Last week, at KBR’s Joyful Daughters Conference, it was such a blessing to meet many of you! It is a true joy to see so many young ladies with a desire to walk with and please our Lord Jesus. The opening session was given by Lolly Hale and was titled “Walking with Jesus: It’s All About Him.” This session was such an encouragement that we wanted to share its critical message with you as well.
Walking with Jesus:
It’s All About Him
Our goal as young Christian women is to become more like our precious Lord Jesus. Only as we keep Him our Object and Center, can He work that beautiful work in our lives. He is the Hub in the center of the wheel. Your salvation is only the beginning of the greatest love relationship of your life! It is by believing on Jesus finished work on the cross, and not our measly “good works” that we can experience the joy of true salvation.
Jesus is the hub in the center of the wheel.
Walking in the Spirit becomes natural when we recognize that we need Him on a daily basis. It is then that we automatically lean on Him, and fellowship with Him, because we realize we can’t do anything without Him. We learn to talk with Jesus all the time, walking in the Spirit. This is what praying without ceasing can mean in our lives. We constantly thank Him for the gifts He puts in our lives.
As our needs draw us to Him, our relationship moves us from a mere acquaintance level to a deep friendship. Spending time with Jesus becomes naturally a part of our every day lives because we love Him. It is then that we begin to realize that discouragement on any level only drives a wedge between us and our dearest Friend. It is His desire that we do not focus on our failures or our victories, but that we focus on Him alone – “Looking unto Jesus.” It’s all about Him.
How about you?
Are you walking with Jesus minute by minute? What does your relationship with Him look like right now?
Are you relying on Jesus’ goodness for your acceptance with God, rather than your own attempts to please Him?
Are you seeking to learn to hear His voice, at the same time remembering that you are His little lamb who needs lots of time with the Good Shepherd in order to know His voice?
Are you setting aside a time each day to spend with Jesus, not out of duty, but because you love Him?
Are you rejecting discouragement, as Satan’s ploy to trap you into negative thoughts and actions? Are you looking unto Jesus, remembering that your relationship is “all about Him”?
If you sense a need to walk with Jesus more closely…
Practice bringing your mind back to Jesus every hour today.
Thank Him for being part of your life.
Smile and tell Him you love Him.
Tell Jesus you want your life to be “all about Him.”
Memorize God’s Word
Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” This reminds us that He will do His good work in us as we look to Him.
May the Lord bless you as you seek Him!
The book One Thing I Desire will challenge and inspire you to a deeper walk of Jesus Christ
The Scriptures contain the story of God’s love for us, which was demonstrated through the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
It is so amazing that God would love us – sinners who have sinned against Him throughout our entire existence. The Bible explains a lot about God’s love. Here are a few characteristics about His love I would like us to ponder.
God’s love is sovereign. He explained this to the Israelites:
“For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8)
God does not choose us because we are good. He loves us simply because that is what He wants to do. What mercy!
God’s love is abiding.
This means that God still loves us no matter what situations we go through or what sins we commit. Because of His abiding love He will save us. The Bible says,
“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is might; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
God’s love is unalienable. Nothing can ever separate us from the love of our Savior!
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)
Jesus also said that we are safe once we are His. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28).
The Bible also tells some things we should do when we realize that God really does love us.
“Because thy lovingkindness is better than life,
my lips shall praise thee.” (Psalm 63:3)
God does lots of things for us because He loves us. He provides for us in many ways. Some we do not even think about or know about. He gave you that breath that you just took. This should cause us to give Him unceasing praise.
David expressed this well. He said,
“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou has made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” (Psalm 8:4-5)
We are called to be like Christ. Therefore, we as understand how much He loves us, we should walk in His steps and show His love to others around us. Are you and I striving to be loving young ladies? This is a question that makes us search ourselves and our lives.
May we grow to understand the love of Christ for us, and live in the freedom of being His forever. Let’s strive to reflect that love to others in all that we do and say!
What are some ways you can show others love today?
“Let your conversation be without covetousness;
and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said,
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Almost every Queen or King of old had his/her own taster. A taster was a trusted servant who ate some of the food and drink served at the royal meal to assure that it was not poisoned. If the taster died, or grew ill, the King knew the food or drink was poisoned.
Once, a young King was having his coronation feast. The banquet was abundant, with rich breads, delicious dishes, and luscious desserts. But, the King was looking forward to eating the main masterpiece, a towering Cherry Chocolate cake. His servant cut the first piece and handed it to the King’s taster as was the custom.
The King fussed at having to wait for his own piece, so he told the servant to give him not only the taster’s piece, but another one as well. “Oh, King,” the taster warned, “If you value your life, don’t eat that cake before I do!”
“But I must eat it,” insisted the King eyeing the cake, “surely it is safe.” The King ate two pieces, but the masterpiece had been poisoned, and it cost the young King his life. If the King had been content to wait until he had been served, he would not have had these deadly consequences.
You may be thinking, “How does this apply to me, it is almost too unrealistic to compare to my everyday life. A King in a castle, to a girl in a farm house?” But the same spirit of discontentment demonstrated by the young King, is the same we find in our heart today. It is the same ever-present, always-unsatisfied discontentment we are often plagued with in our Christian walk.
King Solomon, in the book of Proverbs wisely stated concerning discontentment, “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.” Many times when we recognize discontentment in our lives, but ignore it and it takes deeper root in our life. Discontentment is a stumbling block in our path and brings consequences!
Have you ever awaken in the middle of the night, finding that you were very thirsty? You decide to make your way to the kitchen faucet for some water, and while walking through a hallway stumble over a basketball your brother forgot to put away after dinner? This is how discontentment is in our walk with the Lord. It is a hindrance to our faith and trust in His will for us.
The only way to free ourselves from the entanglement of a discontent attitude is to pray for strength. Pray for contentment when you are given your-not-so favorite meal at breakfast. Pray for contentment when you hear that your friends’ mom is expecting a baby. Pray for contentment in just about any situation that comes up. Prayer is the best to deal with the discontentment that we face daily. Prayer is acknowledging that you are committing a sin when you are discontent, and asking Christ for help to conquer it.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Jesus assures us in Matthew 7: 11, of his answer to prayer, “If ye then, being evil know how to give gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Jesus explains that if even us sinful humans can understand the joy of giving good gifts to ones we love, then why should we as His children, be hesitant to ask Him for good gifts such as contentment? May we pray for the good gift of contentment as we walk with Christ!
Here are five practical steps to developing a more content heart!
Count your blessings. See how many things you can give thanks for in one day!
Trust God with every detail in your life, even if it is not what you would like to happen. He has a purpose and plan for you.
Seek to be a blessing to others wherever you are. Smile to them and give an encouraging word!
Guard your thoughts. When an ungrateful or discontent thought comes to mind, immediately take it captive and cast it away! (2 Cor. 10:5)
Study God’s heart and will for you in His Word. You will be amazed at all He has done for you in Christ, and begin to see how important it is to Him that you are content and submissive to His circumstances for your life today!
Sisters, let’s challenge one another to cultivate contentment in our hearts today!
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6)
I’d like to be able to sit down and chat with you about life and hear what the Lord has been teaching you! He is so merciful and faithful to teach us new things in this journey of life. I have been thinking about how thankful I am to know the Lord and how important it is to constantly be seeking to know Him MORE. It’s been on my heart to ask you – How is your walk with Jesus? Have you been earnestly seeking Him?
As I’m sure you know, a close walk with and knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, doesn’t just “happen.” It requires a diligent seeking of His face and constant communion with Him. Simply flipping through the Bible for a few minutes every few weeks won’t automatically give us a deep knowledge of God in all of His beauty!
I know how easy it is to get caught up in the busyness of life (especially during the holidays) and in opportunities we have to “serve the Lord” and forget why we are alive. It’s easy to go to church faithfully and do all the right things and talk the Christian talk, yet that doesn’t mean JESUS is the first and highest thought on our heart and mind! Is your God and Savior your HIGHEST priority in life? What are you doing to seek Him right now? How is your spiritual walk with Him deep down in your heart where no one sees – is it thriving? Are you fanning the fire of a deep passion for your precious Redeemer? Or are you allowing those embers to cool?
Jesus woos our hearts. He saved us by grace; nothing we have done merited that salvation. We love Him because He first loved us. We only live and breath and do any good thing because He enables that and pours out His grace in our lives.
And yet we can’t neglect our part of seeking His face, desiring Him, and turning our thoughts over to Him on a daily basis. Not just once a week at church or when we need Him in a crisis. He commands us, “Drawnigh to God, and he will drawnigh to you” (James 4:8) and “Seek ye my face” (Psalm 27:8).
Here are some ways we can earnestly seek the Lord and draw closer to Him. I encourage you to stop and ponder your spiritual walk today and be sure that you are earnestly seeking the Lord Jesus, the promised Messiah, especially during this Christmas season. Don’t let it fall by the wayside! Jesus is the most important thing in life!
1. Seek His Word with Your Whole Heart
Psalms 119:9-10: Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Psalms 119:27: Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
Daniel 9:3: And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
2. Cast Aside Everything That Distracts Your Focus on Christ
Philippians 3:8:Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
What is taking away your thoughts from the Lord? Is it music, media, a friend, or fiction books? It is not worth it!
3. Pour Out Your Heart in Prayer
I Thessalonians 5:17: Pray without ceasing.
Psalms 62:8: Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Proverbs 15:8: The prayer of the upright is his delight.
4. Ask God to Teach You His Wisdom
James 1:5: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
5. Begin a Bible Study to Learn More about Him
Sometimes it is really helpful to go through a solid Bible study with a sister, mother, or mentor. This sparks great conversation and deeper digging into God’s Word – you’ll learn things you might not otherwise see. (This, this, and this are excellent studies you might consider. These are great commentaries.)
Sister, I am so thankful for you and your heart to seek the Lord. Will you continue to press forward with me, as we strive to know Him more deeply, in the days to come? Distance prevents us from enjoying a nice cup of tea together around the Word of God, but don’t let that hinder you from grabbing your Bible, a notebook and pen, and diving into His Word right now!
Remember, a wise woman seeks Jesus — and they find Him!
Pressing on with You,
Sarah Lee
P.S. I’d love to hear from you and what the Lord has been teaching you; leave a comment!
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
Join us this month for the 2015 GiveThanks!x7 challenge! Each day we will record seven things we are thankful for. Let’s lift our hearts in thanksgiving to the Lord for all of His blessings.
by Sarah Lee Bryant
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
In today’s man-centered culture, we hear so much about “our rights.” We are bombarded constantly with this mentality. “You deserve it,” people tell us. And this often subtly creeps into our thoughts, as Christians.
However, God’s Word has something completely different to tell us.
Our life is not our own. As sinners saved by grace, our will has been crucified with Christ on the Cross. It is no longer “alive”—rather, we are to be a living manifestation of Jesus to the world. He died for us that we may live for Him. And so we are commanded to live out JESUS in our life. We do not have “rights,” for we are Christ’s bondservant.
Stop there—what does it mean I don’t have any rights? This goes so much against my nature, that it is almost impossible to fully comprehend. In my mind, I know this is true, because God’s Word teaches this. However—in daily life, I think this selfish mentality surfaces more than I realize.
Let me share a real life example! Let’s say that a younger sibling was given permission to do something that I have never been able to do before. In my flesh, I feel injusticed. The thought secretly creeps in—Why can I not do that? This isn’t fair! I am several years older but have never been able to do that! I deserve to be able to!
Yes, it’s humbling to admit that these thoughts actually did come to my mind in this situation. But maybe you can relate.
Only a few seconds after these selfish thoughts surfaced, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind this verse—I am crucified with Christ. And I remembered that in reality, as Christ’s, I don’t have any rights. I don’t deserve anything—in fact I do deserve eternal punishment for my sins, but the Lord Jesus Christ has freely given me new life. Because He gave His life on the Cross, I now live by faith of Him Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
“The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
As I thought on these truths, immediately the Lord corrected my attitude and I realize how selfish this issue was. Previously, in my flesh I felt shortchanged, but now in my spirit, I felt overwhelmingly grateful for this reminder of who I am in Christ. I was able to rejoice with my sibling in their privilege.
Do you remember that as a daughter of the King, you too are crucified with the Lord? Your desires no longer reign, but your life is to be a living sacrifice for the Lord.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)
Being a living sacrifice inevitably means pain and loss along the way. It is not natural. So when you are called by the Lord to die to self—do you remember that you are crucified with the Son of God? Are you willing to give up “your rights”?
Let’s evaluate our hearts together. I’d like to ask you what I have been considering: What do you perceive as your “right”?
Is it your personal space?
Is it a warm shower and clean body?
Is it respect and “fair treatment”?
Is it to be able to live without persecution for what is right?
Is it a quiet spot for uninterrupted time with the Lord?
Is it food you like?
Is it complete respect and obedience from your siblings?
Is it to have a “godly family”?
Is it the right to be able to drive at age 16?
Is it to make your own decisions at age 18?
Is it to live happily and comfortably?
Is it for life/your future to go according to your dreams (even if they are Biblical and good)?
Is it a healthy body?
What is it for you today? The world tells us that all of these things and thousands more are your right to have and experience. However, God tells us “know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Corinthians 6:19)
“Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)
“I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” (Philippians 3:19)
Are you willing to live 100% for Christ, that the life of Jesus and His will may be played out through your body?
When we realize we don’t deserve or have a right to anything, then we are so much happier. We don’t have unmet expectations, and we aren’t disappointed when someone crosses our path or has something we’d like. We realize that we have been given SO MUCH and only have reason to overflow with praise to God for His unbounding mercy! Which, by the way, we don’t deserve!
I would like to encourage you, dear sister, to memorize the following verses from 2 Corinthians 4. If possible, memorize the entire chapter; ask your sister or friend to do it with you. The Lord will bring it to mind as you strive to live all for Jesus.
“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” (II Corinthians 4:10-12)
You can download this image as a reminder
The Lord knows what trials and situations we need to go through so that we would grow more selfLESS and more like Christ. That we may bear in our bodies the life of the Lord Jesus. Let’s be faithful in the tests that come our way daily, and remember we are here for the glory of God. Life is about Him. It is not about you. It is not about me. It is not about our comfort and pleasure. It is about glorifying our Savior Who has ransomed us with His own blood.
Let’s remember true freedom is found when we realize I do not have rights.
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (I Peter 2:24)
-Sarah Lee
Encouraging Girls to Grow in their Walk with Christ
