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Be Present

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I wonder what would happen if we put our phones away. Stop obsessing with who’s who and Hollywood. Put aside politics and the daily news. And rather…start looking across the table. Listening to what is being said.

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ADVENT DAY 13: WHY YOU NEED A MOSES MOMENT - In Exodus 12, the Israelites finally were released from the enslaved hand of the Pharoah only to be overwhelmed by the vast, Red Sea in Exodus 14. Imagine the horror of it. You watch plague after plague and the death of the Egyptian's firstborn. You see the mighty hand of God upfront and personal. Your hope begins to blossom as you think about what it will be like to be free. Totally free. And finally. The day arrives. - Puzzling, I would assume. Why would God work in such a way? But then again, God's ways are never like our own. - God was up to something even grander than any imagination could fathom or believe. God says, "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so" (Ex. 14:4). - The Israelites did not understand that it is in our weakness that He is made strong (see 2 Cor. 12:9-11). With the Egyptian army in hot pursuit behind them and a formidable body of water before them, they began to drown in their own misery. "They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 1Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness" (Ex. 14:11-12). - God often puts us in difficult places so that we reach the end of ourselves and see He is our only option. The exodus is a great illustration of our salvation in Jesus Christ...behind us the army of destruction of our sinfulness, before us the sea of wrath of God. Without Jesus making a way, we would be destroyed. - But there's more here...I see how God masterfully crafts our own stories so that we see our need for Him. He designs our weak moments, teaching us to rely solely on Him. It is in the weak, raw spots that God is working to be revealed. He wants us to not only see His glory but also desires for us to know Him! - Are you willing to allow God to be glorified in your weakness? #Jesus #God #Bible
ADVENT DAY 12: A SUCCESS STORY YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE - There are seasons in life when it seems like nothing is going right. The bills stack high. Relationships grow tense. Your dreams fade in the moonlight. I love how God knows all the seasons and has a purpose in each one of them. Read Eccl. 3:1-8. - Our seasons provide us insight into the character and nature of God. Some attributes are revealed instantaneously, while others are gleaned over the passage of time. - Christmas is a great time for reflecting. A time to look back at your life. What have you learned about yourself this past year? What have you learned about God? - Today we lean into Joseph...read Gen. 37 & 39. - I think a lot of us can relate to Joseph. He is someone whose life never went according to plan. Despised by his brothers. Sold into slavery. Rose to power, only to be banned. Imprisoned and forgotten. - But the story doesn't end here. Joseph became known as a dream-teller, and God uses him to interpret the dream of the king (Gen. 41). Quickly, Joseph (foreigner and former slave) rises to a position of great power, directing the affairs of the Egyptian nation. And then, a severe famine breaks out and all food is sparse, causing Joseph's family to come search for aid in this foreign land (Gen. 42). - Throughout this long discourse into the life of Joseph (30% of the book of Genesis!), we learn that God is our PROVISION. God is providentially involved in all the details of Joseph's life...which I find incredibly comforting. When I can't make sense of the in's & out's, twists & turns, and my details become unnerving...I can trust in God's sovereign care. Knowing He's got this! And He always will! - As for Joseph, he finally sees the hand of God as the master-weaver. Listen to the words Joseph spoke to his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” Gen. 50:20. - Will you trust God to write your narrative when you haven’t finished reading your own life chapter? - #advent #Christmas #dailybread #devotional #propel #shereadstruth #womenintheword #jesus #God #bible #holidays #family
ADVENT DAY 11: THE BLESSING OF WRESTLING WITH GOD - Jacob runs for his life after lying and conniving to steal his brother's birthright. And big brother Esau is in hot pursuit after him. - Following the instruction of his parents, Jacob flees from his brother in search of a wife from his parent's homeland. It is here, in this journey, that we begin to see a transformation of Jacob take place. Read Genesis 29-31. - Two wives and twenty years later, our story continues in Genesis 32. Jacob is returning back home to Canaan with his tribe of people (wife 1 & 2, eleven sons, one daughter, and two female servants--whew, a crew). The fierce rush of adrenaline rapidly descends upon him as he encounters his estranged brother once again. Unfortunately, it appears as if his brother's anger has not resided. Esau has gathered an army of 400 men (Genesis 32:6). - The doubt and questioning ensue. "But God...you said." When the wheels start falling off the bus, how quickly we are to blame God. We often assume the will of God translates into a life of ease and comfort. However, God often leads us into difficult waters to teach us to keep our eyes steadfast on Him. - Jacob thought he was running from Esau. - But discovered he was running from God instead. - Read Genesis 32:22-32. Pay close attention. When Jacob entered the wrestling floor, he was hesitant to meet his brother Esau. He was restless and afraid. However, after a night of wrestling it out with God, his attention turned to God's Word...a word of promise and blessing. - What do you need today? How desperate are you for it? Will you wrestle it out with God in order to receive a blessing? - #dailydevotional #christ #devo #adventcalendar #holiday #bible #verse #christian #Jesus #God #prayer #womenintheword #truth #propel #faith #scripture #readingplan #followme #free #shareable #questionsforGod #Christmas
ADVENT DAY 10: HOW TO HOPE THE RIGHT WAY - We hope in a lot of things, especially around Christmas. We hope for goodwill and peace. We hope the pound of fudge we inhaled won't end up on our waistline. We hope that the bills won't stack too high come January. We hope we win the lottery. We hope and we hope. - In reality, our hope is more like wishful thinking. We hope this & that will come true. However, that being said, there is a sort of uncertainty. We really aren't sure our hopes will come to pass. I mean, we wouldn't bet our lives on it. - When our hopes are disappointed (as is often the case), a seed of distrust in planted in our heart. We build up little walls for protection. We grow cynical. We have doubts and fears. We build fortresses. We run and hide. - What if our HOPE is wrong? - Go to my blog at www.sueaallen.com to finish today’s reading. - #devotional #Jesus #Advent #Christmas #traditions #holidays #Christian #Christianity #bible #dailydevotional #seekHimfirst #shereadstruth #morningprayer #wellwateredwomen #goodmorninggirls #readthroughtheBible #butfirstJesus #intheword #womenintheword #womenoftheword #biblestudy #coffeeandJesus #powerofprayer #intheword #Biblestudymoments #lampandlight #womenlivingwell
ADVENT DAY 9: THE ULTIMATE TEST - The older I become, the more I realize that my story is less about me and more about God. He is writing my narrative. And if I lean into the voice of the Holy Spirit, I can see the story of redemption being penned. My prayer is that you see God working in your life today too. - This is the purpose of God in all that he does in creation and redemption. God’s purpose in all that he does is: to magnify his sovereign grace and keep us in our humble place.—John Piper, Desiring God - Read Genesis 22:1-14. God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2, "I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing.” When Abraham and Sarah were well up in years, Sarah finally gives birth to their long-awaited son, Isaac. There must have been an overwhelming, celebratory, exuberant kind of joy at the birth of their baby boy! - Little did they know...God wasn't done. There was an even greater test of their faith to come. - “Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Genesis 22:1-2 - As Abraham journeyed to Moriah, he must have felt overwhelmed with emotion. Confusion. Doubt. Anger. A ball all mixed-up, twisted and tied. Why would God ask him to sacrifice his beloved son? There is no way that Abraham could put the pieces together. He had no idea...God was painting a picture, a foreshadowing, of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. - God was illustrating to all mankind what justifying faith looks like. God asks us to do many difficult and painful things, but we can be confident that Emmanuel God is with us...even in the hard. It can be scary to trust God when He asks us to do something against our natural instincts and abilities. We can't always make sense of God. Remember. Reflect. We have a trustworthy, sovereign God. - What is God asking you to offer up to Him? - #advent #Jesus #bible #Christmas #holidays #sacredholidays #devotional #dailydevotional #God #Christians #womenintheword
ADVENT DAY 8: BEAUTY IN THE WAITING - During the hustle & bustle of Christmas, it seems counter-intuitive to think about waiting. However, life is brimmed with such moments. Imagine putting yourself in the shoes of the Israelites of old. They waited & waited & waited for the promised Messiah to arrive. And over & over & over, God promises that the day would surely come. - Read Gen. 18:1-15. Abraham & Sarai were growing old, and their expectant hearts had grown doubtful. For years they waited for a child but instead grew bitter and broken. Although Sarai had taken matters into her own hands and tried to find a resolution, she wound up more desolate than before. Lonely. And bruised. Her plan backfired, creating heartache and anguish. - "Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!” Gen. 16:1-3, 5 - Like Sarai, we all have waiting seasons. We wait for a child. A job. Better health. A long-awaited answer to prayer. It's unavoidable...this life is filled with WAIT. It is easy for us to push and prod to get our way. We want things done a certain way. We think we know what is best. Honestly, we just don't like our current season...we think ANYTHING would be better! - We struggle with accepting God's plan for our lives. Do we trust that He really knows best? But in God's eyes, waiting is part of our sanctification. It is how He works within us. Molding and scraping. All part of His plan. Our pride is broken so that humility can be born as a reflection of His image. - Abraham and Sarah waited for a son, and God fulfilled His promise. Their son Isaac was born, such a precious gift. A reminder that God is faithful. His timing may not be what we expect, but nonetheless, it is always perfect! - #Jesus #Bible #devotional #verseoftheday #seekHimfirst #God

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