Press On {There’s Goodness Ahead}

I’m not sure what made me tell her. I guess a good cup of hot tea and kind company opens a heart up. But I shared about how last year held the intense pressure to quit in many areas of my life. And if not totally quit, at least mentally and emotionally check out. Much like an outer force, pressing in and pressing down, I was left wanting to throw in the towel. It showed up especially heavy in the middle of the night. Crushing. Overwhelming. Debilitating. And the reasons were varied. Areas of personal shame. Places of harboring resentment and offense. Wanting things not to be so frustratingly hard (as if God ever promised easy).

But the Lord and a much-needed reminder from another woman I’ve never met kept me moving forward. The reminder that the enemy would love nothing more than to steal the goodness God has ahead for me. And not just for me but goodness for those connected to me. My family, my friends, all of those my life currently touches and will one day reach.

I’m beginning to see that the very places where the desire to quit shows up – not in a prayerful, growing awareness kind of way, but fierce and intense – are some of the exact spaces where it may be incredibly vital for us to stay. That where the enemy is stirring up desperation with his whispers of, “You should just run,” we may need to ask the Lord to help us keep showing up. To stand firm. To give us the strength to press on.

And so I just want to be that gentle voice beside you today, encouraging you to press on. I’m not talking about staying where you’re in danger or where you’ve been resistant to obey God in the leaving. But I am saying that just because something has gotten hard, that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. On yourself. On that person. On that job. On that creative endeavor. On your relationship with Christ. On getting into His Word. On choosing His ways. On whatever it is you feel the crushing desire to flee from – because of you, because of others, because of whatever is making it all so very difficult.

Cry out to Jesus. Talk to a trusted counselor, mentor, or friend. Make some changes where they’re needed. But don’t quit too soon. Maybe He’ll say it is time to go. Maybe He’ll release you to only stay for a season. Maybe this is an area you’ll be called to fight for over the course of the rest of your life because it matters so deeply that you stay. But wait on Him before you run. I’m not saying it will be easy. I can’t promise it will all turn out like you want it to or like you’ve planned out in your head. But I can promise you that with God, on the other side of trust and obedience, there’s always goodness waiting for us. I know and believe this because He is good, and He can’t not be who He always has been, is, and will be.

Let’s press on where He’s calling us to press on, dear friends. Let’s trust that we don’t want to miss out on His goodness ahead.

Love & prayers, dear friends,
Kimberly

***

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27:13-14

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:10-13

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” Philippians 3:12-16

On the Other Side of the Cross

I have been thinking a lot about what it means to follow Jesus. To follow Jesus is to follow in His footsteps of forgiveness. It’s to follow Him on pathways of grace, mercy, compassion, truth, obedience, sacrifice, and love. And I want to follow Him.

But I know that choosing the ways of Jesus won’t always be easy or pain-free. Just ask Jesus who endured the cross to pay for OUR sins, sins He did not commit. Just ask Jesus who said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Crosses are excruciatingly painful. And sometimes, choosing love, choosing obedience, choosing forgiveness, choosing honor, choosing hope, choosing trust … sometimes choosing these things is going to feel unbelievably painful, too.

But here’s what I also know from the life of Jesus. There’s life and beauty on the other side of the cross. There was for Him in the resurrection of His body and the conquering of sin and death. And there is life and beauty for us as we choose His ways. Not perfection. We’ll know no perfection other than the perfection of His love for us this side of eternity. And there is no promise of the results we think will come or that we think would be best. But there is goodness to be had when we choose to follow in His ways.

Our flesh is going to say choose anger. Choose bitterness. Choose retaliation. Choose hatred. And it will look like the right way when we are hurt. Our hearts are going to say choose self. Choose comfort. Choose ease. But Proverbs 14:12 reminds us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

The ways of Jesus can look like death. They can FEEL like death as we take up our crosses, deny ourselves, and follow in His footsteps. But they lead to life. Life joyful, abundant, and fruitful. Life healed and free.

What hard obedience is Jesus calling you to right now? What if you and I trusted that we don’t want to miss out on the goodness on the other side of this sacrifice of obedience? On the life and beauty He can bring inside of us because we trusted Him?

Jesus would never ask anything of us that wasn’t His best for us. May we live out His Word with the help of His Spirit. May we trust that there is life and beauty on the other side of the cross. May we follow Him, wherever He may lead.

Praying for you as you fix your eyes and heart on Him,
Kimberly

What Do I Do While I’m Suffering?

No one really wants to learn how to suffer well. Those aren’t the kind of lessons we want coming our way. We would just rather not suffer at all, thank you very much. And yet, we all know that suffering is inevitable in this life.

I spent a good bit of time last year in 1 Peter, writing in my journal as well as keeping a notecard handy to jot down repeated words and key themes. Some of the words that appear multiple times are hope, trials, imperishable, perishable, sober-minded, obedience/obey, blood, salvation, conduct, humility/humble, holy, and the most often repeated on my list … suffering.

If you are walking through a season of suffering as you seek to live for God, I encourage you to spend time with Peter’s powerful words. But I thought I would briefly share some of the things I walked away with, as well as one of the verses that has meant the most to me.

In 1 Peter, we learn that suffering is inevitable. Fiery trials will come. But we have a hope that is imperishable in Christ. And so, we stay humble and holy. We keep seeking Him in His Word. We keep doing good, even when life is hard. We love one another and serve one another – earnestly, consistently, and sincerely. We rest in our secure position in Him, and keep making our merciful Deliverer known. We watch our conduct, knowing that others are watching us. We stay sober-minded, no numbing out or checking out because it’s all so painfully difficult. And we don’t give up when things get hard, knowing that we have a faithful Creator and Savior who suffered before us to save us. He loves us, understands us, cares for us, and offers His grace and peace to help us.

And for the heart wildly hurting today, I gently offer you 1 Peter 4:19, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” My first reaction to suffering is to want to hide. To hole up somewhere and shut out the world and everyone around me. But I love the wisdom and hope offered here. Steps for the suffering.

1 – Entrust your soul to Jesus. Give Him your tears. Give Him your heartbreak. Ask Him to help you trust that He sees you, that He knows exactly what you need, and that He will provide what you need. Surrender all outcomes to Him. You can even say it out loud, “Jesus, I don’t understand any of this. But I trust You. Please help me trust You with my heart and my life.”

2 – Remember who you are entrusting your soul to – the faithful Creator of all who gave His all for you. He can’t NOT be faithful to His promises. It’s just who He is. He is now and forever faithful, which makes Him worthy of our trust. And the fact that He made all things and holds all things together makes Him mighty. And He is still faithful, mighty, loving, sovereign, and good, even in our suffering.

3 – Do good. I think we can walk this out in two ways. KEEP doing the good He has called us to in His Word. Don’t stop being faithful because things don’t look the way you want them to. Don’t start believing the lie that His ways don’t “work” so you shouldn’t even bother. He never promised us a pain-free life, but He did promise to be with us, to help us, and to see us all the way home. And then this… find a specific good to do for someone else. This keeps us from becoming too self-focused, reminding us that others are suffering too. It’s also a declaration to our flesh and to our real enemy, Satan, that we haven’t given up hope. We believe we will see God’s goodness in our own lives, and we will be instruments of good in the lives of other people.

I would never want to minimize what you are walking through. But I truly do want to encourage you to lean into Peter’s wisdom. In the midst of your suffering, entrust it all to Jesus. Remember He is faithful. And keep doing good.

The hope we have in Christ? Suffering can’t cancel that hope. It’s imperishable. It’s sure. It’s ours.

You are loved and prayed for,
Kimberly

Why We Need to Know That Their Sin Is Not God’s Fault

There’s no way around it as human beings. We will hurt one another. Disappoint one another. Sin against one another. Utterly and completely fail one another. Bring unwanted devastation into the lives of one another.

But here’s the thing. Someone else’s sin, the sin that cuts us to our core, is not on God. Second Peter 1:3-4 reminds us that, through the knowledge of Christ, through knowing Him and receiving Him as Savior and growing in Him, we have been given EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness. He has offered us salvation and a Good Shepherd through His Son. He has provided wisdom and direction in His Word. He gives us His Spirit to teach, illuminate, guide, convict, counsel, and comfort us. He has blessed us with our High Priest, Jesus, who now sits in heaven, interceding for us, able to sympathize with us, and invites us to come to Him for grace and mercy to help in times of need. He has given us what we need to live lives that honor Him and others. So, when we want to pull back in anger from God, asking Him, “Why did You let them do that? Why didn’t You stop them? Why didn’t You intervene?”… we have to know His heart is grieved, as well. Grieved for us. Grieved for the one who sinned. He has allowed us to be choosing hearts. And it grieves Him when we don’t choose Him.

Where do you need to press into Him instead of pulling back – in anger, fear, grief, or doubt? Where do you need to confess that the pain someone else brought has caused you to actually distrust Him? Where do you need Him to help you see that it’s not His fault? God has done His part. He has gone above and beyond in pursuing each of us with His love. He has offered us His very best. But it is up to every choosing heart to choose His best. He will not force us. What grace that He even persistently pursues us.

All of that to say, I am sorry. I am so sorry for how they broke your heart. So sorry for how their sin has ricocheted across your life in ways you never asked for. But you and I? We need to guard our hearts. We need to be oh so very careful not to cheat ourselves out of His wisdom, comfort, and love because of someone else’s choices. Their sin is not on Him. God is not at fault. We can absolutely pray that those who have hurt us will respond to His wisdom and choose His righteousness. But even if they never change, we need to lean into all that is good and holy about Him ourselves.

Lean into Him. Bring your tears to Him. Let your heart rest and trust in the goodness and love found in Him. 

You are loved & prayed for,
Kimberly

What You and I CAN Do Through Christ Who Strengthens Us

Philippians 4:13 is one of those verses that has gotten a lot of abuse and misuse over the years. We can grab it and easily try to misapply it to our own personal plans and desires as we declare, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me!”

But when Paul penned those words by the leading of the Holy Spirit, he was speaking specifically about Christ empowering him to live a life of contentment no matter what kind of circumstances he faced. And Paul faced some incredibly tough circumstances and trying times throughout his years spent committed to making Christ known.

But I’ve been thinking about how, in not wanting to misuse it, we might avoid applying it to things other than contentment. I believe Paul’s words point us to the fact that Christ will empower us to do all that HE has specifically called and commanded us to do. Through this lens, it becomes a declaration of truth to our own hearts when we are struggling to live according to His Word – because obedience is painful, because our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak, because we just don’t really want to, because we’ve messed up so many times before.

Here are a few thoughts. Maybe you see one or two you need to declare out loud today? I have been purposefully declaring a few of these myself this week.

I can forgive _________ through Christ who strengthens me.

I can show grace and mercy to _________ through Christ who strengthens me.

I can be compassionate through Christ who strengthens me.

I can choose to love through Christ who strengthens me.

I can wait patiently through Christ who strengthens me.

I can persevere and endure with hope through Christ who strengthens me.

I can humble myself through Christ who strengthens me.

I can deny my flesh and resist the devil through Christ who strengthens me.

I can do what I know is the right and godly thing to do through Christ who strengthens me.

Which one do you need right now? What else would you add? There are so many more we could list out. Feel free to make this your own according to what you know He is asking of you through His Word. We can’t live for Him without Him. And He wants to help us do all that He has called us to do. Let’s declare these things to our own souls. Out loud. Today.

Philippians 2:13 – “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (NLT)

Relying on Him,
Kimberly

Thoughts on Why I Keep Losing My Peace

I have been sitting with Isaiah 26:3 a lot over the past few months – picking it apart word by word, letting it sit in my spirit, meditating on it as I have struggled with holding on to peace.

This passage says of the Lord, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.”

Let’s break it down briefly:

keep – nāṣar – to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.)

perfect peace – šālôm – a word used in Scripture for completeness, soundness, welfare, peace

stayed on – sāmaḵ – to prop (literally or figuratively); reflexively, to lean upon or take hold of:—bear up, establish, (up-) hold, lay, lean, lie hard, put, rest self, set self, stand fast, stay (self), sustain.

trusts – bāṭaḥ – to hie for refuge; figuratively, to trust, be confident or sure.

(Notes and definitions from Blueletterbible.org)

So, God guards the wholeness and soundness of heart and mind of the one who leans all of their confidence upon who He is and what He has promised. That means, when I lose my peace – when I feel deeply unsettled by circumstances or even torn to pieces with fear, anxiety, and doubts – I need to check to see if I have “propped” my hopes up against all the wrong things. I may be leaning against the wrong places for hope and security. I could be setting my hopes on that which cannot sustain me. Hopes that will end up dashed because I am not meant to place my confidence in anything other than Him.

When I lose my peace, it is evidence I have misplaced my trust.

But simply knowing that isn’t enough to regain my peace. I need to identify the point of misplaced trust so that I can rightly move my hope back over to Him. I need to ask Him to help me see what I am leaning on. What am I propping my hopes up against that won’t hold?

Here are a few common spaces of misplaced trust I am seeing in my own life. I often lean on and look to:
-my own understanding
-my ability to control
-comfortable outcomes that align with my plans and preferences
-the promise of not being hurt by others
-my own abilities and performance
-the words and actions of others
-the belief I can manipulate people and circumstances to safe and happy outcomes
– our bank account

Not one of these things can hold. None of these places can deliver on giving me perfect peace and security. Only the Lord is secure and stable enough. He is eternal and unchanging in His faithfulness, goodness, holiness, and love. He is the best place to place all of my trust.

I have also been sitting with the incredible hope found in Psalm 54:4: “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.” The same word sāmaḵ is in Isaiah 26:3 and Psalm 54:4 – stayed upon and upholder. So, as I lean upon Him, He upholds me.

Where have you lost your peace? One of the first steps in getting it back may be to ask the Father to help you identify any points of misplaced trust. What are you leaning on instead of Him? What are you placing your hope and confidence in? Yourself? Other people? Certain outcomes?

He has promised to keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on Him because they trust in Him. Let’s ask Him to help us place ALL of our hopes squarely upon Him. He won’t fold from the weight of all the worries we carry. Our God will hold.

“For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.” Psalm 71:5-6

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Blessings, dear friends,
Kimberly

Do Whatever He Tells You

“Do whatever He tells you.”

These are the words Mary spoke to the servants in John 2 when the wine had run out at a wedding. Words that preceded them having to do something that made no human sense – opening a door for Jesus’ first miracle in Scripture, where He turned water into wine. Words that have been on my mind for the past few weeks because I know. I know my propensity to do whatever I want to do.

I tend to lean on my own understanding, doing things my way. I do what looks right in my own eyes. What makes sense to me or “feels” best to me. I have longstanding issues with pride, stubbornness, and an unteachable heart. You would think I would stop letting myself get to the point of desperation before deciding that maybe, JUST maybe, I should try things the Lord’s way.

In the story of Jesus turning water into wine, Mary turned the situation over to Jesus. She knew Him. She knew His character and where He had come from. She may not have known how He would provide, but she knew He could. And when she gave the servants her simple, succinct instructions, I think she knew provision and abundance would only be found on the other side of their surrender and obedience.

“Do whatever He tells you.”

How different would my life be if I lived by this tenet? If I did things HIS way first and foremost, even if those things make no sense to me? Where is He longing to move in my life, but I’m stubbornly refusing to move according to His Word or the promptings of His Spirit? (Promptings that will always align with His Word.)

One good but painful example from Scripture is forgiveness. Forgiveness makes ZERO sense to our flesh. Our wounded, enraged hearts fight against it, yet Christ commands it. We are to forgive as He has forgiven us. (Matthew 6:9-15; Mattew 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:31-32; Colossians 3:12-13) “Do whatever He tells you, Kimberly. Forgive. That’s the only real path to freedom, to healing, to peace within. Those things won’t be found when you take things into your own hands or do things your own way. They come when you choose to do what He says.”

Don’t get tangled up in the nuances of forgiveness here. I’m not speaking about what happens in those relationships where forgiveness is needed. This is about what’s going on in our HEARTS. I’m also not saying forgiveness and healing take place in the snap of a finger. It can all be such slow, hard work. But it’s good and needed work, and the Father has compassion on us in the midst of it. The longer I live, the more I see how much I need to APPLY His Word. To really and truly live it all out in everyday moments, decisions, and heartbreaks.

Smaller examples would be when He prompts us to do something kind, something generous, something thoughtful, something out of our comfort zone. Instead of rationalizing those promptings away, we need to trust His Spirit is nudging us for a reason. We need to do whatever He tells us.

Because here’s the thing: He is the Ancient of Days, the Alpha and the Omega, the originator and giver of all truth and wisdom. In all things, big or small, painful or easy, the best course of action will always, always, ALWAYS be to do whatever He tells us. He is holy and good. He is completely without sin. There is no shadow side to Him and absolutely no darkness lurking within Him. He would never ask us to do anything wrong, nor would He ask us to do anything other than what is best for us. And truth be told, we will never truly know His abundance (not the world’s definition of it, but His) if we refuse to walk in obedience. I don’t mean a life free from struggles. We will ALL face struggles in this life. But goodness, what if we are making things even harder in the long run by insisting on doing things our way? What if He wants to move in mighty ways in our lives, but we keep refusing to move according to His ways?

I hope you will take these thoughts and make them personal with me. What words from His Word do you need to weave into your thoughts and choices right now? What small nudges do you need to obey? Where are you possibly making life more difficult because you just want to SEE if your way works first?

If this is a struggle for you like it is for me, here is a prayer we can pray:

Lord Jesus, I want a responsive and obedient heart – a heart that is willing to do whatever You tell me. Please forgive me for being wise in my own eyes and leaning on my own understanding. Help me see clearly what is keeping me from obeying You so that You and I can address it – pride, woundedness, fear, something else. I know the enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but You came to give life and that abundantly. You are not seeking to harm me in what You ask of me. Help me lean into You, listen to You, learn from You, and obey You. Thank You that I don’t have to try to do this alone. You say that You are able to give me the power and the desire to do what pleases You. You tell me I can boldly approach Your throne of grace to obtain mercy and help in times of need. Help me become someone who does whatever You tell me – whether it is written in Your Word or prompted by Your Spirit. I need Your wisdom, and I want Your best. I want to live in and be a conduit of Your goodness and abundance. Amen.

May we live increasingly more surrendered and obedient, by His grace and power,
Kimberly

Hope to Help Us Endure

I’m not sure that I really like the words “endurance” or “endure.” They sound arduous and painful and not at all in line with my idol of comfort. But Scripture reminds us again and again of our need for endurance, and that means there will be hard times we have to endure.

We will face circumstances and seasons in this broken world with our very human hearts where giving up on things like relationships, God-given callings, prayer, and even walking in faith will feel safest, easiest, and best. And while giving up may deliver on the promise of immediate relief, it can ultimately cheat us out of the lasting gifts God wants to give us on the other side of where He calls us to endure. We can miss out on His strength, healing, hope, goodness, and peace.

I love the Merriam-Webster definition of “endure.”

ENDURE:

intransitive verb
1. to continue in the same state: LAST
2. to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding

transitive verb
1. to undergo especially without giving in: SUFFER

I especially love the idea of not yielding. This phrasing has been helping me form prayers in times that require endurance:

– Lord, help me not to yield to this specific temptation right now. Help me endure.
– Lord, help me not to yield to hopelessness. Help me endure.
– Lord, help me not to yield to the desire to completely give up. Help me endure.
– Lord, help me not to yield to the idea that You are unkind, unwatching, or unconcerned. Help me endure, trusting that You are mighty, loving, and good.

One of the words for endurance used in the New Testament means “cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy.” It is enduring with patient continuance. It is a hopeful refusal to give up or give in because all of its hope is placed in God. (Examples that use this word: Luke 8:15, Romans 5:3-4, Romans 15:5-6, Colossians 1:9-12, 2 Thessalonians 3:5, Revelation 2:3 and 14:12.) Another similar word for enduring employed by the New Testament authors means “to stay under (behind), i.e. remain; figuratively, to undergo, i.e bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere.” (Examples: Matthew 10:22, Romans 12:12, 1 Corinthians 13:7, 2 Timothy 2:2, 10, Hebrews 12:7, and James 1:12.)

We can feel so caught off guard and frustrated when we face times that require endurance. But in the sampling of passages I listed above (that I encourage you to spend some time in) and all throughout Scripture, we see that this life will require endurance.

Endurance in suffering.
Endurance in trials.
Endurance in temptation.
Endurance in love.
Endurance in faith.
Endurance in prayer.
Endurance in hope.
Endurance in seeking unity.
Endurance in keeping His commands.
Endurance in taking up our cross and following Him.
Endurance when persecuted and hated for His name’s sake.
Endurance for the sake of other believers, both those who now believe and those who will.
Endurance in the midst of God’s loving discipline of us.

Are any of the areas listed above asking endurance of you right now? You aren’t alone. Romans 15:5 calls God the “God of endurance and encouragement.” I love that. We get to ask the God of endurance and encouragement to help us to endure. To give us the power not to yield to giving up. Not to yield to hopelessness. Not to yield to the quick fixes our flesh longs for. And we have a Savior who endured the cross for us and understands every temptation we face. We can boldly approach His throne of grace and ask Him to help us remain steadfast. (Hebrews 12:1-3; Hebrews 4:14-16)

Don’t give up where He’s calling you to persevere, friend. I know it’s not easy. But He’s in it with us for the long haul. He has called us to endure. He will help us endure. And He promises it is worth choosing to endure.

God of endurance and encouragement, help us endure.

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12

Love and prayers,
Kimberly

Rejoicing in the Lord “Every When”

Sometimes Scripture can feel impossible and even leave us feeling a bit cynical. Take Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Rejoice always? As in, even when my heart is broken? Even when confusion or devastation has come my way? Even when there are more questions than answers? Even when I feel lost and lonely and completely undone? Sure thing. How about I just paste on a fake smile instead?

But if we back up a little from the idea of “rejoice always” and take in the whole verse and the fullness of who the Lord is, this verse becomes not just possible but also a gift.

First, some quick definitions:

rejoice – chairō – to be “cheer”ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off; be well

always – pantote – every when, i.e. at all times

I love that “always” means “every when.” When I am happy or hurting. When I feel blessed or when I feel overlooked. When life seems good or when it shows up devastating. I can rejoice every when. Not a rejoicing based on my circumstances but rejoicing in the hope I have in the Lord. Rejoicing in HIM.

We can rejoice in the Lord every when because He is eternal, meaning there is never a time when He is not. There is no time when He is not faithful. There is no time when He is not loving and good. There is no time when He is not sovereign. There is no time when He is confused or doesn’t know what to do. There is no time when He is not holy. There is no time when He is not who He has always been, so every when holds all that He is. Every when holds His goodness, His faithfulness, His sovereignty, His love, His wisdom… all that we need and more.

May we remind our tired and troubled hearts of these truths. May we rejoice in HIM, even if we feel like there is nothing else to rejoice in. May it be well with our souls because our hope is in Him.

These aren’t trite words. This isn’t wishful thinking. And it’s not pretending we’re not hurting. It’s redirecting our hearts to sure and steady hope that can be soul-settling. We can rejoice in the LORD always. We can rejoice in HIM every when.

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

Praying for you as you place your hope in Him,
Kimberly

You Don’t Have to Finish Strong

I know this line of thinking may get pushback from some. But it’s okay if you don’t finish “strong” this year.

Some of you have been through hell. Some of you feel like you’re still there now. Some of you have been ready to give up more times than you can count, and it feels like no small miracle that you can even face this new day.

So, I’ll say it again…

It’s okay if you don’t finish strong this year.
You can finish still sowing in tears.
You can finish still healing.
You can finish feeling weak and worn down.
You can finish facedown on the floor in prayer.
You can finish more keenly aware than ever how utterly dependent you are on Christ.
You can finish crying out to Him and in desperate need of Him.
You can finish barely hanging on to Him, yet secure in the knowledge He won’t let go of you.

You can finish 2023 as a finite human being with limited capacities knowing that Jesus was never looking to be impressed by you. But He is forever willing to be present with you – offering His strength, love, wisdom, and hope to you.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I’m proud of you for finishing, even if you don’t feel proud of how you are finishing. Keep holding on, dear friend. His grace is sufficient.

Happy almost New Year,
Kimberly

(And then this… an older post that reminds us that our God is not a waster of time or tears and especially not entire years. Here’s a little something about taking the gifts that are ours from years we may want to be done with: https://kdhenderson.wordpress.com/2020/12/07/what-if-2020-has-good-things-to-send-with-us/)