Liz Blog, Faith

God Knows the Full Story | Peace in the Storm (Part One)

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.

(Philippians 1:12 NIV)

God has always known the full story.

In January, I challenged myself to read the full Bible, cover to cover, book to book, over the course of the year for the first time in my life.

Trust me, it hasn’t been easy to be consistent! A few short weeks later, I started a new job. My day-to-day life drastically changed, becoming busier than ever, and I’ve rarely had time for myself. 

But little did I know, just as my world had changed, the rest of the world would soon change. The coronavirus outbreak arrived. A storm that no one anticipated. Many plans have been cancelled. Fear and worry emerged. Sickness. Unemployment. An unknown future for many, and for others, perhaps just an inconvenience that they’re waiting to be over.

Either way, for the first time — in my limited perspective — I have seen the world stop. 

Or, at least, being forced to do so.  

Now, there’s something that has struck me in the past months of reading through the Bible that I can’t ignore.

No matter what has happened in this world, God has always had a plan and a purpose.

Continue reading “God Knows the Full Story | Peace in the Storm (Part One)” →

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Liz Blog, Faith

12 Bible Verses on God’s Promise to Sustain You

Do you believe that God can sustain you? Your Heavenly Father promises He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5), that He cares about what you go through (1 Peter 5:7), and that He will fight for you (Exodus 14:14). In every circumstance, He will meet you where you are.

Whether you’re looking for strength, comfort, protection, assurance, wisdom, peace, or understanding, God promises that He will provide for you and supply all your needs. If you need reminders of His provision, check out these 12 Bible verses on God’s promise to sustain you. 

Continue reading “12 Bible Verses on God’s Promise to Sustain You” →

Liz Blog, Faith

Your Status Doesn’t Matter: God Can Still Use You

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

(2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV)

What’s holding you back?

Too many times we believe the idea that we need to “level up” before God uses us. That we need to look a certain way first, make a certain amount of money first, figured out this or that first, get (insert a major goal of yours) first.

And trust me, I’ve been there, too. We live in a world that demands certain qualifications before the job, the school, the opportunity, the next step. We often base our value on our resumes or the amount of likes we get on Instagram. 

But what if none of these things really mattered?

Continue reading “Your Status Doesn’t Matter: God Can Still Use You” →

Liz Blog, Faith, Trust Series

Identifying God’s Gifts | Trust Series (Part Two)

In Part One of the Trust Series, we discussed practical steps to take in order to follow God’s direction with confidence. By having the right perspective and obeying His Word, we can trust His lead when we follow His calling.

However, how do we identify God’s direction in the first place?

Seasons constantly change. New situations arise. New doors open. New dreams emerge. Oftentimes, when circumstances shift, it can be hard to tell whether open doors are just good or really God.

Nevertheless, God wants to provide the best for you, and He doesn’t want to hide His will from you. As you grow in your relationship with the Lord, you become better acquainted with His character. In Malachi 3:6, God declares, “For I am the Lord, I do not change” (NKJV). God moves in recognizable ways. He doesn’t alter who He is or His Word. So, His gifts will have His fingerprints on them.

In order to discern true gifts, we must know the One who gave them.

Today, In Part Two of the series, we’ll be discussing helpful ways to identify God’s gifts in our lives. It’s time to demystify the notion of God’s will. His will is practical, every day and secured by His grace. It doesn’t require perfection, but it requires willingness and humility. No matter the circumstance, God’s direction is not meant to be a mysterious set of rules but a clear purpose we live out daily that leads to freedom.  

Continue reading “Identifying God’s Gifts | Trust Series (Part Two)” →

Liz Blog, Faith

The Life God Designed for You

How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

(Psalm 104:24 NIV)

On Tuesday, January 23, I was in prayer during my morning quiet time. Just as I began praying, I felt a sudden chill. I was sitting near an open window, but I didn’t feel a draft whatsoever moments before.

Before I knew it, the sky darkened, and rain began pouring down. Heavy, hitting the cement in hard, rhythmic drops. Loud. Out of nowhere.

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The window I sat next to that day.

Within three minutes or less, the rain stopped. Silence all over again. The clouds parted slightly letting in some light back into the room.

Talk about a dramatic change.

It got me thinking about how miraculously God works. When God moves, He moves. It’s obvious, it’s clear. You know He’s present. You see His fingerprints. You see doors open. What might take a human years to do, God can do in the blink of an eye.

Now, almost two months later, Thursday, March 22, I was again reminded of this phenomenon. This time, my morning devotions didn’t involve a sudden shift in the weather. Instead, it involved a look into Psalm 104.

Continue reading “The Life God Designed for You” →

Liz Blog, Faith, Love Letters

Day 14: I am your strength | Love Letters

Strength:

  1. Physical power and energy.
  2. The emotional or mental qualities necessary in dealing with situations or events that are distressing or difficult.
  3. A good or beneficial quality or attribute of a person or thing.

I know I’m not the only one who is completely lazy when it comes to charging my phone. A typical day involves me waiting until my battery hits 1% then scrambling to plug in my charger before my phone dies. Throughout the day, I notice my phone battery is draining over time, but I don’t make the effort to recharge it until the very last minute.

This seems silly (and inconvenient), yet we do it all the time!

We often act the same way when it comes to reaching out to God. We go about our everyday lives, using our power, our strength, our insight–then all of a sudden, we find ourselves running low. But before the crash–hopefully–we then remember God is there.

Before this realization happens, there’s usually damage that has been done. Stress, fatigue, doubt, worry, anger, and confusion. These emotions are the result of relying on yourself as your power source. These are the negative emotions that lead to rash decisions, mistakes, consequences, and eventually wanting to quit after all that you’ve experienced.

God’s love for you means He will help you endure. 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NKJV) instructs us, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” This verse doesn’t just tell us to be brave and be strong–it tells us to stand somewhere. In our faith. Ephesians 6:10 reminds us to be strong in the Lord and mighty in His power. We’re not told to simply be strong and mighty–we’re told strength is found in God and might in His power. Isaiah 26:4 tells us to trust in the Lord forever, for “in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

This power we receive from God is in God–not just from Him. This means we find it by being plugged into Him. Similar to connecting a phone to a power source, we must connect ourselves to God to receive this power. When you unplug the phone, your device is no longer connected its the power source, and it will stop charging. When we unplug ourselves from God, we are no longer connected to our source, and we will no longer receive His power.

The beauty of relying on God is that His strength is unending. He doesn’t run out of strength, and He wants you to understand this. In Jeremiah 32:27 (NIV), He says, “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” In His Word, God reminds us that He is capable. Nothing can overtake Him. We need to get used to saying, I can’t. God can.

God can take you through it!

You don’t need to sustain your faith alone. You don’t need to maintain anything or anyone on your own. You can’t care for yourself by yourself.

Don’t inconvenience yourself by waiting to trust in God. Power is found in the Lord to cover you in every area. Your physical power and energy. Your emotional and mental ability to overcome hardship. Your helpful qualities and skills. God gives you strength, He develops your strengths, and He sustains your strengths.

Now is the time to partner with God in your life. The love you need is found in Him. God’s love for you is here today. Give your heart to Him, and let Him write an amazing story of your life. Rest in His promises. Know that He has more for you. He will meet your needs. He will secure you now and for eternity in heaven. With Him, you can accomplish more than you can ever accomplish on your own.

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31 NIV)

Love Letter 14

14 days of learning God’s love. Learn about the Love Letters here.

⤎ Read Day 13

Special Note: Thank you so much for joining me in the Love Letters series. Over these last two weeks, I’ve been challenged and pushed every day as I studied the Word to write these daily posts. I hope you’ve been encouraged and have learned about God’s love and purpose for you. I encourage you to revisit any letters for encouragement whenever you need it, and share them with others. Most importantly, go deeper. Seek God for yourself. Open the Bible, communicate with Him in prayer, and allow Him to lead you to discover His unique plan for your life. Let me know your thoughts on the series below!

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Liz Blog, Faith, Love Letters

Day 8: I have good gifts for you | Love Letters

Gift: Something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance.

I’m a huge fan of home makeover shows. I love watching skilled interior designers bring a space to life based on a pre-thought-out plan. They transform an old room into an incredible masterpiece–not only based on someone’s desires but his or her needs.

Then there’s the room reveal. Clients take in the fact that their old room has been made new. They might have had ideas of what they wanted their space to look like but didn’t know how to execute those ideas. This room is what they desired and better than what they imagined. Many times, there are personal details in the new space that make the room even more special–perfectly tailored for them. The final room is a special gift they never knew they needed.

Sometimes, we have an idea of how our lives should go, and we have a plan of action on how to carry it out. Other times, we might have thoughts of how things should be but no idea of how to make them happen.

We can get so caught up in a big dream that we forget the little details. God has a pre-thought-out plan for you. He knows the best way for you to get from Point A to Point B. And He knows whether or not Point B is actually what it’s cracked up to be!

Plans take time to execute. Designers must initially sketch out a space, find the right items, and consider the logistics of how to get everything done.

God’s love for you means He will provide good gifts in your life. He will give favor, honor, and assistance. Some of these blessings are for now, others are for later. Waiting for things to unravel might seem brutal, but the grand reveal is always better than what you expect. He knows you intimately, and He knows what you need at different points in your life.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV) states, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” God’s ways are above your ways, and He has blessings for you that are better than your best plans.

In Psalms 68:19, God reveals that He loads us with daily benefits. In Lamentations 3:22-23, we learn that God’s mercies are new every morning. Every day has a purpose in your story.

As a designer knows that every step is vital in a major room renovation, God knows that every day is a vital part of your journey. While He works out daily blessings, He’s pushing you to transform into who He created you to be.

Blessings are often right in front of us.

Maybe you had an uplifting conversation with a coworker today or you have family members who deeply care for you. You were able to catch up with an old friend or someone offered to help you on a task out of the blue. Perhaps God’s given you a talent you enjoy or healing after you were sick for weeks. No matter how big or small, all these things can be wonderful blessings–let’s not forget that!

Instead of focusing on the uncertainty of the future, focus on the good gifts God has given you now. Work with Him daily to follow the right path for your life, and you will start seeing the ways He’s moving parts together for the bigger picture.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11 ESV)

Love Letter 8

14 days of learning God’s love. Learn about the Love Letters here.

⤎ Read Day 7

Read Day 9 ⤏

 

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Liz Blog, Faith

Need Encouragemet? Check Out These Verses

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. (Proverbs 29:25 KJV)

Teach me to do thy I will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. (Psalms 143:10 KJV)

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. (Psalms 66:16 ESV)

When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. (Psalms 94:18‭-‬19 KJV)

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9‭-‬10 KJV)