Be Mine? A Treasured Moments Devotional

Did you open your Valentine last week? Everyone has received a very special gift and it can be opened not only on Valentine's Day but any day of the year. This gift isn't wrapped in fancy gift wrap or with sparkling bows. Instead, the gift came to Earth as a tiny vulnerable human baby born in a filthy enclosure with stinky animals, bedded on hay, and wrapped in old cloth. Yet, this gift has such priceless value as it offers each one of us not only an unconditional love that we cannot even begin to fathom the depth of but also bore the price of our sins so that we can spend eternity in Heaven's Glory. He was beaten, pierced with a sword, and hung upon a cross. His death was painful and Jesus suffered greatly for our sins. He chose to do so that we might have eternal life. What incredible love our Heavenly Father and His Son have for each one of us! God is asking you today, "Be mine?" How will you respond, dear one? Will you open the wonderful Valentine God has for you or will you discard this precious gift?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17

Father God,

Thank you for loving us so much that You would send Your only Son to die for our sins.Help each one of us to choose wisely as we consider this precious gift you have given each one of us. Draw us closer to you each day and help us to be good stewards of Your love.

In Jesus' name,
Amen!

Trust in God: A Treasured Moments Devotional

Place your trust in your Heavenly Father for He loves you so much more than you could ever imagine. He longs for you to call out to Him. He will guide your path and fill you with His hope, peace, love, and joy! No sin is too great that it will keep us apart from God. Only our pride prevents us from asking forgiveness and seeking God's mercy. Embrace God today and see the difference His love can make in your life. 

"In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant." Psalm 25:1,4-5,8-10

Living Faith: A Treasured Moments Devotional

One of the very first questions my sweet son asks everyone he meets is “Are you a Christian?” At 11 years old, he has such a passion for God that he longs for everyone else to experience His love as well. My son has decided what is most important to him. He doesn’t worry about rejection or social norms. He simply lives his faith out loud. I find myself wondering What would happen if we ALL had the courage to live our faith out loud, If we allowed our passion for God to shine through us in ALL that we say and do?

 

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

What do people see when they look at you? Do you project God’s grace and love? Do your words and actions match the faith you proclaim? I know what I want people to see when they look at me. I want them to see a person humbly broken and forgiven and relying completely on my Savior to be my everything. I want my words to be encouraging and healing. I want my actions to be kind and loving. I want people to see God’s goodness and grace shining through me when they look at me. I want to live my life as a living testimony of thanks to the one who gave His everything for me. I want to decide that loving God, being His beloved child, and sharing His hope are the most important things to me. I want to live my faith out loud. Will you live your faith out loud?

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:20-21

Father God, Thank you for being our everything! Help us to live a life that is pleasing to you. Help us to exemplify Your love, Your goodness, Your grace, and Your mercy in ALL that we say and all that we do. In the name of Your precious son, Jesus, Amen!

Do Not Be Anxious: A Treasured Moment Devotional

Jesus could walk on water but this chick-a-dee cannot walk on ice, which is currently covering every walking surface here in our area. :( Yuck! Had to reschedule my Dr. appointment for later in the week. Satan would like nothing more than to steal my peace and replace it with anxiety. Yet, that isn't what God desires for me. He wants me to turn to Him in prayer, to trust in Him, and to bask in His joy and peace. 

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." 

In the days ahead, I will rest in the comfort He provides. When Satan tries to attack, I will immerse myself in His word, spend time talking to God in prayer, ask my trusted, faithful friends to be praying, feed my soul with uplifting Christian music, lose myself in a good Christian book, and engage in a tickle fight with my son as laughter is great medicine. God didn't promise that life would be easy but He did promise to always be beside us. Be blessed, dear ones!

A Treasured Moment Devotional: Rest for the Weary

Despite my nap earlier today, I am physically exhausted. Sometimes, the burdens we face in life, whether job stress, financial problems, relationship difficulties, addictions, health issues, or some other hardship, can leave us feeling spiritually, emotionally, and physically exhausted. The good news is that God offers to carry our burdens for us and to give us rest.

Matthew 11:28 states, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." 

Whatever you are facing, dear one, you are not alone for God is with you always. Dare to hope! 

 
Psalm 62:5 says, "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him." 

Romans 15:13 is my prayer for each one of you, precious friends: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." In Jesus' name, Amen! Sweet dreams, dear ones!

My Source of Help: Not Allowing Satan to Steal My Joy - A Treasured Moments Devotional

Psalm 121

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
⁸ the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.---  NIV translation via BibleGateway

The words of Psalm 121 wrap around my heart with such a warm and tender embrace as I read that my Lord is the source of my help (vs. 2) and protection (vs. 7). To know that He is with me both now and forevermore (vs. 8) floods my soul with His amazing peace and comfort.

I had difficulty sleeping last night due to the burning sensation in my left knee, which is caused by nerve damage from my knee surgery over a year and a half ago. I awoke to even more pain. My Fibromyalgia flares-up when my body does not get the proper rest it needs. The damp, cold rainy weather also causes my Lupus to flare-up while the change in barometric pressure often triggers migraines. Can you see how very tempting it would have been for me to take my pain medication, which makes me sleepy, and burrow back under the warm, comforting covers this morning rather than to jostle about as I prepared myself to attend church services? Believe me, the thought was very enticing.

If I had given into the temptation to stay nestled in bed this morning, I would have missed out on all of the wonderful blessings God had planned for me from the worship songs that stirred my heart (one of which I have shared below in the hopes that it will also encourage you), to hugs and precious moments spent with friends: dear women of faith, to our pastor's wonderful sermon on making a choice to resist temptation, to soul-searching prayers of healing. If I had chosen to give in to the temptation to stay home, Satan would have won a victory today and he would have stolen my joy.

Does this mean that my body no longer aches? To the contrary, my body is in even more excruciating pain this afternoon. Yet, my soul is filled to overflowing with God's merciful love, His never-ending joy, and His unfathomable peace. In my time of pain, God is my source of help both now and forevermore. Spending time with my Lord and Savior helped to renew my strength and resolve so that I can overcome the pain and continue to be the mom my son needs me to be and the encourager God has called me to be. May you know Him this intimately as well, dear one. He longs to be your source of help and protection, as well, both now and forevermore.