In the Name of Jesus...

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 

I paused at these words...."do EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord Jesus".  

It's an automatic response to end prayer 'in the name of Jesus'.  

But...

  • What if I were to end every sentence I ever spoke with 'in the name of Jesus'? 
  • What if I were to end every action by declaring it was done 'in the name of Jesus'?
Hmmmm....now that is something to think about.  



Prayer:
Lord God, I read Your word and am convicted of how short I fall of living the holy life required to be pure in Your sight Oh Lord.  And once again I fall before your feet in humble gratitude for the gift of covering I received in the name of Your Son the day I surrendered my life to You.  What a precious gift indeed.  I cry out to You today Lord, let me be reminded moment by moment that I am to do all things in Your name, for YOUR glory.  I come before You in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.  





God Bless and Keep You,
Copyright© 2014 Feeding a Hungry Soul

For more time at His table, try visiting these blogs 
where I like to link up in fellowship with other followers of Christ. 
A word of encouragement? A note to say 'hey'?  
Just click comments below...it makes my day! 

God Gives Peace to a Distressed Mind


My reading plan today had me reading Ephesians 6:10-20, but it was this one verse that made me stop and read it again.  In fact, I was compelled to read over and over again.  

The NIV translation I was using said it this way:
“and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”

Readiness.  Ready for what?  It sounds like I'm being to told to get my shoes on and be ready to go.  I needed more insight, so I began to do some research, which is when I found this:

“The Gospel is so called, because it makes men to be of peaceable tempers and behavior, and gives peace to distressed minds: it directs the way to eternal peace,
 ---John Gill's Exposition of the Bible


There were lots of other expositions and commentaries that had similar thoughts or even other thoughts.  But today, these words of John Gill rang true to my heart.  It put into words the reality of my life in a way that I had not been able to before.

“gives peace to a distressed mind”

You don’t need to know what has my mind distressed today.  That’s not what matters.

  The truth and power of this scripture is what matters.

There is every reason in this ‘world’ for my husband and me to be distressed about our situation. Friends and family that are aware of our circumstances and recent turn of events wonder why we aren’t showing the outward signs of a distressed response to the circumstances of our life. 

I’ve struggled to give an answer, lamely repeating words that usually just confuse them even  more….”we have the peace of Christ”. 

I think many people hear that and assume it means that we are in denial of the circumstances and choose to look away from reality.  But the words of this commentator said it perfectly. 

I do have a distressed mind.  I’m not blind to the circumstances we are facing.  I’m not ignorant of the consequences of these circumstances if things don’t change.  And I’m not blind to the fact that there does not appear to be any source of significant change on the horizon. 

Yes…my mind thinks of all of these things.  
It is, by every definition of the words ~ a distressed mind. 

But the gospel of Christ gives that mind of mine something I cannot give it myself. 
Peace. 

Like a blanket thrown over a shivering child; the cold does not go away, but the covering of the blanket warms her. 

Yah…it’s like that.  
The covering of Christ is like a calming blanket placed over my distressed mind.  
{click to tweet}

The circumstances and situation have not gone away, but the blanket gives me REAL peace. 
Overcoming Peace!  
 
In our world, peace can be such a passive word.  But in God's world, peace is a powerful word; an active word.  The peace of the Gospel of Christ moves us forward when our distressed mind wants to stop us in our tracks.  The enemy wants to use our distressed mind to paralyze us with fear.  

God gives us a peace so powerful, 
it overcomes all fear and paralysis driven by a distressed mind.  
{click to tweet

Therefore, it is so very appropriate that Ephesians 6:15 talks about shoes, not blankets! Life on earth is a journey.  Daily we are called to get up and walk with God.  There are days when the path is smooth, and there are days when it's rough.  There are even days when it is so filled with rocks and pot holes we can barely keep our balance. 

So we put on our shoes.  With shoes we can withstand the rough terrain.  With shoes we can walk more surely when the path is unstable.

Which is why it is vital that daily I come to His table so He can fit me with the Gospel Shoes I need for this day.  
 
And so, with Gospel shoes on my feet, I walk in peace even when my mind is distressed. 

I know it.
I believe it.
I’m living it…one hour at a time. 
I smile about it.
I have joy about it.
I love living in it.


I’d rather walk like this, than with bare feet on my own.   


Prayer:
Lord God, thank You.  I have no elaborate words of praise to shower You with today.  But my word of thanks comes flowing from an overwhelmingly grateful heart.  May You receive this humble offering of praise just as it is presented; simply stated from a pure response to Your overcoming peace.  Yes Lord..OVERCOMING PEACE. Not a peace that causes me to run and hide from the challenges of life, but a peace that empowers me to walk in the strength of Your word and  Your promises.  Thanks for putting my shoes on for me today as I came to sit at Your table.  I confess that I came with bare feet, but I'm stepping out today with feet fitted with readiness.  I love You Lord, and I come before You in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.  

Our recipe today is for Overcoming Peace
The ingredients are from Ephesians 6:15
The directions are to let God fit your feet with readiness found in the overcoming power of the gospel of peace.  {click to tweet)


{CLICK HERE for a printable version of today's recipe for the soul.  Make notes on it of how God is speaking to you today, and carry it with you to feed your soul as needed.}

Other conversations held at His table that may feed your soul today...
Confidently Trusting God
Fearless Living
Do You Really Trust Me?

I'd love to have you at the table each time I pull up a chair.  
If you don't already, won't you join us?
Just click the link above, submit your email address and then
be sure to click the 'verify' link when the email is sent to your inbox.
After that, I'll be saving you a chair at the table!


God Bless and Keep You,
Copyright© 2013 Feeding a Hungry Soul

For more time at His table, try visiting these blogs 
where I like to link up in fellowship with other followers of Christ. 
A word of encouragement? A note to say 'hey'?  
Just click comments below...it makes my day! 

I Am Blessed with a Lack of Self Confidence


Jeremiah 17:7
But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. 

I lack self confidence.  

For so many years I considered that to be a flaw; something to overcome.  When I couldn't overcome it, I’d dress it up in worldly success so that people around me wouldn't see how insecure I really was. 

In the last 2 years, I've let some heartbreaking and life changing circumstances be the magnifying glass I viewed myself through, increasing my self-doubt and lack of confidence. 

The costumes of success I had masqueraded in for so many years were suddenly ripped from me and I was left exposed.

As a result, I pulled back and found places to hide.  My computer and even this blog have been some favorite retreating spots. 

Before long, those hiding places began to feel like home; a safe place to be. 

Problem is, we are not created to hide but to shine with His light.   
Ephesians 2:10 ~For we are God’s handiwork, 
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, 
which God prepared in advance for us to do

So while I felt safe hiding out, my soul grew increasingly restless.  Every scripture, every Bible study, every sermon, and even the praise and worship music I let myself get lost in, was calling me out of hiding. 

For the longest time, my response to this tugging on my soul was this:

“If I’m meant to step out and accomplish more for God, 
then someone will ask me
Until then, 
I’ll just stay here.”

Of course, this is exactly what a person lacking self-confidence would do!  It’s putting the power into the hands of people to validate our worth and ability to contribute. 

But God says…
But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. 
~ Jeremiah 17:7

And then I had one of those Ah-Ha moments. 

“Blessed is the man…..whose confidence is in God”

One could even go so far as to say…

“Blessed are those that lack self confidence 
but instead are fully confident in the power and abilities of God." 

For so long I was convinced that my problem was a need to increase my self-confidence, but what I really needed to do was lose all sense of self-confidence. 

Less of me and more of God. 

Even better…none of me and all of God. 
(but I’m a work in progress…so I’ll give myself a break and take it one step at a time!)

So no more waiting around for others to ask me to ‘dance’.  I've been asked to the dance already, I just wasn't listening for the right voice!  

But now I’m curious.  
Am I the only one, 
or does any of this strike a familiar note with others?  

Has anyone else been waiting for permission from people to step out and shine for God?  
If so, what is it that you know God is asking you to do with full confidence in Him and no confidence in yourself? 

I’ll start. 
As a writer, blogger and speaker, I've always watched from the sidelines as other writers / bloggers and speakers shared their experiences after attending conferences of like minded writers / bloggers and speakers. 

I'd watch the announcements go out inviting anyone and everyone to come and join them for a time of education, edification and inspiration.  I’d watch, but I would never respond. 

I’d let my lack of self-confidence fueled by my introverted and shy nature keep me from taking that step to sign up and go, simply because I didn't know a soul that was going. 

It wasn't that I didn't want to go.  In fact, if someone had come up to me and said "Hey Tami, let's go to this conference together"...I'd have gone to one years ago.

But this is the year I decided to stop waiting to be 'asked to dance' by people I don't know and dance because 'God has asked me to dance'! 

Just last week I surrendered my need for self-confidence, drew upon all the confidence of God, and signed up for the Declare Blogging Conference

I don’t know a soul that is attending, but I've already made some virtual connections after drawing on that God Confidence to get the nerve to post on the Declare Community Facebook page

{yes…I stalked the page for days before I typed a word to let anyone know I was there.  Like I said…a work in progress!}

If you are a blogger or have been thinking about starting a blog, it’s not too late to sign up.  
Just CLICK HERE

Not sure?
CLICK HERE to read more about the details
CLICK HERE to read about the session topics
And…
CLICK HERE to read more about the speakers.  
BTW… Mary DeMuth is a key note this year and it was her ‘tweet’ last week that pushed me over the edge and got me to act on what I knew God was asking me to step out and do.  
Can’t wait to hear from her!


Now it’s your turn!  You could just hide behind the screen, but it would bless my socks off if you left a comment.  What is it you are doing or are ready to do with all the God Confidence you've been given and with absolutely no self-confidence to get in the way? 

Before you go though, I'd like to leave you with one of my signature 'soul food' recipe cards!  
CLICK HERE for a printable version

God. Doesn't. Need. My. Help.


Genesis 12:10-20
Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are.When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman.And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace.He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Genesis 16:1-6
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”


“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.


God doesn't need my help. 

Like Abram and Sarai, who responded in different situations with problem solving skills they personally had the ability to perform, I too have had to learn the hard way that God doesn't need my help. 

But I also know that the lessons learned from my 'well intended acts of help' were what God used to strengthen my faith and learn this valuable lesson... 


God. Doesn't. Need. My. Help. 



...He simply desires a surrendered heart and intimate fellowship with me.


fellowship with God


I. Need. God's. Help. 



...which He gives in abundance when I surrender my all to His will and enjoy the blessings of an intimate relationship with Him. 


Prayer:
LORD GOD...I confess that I find myself needing to come to you daily to surrender a little more of my tendency to perform well intended acts of help for You. Thank You for the grace and mercy You pour over me daily as I learn this lesson a little bit at a time. I know You don't need me, but I am even more blessed by the fact that You desire fellowship with me. So much so that You sent Your Son to the cross so that I could walk in a full and intimate relationship with You. In the name of Jesus, I bring my offering of thanks to You. Amen.



Our recipe today is for Fellowship with God
The ingredients are from 1 Corinthians 1:9
The directions are to surrender to Him all need to 'help' and enjoy fellowship with Him while following His lead.


{CLICK HERE for a printable version of today's recipe for the soul.  Make notes on it of how God is speaking to you today, and carry it with you to feed your soul as needed.}

Other conversations held at His table that may feed your soul today...
Get Ahold of God
Ready to Run
Confidently Trusting God

I'd love to have you at the table each time I pull up a chair.  
If you don't already, won't you join us?
Just click the link above, submit your email address and then
be sure to click the 'verify' link when the email is sent to your inbox.
After that, I'll be saving you a chair at the table!

God Bless and Keep You,
Copyright© 2013 Feeding a Hungry Soul

For more time at His table, try visiting these blogs 
where I like to link up in fellowship with other followers of Christ. 
A word of encouragement? A note to say 'hey'?  
Just click comments below...it makes my day! 

Linger In and Ponder the Melody of His Word




Do you participate in the time set aside in your church service for singing, 
or do you arrive late hoping the 'music part' will be over by the time you get there?

Let's pull up a chair to His table today and let God show us 
how He uses music to feed our souls in a powerful way.  


"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly" 
What a beautiful picture of what we do when we sing God's word together! 

Through music, the message of Christ dwells among us 

definition of dwell: 
to linger over, emphasize, 
or ponder in thought, speech, or writing 

When we sing corporately:
  • We linger in the presence of the message of God
  • We ponder His message as we sing it repeatedly
  • We emphasize His message as we sing it with more intensity. 
I don't know about you, but this gives me reason to pause and consider:
  • Do I linger in the presence of His Word in song or am I focused on getting on with the rest of the service
  • Do I ponder the message of His word being sung over me, or am I just reading along and going through the motions? 
  • When scriptural phrases are repeated in choruses, do I sing with more emphasis to magnify the glory of God's word or do I wonder if we are ever going to stop singing this song?

"teach and admonish one another 
with all wisdom through 
psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit" 

LOVE this!  God uses this time of singing of His word to teach and admonish our souls. 

The teaching and admonishing doesn't just happen from the pulpit.  
God's word, whether spoken or sung, does not return void.  AMEN!


"singing to God with gratitude in your heart"

We are instructed very specifically here: 
  • Sing TO GOD...not to people.  And according to the words before this part of vs 16, God sings back to us with teaching and admonishing.  LOVE!! 
  • Sing to God with GRATITUDE IN OUR HEARTS.  No qualifying statements of the circumstances of our life before we sing with gratitude; just straight out gratitude. { I'm reminded that if I am singing with a grateful attitude, it's almost impossible not to shine with the joy of Christ.


Prayer:
Lord God, thank You for the gift of song.  What a joy it is to be able to linger in the presence of Your word sung as melodies and harmonies with fellow believers.  Lord, forgive me for the times I rush through the songs and miss the opportunity to ponder the messages of hope, healing, comfort and instruction.  Give me an ear to hear Your voice speaking to me in every psalm, hymn and song of Your Spirit. Make my heart ready to respond with each note You sing over me. May my voice be lifted up with a desire to glorify Your name, emphasizing the Your scriptural promises with repeated intensity.  And Father God, when I come with a heavy heart, let me remember the hope found in the blood of Jesus so that I may sing to YOU with a heart full of praise and thanksgiving.  I come before You in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.  


Our recipe today is for Worship
The ingredients are from Colossians
The directions are Linger in the presence of His Word in song; ponder His Words as you sing them; sing with a heart grateful for the promises of the Cross.   


{CLICK HERE for a printable version of today's recipe for the soul.  Make notes on it of how God is speaking to you today, and carry it with you to feed your soul as needed.}

Other conversations held at His table that may feed your soul today...
Worship...a Response of the Heart or an Act of Obedience?
The Gospel...to be Believed and Worshipped
Dancing with God

I'd love to have you at the table each time I pull up a chair.  
If you don't already, won't you join us?
Just click the link above, submit your email address and then
be sure to click the 'verify' link when the email is sent to your inbox.
After that, I'll be saving you a chair at the table!

God Bless and Keep You,
Copyright© 2013 Feeding a Hungry Soul

For more time at His table, try visiting these blogs 
where I like to link up in fellowship with other followers of Christ. 
A word of encouragement? A note to say 'hey'?  
Just click comments below...it makes my day! 

Making Room for More of God



In my last post, I invited you to join me in an online community (She Reads Truth) that is reading through 1 Peter, and mentioned that I would be posting my thoughts primarily on the Facebook Fan Page I have set up for Feeding a Hungry Soul.  

HOWEVER....

As I was reading the scripture for today, (1 Peter 2: 1-3) I naturally got very excited.  Verses 2-3 are the foundation scriptures for why I was inspired to begin writing in the first place (if you missed that story....click here!)  



Today though, I was impressed with verse 1 leading into 2-3. It says 
"rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."

My thoughts turned to a conversation I'd had with my daughter the day before as she shared that her baby preferred nursing still over solid food. There are some things he will eat, but most things she said he turns his head away from and even throws them if really not interested. He is healthy and definitely growing BIG...so obviously he is getting the nutrition he needs. 

I couldn't help but think about how this is a great picture 
of what we are called to do as believers.
NOT ONLY ARE WE TO CRAVE PURE SPIRITUAL MILK, 
AS I AM SO FOND OF WRITING ABOUT, 
BUT WE ARE TO RID OURSELVES OF ALL THAT IS NOT PURE SPIRITUAL MILK. 

Am I like my little grandson? Do I turn my head with great force and intentional disdain from all that this world wants to entice me to eat? Do I 'rid myself of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind' with the same demonstrative nature that my grandson throws his food?

I'll be meditating on this thought today and asking God to show me what I need to RID myself of. Not just be aware of it but actually RID MYSELF OF IT! 

I know that this is all because God wants me to make room for More of Him!!



Prayer:
Lord God, I am humbled by Your word today as much as I am blessed by the knowledge that You prepare meals for me daily to strengthen my walk with You. Thank You for making me mindful of the things You still desire for me to be rid of. Thank You that the purging process gives me room for more of Your pure spiritual milk. Thank You for this deep love You have for me.I come before You in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.  

Our recipe today is for Spiritual Growth
The ingredients are from 1 Peter 2:1
The directions are to ask God to show us what we need to be 'rid' of so we can repent and receive more of His pure spiritual milk.  


{CLICK HERE for a printable version of today's recipe for the soul.  Make notes on it of how God is speaking to you today, and carry it with you to feed your soul as needed.}

Other conversations held at His table that may feed your soul today...
Dancing with God
Let God Show You Your Whole Heart
A Long Term Birthright is More Valuable than a Short Term Satisfaction

I'd love to have you at the table each time I pull up a chair.  
If you don't already, won't you join us?
Just click the link above, submit your email address and then
be sure to click the 'verify' link when the email is sent to your inbox.
After that, I'll be saving you a chair at the table!


God Bless and Keep You,
Copyright© 2013 Feeding a Hungry Soul

For more time at His table, try visiting these blogs 
where I like to link up in fellowship with other followers of Christ. 
A word of encouragement? A note to say 'hey'?  
Just click comments below...it makes my day!