all the hurt and the pain in this world. He wants us to leave our routine and follow Him (Matthew 19:21).
It is our responsibility as followers of Christ to love the unlovable (Matthew 5:46) and to go out and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). Jesus wants us to hang out with "sinners" just like He did (Matthew 9:11). After all, we were sinners (Romans 5:6) and He loved us anyway.
Sometimes being a Christian looks ugly. We have to reach down into the slimy pit and help pull people out. We have to sacrifice the things we want to give to people who need. Love is sitting with a drug addict when they go through withdrawals or cleaning a widow's gutters. It's babysitting for a single mother while she looks for a job or paying for a child to go to camp when they can't afford it.
Love is selfless and it's sacrificial.
Money doesn't matter.
Religion doesn't matter.
Social status doesn't matter.
Love matters.
We are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), let's start acting like it.
I thought we would always have to live that way. I thought we couldn't escape. He made me believe I was worthless and stupid and nobody would ever want me. My self esteem was destroyed.
But I did escape. I was lifted out of the slimy pit and given a firm place to stand (Psalm 40:2). God has put a new song in my heart (Psalm 40:3).
I didn't know how strong I actually was until I got away. I didn't see how much God had protected us. We would probably all be dead. But God....
He knew our story would change lives.
We have so much healing to go through. They have so many secrets to tell. I don't understand why it all happened, but I do understand that this is not the end. God will use this trauma and this abuse to tell a story that ends in victory (1 Corinthians 15:57).
My heart is broken and my spirit is crushed, but I know my Lord is close to me (Psalm 34:18) and He will heal my heart and bind my wounds (Psalm 147:3).
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
I can definitely say I have been on both sides of this. I remember sitting on my couch in the dead of winter, snuggled up with my 3 girls, holding a flashlight because we had no heat and we had no electricity. I remember boiling water so my kids could take a bath. I remember having no water at all and sneaking to an empty house to use the hose to get water. Those days were bad, but we survived. The Lord gave me the strength to be content while in need.
Now we are able to pay our bills, put gas in our vehicles, buy groceries and clothes for the girls. I have a husband who works hard to provide and loves my girls like they are his own. We even took our first big family vacation. We are content. Right now we have plenty.
I can honestly say that during both of these seasons in my life, the Lord was providing for my every need, even though it didn't look like what I thought it should look like. Things were rough, but I trusted Him and He came through.
Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Luke 12:24
We have to trust the Lord to provide for us (Philippians 4:19). He will do what He says He will do (Numbers 23:19). We have to understand that material possessions are not the answer and live our lives free from the love of money and be content. The Lord says He will never leave us or forsake us and He means it (Hebrews 13:5). He never promised to meet our wants, so if our focus is more on what we have and what we can get, we will never be satisfied (Ecclesiastes 5:10).
So if you have a need, trust God. He will provide. It may not look like what we think it should look like, but God knows exactly what is best and will give accordingly (Romans 8:28).
For too long, I looked for love in all the wrong places.
For too long, I thought God didn't approve.
I had been beaten down with the words "worthless" and "stupid" and so many more for so long that I believed that I was those things. I believed that I was so damaged and unlovable that I was useless in this world. I let my abuser's words fill my whole being. His words were the only ones I heard.
I was so wrong.
I was so deceived.
Our worth never belongs in someone else's hands. It is never based on our actions and it is never earned (Ephesians 2:9). God loved us from the beginning and sent Jesus to die for us when we didn't deserve it (Romans 5:8). We were intricately woven in the depths of the earth (Psalm 139:13-16) and when God looks at us, He sees our beauty and He sees our worth. He created us with such a great purpose in mind (Jeremiah 29:11) because we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Before we were ever conceived, God loved us.
Our enemies and abusers don't have the right to tell us who we are. The Lord is the author and finisher of my faith and I will throw off everything that hinders me (Hebrews 12:1-2) and that includes the words that have been spoken to me and about me. I can be confident because I know I am who God says I am.
I am a child of God (John 1:12)
I am His friend (John 15:15)
I am redeemed and justified (Romans 3:24)
I am not condemned (Romans 8:1)
I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am no longer a slave, but an heir (Galatians 4:7)
Some days it's not easy to see the light at the end of the tunnel and being joyful doesn't come naturally. Sometimes it seems like life is so easy for everyone else. During those times, its easy to get discouraged and think that God has forgotten us.
We have to know that these kind of days are temporary. Our sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5). When we stop focusing on the world in front of us and lift our eyes to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), our troubles don't seem so impossible anymore.
Our thoughts should be of things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). When you do this, the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:9).
Ultimate joy and peace will come when we rejoice in the Lord; we will know He is near. We don't have to be anxious about anything. We can come before the Lord with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:4-9).
It doesn't matter what our circumstances are, we can be full of joy. When we have Jesus, we know that we can place all of our trust in Him and he will always make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).
The Lord is on our side and He loves us. What greater joy is there?
Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying 'I repent,' you must forgive them. Luke 17:4
I've been hurt in my life. I've hated someone so much that I felt my only relief would be if they were dead. I've carried around bitterness and resentment that was so strong and heavy I couldn't move. I was angry and it hurt the people I love.
I knew I had to forgive. I knew that it says in Mark 11:25 that if I hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that my Father in heaven could forgive me. How could I forgive someone who caused me so much pain; someone who violated and abused my children? It was impossible for me to do it. How can I let something like that go?
The truth is, it IS impossible to forgive on my own. But with God ALL things are possible (Matthew 19:26). The truth is, forgiveness has little or nothing to do with the person who hurts us. It isn't saying what they did was OK. It's saying you are done carrying this burden and you're ready to give it to Jesus because He says His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). He took our pain and bore our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4). He died to break our chains (Psalm 107:14) and give us freedom and abundant life (John 10:10).
We forgive to be in relationship with God.
We forgive because it brings glory to God. I know that it was only by the power of the Holy Spirit that I was able to forgive and am now able to sincerely pray for this person. It was only God that has allowed me to tell my story and bring healing to others.
Choose to forgive.
Choose to let go.
Choose to let God take your burden and use your pain for His glory.
There is a battle raging against me and my family right now. It's one I know I can't win on my own. It's strong and fierce and coming at us from all sides. There are days I want to give up. There are moments when I feel like I can't go on. There are mornings that it takes every ounce of energy I have to get out of bed. This battle might go on a while. I'm not sure what's next, but I do know one thing. This battle belongs to the Lord. (2 Chronicles 20:15)
There is not one thing that the enemy can throw at me that will prosper (Isaiah 54:17). My God is fighting this battle for me and we will win (2 Chronicles 20:17). My future plans are secure (Jeremiah 29:11) and I will worship and praise Him for this victory before I even see it (Psalm 20). He is my refuge and my strength in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). Sorrow may last for the night, but JOY comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5)
I can be confident in this because I know it's true. He has walked right beside me through storms that should have left me broken. He has given me back things that I thought were gone. He has given me freedom that I never thought possible. He has provided for me when there was nothing. He has promised me eternity with Him.
I'm going to praise Him and then sit back and watch Him create beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3).
If you're struggling, reach out to the One who knows you, the One who calls you by name, the One who will pull you out of the pit of despair.
My emotions, good or bad, have controlled my life for as long as I can remember. Depression, fear, and guilt have been my most natural responses when life throws me a curve ball. I curl up in a little ball and hide from the world. The bad thing about this response is I'm hiding from the very thing I want to help change. How can I tell my story when I'm driven by these destructive emotions? The truth is, I can't.
This morning I was drinking my coffee and reading my Bible, asking God to change me. He brings me to a scripture I have read so many times and have hanging by my front door. Joshua 24:15 says to choose this day who you will serve. That's when it hit me. I've been serving my emotions every day. I choose to dwell on depression, guilt, fear, and all the other things I feel on a daily basis instead of dwelling on God. He's the One who knows me and protects me. He is the One who holds my future. All the turmoil I feel inside is made to destroy, not bring life.
So this day I choose God. I choose to let Jesus go deeper than my wounds. I choose to let Him and His Words guide me and leave the rest behind.
I titled this blog "Restoring The Years" because the Lord has done so much for me, and given me back so much that I had lost. Until recently, I had no idea that He was also talking about my body. For years I thought fat = ugly. What a lie from hell.
I have struggled with depression and very low self esteem for years. I am definitely what you would call and emotional eater. The more weight I gained, the uglier I thought I was. The uglier I thought I was, the more I ate. It really is a vicious cycle. Of course, I never felt like exercising either. As Christians, we know that our body is a temple. So, I have always felt tremendous guilt for not treating it that way. All these negative emotions take take a toll and the devil LOVES it!
Lately I have been thinking about grace and what it means to me. Grace is something I definitely don't deserve. It's not something I can earn. It's just given to me freely and repeatedly. It's given to everyone. It doesn't matter who we are or what we've done. It's a second chance.
I guess we really don't look at neglecting our bodies as sin. But, I believe it is. I'm not saying that we can never have a cookie or that we have to exercise for hours each day. What I am saying is that 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. I am not my own; I was bought at a price. That right there is good enough for me.
So the other day I woke up. I realized the enemy had stolen my body away from me and it was time to get it back. Thank God for His grace and forgiveness. I realize that it will take hard work and I'm ready for it. I will definitely have to deny myself and hold myself accountable. The Holy Spirit living inside me is big enough for the job. I trust Him completely to see me through.
Thanks for reading,
Jessica
I would love to hear from anyone going through the same thing. Email me at jessicanc78@gmail.
When you are broken, you don't see things the way they really are. You see them through the lenses of a lie. You start living your life that way. The person who taught me to love Jesus had walked away from Him. Sin wasn't such a big deal anymore. You live to please yourself, not God.
I put God on the back burner of my life. I knew He was there, but He didn't really matter much. So, I started to drink with my friends a little. I started smoking pot a little. Sex was something I was talked into doing because it's just something everyone does. No big deal. But sin IS a big deal. Sin is death and it changes you.
I believed the enemy when he told me that I didn't matter and that nobody loved me. It all starts as a whispered lie. "You're not loved, Jessica", "You're ugly", "You are stupid", "You are worthless". When we start believing these lies, we change. If nobody can love us, then maybe God can't either. We make so many mistakes and do so many things that He tells us not to do, how could He love us?
That's just another lie. Satan loves to lie. John 8:44 says that when he lies, he speaks his native language. He is a liar and the father of lies. So why are we so quick to believe him?
God, on the other hand, is full of truth. It is absolutely impossible for him to deceive us. He does not lie (Titus 1:2). When He says we are worth it (Romans 5:8), believe Him. When He says He loves us (John 3:16), believe Him. He means it. Ask God to show you what lies you have been believing about Him.
Take a minute right now and ask.
Now ask Jesus what the truth is.
Embrace that truth because when you know the Truth, it will definitely set you free (John 8:32).
If you need prayer, please email me at jessicanc78@gmail.com
I was a good girl that came from a good family. I grew up in church and knew that Jesus loved me. I never caused trouble and always followed the rules. I never ran with the wrong crowd. Nobody saw it coming.
I was pregnant at 18. I had a boyfriend who said all of the right things and pretended to love me. So, I thought I had to marry that boyfriend. The next 10 years were a nightmare. I lived in a world full of lies and emotional, mental, and occasionally, physical abuse. There was drug use and adultery. I ended up having two more children during my marriage. My kids have gone through things that no one should go through. I tried to make life as normal as possible for them, but it never was. I was trapped in a living hell.
The last couple of years of my marriage, I sought the Lord with all of my heart. He was all that I had. I knew He could change my life, but I had no idea just how much He could change it. He gave me Joel 2:25-27 to hang onto and that's what I did. I believed and prayed and cried for a long, long time. There were days that I wanted to kill myself and there were days I tried to find ways to kill my husband. But God had something different in mind.
After years of abuse, neglect, and homelessness we got out. But, it didn't stop there. My kids would visit him on the weekends. I didn't find out what was going on until he went to prison. He was involving my kids in crime and horrible abuse. I found out right after we separated that he had used their social security numbers to get credit cards in their names. I pressed charges and he has been in and out of prison ever since.
I was free.
I wish I could say that everything automatically got better. It didn't. While I was free from a life of abuse, I wasn't free from the effects. I was deeply depressed and had an extremely low self esteem. Instead of turning to God for love, I looked in all the wrong places. I just wanted someone to love me and fill the void. I was so ashamed. These guys didn't love me. Alcohol didn't love me. Why was I running so hard from the One that did?
Fear. Everything I was doing was because I was afraid. I was afraid of trusting God. I was afraid of being alone and unloved. I thought God was disappointed in me for my choices. I had no idea how much Jesus really did love me.
I had had enough. One day, I decided to go back to the church I grew up in. I was so embarrassed. I thought everyone would stare and whisper about me. I thought everyone would say "I told you so". That's not what happened. I was welcomed with open arms. They had missed me. Gradually, I started praying again and I even got out my Bible. I didn't start reading it for a while, but it was a start. God was starting to heal my heart.
In the last seven years, God has restored the years the locusts have eaten....just like He said he would when He gave me the promise in Joel years before. I'm amazed every day at His love for me. He lifted me from the pit and set my feet up on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand (Psalm 40:2). I want what I went through to be a testimony of God's love and his mercy. We are NEVER too far gone. There is NOTHING too big. God is real. His love for us is not conditional. It's not based on how good we are or how much we do for Him. He loves us and meets us just where we are. He goes down into the pit we are in and lifts us out. He will do that for you just like He did for me.
I have NO regrets. I have a story to tell.
If you need prayer, please email me jessicanc78@gmail.com
Where to start. I'm Jessica. I'm writing this blog because the Lord has told me that I have a story to tell. I guess I do. I don't know where this will go. I have no expectations. I just want to be obedient to the Lord (that's hard sometimes). I want to be a light to hurting women, and maybe some men in this world. I'm not an expert blogger or even all that wonderful at the English language. I'm not a Bible scholar, either. In fact, I don't read my Bible every day. I know that I should, but I don't. I'm just a woman who has a LONG way to go. I love Jesus, but I sure can screw things up sometimes. Especially when I think I know what's best for me and decide not to listen to the One who actually does.
My story is one with a lot of pain, but also a lot of hope. The Lord's restoring power is AMAZING. I can't even begin to thank Him for what He has done for me. He is my Savior, my Provider, my Deliverer, my EVERYTHING.
Life isn't easy. In fact, at times it seems almost impossible. It might feel like your problems are so big they are suffocating. You may think there is no way out. I know all of those feelings because I have felt them, too. I wanted to die. But, I'm here to tell you that God has a plan for you....yes, YOU (Jeremiah 29:11)!!!! It might be be hard to get there. There might be a lot of work involved. It might not happen overnight. Actually, the "might" should probably be replaced with "will". But everything from God is worth it. He will give you beauty instead of ashes, oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:3). That is a promise.
I have no idea what God's plan is for this blog. I don't know if I will have a gazillion followers or only a handful. The truth is, I don't care. If one person can come to know Jesus from something I have to offer, then all of my pain has been worth it.
