Tag: God

You Can Trust Him

Written by Shakira on . Posted in Inspiration, Life. Leave a Comment

What is trust? Webster’s dictionary defines trust (n) as: “assured reliance on the character, strength, truth of someone or something.” Trust is said to be hard to earn but easily lost. However, when it comes to our relationship with the Lord, we must remember that He is not like man. He is faithful and merciful, even when His methods are mysterious. With this in mind, let’s review a few reflection questions from last week.

  1. How has God been faithful to you in the past? God’s fingerprints are all over my life. Looking back, I can plainly see how He has protected me from unseen danger and heartache. One of the most crucial seasons of my life was during college when my faith and my intelligence was constantly in question. Somehow, God kept his hand on me and I was able to graduate without losing my moral compass.
  2. How does realizing nothing can touch you that doesn’t first come through God help you trust Him? It reassures me that no matter what I am facing the outcome is victorious as long as my faith is in Him. Even things I don’t understand have to work in my favor.
  3. Who has God placed in your life to help you through the hard paths you’ve had to walk? All covenant relationships must be tested. As a result my closest friends are vetted and have been a source of strength and love. Also, my parents ate the most pivotal people in my life. Their flaws and strengths are both vital to my development. Godly parents aren’t perfect, just perfect for their child.

Friend, if you’re facing a season of loss, disappointment, or betrayal please know that with God, your story is always being rewritten to bring Him glory. You are not alone and you are not defeated!

As usual, Monday we began a new chapter, lesson six “You’re Invited”. The focus of this week is sharing God’s love with family and friends. I hope you are finding the lesson helpful; feel free to update me on your progress. Here are this week’s meditation scriptures…

God Loves You

Written by Shakira on . Posted in Inspiration, Life. Leave a Comment

Can you believe we’re now half way through our devotional series for this quarter? It feels like just yesterday we were screaming “Happy New Year!” I pray this series has been a blessing thus far. In last week’s lesson “God Loves You” , author Angela Perritt used the development of her relationship with her husband Dirk as an example of God’s healing love in action. Plagued by the embarrassment and isolation of having a learning disorder Angela hid behind a facade of perfection while building a wall around her heart. Her biggest fear was that Dirk would discover her secret and leave her alone and ashamed. To her surprise, after her tearful confession, Dirk only loved her through the fear and the two became even closer. Their story reminds us that we do not have to be perfect to be perfectly loved. We are made perfect in Christ and His love transforms! Here are my personal reflections on this lesson:

  1. How has God used “thorns” in your life to help cave you into His image? Angela’s disorder was surely a thorn for her–something she’d often prayed God would take away for good so she could finally be used for His glory. However, her greatest “flaw” was the very thing God used to showcase His ability to make all things beautiful. The thorns in my own life have kept me humble…teachable. They remind me of my need for a Savior, my need for help, & my need for total dependence on God.
  2. To what lies concerning God’s love for you are you currently listening? The lies that I am not good enough, righteous enough, holy enough, pure enough, bold enough, smart enough, etc… are just some of the lies that make me feel unqualified for God’s use. As a human shaped in iniquity, I will never be “perfect” in terms of being completely void of mistake and error. However, perfection has never been a prerequisite for God to use anyone. Neither David, Peter, Mary Magdalene, or Martha were perfect (and that’s just a handful) but their hearts were sincere and they lived a life of prayer, faith, repentance, and commitment to the Lord.
  3. Looking at Matthew 11:28-29, what are some burdens you’ve been carrying that Christ never intended for you to carry? This is a big one for me, and I suspect for all of us as women. I am certainly guilty of allowing the problems of others to affect me personally. It’s one thing to be filled with compassion & have a healing/counseling ministry, but it’s another to be consumed by the issues of others to the point you take on their sorrow and depression. I often feel responsible for the burdens of others. I also get burdened by the belief that I must control all the details of my life–I must have it all figured out. I also carry the weight of others’ opinions about me.

As you can see, these burdens are exactly what we should be releasing to God. Hebrews 4:15-16 shows us that our high priest Jesus knows exactly how it feels to live this human experience. He knows how it feels to be afraid, lonely, uncertain, angry, hurt, etc… and he empathizes with us because He’s been there! This means we can go to Him in prayer with confidence and in honesty. Believing He will extend grace and mercy to us, God’s beloved. Take courage today knowing you are not alone; and while you may not be perfect, He is! Here are this week’s meditation scriptures to get you through this week. Talk to you soon, XO!

Knowing God

Written by Shakira on . Posted in Inspiration, Life. Leave a Comment

Happy Monday loves!

We’ve finished “Knowing God”, week two of our You Are Loved eight week devotional series as of Friday. In this chapter Angela Perritt used the development of her relationship with Dirk, her husband, as an example of building a relationship with God. Angela does a beautiful job of reminding us that getting to know Jesus is intentional. Developing a strong relationship, whether romantic or friendly, takes time. One must be purposeful and deliberate while doing so. Angela and Dirk gradually deepened their friendship and eventually became exclusive, meaning they were only involved with one another…no side pieces. This type of intimate relationship requires vulnerability and honesty. God desires such intimacy with us, the objects of His affection. I was challenged by this week’s devotion to pursue God even more and designate quality time with the one who loves me most. Although we had seven reflection questions this week, I’ve decided to share my thoughts on these three:

  1. Knowing the truth of 2Tim 3:16, why should we read God’s word on a daily basis for ourselves? It’s one thing to hear a sermon or read a devotional, but nothing compares to first hand knowledge of God’s word for myself. The Bible is the written expression of God’s will and His character. It’s His blueprint for humanity and one of the believers’ greatest resources. We can always find comfort & guidance in His word.
  2. How does it change your outlook on God when you realize that He extends His mercy and grace to us when we approach Him? Jesus, having become human, can sympathize with our weaknesses and relate to our temptations. He is now our advocate with the Father, and our savior, and elder brother.  As a result, I am less afraid to approach God the Father. I’m less likely to stay away from Him or His presence out of shame and condemnation. When I remember His mercies are new each day and that I am His beloved, I come to Him as a child. I come as His daughter, not His peasant slave.
  3. What are some ways you can choose to slow down your life so that you can “be still” before our Lord? In the hustle and bustle of our crazy lives it’s easy to get swept up in emails, projects, duties, and entertainment. I am personally still trying to balance blogging with work and yet maintain healthy relationships with God & others. I believe that by yielding the start of my day to the Lord, routinely unplugging from technology, and not becoming consumed with social media I can slow down & be still in God’s presence.

Knowing God may seem like an impossible feat but it’s certainly easier than we think. By moving him out of the friend zone and making Him bae, we can all build the strong, loving, lasting relationship He desires!

He calls Us Beloved

Written by Shakira on . Posted in Inspiration, Life. Leave a Comment

Last week those of you who have subscribed to the blog and become Kira’s Krew joined me for week one of #Love16 , our year long exploration of love. For this first quarter we’re spending eight weeks (February & March) learning about God’s love for Us. Our devotional of choice, You Are Loved: Embracing God’s love for You by Sally Clarkson and Angela Perritt is off to a great start. In chapter one Sally describes for us how having her daughter Joy, after several miscarriages, gave her a glimpse at the unconditional love God the father has for his children. She then begins to explain for us how this love is unchanging. At the end of each chapter there are reflection questions, I’ve decided I will share my thoughts with you all here:

  1. Do you realize nothing you do will ever separate you from the love of God? How can you live in this truth? Romans 8 assures us that not even death can separate me from God’s love. Although I will never truly understand just how much He loves me, or why he continues to seek relationship with such an inconsistent human like myself, knowing this truth gives me security and peace.
  2. What does it mean to you that God is a warrior big enough to fight your battles? Zephaniah 3:17 tells me that God is the mighty warrior who saves, and that he takes great delight in me. This means that I don’t have to consume myself with worry and have paralyzing anxiety about the course of my life. It means that during the hardest times of my life I am not alone and helpless, but I have supernatural assistance from my heavenly Father.
  3. There is only one one-word definition in scripture about God–God is love. Can you think of anyone in your life who needs to know this kind of love from you and God? The essence of God is love. I wholeheartedly believe an understanding of this love and putting it into practice is what will impact the lives of those around me for the better. My family, friends, and coworkers need to see consistency in my character and my conduct. As a representative of the Kingdom of God here on earth it is my duty to love my neighbor as myself and to share the good news of Christ.
  4. What about when you blow it again? How can you quickly restore fellowship with God and others? Psalm 86 tells me that God is full of compassion and slow to anger. He is a loving father. Like any father there will be times when he must correct me when I’m wrong but he is always merciful and kind. He wants what’s best for me and knows the best path for me to take. I in turn must learn to repent of my sins and yet be just as gracious with myself. Not repeating conversations of self pity and defeat but rather meditating on God’s promises and resting in his love.

Listen, life is beautiful but it can also be extremely rough. There is no escaping the ups and downs but you can go through them victoriously with faith, hope, and love. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made was accepting Jesus Christ as my savior. He makes life worth living!

We’re already into week two Knowing God. Our memory verse is Jeremiah 24:7 “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.” Here the meditation scriptures:

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