You Follow Me...

What is one thing that is poison to our souls? Comparison.

“Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me."
John 21:22

Yes, of course...one could add the poison of jealousy, bitterness, envy, hatred...but comparison is oh, so seductive. No matter your age, ethnicity, or gender...when we begin the slippery slope of comparing any aspect of our lives with others, our joy is diminished, our insecurities reign, and jealousy, bitterness, envy, etc... will take ground in our hearts.

Peter was taking his gaze off the Savior...onto someone else. We can’t do that either. When we look to the right or the left of us, we will always come up short, but that will never happen if we set the gaze of our hearts on the One and Only who alone can satisfy, bring significance to a life, and meet every longing of a hungry heart. So...listen to His words...

“You follow me.” And, don’t follow or compare yourself...with anyone else.

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I am Redeemed...

“You should write for my blog!” my mom said. But I’m not ready.
“You really should start writing again!” my husband said. But I’m not ready.

“I tell you," He replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Luke 19:40

That verse hits me, like, well…a rock. To me it says that if I don’t do it someone or something else will. If a rock: a dirty, grimy piece of the earth that sits under my feet is worthy to declare His praise then who am I to be unwilling? And if declaring His praise and glory is something He desires then who am I to hold back?

I’ll tell you: I’m divorced, messy, been places I should never have been, up and down on my Christian walk, jumped feet first into pit after pit, and so low I wasn’t sure even He could find me.

I am also REDEEMED. And so are you.

We are not worthy but neither is that rock! And I’ll be darned if I’m going to let a rock praise God in my place. So let’s make a deal. Let’s take a chance and get over who we are, who we’ve been, and who we might never be, and let’s just praise the One who declares us worthy. He wants to hear from us. He wants us to declare His praise. To Him. To others. No matter how unworthy we feel. So…what do you have to say?

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Written by: Dayspring Boldt Broxton

No Matter What Happens...

If the Christian’s strength is the joy of the Lord…it is not rocket science to realize…that our adversary will attack our joy. 

“You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalm 16:11

I have been a Christian a long time. I for sure don’t know it all or have it all together…however…I have found Holy Spirit overflowing, buckets-full, drenching to and through the skin JOY…takes place when I make room for time in God’s presence. Often.

So…any time…any amount of time…whether short or lengthy…set aside to bask in the Lord’s presence and feasting on His Word will always be opposed. If the enemy of your soul can separate you…from time spent…with the Almighty…the battle for other areas of your life is almost surely going to fall in the devil’s direction.

No…this isn’t a time to guilt trip...it is a call to keep your joy in Him brimming. Your strength…in Him. Because joy cultivated in His presence alone can never be lost...no matter what happens.

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Who Has Measured...

The opening question is asked....

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, or with the breadth of His hand marked off the heavens? 
Isaiah 40:12a

Who has measured the oceans...in the hollow of His hand? Who has used the length of His mighty fingers to measure the untold galaxies, immeasurable light years in distance? And yet...I am reminded of the prophet’s words a few chapters later...

“And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me..." Isaiah 49:2a

This amazing, unfathomable God not only holds all of the oceans and stars in His single palm...He holds me in the shadow of His hand. And...our God holds YOU...tenderly...carefully... purposefully...and powerfully in the cup of His eternal hand.

Rest in this knowledge. Rest in His care. Rest in His loving embrace.

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At the Start of this Week...

At the start of this week…

Should you suffer a sudden loss…a relationship, a job, finances, security…a loved one. Look up! Your redemption is near! Don’t let the enemy scatter and distract you in your thoughts. You need more than ever to trust the One Who loves you beyond reason. Dive deep into His Word and into His presence.

Should you have a disappointment…something or someone didn’t come through for you as you had hoped…maybe, just maybe, the Lord is using this to get your attention that He alone needs to be your expectation and He knows what He is doing (even when others don’t seem too!).

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes that will be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because Who is in you is greater than anything!

1 John 4:4

He Can't Take His Eyes Off You...

Our family has a sweet home video…

"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 
Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Luke 12:7

Back in the day when our kids were young and video cameras were the size of refrigerator boxes, my husband captured our six-year old, Jeremy, in Yellowstone.

This crazy, funny, and loving towheaded boy was up to his usual antics that, to this day almost 28 years later, still causes our family to roar with laughter. Randy was filming Jeremy dancing around and acting silly directly in front of him…however…Old Faithful Geyser was about to go off. Still, Randy’s eyes and…heart are fixed upon his child. Finally, Jeremy reaches out and nudges the camera toward the miraculous water fountain taking off. “Dad…over here!”

So remember. You are the apple of Jesus’ eye. He can’t take His eyes off of you and don’t let the enemy say it isn’t so…nothing could be further from the truth.

Keep, Guard, Preserve...

As Heart’s Day approaches...

“Keep your heart with all diligence, 
For out of it spring the issues of life.”
Proverbs 4:23

To keep, guard, preserve...our hearts...is a must. Our very life depends upon what we do with our hearts. I counsel too many people who wish they had guarded their hearts more carefully. People who are now reaping a lifetime of...heartache. Wow. Heavy duty stuff indeed.

Yes. We can get a little sloppy with our hearts. A little careless with what and who we expose our hearts to. We can’t hide our hearts in the sand and not be relevant to our time, but is what we are devoting ourselves to...bringing us closer to Jesus...to freedom...to our life’s destiny? Do we have time for everything else...but Him? And then wonder why our lives are more about survival than riches in the glory of His presence daily? Hmmmm...

Heart's Day is coming. Let’s make it mean something new.

Wonder of all Wonders...

I don’t know about you, but sometimes...I can get very distracted.

“Blessed is the man You choose, And cause to approach You, That he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Of Your holy temple.” Psalm 64:11

Distraction is so noisy. For you...too? Together...let’s stop. Let’s take a minute and start remembering all the amazing things that are going on in our lives. Just the fact we still...draw breath. Honestly...it will only be a few seconds and His peace will again reign in our hearts and minds.

We are all invited to approach Him. To be called into the courts of the King is the highest honor. Funny thing...we can do this in a closet, a bathroom...anywhere we can be quiet from the noise of life... all the chatter...even for just two minutes. And...the dividend? Satisfaction and peace. Ahhhh yes...because His peace fills His temple.

And, we...are His temple. Wonder of all wonders...

At the Start of This Week...

At the start of this week....

Should your team lose, or...your team didn’t ever come close to playing the Big Game...remember: you are on the winning team in Jesus. That is all that matters. If your head knows this truth, but your heart hasn’t caught up...it is time to put faith in action. Get back into His Word...be encouraged to...believe Him.

Should your hope be sagging, your strength be waning, or your joy has disappeared somewhere, it is time to get alone and quiet with the One who can only satisfy your every need. His presence is the air you breathe. His Word is the rock which holds you up. Quit your busyness and get still with Him. Anything less is totally pointless and a waste of time.

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes that will be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because Who is in you is greater than anything!  1 John 4:4

Heart Check...

The Book of Job hasn’t always been a favorite of mine...

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, 
But now my eye sees You.”
Job 42:5

Job for Dummies is this: Satan accuses the Lord of protecting Job and gains the Lord’s permission to test this man. Job loses children, possessions, the respect of his wife and friends. Finally, he has catastrophic health issues. Think worst case scenario on steroids. There are literally thirty-seven chapters of anger, arguing, accusing, defending, whining, denial, and self-righteousness.

Then God shows up.

That’s it…and Job realizes God is the only thing that matters…He is …the bottom line…to everything. We desperately need to…see Him…too. I don’t know what you are facing, but He is the answer…no, not so much what He can do for you or I, but…HE…alone…is all we need. Enough said.

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At the Start of This Week...

At the start of this week...

Should it feel like the walls are closing in, your pathway is blocked, or you are stumped about what to do in a particular situation...it is time to speak God’s truth over your life. He is the one who is above, below, behind, and in front of you...not your enemy, the devil. Rebuke that liar in Jesus’ Name and declare out loud Psalm 139 over your life.

Should your heart be gloomy, downcast, or just plain in the dumps...remember Whose child you are. In Christ alone, you are the King’s kid. Really! Run to His throne...and not your phone...to all you need to face any situation. Jesus rules!

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes that will be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because Who is in you is greater than anything!
1 John 4:4

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Began to Do...

Jesus’ resurrection was not the culmination of the Greatest Story ever told...but the beginning...

“The former account I made, O Theophilus, 
of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,”
Acts 1:1

The Book of Acts from God’s Word chronicles just a few of the many wondrous accounts of Christ’s Body...the church...filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is now...our story...or can be.

Should your life seem somehow...dull...unsatisfying...not quite fulfilling, or thrilling, take a look again at Acts. This is a rubber meets the road account of faith in action: broken, sin-scarred, messed up people transformed, healed, and set free by His love and unleashed upon the world. In my darkest hours of soul sickness, the truth of these accounts caused me to know there was more for my life.

Jesus is doing it. I am a novice in faith – though I have been a Christian a long time – but I have seen too many miracles to turn back now. And...each day is a new beginning in the overflow and baptism of the Holy Spirit. "Yes, Lord"...is all I need to say.

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A Wedding Turned Upside-Down...

I am leaning into...the amazing story of a wedding turned upside-down...

“Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.”
John 2:2

Jesus came because He was invited. He did something no one could/would dream of or anticipate. He turned something colorless and odorless into the exquisitely, most vibrant, best...ever.

I want to invite Him into every detail of my day, today. I don't want to tell Him what to do, (what was Mary thinking....that He would run out to Bevmo?), or how to do it. I want to invite Him to every event taking place in my life.... What will He do? He is calling me to lay down every preconceived idea I have and just wait to see what He does.

I want...I need...for Him to show up in every area of my life. I am inviting Him to come and turn my world upside-down...or right-side up, as the case may be.

What do you need to invite Him to today? Will you let Him do it His way? Because what He plans for you...will be over-the-top.

His Searchlight...

One of the greatest aspects of the Gospel...is His healing of our lives...from the inside-out...

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; 
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me, 
And lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139:23-24

We need never fear the Holy Spirit’s searchlight into our innermost being...our hearts and minds. He can wade through all the muck and mire...shame and pride...lust and selfishness...perversion and disgust...to bring freedom and wholeness. He never once stops loving us, no matter what His searchlight reveals.

If you are tired of living with anxiety, insecurity, dissatisfaction, bondage to habits you hate about yourself, and a myriad of other soul sicknesses, the verse above is for you. Let Jesus go deep. Let His truth reveal the lies you believe about yourself. Take the time for the Great Counselor...to counsel and deliver you. He is able...you just have to be willing.

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Numbers...

We live in a numbers obsessed world...

“Then the LORD said to Gideon, "By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, 
and deliver the Midianites into your hand...”
Judges 7:7a

Except for the bathroom scale, the higher the number...the better: bank accounts, followers, housing square footage, friends, likes, even...church attendance, ...however, God isn’t hung-up with numbers like we can be. Ahem...like I can be.

The Lord whittled Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300 men. God alone was going to rout the Midianites. He didn’t...He doesn’t...need numbers to accomplish His plans. He just needs open, tender, faith-filled hearts and then...watch out for His miraculous workings...that do not need human strength.

Yes, numbers are a good way to inventory what is happening...but not the only way. And, one hungry life following after the One and Only...is all Jesus needs. Sign me up, Lord!

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photo: Alaina Agudelo w.permission

At the Start of This Week...

At the start of this week...

If you are having difficulty hearing the Lord’s voice...it is time to slow down. Your thoughts are racing? Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help and bind any spirit of confusion in Jesus’ Name. The Lord is constantly speaking to you and it is imperative you hear Him. Get alone, get quiet, persevere, and...open His Word.

If you have a little dark cloud of sadness following you around...for whatever reason...it is time to get rid of it. Take the time to see it for what it really is...and let the Lord Jesus deal with you, heal you, and bring His mighty deliverance. You are His child and black clouds are not His doing.

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes that will be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because Who is in you is greater than anything!
1 John 4:4

Comfort Zone...

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone...

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him..."
Hebrews 11:6a

Anna Finfrock, a young American friend of mine, whom I met in Taiwan, posted this on Instagram today. She and her husband, Ben, are now serving the Lord in South Africa and...yep...it’s true...

Faith in Jesus...is rubber meets the road time when it comes to bringing Him great pleasure. Because faith involves trust, and trust is just about the highest form of adoration (can you think of anything more so?). And faith ALWAYS requires risk.

This is not risk...or leaving our comfort zone for the sake of being stupid or trying prove something. But when He calls...and His invitation to me invites risk, it is not time to shrink back, hold back...or think of my comfort. I have had plenty of comfort in my life...booooring. But His thrill ride these past twelve years has been...amazing, exciting, miraculous, and wonder-filled. Could Jesus do anything less?

Nope. I’m never going back when He calls. Will you join me?

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photo: Ben Frinfrock w.permission

Battle Plan...

Years ago, I sought the Lord to break areas of addiction in my life.

“Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle...”
Psalm 144:1

Jesus was calling me to meet with Him every morning and get that day’s battle plan. He was training me to break the enemy’s grip on my life and He never told me something the Holy Spirit wouldn't enable me to do.

Many days when I came to Him I would get the same nudge of the Spirit to repeat what He had spoken to me the day before. The more quickly I obeyed and responded, He would then move me onto the next step. Little did I know...I was learning to hear His voice daily. Little did I know...the devil was being defeated by my every advance. It also taught me how to maintain my freedom when absolute freedom came.

Did I not come some mornings? Sure. Did I come and then not listen? Certainly! Yet through all this failure on my part... He never revoked His invitation to meet with me. He...never failed to come.

What do you need freedom from? There are many facets to experiencing true freedom in Christ, but getting a daily battle plan from the Lord’s heart to yours is probably the sweetest.

Setting Your Heart...

What is your heart…set on?

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, 
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.”
Psalm 84:5

Our hearts can be set upon…so many things: a new home, a job, a good education, finding the right person…a baby. So many good and wonderful things. Nevertheless…we need our hearts to be set on the One and Only…first.

The author of this passage knows that having our hearts set on God…is a journey, not a one-time event. Trusting Jesus is a process of one step in front of the other…every minute of every day. A pilgrimage…a continual…looking up…lifting and setting our eyes and hearts on Him alone. And…

As the next verse will tell us, when we travel through the Valley of Baca, the valley of barrenness or weeping, we will find springs of living water, the rain and reign of the Holy Spirit creating pools of refreshment. We will journey from strength…to strength. What promises! So...

What is your heart set on? Make it only Him.

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The Time of My Life...

It is true...when God closes a window...He opens an even better door...

“For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, 
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, 
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.”
Isaiah 64:4

My balloon was...popped. Almost from the outset of starting this Devo Page, I have been using awesome photos from...Pinterest. Hmmmm...I learned about three months ago that was a big no-no. I thought Pinterest photos were fair game if they didn’t have a watermark...but no...I could be sued at some point. Lord????

Then it started. The downpour of blessing. Started asking friends if I could use their photos. Pretty amazing a lot of them. I met a wonderful Christian girl on Instagram. Another round of awesome takes. Finally...my photographer son told me, “Mom...get your own camera.” Unexpected money came...and I got a camera on Black Friday. Enough said.

I am having the time of my life. I have a new outlet of creativity for my soul. I feel His pleasure. God is amazing.