Tag Archives: romans 8:28

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Your Good For His Glory

Isaiah 55:8, working for your good, His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts

God made a decision about you.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18 NIV

2016 was quite the year. Challenging for many of us. It carried such glorious and gut-wrenching moments. Some of the most sacred and then shocking of events. God gave so much and He took too. The enemy sent arrows that sunk deep, piercing peace, breaking love and bleeding out joy. There were words that barreled through our boundaries and stirred up the dust on bitterness.

Satan’s attacks were meant to disrupt and divide us; to push the pain, stir up shame and bully beautiful hearts into despair. The past may have opened up doors of depression while the future shook you with worry and fear. Some of the things you walked through were not pleasant. It was unprecedented. Dramatic. Revealing.

Isaiah 55:8, working for your good, His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughtsIt was a year that fell short, like most things that end with the number ‘6’ do. 2016 carried weapons that HURT but here’s what I want you to know, they did not prosper. They brought the warfare but they could not win; goodness and mercy were following you all those days buried in the confusion and turmoil. The devil had his moment but it’s over now. The purpose of last year has run its course. Your trouble is about to be put in its place.

God was not taken by surprise in all this, you know.

He has a plan and you’re right in the middle of it.

The hand of heaven is in control and hovering over the gates of hell. Everything you survived will ultimately swing in your favor. His purpose in allowing this hurt is for your good and ultimately for His glory.

God is so good, God does good and God can work together all things (even the not so good) for our good and His glory.

I hope you live fully expecting great things in a year that ends with ‘7’, for He who promised is faithful. He’s working to complete His perfect plan and I think 2017 is a great place for our Father to finish some things in our life; healing in some hard places, redemption from the wreckage and restoration in our promised land.

Don’t assume that because it doesn’t feel good that it isn’t working for your good. His ways are not our ways. God is not haphazard in handling us. He is strategic and intentional.

God is restoring and He’s rebuilding. Your past may have actually been a painful gift of maturity and growth.

There’s brand new opportunities, fresh grace, restoring mercy just waiting for your knock at the door. He’s going to complete it for His glory. The seeds that were sown and prayers prayed last year may just show up seven-fold this year.

Get into position. What you lost is on its way back around in ways you never imagined!

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A New Year, A New You

New Year

2016 may have carried some unfortunate situations but you can’t blame people or you’ll stay stuck there. We don’t get to pause life. We must press on to find people who are running their own race, pursuing Christ, looking to be transformed in the image of Jesus, and striving to finish it. This is a new year.

It’s time to make what Jesus has done for you bigger than what anyone has done to you or said about you.

It’s time to let go and move on. Lay into the promises of God written in his Word.

New YearWhatever you have done, leave it at the foot of the Cross, make amends with the people you need to make amends with and then move on. His mercies are new every morning. God’s grace is sufficient. There’s nothing that can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Love people. Share grace. Be the first to forgive. Drop the baggage and live for what it is to be free.

Stop doubting and start believing.

Start believing that your God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly and above anything you could ever ask, hope or think. Start believing that your eyes have not seen nor your ears have heard, nor has it entered into your heart the things that God has for you.

If your God is for us then who can be against us? Romans 8:31 ESV

Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. God is good, he does good, He works all things together for good. You are the head and not the tail. You are above only, and not beneath. You are a leader and not a follower. The blessings of God are leading and guiding, they are chasing you down. The goodness of God waits before you. Just look over your shoulder, a tender, loving kindness, goodness and mercy are following you. They are chasing you down wherever you are going. God is on your side. God is not mad at you. He’s mad about you. God is for you and He loves you.

Happy New Year and a New You!

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Faith is what will move you forward

The holidays can bring the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The pressure reveals the best and worst of our emotions. Depression. Anxiety. Loneliness. Worry.

My therapist once told me that depression is living in the past without God and anxiety is living in the future without God. If worries have you wrapped up during the holidays, one way to shrink these woes is with worship. Pacifying the pain with temporary pleasures can leave lasting consequences. But choosing to put our minds on praise releases the pressure to fix the problem and places our concerns in the hand of our Great Physician.

faith moves, When you lift up your hands in surrender, you let go of all you’ve been holding onto; your finances, your relationships, your job.

We don’t worship because all is good.

We worship because Jesus is good.

His character is good. We can worship because His Word is good!

He works all things out for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV

You can give your realities a glance, but our Heavenly Father is worth your stare.

If you want freedom this Christmas season, take control of how you feel, remember God’s faithfulness in His Word and surrender to your faith.

No weapon formed against me shall prosper. Isaiah 54:17 NIV

Walk by what you know. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NIV

Faith is what will move you forward.

Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles. O LORD, your unfailing love fills the earth; teach me your decrees. You have done many good things for me, LORD, just as you promised. ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭119:49-50, 64-65‬ NIV

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When Deliverance Looks Different

What happens when delivery from the pain looks different than our request? Could you be missing out on the blessing because your sight is set too short?

On that day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed donkey’s colt, one that had never been ridden before. The disciples spread their cloaks on the donkey for Jesus to sit on, and the multitudes came out to welcome Him, laying before Him their cloaks and the branches of palm trees. The people hailed and praised Him as the “King who comes in the name of the Lord” as He rode to the temple, where He taught the people, healed them, and drove out the money-changers and merchants who had made His Father’s house a “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17).

Jesus’ purpose in riding into Jerusalem was to make public His claim to be their Messiah and King of Israel in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Zechariah 9:9).

Jesus rode into the capital city on a donkey and the people praised Him, hailing “Hosanna, Hosanna”. They didn’t see Him as a Savior from sin, but as a deliverer from the trouble. They thought he would lead them in a revolt against Rome.

Jesus rode in on a donkey, the King of Kings came in on a donkey, trishakeehn.com, deliverance came on a donkeyBut Jesus didn’t meet their expectations, when He refused to rebel against the Roman authority by force, and the crowds quickly turned on Him. Within just a few days, their hosannas changed to cries of “Crucify Him!” (Luke 23:20-21).

They hailed Him as a hero when they thought He would deliver exactly what they wanted. They rejected Him when it looked different than their own desires.

It sounds strangely familiar to what we do with Jesus when He wants to do things differently in our lives. Sometimes our rejection looks like this: we stop praying when he doesn’t answer, we stop reading the bible when nothing is changing, we stop serving others when we feel stretched, we quit forgiving when we hurt, we stop sacrificing when we don’t get something in return, and we stop giving when our finances feel strapped.

Sometimes we discount the power in deliverance when it looks different.

 

Things may look differently with Jesus than you’d like them to be. Don’t let go. The Maker of Heaven and Earth created you for good things. He promised to supply every need (Philippians 4:19), cover every offense (2 Corinthians 12:9), and in ALL things work for the good to those who love and serve Him faithfully (Romans 8:28).

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Take Hold Of Your Daily Adventure

Have you ever considered the adventure God offers us each day with the circumstances that arrive? An adventure is defined by ’a bold, usually risky undertaking’, an ’exciting undertaking’, ’a very unusual experience’ and ’hazardous action of uncertain outcome’. Doesn’t that sound like faith?! Then why do we think and speak of a roller coaster or treasure hunt as an adventure and not so much our everyday faith walk with Christ? Why do thoughts of that first big dip on an amusement park ride invoke such deep anticipation and enthusiasm while our spiritual journey of the highs and lows each day seem meager in comparison?

I received word late in the afternoon just three days ago that my job would be ending mid week. I had all kinds of questions for God at first and then sat back in my chair for a moment to ponder a deeper meaning within. My head lifted a little higher as I recalled His provision is never failing… my heart was glazed in peace.

As I laid in bed that night I couldn’t help but become giddy about the adventure He and I were about to take together! Its in these times of closed doors, that if we allow, our confidence in the flesh is surrendered to the faith that our Almighty Provider is going to open another (Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9). Taking it further, we know its going to be good (Romans 8:28)!

Everything on this earth, all creation and life were created to give glory to God. He gives us these experiences to show Himself glorious, supreme to any measure of supernatural human strength we could possibly muster up. For it is only by the grace of God that we are even still standing!

He calls us to a place of faith and rest in Him that He will bring goodness to us if we believe. He goes before us and with us (Deuteronomy 31:8). Now that is some kind of adventure! Everyday we have this opportunity available to us if we’re willing to let go of the reins and hand over our hearts fully to God. This ’job loss’ has me excited with anticipation for the glory of God to be revealed! And when this adventure is over, I know I’m gonna stand up and say “Let’s do it again!” Daily living with ’no hands’ in surrender to Christ is the best adventure life has to offer! If its not an adventure to you, I dare say you’re not totally surrendered to Him.