Posted on July 27, 2017
Seek First Project: A Strong Warning (Day 57)
The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said,
“Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do,
and don’t live in dread of what frightens them.
Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life.
He is the one you should fear.
He is the one who should make you tremble.” – Isaiah 8:11-13
I’m soaking this in today. And I’m doing something else, too. I’m giving up something that keeps those dreads and fears close to the surface. I’m giving it up for a week. Will you?
Maybe it’s the evening news. Maybe it’s the facebook drama. Or reading the newspaper, or getting sucked in by a certain person. I don’t know what your trigger is, but I’m praying for you this week. Will you abstain from that?
I’m betting that by the end of this week, I won’t have any desire to take it back up. Let’s see what God can do with our surrender.
Oh, Lord, You know my anxious heart. Give me strength and wisdom this week as I do my best to avoid my stress triggers. I know I can do this with You by my side. Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Posted on July 26, 2017
Seek First Project: It’s Contagious (Day 56)
“Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.’ – Deuteronomy 20:8
I want to be this fierce warrior, ya know? But most days I’m afraid that I’m in the camp of soldiers that would have had to return home. You?
Today, let’s spread courage rather than fear. Let’s spread hope before others catch our worry.
Choose someone you know is afraid or worried, and drop them a line of some kind. Email, facebook, a card in the mail… take your pick. Make it pretty and make it personal, and don’t forget to include that which we’re seeking first… Scripture. Pass it around.
Mighty Warrior, I know I am unworthy of being in Your presence, of fighting for Your cause. But oh, how I long to be nowhere else but right by Your side. Help me to spread that more than I spread my unease. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Posted on July 25, 2017
Seek First Project: Never Again (Day 55)
For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster. – Zephaniah 3:15
The Lord Himself, the King of Israel, lived among us. In fact, He lives among us still.
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20
He’s here. Available. Accessible. Accepting.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. – John 14:16
One day, one sweet day, our troubles will be over. We will never again fear disaster.
Because disaster doesn’t belong in the vocabulary of the one who is living for God.
Does this feel like a disaster? Are you living in fear?
He’s here, living among us.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7
Today in our journals, let’s make a list of words we need to remove from our vocabulary. Along with that list, I’m including the words God uses to replace them! You can add scriptures to these, if you’d like. I’m using thesaurus.com to help me. You can type in the word, then click “synonyms” and scroll down for a list of antonyms (opposites).
Here’s a sampling of my list:
IN JESUS:
disaster becomes victory (Romans 8:37)
fear becomes faith (Colossians 2:7)
failure becomes rise (Ephesians 5:14)
despair becomes trust (Proverbs 3:5-6)
God in Heaven, help us as we seek to replace our vocabulary with yours. We ask that the Spirit remind us when it’s our habit to use these words. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Posted on July 24, 2017
Seek First Project: Hold His Hand (Day 54)
Photo by ePublicist 
The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand. – Psalm 37:23-24
Holding hands is more than just making certain someone won’t fall. Although, at times, that lifeline of the Father’s hand holding our can be just that… a lifeline!
Today I am thinking of the other things that holding hands means. I’m writing them in my journal, so that I will remember to never let go of God’s hand. Here’s a few to get you started:
*a steading touchstone
*you’re never alone
*a companionable friendship, even in silence
*I love you
*I’m solid and real and here
*you are not you, you are we
*I’ve got your back
Holding hands means all of this to me, and more! What does it mean to you?
You hold my hand, Father, not just to steady me, but to show me Your love and Your faithfulness. May I never let go, no matter what. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
Photo by ePublicist
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Shelly
Posted on July 23, 2017
Seek First Project: Care for the Flowers (Day 53)
And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
– Luke 12:28
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Shelly
Updated on July 22, 2017
Seek First Project: Take One Deep Breath (Day 52)
Photo by dr_zoidberg
When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. – Matthew 10:19
Stress can really make me feel snippy. I lash out without meaning to lash out.
I’m grumpy because of exhaustion. I’m scared because of fear, and it’s much easier to express anger than it is to say that someone has been able to hurt of frighten me.
I’m practicing taking one deep breath before opening my mouth to answer anyone.
I consider that breath to be a prayer. A surrender.
I know that God will give me the words to say, the proper words. I trust that He can calm my anxious spirit in that single moment of a deep breath. Refocus me. Reassure me. Realign everything.
Do you have this trouble, too?
I want to respond, rather than react. I want to love, rather than lash.
I am memorizing these 2 scriptures this week. I will recite them in my mind as I take a deep breath, or two, before responding. Perhaps the second one will remind me that sometimes it’s better to listen than to speak?
May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I fail to remember you,
if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy. – Psalm 137:6
The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences. – Proverbs 18:21
Heavenly Father, I want You to give me the words to speak. I want You to help me to be silent when I need to be silent. Help me to make my tongue less of a weapon, less sharp, and less clumsy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
Photo by dr_zoidberg
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Shelly
Posted on July 22, 2017
Seek First Project: The Power of Trouble (Day 51)
He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the Lord supported me.
He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me. – 2 Samuel 22:18-20
Have you ever had that moment of clarity when you realize that what you’re up against is too strong for you? I’ve had plenty of those moments.
In those moments, when you see your trouble clearly, you have a choice.
Give up or Look up.
The Lord is your support. He is ready to lead you. He rescues.
Today is the day to let your emotions out. Shout. Weep. Cower. Direct it all to the Lord in prayer. Be real with Him, then give it over to Him.
Be supported. Be led. Accept rescue.
He delights in you.
Dear God, here I stand, in all my brokenness. These worries are too much for me. These fears are too strong, and overwhelm me. Where could I go but to You. Help me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Posted on July 20, 2017
Seek First Project: Our Shield, Our Faith (Day 50)
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” – Genesis 15:1
Why do we not fear? Because He is our shield.
When worry surrounds you on every side. When pain closes in… don’t forget to lift that shield.
in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. – Ephesians 6:16
And very great will be our reward.
But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head. – Psalm 3:3
Today, I created a shield. I made mine from paper and images/scriptures found online. If you’re artsy or inspired, you can use any medium you like and make this as fancy as you like. My theme was faith, since that’s what our shield is for our Christian armor. You can create this in your journal, if you’d prefer. But if you want a printable, click the outline below to be brought to it.
Here’s what mine looks like:
Sweet Jesus, our shield of faith in You can quench ALL the fiery arrows of the evil one. How can we ever thank You enough? We believe. We love. We trust. In Your Name, Amen…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMbl35t1H0U
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Shelly
Posted on July 19, 2017
Seek First Project: Faith on the Earth (Day 49)
Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” – Luke 18:1-8
We are not appealing to an unrighteous judge who must be worn down with our nagging in order to answer our appeals.
We are given this parable in order to know that we should pray at all times, and not lose heart.
When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?
A couple of weeks ago, we made a list in our journals of the very specific things we are asking God to do in our life right now. Revisit that list. What answers can be added to your “answer jar”? Which ones are still on the list, seemingly unanswered?
Today I want us to write a specific prayer in our journals for the most prevalent thing that is still on that list. Be real. Be specific. Ask.
And don’t forget that our Righteous Father is already at work, even when we can’t see the results yet. Don’t lose heart.
Dear Lord, thank You for the parables You left for us. Thank You for Your Word, which gives us hope and strength for today. Thank You for moving, unseen, in our lives. Amen…
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Shelly
Posted on July 18, 2017
Seek First Project: Pleasing God, or Men? (Day 48)
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. – Galatians 1:10
One of the most difficult things about being at a crossroads is that opinions and advice come at you from every direction. When the crossroads feels more like a rock and a hard place, the pressure to make the right choices can become smothering!
Stress can really multiply during these times. When advice is from people you love, you don’t want to let them down by taking a different path. When opinions come from strangers, the sting of judgment can leave an already raw heart bleeding.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying some guidance from your inner circle of trusted, Christian loved ones is a bad thing. Quite the opposite! It can be the way that God answers your prayer for guidance and answers!
All I’m saying is, we have to be careful whom we go to for advice. We have to be cautious about which opinions we let into our hearts and our decision-making process. If the suggestions aren’t coming from wise, Christian people who both know and love you, then you may want to accept their advice, and then move in the way God had you moving to begin with… you know what I mean?
When you’re in a hard spot, fears and worries on every side, not sure which way to turn, here are a few things to keep as a general rule:
1. Go to God, first and always. Search the scriptures for how God would want you to handle the particular situation you’re in.
2. Calling all prayer warriors! Get the word out that you’re on your knees and want others to join you! You don’t have to share details, the Lord knows them all.
3. Keep your circle small and trusted. Find the people who will surround you with scripture and sound, Christian advice, and clue them in on what’s going on. Take their advice or thoughts to heart and bring them to God to weigh carefully.
4. Be still. Often, our first instincts will be to run or move or do something. While there are times when this is necessary, if at all possible, take the time to do numbers 1-3 before making any decisions or taking any action. Often sitting with an issue for even a few days will cause you to think more clearly and approach things more calmly.
5. Stand confidently in the decision God has led you to, knowing that He will not forsake you. We are called to be in this world, but not to seek after things of this world. Seek after the Lord, and stand firm in that stance.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. – Psalm 27:1, 3, 5
Dear God, I come to You on behalf of myself, and on behalf of all who are reading this today who have big issues in their lives and need direction. We know that You are the only One with the answers we seek. We know that You are the only One who loves us, who will never abandon us, who longs to give us a future and a hope. Help us to patiently seek and listen, Lord. Surround us with Christian family and friends who will help us stay the path You set us on. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
