“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.  They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11, NLT

It is one thing to say that we trust God, but it is another thing to trust Him during the darkest hours of our lives. Our faith is kind of like hand-selecting an orange to eat.  It may appear that we have picked a perfect orange, but we truly do not know the state of the fruit inside until the orange is either peeled or crushed.  We may think we trust God, but when our circumstances come crushing down on us, it is only then that we are truly aware of our level of faith in Him.

The truth is that I cannot boast of my faith in God, but I can boast in His faith in me.  Selah (pause and think about this for a moment).  Personally, I have found that the key to trusting God is for me to focus on Gods love and trust in me rather than my love and trust in Him.   Lets think about this for a moment, shall we?  God entrusted His only Son, Jesus to die on a cross for you and me.  He did this in order to regain relationship with us.  God loves us and John 3:16 clearly states that God so loved the world (you and me) that He gave His only begotten son that we might have eternal life.  When life hits us hard, we can trust in God because He loves us with an everlasting love.  Just let this truth sink in:  God loves me.  I can trust God during hard times simply because He loves me and God trusts me to carry His Presence wherever I go.

If you are struggling to trust God, be at rest my friend and begin to meditate on God’s love for you.  It is out of His love for you, that you can trust Him at all times.  He is a faithful father and everything you need this day.

Prayer:

“Lord, thank you for the cross.  Thank you for praying for me daily.  I long to trust You at all times.  Help me to fully understand the height and depth of your love for me.  I want to be still and know that You are God in my life.  I can boast in the fact that You love me and that my sins are covered in Your Blood.  I am the righteousness of God.  I love you Jesus and I will declare Your name to those I come into contact with this day.  Amen.”

 

“We do not want you to uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.  For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died.  For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.”  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

I dedicate this poem to Emma Jean Hurst and John Platz.  These two amazing individuals recently went to be with the Lord.  They lived their dash well and they can be proud of the legacy they now leave behind.

My question for you today is:  How will you live-out your dash?

 The Dash
by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

© 1996 Linda Ellis

May we all leave this earth a better place.

May we all enjoy life to its fullest.

And may we all meet together again in Heaven.

Tracy Hurst

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgement.  For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life.  So now we can rejoice in our wonderful relationship with God - all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends with God.  Romans 5:8-11, NLT 

Do you know that God loves you?  Seriously, do you really understand that there is nothing you can do about the fact that God loves you?  His love for you will never change.  For years I knew that God loved me, but I thought I had to “do” things in order to keep His love, but I have come to realize that no matter what, God loves me.  

This revelation has brought much freedom and peace.  You see, I am a doer by nature and in the past I was totally consumed with works of self and doing things in order to please God.  Don’t get me wrong, it is wonderful to spend time in prayer, to read the Bible and to fast, but these things do not make God love you.  His love for us is constant and is not dependent on us participating in various spiritual disciplines. Here is the question I have learned to ask myself, “Am I doing this spiritual discipline in order to get something from God or am I doing it out of my love for Him?”  If we participate in works in order to receive something from God, we are missing the point!  God loves us no matter what.  Spiritual disciplines are only to be done out of our love for Him, and let’s remember that He first loved us.  Selah (pause and think about that for a moment).

Let me remind you today that Jesus went to the cross and bore your sin, sickness and every curse of the devil.  His precious blood has given us relationship with God without the works of the law.  When God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin, He sees us covered in the blood of Jesus.  Our faith is never to be in our works, but in God’s grace.  There is nothing we can “do” to be saved, but it is by the grace of God that we are saved.

It is because of God’s unconditional love for us, that we want to pray, read His Word and spend time in fellowship with Him (not out of obligation or to make Him love us), but out of thankfulness for Jesus and His blood.  His grace is greater than your sin, sickness or anything you encounter on earth.  He loves you my friend.  I pray that you relish in this awesome truth today.  Be free from works of the flesh and simply receive the greatest gift ever given - grace through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 Prayer:

“Lord, thank you for your love and grace.  I am amazed that you love me unconditionally.  This means that even if I were to mess up today - you still love me.  Help me to receive this truth.  I declare Your grace over my life today.  Cover me with Your blood.  I am forgiven, redeemed, healed and restored through the cross.  You did the last “work” ever needed.  You went to the cross for me and all I need to do is enjoy my relationship with You.  Your love is amazing!  Amen.” 

“My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.  No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.  So no one can take them from me.  The Father and I are one.”  John 10:27-30, NLT

As most of you know, it is a great passion of mine to encourage others to fulfill their destiny in Christ.  Yet recently I have battled feelings of inadequacy in that particular area.  I began to wonder if I am truly impacting others for eternity and I even considered stopping Tuesday’s with Tracy.

But before I made any rash decisions, I decided to take my questions and concerns to God.  I needed to hear His thoughts for my life.  Within twenty-four hours of running to God, He showed me that I had been listening to the accuser of the brethren (the devil) rather than Him.  God also pointed out that the discouragement I was battling was due to the fact that I had entertained a pack of lies from the enemy.  The Bible clearly states in John 10:10 that, “The devil has come to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came to bring life and life more abundantly.”

With this revelation from God, I immediately rebuked the devil and his pack of lies.  I ran to the truth of God’s Word and my spirit lifted as I encouraged myself through scripture.  God even provided encouragement for me through an email to stay the course with all that God has called me to do at this time.

Now you have a choice to make:  whose voice will you honor today?  It is a choice that no one else can make for you.  If you listen to a pack of lies from the devil you will feel overwhelmed, defeated, depressed and discouraged, but if you listen to the Truth from your heavenly Father, you will rest in His peace, love and encouragement, as you trust in Him.

Prayer:

“Lord, I take authority over the voice of the enemy this day.  I want to hear only Your thoughts concerning the direction of my life.  I bind confusion and call forth clarity in its place.  Thank you for leading me in Your peace that passes all understanding today and forevermore.  Amen.”

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20

When I was in third grade, my most important possession was my little pink bike with pom-poms. I remember riding it to school and feeling as if I didn’t have a care in the world! Then one day I began to notice that all the older kids were riding ten-speeds. Suddenly, my little pink bike went from cute and wonderful to old and outdated. It then became my goal to convince my mom that I was ready for my very own ten-speed for my ninth birthday, which happened to be just a few months away.

I remember waking up the morning of my birthday filled with excitement. I proceeded down the stairs and looked all over the house for my bike, but to my dismay no bicycle was in sight. My special day was filled with birthday festivities and just before I headed upstairs to bed, my mom called me into the living room. And there it was…my royal blue ten-speed bike with a huge bow on it!! My birthday (so I thought) had just been made complete!

The next morning, my mom began to show me the various differences between my little pink bike and my new ten-speed. She explained how I was now supposed to brake by using my hands instead of my feet and that I needed to change gears depending on the type of terrain I was riding on. I felt a bit overwhelmed, but I did not want my mom to know I was afraid - after all, I had begged her everyday for this bike. My first ride was going well until I began to fly down a hill and the vision of me flipping over the handlebars due to breaking too fast filled my mind. I barely stopped the bike before a traffic intersection. I remember looking over to my mom and crying, “Mom, I’m not ready for a ten-speed.” The truth was, I wasn’t ready to handle such a large bike at that time. And little did I know, but I was learning a very important spiritual lesson that has helped me tremendously throughout my adult life.

How many times have we begged God for something and when we didn’t receive it in our time frame, we began to either pout or doubt? I believe from the bottom of my heart that God never withholds anything good from us; He only sets us up to be blessed. God is the ultimate promise keeper. If He has promised us something, we will receive it in due time. Sometimes when our promises are delayed, it’s because God knows that we are not ready to handle them.

It is through the times of waiting that we are humbled and tested to see what is within our hearts (Deuteronomy 8:2). Will we grumble and complain or will we trust Him as we wait? When God brings forth His promises, He loves us enough to make sure that we are mature enough to handle them because He wants us to succeed.

Whatever promise from heaven you are waiting on, remember that God is faithful to fulfill His promise and He never withholds anything good from those who trust in Him.

Prayer:

“Lord, I am so grateful that every good and perfect gift comes from heaven above! Please forgive me for pouting or doubting when I don’t get what I want! I choose to trust You this day and ask that you prepare me to receive every promise that is mine. Amen.”

“I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies.” Psalm 18:13, NLT

When the going gets tough, to whom or what do you run to for help? For so many of us, without even thinking, we run to a list of faulty sources, such as, food, television, unhealthy relationships, busyness, alcohol, vanity, performance, spending or making money or anything that helps us temporarily feel better about ourselves and our situation. However, these temporary solutions are just that - TEMPORARY! And these faulty solutions often become long-term problems if we are not careful.

I don’t know about you, but there have been many difficult days when all I could do was say the name “Jesus” out loud as an act of running to Him. When we reach the point that we are too tired to read the Word, search for a scripture concerning our situation or even call a friend for prayer, we can run to God just by speaking “Jesus” out loud. When we do this, we are proclaiming that HE is the solution and the One we need to run to. I have personally found that when I speak the name “Jesus” out loud throughout my day, His peace is able to fill my mind, as I trust in Him.

The truth is, there is nothing wrong with eating chocolate:), buying a new outfit or watching a fun movie, but when we turn to these sources as our solution, we will end up gravely disappointed! God is the only solution that will never disappoint. When we run to Him, we won’t gain any weight (hallelujah) or have buyer’s remorse:) God is the Solution that is always moving on our behalf. He is our Rock, our Shield, our Protection and the Lifter of our head.

Prayer:

“Lord, forgive me for running to everyone and everything but You. I choose to stop running to faulty sources and I run to You for everything I need today. I declare “Jesus,” over every situation I am dealing with at this time.  I am forever grateful that You are always with me. Amen.”

“Have the roots (of your being) firmly and deeply planted in Him, fixed and founded (in Him), being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7, AMP

It is officially summer my friends - school is out, the weather is hot, pools are open and life as we knew it, is no more (I know all the mom’s are shaking their heads in agreement with me right now:)! But, I have an important message for you today: It is important that you seize the summer and not let the summer just pass you by.

Summer is often a time of activity, rest and relaxation, but it can also be a season where the days feel like they are never-ending! I made the decision several months ago to take the summer “off”, but hadn’t yet grabbed a hold of what my summer would entail. The problem was that I had no vision for what the days of summer would hold for me. I was quickly becoming bored and I began to dread each day as another day with nothing to do! You see, I was letting the summer seize me, instead of me seizing my summer!

Just this morning, I sought God about the next few months. I heard the Holy Spirit clearly state, “Tracy, how you spend your summer will determine how you spend your fall.” I felt within my spirit that the summer (for me), is a time of preparation and that I have three main goals: (1) Word (Spending time with Jesus and reading my Bible), (2) Workouts (walks and weights) and (3) Quality time (spending time with those that I love). Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision (no redemptive revelation of God), the people perish…” With these three goals in mind, I now have a vision for my summer. I can already see myself getting up early to spend time in God’s Word, I can see Alyssa and I taking walks and I can imagine enjoying precious time with family and friends! With this new vision I know that I am going to have an awesome summer!

What is your vision for your summer? If you are not sure, then ask God. He will give you some guidance on how you can enjoy your summer and be prepared for your fall, which is also known as harvest time! What you sow in the summer, you will reap in the fall. I pray that God speaks to you today. Remember to seize your summer and do not let summer seize you! Be encouraged because no matter what your summer holds, God will use these months to prepare and propel you into your promise land!

Prayer:
“Lord, please speak to me today. I want my summer to be filled with purpose and destiny. Show me the areas of my life you want to strengthen. As You give me a vision for this summer Lord, I can see goodness and mercy following me. I see days of laughter, revelation and enjoyment! In Christ I seize my summer. These next few months will prepare me for Harvest – get me ready Lord, for my greatest days in You are yet ahead! Amen.”

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed – always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:8

“Now thanks be to God who ALWAYS leads us in TRIUMPH in Christ, and through us manifests the fragrance of His knowledge in EVERY PLACE. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

No matter who you are or where you are headed in life, if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are at war! It seems that there has been an all out attack on God’s people as of late, BUT I want to encourage you my friend - no matter how things may appear at this time, you will triumph in every place!

It is vital that we clothe ourselves in God’s spiritual armor at this time. Just as a soldier would never go into the battlefield without his riffle and grenade in hand, we are soldiers for Christ and it is essential that we put on the whole armor of God during the battles of life.

We MUST encourage ourselves in God’s Word! It is not time to back up or give in! Our greatest days are yet ahead. As David declares in Psalm 42:5, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? HOPE IN GOD, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”

Isaiah 60:2-5 states, “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you. And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and Kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.”

Hold on -your greatest days in Christ are yet ahead! Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us how to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Let’s pray the prayer below together, shall we?

Prayer:
“Lord I put on the whole armor of God that I may be able to stand against the scheming of the devil. I recognize that I am not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. I choose to take up the helmet of salvation and ask that every thought we made captive to the Word of God. I put on the breastplate of righteousness and declare that my emotions and thoughts come under the authority of God’s Word. I wrap my waist with the belt of truth that I may know the truth of God’s Word and that this truth will set me free. I pick up the sword of the spirit, which is God’s Word and I declare that it is living and active and sharper than any sword, piercing through soul and spirit. I raise my shield of faith so that every fiery dart of the enemy will be quenched and not prevail against my family or me. And I will pray continually for God’s people. I know the end result – WE WIN! If God is for us, then who can be against us? I declare victory over the lives of God’s people this day. I rebuke the devourer. I take back what the enemy has stolen from me and I declare confusion in the enemy’s camp. I choose this day to stand strong in the Lord and I will triumph in every place! Amen.”

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!” Proverbs 3:5-8, The Message

One morning last week I was pondering the difficulties of my own life and those around me while driving down the road. And needless to say, my heart was extremely heavy as I could not figure out “why” these challenges were going on or “what” to do about them. These thoughts led me to feelings of helplessness, but then a thought came across my mind, “I may not know why these situations are going on or what to do about them, but I know who my God is.” Within an instant I began to feel better. I got my eyes off the problem and onto God - The Solution.

The truth is, we may never understand “why” we are walking through dark times, but we know who our God is! He is faithful and He is everything we need! Join me today in declaring who God is:

When my body is sick - He is my Healer.
When I cannot pay my bills - He is my Provider.
When my mind is filled with worry - He is my Peace.
When my family forsakes me - He is my Father, Mother, Sister and Brother.
When my heart is filled with anger - He is my Forgiving Father.
When strife is all around me - He is my Protector.
When my friend betrays me - He is my Loyal Companion.
When I am rejected - He is my Acceptance.
When I don’t know what to do - He is my Wisdom.
When I do or say the wrong thing - He is my Grace.
When I can barely get out of the bed – He is the Lifter of my head.
When I am afraid – He is my Perfect Love that casts out all fear.

No matter what you are going through, God is everything you need at this time. Run to Him and as the scripture states your body will glow with health and your bones will vibrate with life!

Prayer:
“Lord, You are everything I need today. I give you every situation on my heart. Please be my healer, provider, peace, protector, wisdom, grace and lifter of my head. I choose to get my eyes off of the problem and onto You - the Solution! I love you and I plead the Blood of Jesus over me, my family and those I love this day! Amen.”

“But me, I’m not giving up. I’m sticking around to see what God will do. I’m waiting for God to make things right. I’m counting on God to listen to me.” -Micah 7:7, The Message

Does it ever seem like the unrighteous are continually prevailing over God’s people? Do you often feel like giving up? Well, hold on tight because although there are many upsetting things in this world, we have a God who loves to perform miracles on our behalf! Let’s stick around to see what God will do - shall we? I have personally experienced God’s restoration power and I have seen the wicked tremble and repent before God. And I am waiting expectantly for God to make things right on behalf of His people today. Remember that it is God who always gets the last word! Selah (pause and think about that for a moment).

“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.” -Psalm 37:1-3

Just the other day I was thinking about all the “wrongs” done by the unrighteous in my life, and I heard the Holy Spirit ask me, “What if your step-father had not abused you, what if your parents had stayed together and not divorced before you were one years old?” As these questions ran through my head, I realized that if these “wrongs” had not occurred, I would not have experienced the first hand power of God in my life, nor would I have my testimony of grace to share with you and others! Let me be clear with you today: whenever you see killing, stealing and destroying, the author of this is the devil, but whenever you see abundant life and restoration, the author of this is Jesus Christ (John 10:10). What the enemy meant to destroy you, God will turn it around for your good. The truth is, we would not be the person we are today without the difficulty of our past. It is through our pain by the unrighteous that Jesus can became OUR EVERYTHING!

I love our scripture today. No matter what you are going through at this time, you have an important choice to make that can alter your destiny: Will you choose to give up or will you choose to trust in the faithfulness of God? If you choose to wait and see what God will do on your behalf, then God’s best is just ahead of you!

Prayer:
“Lord, I will not give up. I choose to stick around and see what you will do on my behalf. Thank you for listening to my heart’s cry and making things right for your people. I will not fret over evildoers, but I will trust in You and feed on Your faithfulness. You are an awesome God and I set my eyes upon you today. Amen.”