Lysa TerKeurst's Blog, page 11

An early sneak peek of my next book…

As my family has walked through a long season of hardship, I have been devastated beyond what I thought I could survive at times.

But I’ve also been incredibly blessed and humbled as I have watched the work God has been doing in all of us.

Me.

Art.

And my children.

I desperately wanted to spare my kids from hard realities. But God has used it to develop their character in ways that leave me breathless. I wouldn’t have chosen this. None of us would. But God is breathing life into our dust and making something beautiful out of it.

There are still some things I’ll never understand.

But there are other things that I see and am grateful beyond words. The strength and courage my children have displayed. The wisdom they have gained. The bonds between them that strengthened.

I would have never picked this journey for any of us. But seeing a deeper faith in God emerge in them has certainly proven to me that truly ALL things can be used for good.

What the enemy thought would destroy us has only made us stronger. He thought he could silence us, but we came out praising God even louder.

And though the darkness lasted longer than I thought we could survive, the Light has come. We are truly peeking over the edge of a miracle.

If you’re walking through your own deep disappointment or devastation, I’d love to encourage you with an early sneak peek at my new book, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered. This message was written in the hard moments of our family’s story and is filled with the rich truths the Lord has shown me along the way. Pre-order your copy today and receive the first 3 chapters so you can start reading right away.



You’ll also gain access to a private Facebook group I’m hosting with my friends where we’ll process through deep disappointments together. I look forward to meeting you there!

Related posts:

The Best Battle Plan
When Impressing Others Depresses Us
If Only I Had…

An Agenda That Will Never Satisfy

“He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” Mark 3:14-15 (NIV)



I should have been happy. I knew it. I could have listed so many things for which I was thankful.

So, what was this undercurrent of disappointment that ebbed and flowed just beneath the surface of my more honest moments? I got still, and I got sad.



I was doing a lot, pouring myself out for God, but not really spending time getting refilled by God.



Maybe you can relate?



We run at a breakneck pace to try and achieve what God wants us to slow down enough to receive.



He really does have it all worked out. The gaps filled. The needs met. The questions answered. The problems solved.



And the parts He’s purposed for us? They’re all perfectly portioned out in assignments meant for us today. No more. No less.



All He asks is that we personally receive from Him before we set out to work for Him. In doing so, we’re fueled by His power and encouraged by His presence. This is the daily sacred exchange where ministry duty turns into pure delight.



How it must break His heart when we work like we don’t believe He’s capable. We say we trust Him but then act like everything depends on us. We give all we have to the tasks at hand with only occasional leftovers of time to slightly acknowledge Him.



Imagine it’s like a little girl running while holding a cup, sloshing out all it contains. She thinks what will refill her is just ahead. So she presses on with sheer determination, clutching an empty cup.



She keeps running toward an agenda God never set, one that will never satisfy.



She sees Him and holds out her cup. But she catches only a few drops as she runs by Him because she didn’t stop long enough for her cup to be filled. Empty can’t be tempered with mere drops.



The tragic truth is what will fill her … what will fill us … isn’t the accomplishment just ahead.

That shiny thing is actually a vacuum that sucks us dry — but never has the ability to refill.



I should know, because that’s where I was. There’s no kind of empty quite like this empty — where your hands are full, but inside you’re nothing but an exhausted shell. I knew it would take slow moments to get me out of this empty place.



I needed to reconnect with the One who knows how to breathe life back into depleted and dead places. Jesus doesn’t participate in the rat race. He’s into the slower rhythms of life like abiding, delighting and dwelling — all words used to describe us being with Him.



As a matter of fact, when Jesus appointed the disciples, there were two parts to their calling, as we see in our key verse, Mark 3:14-15: “He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”



Yes, they were to go to preach and drive out demons, but the first part of their calling was simply to “be with him.”



True fulfillment comes when we remember to be with Him before going out to serve Him.



He wants our hearts in alignment with Him before our hands set about doing today’s assignment for Him.



So, He extends what we need and each day He invites us to receive in prayer, worship and truth from His Word. And He lovingly replenishes our cup while whispering: “This isn’t a race to test the fastest pace. I just want you to persevere on the path I have marked out especially for you. Fix your eyes, not on a worldly prize, but on staying in love with Me.”



That’s an agenda that’s always completely satisfying.



Dear Lord, I’m choosing to stop in the midst of everything to just be with You. Let me never forget what a gift it is to spend this sacred time in Your presence. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If this post resonated with you today and you have a desire to rise above the rush of endless demands in your life, I’d love for you to check out my book, The Best Yes. Together, we’ll learn how to press pause and really seek what the Lord wants us to receive from Him! Get your copy here.

Related posts:

When Impressing Others Depresses Us
How Can I Grow Closer to God?
God’s Unfailing Love

Join me in Israel in 2019!

Have you ever wanted to visit the Holy Land but weren’t sure where you could find a tour that would take you to your favorite places in God’s Word, include solid Bible teaching on-site, and provide a deeper understanding of Scripture?







I’m so excited to tell you that I’ve partnered with LifeWay and my friend Lisa Harper for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Israel in 2019 that will be centrally focused on all of those things!



We’ll visit many of the places you know from Scripture, like the Garden of Gethsemane, the Sea of Galilee, and Jerusalem. But we’ll also make stops at places that very few tours travel to—and those are some of my favorites! Lisa and I will be teaching on location and can’t wait to see you there.















You can find out more information on dates and pricing, see the itinerary, and reserve your spot today by clicking here.



If you love studying the Bible and want to have a fresh encounter with Scripture, you don’t want to miss this trip!

Related posts:

There’s No Way
The Fruit We Bear
You’re Invited…

The Best Battle Plan

“Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’” Joshua 5:13 (NIV)



We’ve all been there at one time or another. Standing in the shadow of difficult circumstances that refuse to budge, while fear whispers in our ear about the inevitability of our defeat.



That’s one of the many reasons I’m so thankful for God’s Word. Because tucked into its pages, we find story after story of people who can help us learn in the midst of our battles. People who show us what it means to look to and depend upon the Lord.



Take Joshua, for example. If ever someone might feel overwhelmed at a situation totally out of their control, his experience facing Jericho was it.



Not only did the wall surrounding Jericho look invincible, but there also was the issue of Israel’s army lacking proper weapons for tackling such an impressively guarded city. You can’t exactly pull down walls with arrows and spears. That’s a job for battering rams and catapults — items noticeably missing from their arsenal.



But they had come too far to turn back. And the people of Israel were counting on Joshua to lead them into this land promised by God.



With all these facts and details weighing on him, Joshua is suddenly confronted by a man with a drawn sword. Scripture reveals this is no mere human. This is the commander of the Lord’s army — God’s presence in human form. And this is no everyday occurrence either. It is an incredible encounter.



Seeing the man is ready for battle, Joshua asks, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” (Joshua 5:13b)



Wrapped in this honest question we discover hesitancy in Joshua — a peek inside his thought life — and a need for reassurance. Such an honest question, but it makes me believe Joshua isn’t walking in complete confidence and assurance. If he were, he wouldn’t have asked. But he did.



This is where we assume that, of course, God’s presence will answer, “Joshua, I am with you, for you and on your side!”



But we would assume wrong.



When asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” the presence of God replies, “Neither, but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come” (Joshua 5:14a). Joshua falls face down in humility and reverence — asking what message the Lord has for him, His servant. (Joshua 5:14b)



I wonder what kind of message Joshua was expecting, even longing for. Perhaps one overflowing with war strategy and tactics. But instead of detailed plans, Joshua receives a call to worship. He’s told to remove his sandals, for the ground is holy. (Joshua 5:15)



It’s an invitation and a reminder for Joshua to worship the One who’s not only big enough to handle the impending battle, but also loving enough to address the doubt, fear and insecurity running through Joshua’s mind. And as Joshua slips off his sandals, I’m reminded of what I need in the face of my own seemingly insurmountable situations: I need to worry less and worship more …



When I’m desperate for God to give me all the details …



When I’m wishing He would give me the tiniest peek at His plans …



When I’m starting to wonder if He’s for me or against me …



I need to pause, lift my eyes to the One willing to meet me in the midst of my fears, and worship Him. Worshiping not only because it honors Him, but because it also changes me.



Worship might not be the first thing that comes to mind when we feel overwhelmed, but it truly is powerful. It reminds our trembling hearts and shaky knees that our God is mighty, our God is loving and our God is a more-than-able God. It both quiets us and strengthens us — perfectly preparing our hearts and minds for whatever battles lie ahead.



I don’t know what “walls” you’re facing in your life right now, friend. I don’t know how overwhelming and daunting they seem. But I do know the perfect battle plan for each and every one of us.



Worry less. Worship more. And trust our God to lead us into victory.



Father God, thank You for reminding me that the best way to prepare my heart and mind for battle is to simply and humbly worship You. So today, as I lay my fears down at Your feet, I lift my hands up to You in worship. You are worthy of my trust. You are worthy of my praise. Today and every day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Are you looking for scriptures to memorize with your kids this summer to help them face their own fears? Check out my children’s book, It Will Be Okay: Trusting God Through Fear and Change! Use this story as the theme of your summer and memorize one verse a week of the 10 listed in the front of the book. You’ll love walking your child through ways to apply biblical truth!



Click here to purchase your copy of It Will Be Okay.



If you’re looking for something to dig into each day for yourself, I want to invite you to find biblical encouragement in my new devotional book: Embraced: 100 Devotions to Know God is Holding You Close.



With Embraced, you will be equipped to:

Find freedom from the struggles that have held you hostage by learning new ways to experience God’s love.
Surrender your deepest hurts by processing them in a godly way with Lysa, a friend who understands your pain.
Hear the Lord speak intimately to your heart by learning how to seek His direction.
Release the tension of wondering, “If God is near, why does He sometimes feel far away?” by spending intentional, guided time with Him each day.

Get your copy of Embraced right here.

Related posts:

If Only I Had…
How to Hold On to Hope in Your Most Devastating Seasons
God’s Unfailing Love

Unlock the Words Hidden Inside

There once was a little girl with a battered heart.



The first love of her life told her she was unwanted. Her Daddy’s silence made her cry. His words made her broken.



Then one day she was given an old typewriter and when she placed her fingers on the dusty keys, her heart settled.



Words came from her fingertips that her lips couldn’t process. Her poems cryptically told of hidden abuse. Tears often smeared her little girl masterpieces.



Years passed—her fingers stilled. Her heart grew cold.



But there were other people busy at their keyboards pouring out inspired messages. Messages that would one day reach her—in deep places—places long ago hidden away. Messages that told her she didn’t have to be a child of a broken parent.



She could be a child of God. She was wanted. She is me.



Jesus used their striked keys to produce words, messages, books, and Bible studies as keys that unlocked me—released me—held me—challenged me and helped put me together again.



And then my fingers found their way back and dared to strike a key or two or ten thousand. Letters became words. Words became chapters. Chapters became books. And somehow others were unlocked, held, challenged and helped.



Every one of us has words inside that were never meant to just rumble about, hidden away. They are meant to be shared.



Do you have words rumbling about waiting to come out like I did?



Are you meant to write or speak those words as a method of bringing healing to someone else?



If you feel like you’ve heard God’s call to write, speak or lead, you know the path isn’t always clear. How do you start? Where do you go next? Who can help you?



I get that. That’s exactly why I developed a conference called She Speaks to train, equip, connect, and breathe life into the dreams of writers, speakers, and leaders.



She Speaks offers workshops and keynote messages that will help bring clarity to your calling. We combine equipping with encouraging as you learn specific, fresh techniques to help you better communicate God’s Word through your writing, speaking or leadership skills.



If these sound like the tools you need, I’d love to have you join me July 26-28 right here in Charlotte for an experience you’ll never forget!



Click here for more information about She Speaks.

Related posts:

How Can I Grow Closer to God?
Anger Is Not the Way
Sharing an Update With You

There’s No Way

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” John 14:6 (NIV)



I wasn’t in the mood to be messed up.



I put my head against my bedroom wall, closed my eyes, and whispered, “There’s no way.” It was late summer of 2003 when my world collided with what seemed like an impossible invitation from God: adopt two teen boys from war-torn Liberia.



All the reasons why this wasn’t a good idea tumbled before me. Honest reasons. Understandable reasons. Solid reasons.



Missionaries would be much more qualified. Missionaries with grown kids. People much more spiritual than me. People much more gentle and patient enough to do this sort of thing.



Not this disorganized woman who originally thought Liberia was in South America.



Not this mom who already felt overwhelmed with her three kids. How in heaven’s would we add two more?



Not someone who paid so many late fees at the library they should have named a shelf after her. Maybe two.



Definitely not me.



But it was me.



The invitation was mine.



And I knew it.



No matter how many times I whispered over and over, “There’s no way,” this nagging sense of possibility wouldn’t leave me. It wove its way through every fiber of my being until I stood up and shifted everything I thought my family would be with one weak whisper, “Yes.”



I can honestly say there were moments of sheer joy where I felt reassured I’d heard God right.



But there were many other moments where life felt chaotic, messy, and really hard. There were tears. There were moments where I loved my five kids but I didn’t like them very much. There were moments I wondered if I’d heard God wrong.



And there were more times even after we adopted where I said, “There’s no way.”



There was no way we could overcome a medical diagnosis one of my boys received. There was no way two teenage boys who tested at a kindergarten level could catch up in two years and be ready for middle school. There was no way I could be patient enough to educate them at home during those two years.



But every time I said, “There’s no way,” I’d remember Jesus calling Himself, “The way … “ (John 14:6).



John tells us that Jesus is the way to salvation. Through Him we have access to the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18) who gives us patience, guidance, and peace. All of which I needed. Desperately.



Yes, Jesus was the One to follow. He was the One who would guide me each day. He was the One I needed to pour out my heart to in prayer. He was the One to listen to. And He was the One who reassured me with many promises in the Bible.



One of those promises was Isaiah 58:10-11: ” … if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”



I could be a light rising in the darkness. I could be full of life like a well-watered garden. I could be refreshing like a spring whose waters never fail. Me. Crazy, incapable, crying-in-my-closet me. If I let Jesus be my way and do what He was asking me to do, these things could be true for me.



And they can be true for you as well.



There might not be a way if you look at your situation with only human reasoning and calculation. But if you let Jesus’ truth and promises fill you, you’ll find a different way. A good way. A sure way. His way.




Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me that You are the only true way. Help me to see this every day as the circumstances of life surround and sometimes overwhelm me. I desperately need Your help as I learn to say “yes” to Your calling on my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Knowing the faithfulness of God helps us walk in faithful obedience to Him. That’s why we want to help women encounter the truth of God’s faithfulness through our free resources at Proverbs 31 Ministries like Encouragement for Today daily devotions, First 5 app, Online Bible Studies, radio broadcasts, and more. But we can’t do it without your help! Join our $70,000 matching challenge. For the next 48 hours, we’ll double the impact of your donation! Will you help us continue to walk alongside you and many others by making a donation to Proverbs 31 Ministries? Click here to give!

Related posts:

Tearing Out the Old
If Only I Had…
Rejection, Heartache, and a Faithful God

Tearing Out the Old

“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” — Psalm 25:5 (NIV)



Several years ago when we updated our kitchen, we invited a contractor friend over for his expert opinion. I was so excited to discuss fun details like where to place the appliances, cabinet colors and lighting fixtures. But when he walked in and stared at the ceiling with a look of grave concern, I knew something was wrong.



Because we’d already removed some of the sheetrock, he could see how one of the major beams wasn’t able to provide the necessary amount of support. It wasn’t long enough to extend all the way to the supporting wall. Someone had attempted to fix it by nailing another board into its side, which extended the length of the kitchen. Not only is this not the proper way to fix a supporting beam, but the nails were barely holding things together.



I didn’t understand why this was such a big deal. Plenty of other boards appeared to be doing just fine.



But my friend knew better.



He took me upstairs. In the exact place where the broken boards were in the ceiling below, the second floor dipped and sagged. One good jump or heavy thing dropped, and that supporting board would likely come apart.



I didn’t need any further explanation. I already knew we couldn’t leave this the way it was. I walked back downstairs and stood below the problem spot.



Broken boards can’t provide stability. There’s nothing profound about that from a construction standpoint. Seeing those boards barely hanging on was like looking inside myself.



For years, I’d expected stability from a broken identity. An identity that began splintering the day my dad stopped coming home.



It’s awfully hard to believe you’re a loved daughter of God when you’re the unwanted daughter of a dad who walked away.



After he left our family, I tried to prop up what was left of me, so I wouldn’t collapse into the broken place inside. Good grades. Achievements and accolades. Fun friends and good times. Boys who made me feel special. I tried to steady myself with anything that helped me feel better.



But feelings are fragile props.



Just like the broken beam in my house couldn’t be fixed by simply nailing another board in to prop it up, neither could I. It wasn’t just a better feeling I needed; I needed a completely new way of defining my identity. I needed truth to inform what I believed about myself. Otherwise, what I believed would become a fragile, flimsy, faulty foundation. The beliefs we hold should hold us up even when life feels like it’s falling apart.



At that point, though, I couldn’t say that the beliefs I held could hold me up. For years, I’d heard people talking about putting my identity in Christ. I nodded my head. I memorized by rote Colossians 3:12 which proclaimed I was one of “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved.” (NIV)



But when life felt threatening, I’d revert right back to the old thought patterns of feeling unloved and unwanted.



Standing underneath those broken boards helped me see why. I couldn’t keep my old broken beliefs, nail a little Jesus truth to the side, and expect stability. I knew I had to stop assessing God’s goodness by how my life felt at any given moment. Feelings are broken boards. Only truth is solid, unchanging, and stable through and through.



This is why we must tear out old thought patterns, then replace them with a new way of looking at the core of who we are. Psalm 25:5 can become our life’s prayer, “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”



Yes. Our identity must be anchored to the truth of who God is and who He is to us. Only then can we find a stability beyond what our feelings will ever allow. The closer we align our truth with His truth, the more closely we identify with God — and the more our identity is found in Him.



Lord, reveal the lies I’ve believed for far too long, and help me replace them with life-giving Truth. I want my identity to be anchored in and built upon You — my unchanging, undeniably good, and unquestionably loving God. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related posts:

How to Hold On to Hope in Your Most Devastating Seasons
Rejection, Heartache, and a Faithful God
When You Don’t Know What to Say

When Impressing Others Depresses Us

To the doers, the givers, the helpers, and the responsible ones: are you tired from the way you’re living your life?

I know this so well.

Many days I go through the motions necessary to get me and my people through the day without giving a second thought as to why.

All this work I’m doing, who is it really for?

I push through, drive on, check the boxes, and fall into bed each night utterly exhausted without truly considering my motivation.

It’s easy to say it’s for God. Or for my family’s provision. Or for the people I serve.

It’s easy to think: There are things that have to be done and if I don’t do them, no one will.

But could some part of that “drive” to complete be to impress others? To be more noticed? To push past the crowd and stand in the spotlight of success? To feel like you matter? To prove someone wrong who said you couldn’t?

Maybe not.

But maybe so.

Only that deep down inside of us place where honesty speaks freely and the Holy Spirit is listened to, knows.

Sweet friend, I’ve tasted that bitter aftertaste of trying to impress. And it was the quickest route to feeling completely depressed. If the accolades coming from others are the lifeline to our pursuits, we become enslaved by their compliments and crushed by their criticisms.

So this next week, do something new.

Create something that’s totally you without being held back by the fear that others won’t like it. Dare to be delighted by your work. Dare to remember your work is delightful to the Lord. Then your work will once again delight you. And after you are finished, rest. And smile. And enjoy your life.

“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.” — Ephesians 6:7

Related posts:

How Can I Grow Closer to God?
God’s Unfailing Love
Rejection, Heartache, and a Faithful God

The Fruit We Bear

“By their fruit you will recognize them …” — Matthew 7:16a (NIV)



A Bible study leader and I were talking recently about a situation that greatly distressed her. Knowing she was going to be on vacation one week, she’d asked one of her friends to come in and lead the group. This friend was a longtime student of the Bible and a terrific teacher. But the day after her friend taught, this leader received an email from a member of the group accusing her friend of being a false teacher.



The leader went through every point, lining it up with Scripture, and couldn’t see any evidence of this serious accusation at all. She came to me and asked for my advice.



I said, “Tell me about the fruit in the woman’s life who is making the accusations. And then tell me about the fruit in the life of your friend who taught the lesson in question.”



The answer to this question made things much clearer for the leader.



Fruit is the evidence of God’s Spirit in us. It’s not that we are perfect by any means. But on a consistent basis are we demonstrating what Galatians 5 lists as fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?



Matthew 7:15-16a warns us, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.”



This isn’t just a way to discern a false prophet or teacher, it’s also a good reminder for us personally.



Today, this isn’t a call to look for negative things in others. Not at all. Earlier in Matthew 7 Jesus teaches us to pay attention to the plank in our own eye before picking at the speck of sawdust in another person’s eye,



“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Verses 3-5)



As we follow God we must remember it’s important to be learning about His Word. But equally important we must also be living out His Word.



Information without application will not equal transformation.



The way we treat others, speak to others, demonstrate patience with others, notice others and honor others will either validate or violate what we say we believe. The very best sermons aren’t those preached from a stage but rather those lived out in everyday life.



What a needed reminder for us all today.



Heavenly Father, I don’t want to just know You, I want the fruit of my life to reflect You in all I say and do. Help me to show Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control to all I encounter today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Today’s blog post first appeared within the Matthew study in the free First 5 app from Proverbs 31 Ministries. If you’re looking for a new, in-depth way to study the Bible, we’d love to have you join us as we learn together chapter by chapter, book by book. Visit First5.org for more information or download the app to your device!

Related posts:

Rest and Reassurance
You’re Invited…
Don’t just read God’s Word. Experience it!

If Only I Had…

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. — Psalm 19:7–8



There’s a simple, yet incredibly dangerous little script many of us play in our minds. It might even be one of the biggest things that holds us back from feeling fulfilled in our relationship with God. It’s a script tangled in a lie that typically goes something like this: I could really be happy and fulfilled if only I had . . .



. . . . a skinnier body

. . . . more money

. . . . a better personality

. . . . a different job

. . . . a better relationship.



I don’t know what your “If only I had” statements are, but I do know this: none of them will bring fulfillment. They might bring temporary moments of happiness, but not true fulfillment. Apart from a thriving relationship with God, even if we got everything on our list, there would still be a hollow gap in our soul.



So instead of saying, “If only I had” and filling in the blank with some person, possession, or position, we must make the choice to replace that statement with God’s truth. Psalm 19:7–8 confirms just how powerful and beneficial the truth of God’s Word is: “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”



Here are some examples that have helped me battle the temptation to let people, possessions, or positions take God’s place in my life.



People



I no longer say, “If only I had a daddy who loved me.” Instead, I say, “Psalm 68:5 promises God is a father to the fatherless.”



Maybe your gap isn’t left by an absent father but by a friend who hurt you. Or the children you’ve longed to have, and you still don’t. Whatever that gap is, God is the perfect fit for your emptiness.



Pray this paraphrase of Luke 1:78–79: “Because of the tender mercy of my God by which the rising sun will come to me from heaven—to shine on my darkness and in what feels like the shadow of death to me—I will find peace.”



Possessions



I no longer say, “If only I had more possessions.” Instead, I recite Matthew 6:19–21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth and nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”



Any possession I ever long for, no matter how good it may seem, will only be good for a limited time. In light of eternity, every possession is in the process of breaking down, becoming devalued, and will eventually be taken from us. If I set my heart solely on acquiring more things, I’ll feel more vulnerable with the possibility of loss.



Possessions are meant to be appreciated and used to bless others. They were never meant to be identity markers. It’s not wrong to enjoy the possessions we have as long as we don’t depend on them for our heart’s security.



Position



I no longer say, “If only I had a better position.” Instead, I say the words of Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”



I don’t need a better position to get where I should go. I don’t have to figure out my path and strive to get ahead. I need God’s Word to guide me. As I follow Him and honor Him step-by-step, I can be assured that I’m right where He wants me, to be doing what He wants me to do.



Whatever “If only I had” statement you’re struggling with, you can replace it with solid truths from Scripture that will never leave you empty.



When God’s Word gets inside of us, it becomes the new way we process life. It rearranges our thoughts, our motives, our needs, and our desires. Our soul was tailor-made to be filled with God and His truth; therefore, it seeps into every part of us and fills us completely.



Dear Lord, I acknowledge only You can fill those empty places in my heart. Help me stop the “If only I had” cycle and instead be set free with Your truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If this blog post resonated with you, I’d love to invite you to find further biblical encouragement in my new devotional book: Embraced: 100 Devotions to Know God is Holding You Close.



With Embraced, you will be equipped to:

Find freedom from the struggles that have held you hostage by learning new ways to experience God’s love.
Surrender your deepest hurts by processing them in a godly way with Lysa, a friend who understands your pain.
Hear the Lord speak intimately to your heart by learning how to seek His direction.
Release the tension of wondering, “If God is near, why does He sometimes feel far away?” by spending intentional, guided time with Him each day.

And today is the release day!! You can order your copy for yourself or for a friend here.

Related posts:

I’m Scared to Pray Boldly
Don’t just read God’s Word. Experience it!
Why Isn’t God Answering My Prayer?