#wtsdevo
Jesus is Greatness (#wtsdevo Jesus)
It’s insane how you see so many people boast and flaunt about their greatness these days. It is mind blowing, (and getting old very fast). I am Australian, but I hear about the greatness of Donald Trump all the way across the world. Not because of anyone else, but just from him alone! Is this really greatness though? Well let’s find out, shall we?
Now forget Trump for just a bit (check out the telly if you want more of him) and let’s bring Jesus into the conversation here. We all know that God is beyond ourselves and anything we can imagine. He is greater and next to Him we are just tiny, tiny, tiny humans who are in constant need of Him everyday, just so we can live. The world was burning and just deteriorating in sin, and so God had a mission and that is to save the world. To lead this mission, God sent down His only Son - Jesus, to come down to us. To rescue us and to save us.
Jesus! This is not some guy a few blocks away from where you live. This isn’t some guy who happens to be my neighbor. This isn’t some great athlete in some world class football team. Jesus is no prince of Egypt or England, or a president in some powerful country. Jesus isn’t any of these. Jesus is God. He is all of us combined. He is all of the universe and beyond combined and His greatness and power can’t be measured or put into perspective. It’s madness to even try to measure or even quantify who Jesus is because He is Jesus. Jesus is God.
As John shares in the Bible, - “The Word became flesh…” and goes on to say that Jesus “… Made His dwelling among us.” Some important words here if you caught on to this already. Jesus just didn’t stay or stick to one place. Not a throne. Not a place. Not a president’s office. Nope. He was so great, that it was among us that He chose to live. He didn’t stop there with defining what greatness was.
In the Bible, we meet the religious leaders and the pharisees who just about defined what greatness was to the people of the time. We have people no different from these even today. However Jesus turned heads around and left them spinning when He chose to demonstrate what greatness really was. It was all about reaching out to the helpless, healing the sick, comforting those who were in pain and even washing the feet of His own disciples. In other words - it was by serving others and in sacrifice that He demonstrated what true greatness was.
Ultimately what Christ shared with us was the fact that greatness does not come from boasting, flaunting, wealth or from literally anything earthly. Power and greatness comes from within. From Christ dwelling within us. Greatness comes from those moments when we choose sacrifice over ourselves. When we choose to serve than to be served. Greatness comes when we accept that we can’t do everything on our own but that we are in need of Jesus to take lead over our lives so that we can be more like Him. Great like Him.
I urge you today to not let anyone tell you and dictate your greatness. Your greatness does not come from the world or by any formula, quantity or ability. Your greatness comes from Jesus Himself because Jesus is greatness! You and I are great in Him.
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Devotional Series: Jesus (#wtsdevo Jesus)
By: Elle \Personal// Walk the Same// Color Movement
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He is a Pursuing God (#wtsdevo God)
A few days ago, I was talking to a girl who used to be in the business of prostitution. She told me something that was really touching. She mentioned how she constantly felt alone, used and helpless while being a prostitute, and how she felt loved in a surreal way when myself and some of our team of girls came across her and spoke to her, helping change her life for the better.
“I didn’t want to trust you guys because it felt too good to be true. But when I saw you and some of the other ladies come over and talk to me day after day, sharing all about Jesus and love with me I felt wanted and loved for the first time. It was the first time someone genuinely had pursued me.”
She is following her dream now - studying to be a chef and we constantly keep in touch.
When she told me this, it just reminded me so strongly that I wouldn’t be here helping others if God hadn’t pursued me first and continues to do so. There was a time in my life where I was just shattered and broken. I felt useless and nothingness constantly, and I felt like I had no place in society. When I was feeling the most down, God pursued me in ways I could never have imagined. In His pursuit of me, He captured my heart and I captured His and I fell madly in love. I finally woke up to the amazing purpose and plans that He had for, me and all I wanted to do was go after them and live it through.
His pursuit of me inspired me to stay in the Church and help others. This same pursuit just fuelled me and strengthened me to never give up no matter how hard it gets. His pursuit of me is passionate and true. This alone shapes me to be the Christian and follower of Christ I am today.
Christ pursues all of us, and it is the kind of love story that you truly want to find yourself in.
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Devotional Series: God (#wtsdevo God)
By: Elle \ Personal // Walk the Same // Color Movement
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A Shared Heartbeat (#wtsdevo love)
As a child, my grandmother used to always tell me that I needed to be very careful about everything that I embrace into my life, because it will likely shape me in the long run. Embrace the good, and we will see good results . Accept the bad and unhealthy, and what we end up with is hurt and pain down the road.
The same can be said when talking about our relationship with God. So many people say they love Jesus, and yet their lives do not reflect it. However when we do love Jesus with all our heart, mind, soul and body, that bond with our Father will shape us into individuals who reflect Him entirely. His life becomes ours, His love becomes ours, His mission becomes ours and His heartbeat becomes ours.
What a wonderful connection is that!
My prayer for all of us today is that our relationship with God holds true and faithful, that we may grow in Him and share a life together with Him making everything else including our fears and trouble trivial and irrelevant. His love will take over and everything else drowns in the weight of His love.
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Devotional Series: Love (#wtsdevo love)
By: Elle \ Personal // Walk the Same // Color Movement
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Because God IS Love (#wtsdevo love)
Life is so chaotic and tends to be a lot more disheartening these days that I find it super crucial to me to remind myself on a daily basis that God loves me. With life and things around us trying to constantly weigh us down, it easy for us to sometimes wonder where God is in the midst of all of this. The negative thoughts and feelings that the enemy tries to pin down on us usually tend to make us feel like God has abandoned us because we aren’t all that worthy enough for Him.
Just as God constantly reminds me how good and loving He is, I want to extend that reminder to you today and share the good news that God loves you. Yes! He does. You may have had your shortcomings, your downfalls. You may have flaws and you may feel insecure and more….. But God loves you.
You may ask why “Why does God love me?”…. Well He does because He is love Himself. It is who He is and love being part of His nature and being, it is impossible for Him to not love you. What this means for you and me is that His love is always here to stay because it is based purely on who He is and not what we do or who we are.
Remember that God’s word triumphs over the world and people around you any day. You are loved and that love will never end.
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Devotional Series: Love (#wtsdevo love)
By: Jude \ Personal//Walk the Same
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Unexplainable Joy Leads to Cheerful Giving (#wtsdevo joy)
Seven years ago, our family had the opportunity to visit an orphanage for disabled children in India that our son’s foundation helps support financially. I’ll never forget the long journey to reach these children. After a fifteen hour flight from America to New Delhi, we travelled six hours by car and twelve hours by train in order to reach the tiny town in which these children lived. My visualization of poverty transformed as we made our way to the orphanage. Women bathing children on broken sidewalks, families of five traveling together on one motorcycle, small children begging for money on every corner………………..
Nothing about my life seemed to be lacking anymore.
I looked out the window of the train as we moved along the bumpy track, and the sea of homes made from all kinds of random material with lines of laundry strung between them moved me to tears. I thought about the children we would soon be meeting. I wondered what kinds of conditions they lived in and what it would take to make them happy. Almost immediately, my mind jumped to thoughts of my suitcase and what I had packed as gifts for the kids at the orphanage………………….
Candy.
Small, hard candy in plastic wrappers.
This was all we had brought for these little children who needed so much more.
I felt certain my hands would feel empty as I reached out to give such a little gift to children with such great needs.
When we finally reached our destination and made our way to the home where these children lived, I found myself second-guessing the gifts in my bag. Although we had been told the kids would love little pieces of candy, I was sure we should have brought clothes or books …….. gifts that would last much longer.
As the door to their home opened, a group of young children – some deaf, some blind, some crippled – greeted us excitedly.
My family and I began hugging them, and I found myself completely overwhelmed with the huge smiles on their faces. These children, with so many reasons to feel unloved and forgotten, were beaming with joy in spite of all the aspects of their lives that could have caused them to weep.
As we handed out our tiny gifts, the children squealed. I couldn’t imagine them being any happier than they were in that moment. Our candy, in their hands, seemed like precious gold.
And then the most unbelievable thing happened.
Children started coming towards us, one by one, trying to give the candy back.
I was confused at first, “Why would they want to give back the very thing they had just received so joyfully?”
Our guide must have realized our entire family was confused as we were trying to push candy into the hands of children who were pushing it back into ours. He smiled and explained that the children were so happy to see us and this was their way of trying to say “thank you” for our visit to India. Since they had nothing else to give in return, they were giving the one thing they had…………….candy. No one was forcing them to give. No one was asking them to even say, “thank you.” Their hearts were so full of joy that giving was the natural response.
Tears ran down my face as I realized this is exactly what 2 Cor. 9:7 would look like if it were captured in a photograph.
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
These children, who had nothing, were teaching me what it means to give freely and joyfully.
Several years have passed since I stood in that tiny village in India surrounded by children who had every reason to feel sad but instead chose to feel joy, but my heart still feels just as overwhelmed when I think about their faces….their beautiful faces beaming with joy as they tried to give back the one thing they could offer us as a “thank you.”
My face should beam with joy today as I think about all the ways God has blessed my own life. Because of this joy, I should want to cheerfully give back to Him in every possible way I can in order to say “thank you.”
No matter what you’re facing in life, find reasons to feel joy and turn to God with a beaming face, cheerfully giving back to Him from the blessings He has so freely given you…..even when they seem like tiny pieces of candy wrapped in plastic. Overwhelm Him with your joy in spite of your circumstances and watch what happens. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
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Devotional Series: Joy (#wtsdevo joy)
By: Tammy \ Personal//Walk the Same
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Joy comes when you know who you are in Christ (#wtsdevo joy)
I get the most upset, angry and exhausted when I feel lost, and when things seem uncertain. When I feel like I can’t unravel my thoughts and emotions, I just end up keeping my emotions and actions on the down-low. However, when I do have an idea as to who I am and what I am doing, then I’m fueled in a positive way. I’m happy and outgoing and just want to do more and more.
In our Christian lives, when we move with no direction, or when our understanding of ourselves and our purpose is vague… We start to feel blue and unhappy. We would feel that way because we are in a position where we have no idea about our calling or what we are meant to do. The joy in our lives dries up, and we are left with nothing but the dry, dusty emotions of anger, sadness and frustration.
As a Christian, it is key for all of us to identify who we are in Christ and to also allow God total control over all aspects of our lives. Give Him control of our plans, our present and our future. Usually when we are lost and feeling misguided, we are compelled to take things into our own hands and do it our way. This typically ends up with us reliant wholly on people and the world in general.
Seeking help from people isn’t a bad thing. We are called to place ourselves within community and interaction. But leaving God out of the story of our lives isn’t going to do us a favor. It is important for us to understand that God alone is our steadfast anchor in life. No matter how much the world shakes around us, by trusting and holding onto our faith in God, we are held safe in His hands. Even when the world seems like its crashing down on us, our joy and strength remains because God remains unshaken. Therefore no matter the road ahead, we can still move on strong and hopeful. Most importantly, our joy remains untainted.
When we know who we are in Christ, we essentially map ourselves clearly in the middle of a chaotic world. And when we identify who we are the way Christ meant us to, we place ourselves in a position where we are filled with His wisdom and guidance when it comes to whom to approach and making the right decisions. Everything becomes crystal clear when we identify ourselves in Christ.
Pure joy is so much needed in this life. We all live today and it is sure to take over our lives when we finally know who we are in Christ. We are all His, and each of us are meant for amazing and joyful things. This promise is something we need to pray on everyday and believe in.
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Devotional Series: Joy (#wtsdevo joy)
By: Elle \ Personal // Walk the Same // Color Movement
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The Source of Joy (#wtsdevo joy)
Life can get hard. This being a constant occurrence, it is easy for us to get tied down to the negativity that it brings- fear, anger, hurt and insecurity.
Since we are a people who want and crave things in the “now” we seek out for joy in quick and easy things. However this pursuit of easy “joy” turns and puts us into even more of a struggle, because the joy that we seek from worldly things isn’t joy at all, but simple happiness. Good comes with happiness, but it is fleeting and temporal.
Once we fall into this cycle of chasing unsatisfactory happiness, we fall into the trap of seeking joy from the world rather than the source of all joy. And what do we get? Cheap happiness simply disguised as joy. Although we may not realize it at the time, cheap happiness kills us on the inside day after day.
How different would things be if we went to the source of joy for our joy! The joy that Christ brings isn’t quick, fast and easy but rather it endures and is relentless, just like His Word and truths are eternal.
When we seek out joy from Christ Himself and fill ourselves up with the goodness and love that He has to offer, our struggles, pain and worry all drown under the immense weight of His mercy and love. The negatives in our lives go away and is replaced by pure joy and every other blessing that God brings down upon us.
When things don’t seem to be working and when joy seems to be lacking in your life, seek the source of it all. Let His presence fill you with joy that the world cannot give you. In Him may your joy be complete.
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Devotional Series: Joy (#wtsdevo joy)
By: Jude \ Personal//Walk the Same
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Joy is coming. (#wtsdevo joy)
“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” Psalm 126:5
Around this time of year, a sense of dread will start to crawl up my spine. It’ll work it’s way into my heart and my mind, and I’ll grow restless and discontent. I’m not sure if it’s the cold weather or the lack of sunlight, I just know that this is the time of year satan uses most to try and steal my joy.
I’m aware by now that I can prepare in small ways every year for this, and I try my best. However, it seems like every year, I spend at least a few January nights in tears. I weep over the feelings of hopelessness and exhaustion. My heart aches with longing for glimmers of spring.
I am also aware by now, however, that this is the time of year God uses the most. He gently pulls me back into His warm, loving arms, and once again lights the flame in my heart. By spring, I am renewed in Him- filled with His joy and fire once more.
Prayer:
Father, the deep cold of these winter months can take a toll on a person. I know though, that you are using this time to prepare me, to remind me of who you are, and to once more fill me with your joy. Thank you for your constant presence and love.
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Devotional Series: Joy (#wtsdevo joy)
By: Autumn Holbert \ Personal//Walk The Same
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Joy in a Prison Cell (#wtsdevo joy)
I was nine years old when my minister preached a sermon on Philippians. I remember vividly his description of Paul’s conditions in prison as he wrote this book- a cold, damp cell. Isolation from those he loved. An uncertain tomorrow. Paul had every reason to complain and feel anything but joy. Yet in Philippians 4:4 he penned the words, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, Rejoice!” I can almost see my little hand grasping the bright blue ink pen as I carefully underlined those words in my Bible. “Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say, Rejoice!” I remember thinking, “If Paul can rejoice while he is in prison, surely I can rejoice no matter what I might face in life.”
Many years have passed since I claimed Philippians 4:4 as my life verse. I have now been married thirty years and have four adult children. I also have two children waiting for me in Heaven – a daughter who died of SIDS in 1992 and a son who died of brain cancer in 2008.
When I underlined that verse in my Bible many years ago, I had no idea just how often I would cling to it in times of great sadness. I love the thought that even though I didn’t know what was coming in my life, God did. And I believe He knew I needed this particular verse planted deep in my soul.
Are you facing a tough season right now?
If so, take some time to read Philippians 4 and think about Paul’s ability to praise God in the midst of great uncertainty and suffering. Ask God to help you learn how to rejoice even when very little about life makes sense.
He promises in Psalm 126:5 that if we “sow in tears we will reap songs of joy!” I have seen Him keep this promise in my own life time and time again.
Life is hard. There will be tears.However, God is good. And He promises joy to those who live for Him.
I am praying for you today. Praying you have a day filled with unexplainable joy!____________________________________________
Devotional Series: Joy (#wtsdevo joy)
By: Tammy \ Personal//Walk the Same
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Prayer all the time! (#wtsdevo prayer)
Read: James 5:13-19
How often do you pray over the things in your life? How about the people you know? What about praying, just to spend time with God? Often times in church, we will ask for prayer. We easily offer up our woes to others, in hope that their prayer will intercede for us- or at least bring us some comfort. What we don’t realize, is that we are able to have this personal connection ourselves as well.
Prayer is our main form of communication with God, and he puts puts immense value on it! In today’s passage alone, we are told we should pray when we are in trouble, as well as when we are happy. We are also supposed to call our church leaders to pray over the sick.
I know that I personally, take this open communication with God for granted. I forget that my prayers are powerful and meaningful- because they are listened to by the king of kings. As we read through today’s passage, open your hearts and minds to God. He wants to talk to you, to heal you, to bless you. Let’s recieve those things by hearing what He has to say!
Prayer:
Father, I’m sorry for not making time to pray to you before. I know you want the best for me- your word says so. I just have a difficult time remembering that. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for me, so that I am able to freely speak and listen to you. I want to hear you and know you better. Gently remind me that you are my priority above all else. Amen.
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Devotional Series: Prayer (#wtsdevo prayer)
By: Autumn Holbert \ Personal//Walk The Same
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Why is prayer important? (#wtsdevo prayer)
It’s amazing, beautiful and wonderful when two people get married. Both of them are happy, and things are all going well and they are all set to do life together as husband and wife. However, a problem soon pops up. They don’t communicate with each other very well. Things in their married lives soon get confusing and chaotic. This goes on for a while until they decide that they have no choice but to file for a divorce. Disaster right?
Take a similar scenario in your walk with God. Being a Christian means that now you get to do life with Jesus. Amazing, right? It is amazing- but what if you fail to communicate with God? What if you decide you want to do things your own way? I’m sure you realize that the result of that wouldn’t be an different to the example I shared above.
In both case and in most of life, communication plays and important role in order for us to thrive in the place that we are rooted in. This is most important when it comes to building relationships and maintaining community with other people around you. The alternate word for communicating with God is known to us as prayer. When we pray to God, we are essentially spilling our hearts and souls out to Him. Prayer is where we acknowledge that we aren’t all that awesome next to Him, and that we need His help throughout the way. Now some of you may argue… “Why even tell anything to God? You folks tell us that He is all present and that He knows our hearts, minds and souls? What gives man?” Fair enough. Well God may know all of us for sure but the question comes down to - do we know all of Him? You see, in relationships we get to know the other person much better when we communicate with that person. Once we do, we begin to know the likes, dislikes, etc. of this person. This isn’t any different with our relationship with God.
God has all these amazing plans for our lives. We are not just empty creations, but rather we are all created with a purpose and a mission to conquer. How would we know all this if we don’t communicate with God? What we also need to remember is that our God doesn’t sleep or chill out on us but He’s constantly present and is always right beside us. This is not Him being like that creepy ex-boyfriend or girlfriend that you know but this is Him being a Father to us…. guiding us and giving us direction in this chaotic world that you and I live in. Without Him next to us, we are sure to get lost and sucked into this mess. However none of this will come to be in our lives, if we don’t pray and communicate with Him.
Prayer is important to us because it helps us stay on track and be on check with our mission and purpose in this Gospel narrative that Jesus started. It is only when we pray that we know what to look forward to and we are given the strength to endure through the hard times in life - keeping on strong and pushing on with the fight.
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Devotional Series: Prayer (#wtsdevo prayer)
By: Jude \ Personal//Walk the Same
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Earnest Prayer (#wtsdevo prayer)
Read: Luke 22
“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Luke 22:41-44
Luke 22 is about the last days of Jesus, prior to his death. Here we find that Jesus is deeply upset by the things he knows are to soon come. He is well aware that his death is coming- and that it won’t be quick or painless. He is going to suffer, He is going to feel the weight of all of our sins on his body.
Jesus prays to God and asks Him to take the burden of what is about to happen away- but only if it is God’s will. And just like that, an angel came down and gave him strength!
Through this bit of strength, Jesus begins praying more and more, so hard that the book says ‘his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground’.
Can you imagine, just for a moment, that we prayed like this? That we would take it upon ourselves to choose not to pray selfishly. To say ‘Lord, your will, not mine.’ even in the darkest depths of our lives. Even into certain death?
As this text promises, when we offer ourselves to God, He will strengthen us. He will be with us, guiding our every move. In Him, we are able to walk with strength into what God has planned for us. It may not be painless, but it will be worthwhile for us.
Today, I challenge you to read through this chapter, praying as you go. Pray earnestly, pray to give your life over to Him. Pray that His holy, worthy will be done, and watch Him as he transforms your life.
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Devotional Series: Prayer (#wtsdevo prayer)
By: Autumn Holbert \ Personal//Walk The Same
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It’s a way of life (#wtsdevo prayer)
Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
As a new Christian, one of the first questions that one can come across is with the whole aspect of communicating with God. Various religions have their guidelines for what you must do to communicate with their gods. With Christianity, it simply comes down to you having a conversation with God. In other words, this is known as Prayer. This being our means to communicate with God, we are given the opportunity to open our entire selves to God where we can share our joys, fears, praise and concerns.
Most people mistake prayer to be some special ritual that needs to be carried out in this special formula-styled way which isn’t the case at all. Conversations do not call for a special style when it is delivered and neither does it have a time and a place for when it can be exchanged. Similarly, Prayer does not have a designated set of location(s) not a time and neither a style. Rather prayer is just you being open with God in deepest and vulnerable of ways.
Prayer being something that allows us to be out there in the open - in full view of God, by praying we are, in our words, trusting God wholly with everything we have going on in our lives including all of ourselves. By praying, we acknowledge the fact that we are surely in need of a saviour and by doing this, we are continually depending on God to take us forward thereby allowing us to be in constant and faithful communion with Him.
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Devotional Series: Prayer (#wtsdevo prayer)
By: Jude \ Personal//Walk the Same
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You Become What You Pursue (#wtsdevo Pursuit)
“You become what you pursue” is true for much in life. This can span over a variety of things such as your career, relationships, goals, personal growth and more. Pursuing the Lord is my main focus every single day because the more I choose to pursue Him, the more I see myself growing as a Christian and as a person. The process of growth hasn’t been an easy one, but thanks to Christ, I find myself having the strength and courage to step up and move on.
This wasn’t always the case though. As a child, following the time my parents had died in a tragic accident, I pursued sadness and anger purely out of the pain I had to endure at the time. I thought it would help me cope with everything that I was going through. It actually felt right at home in the beginning, but life seemed to crumble apart with time. It seemed like nothing was meant to go right for me. It was just a bad time.
Yet in the middle of that downfall in my life, God opened a window, showing me that there was a life much better than what I was experiencing at the time. All I had to do was give up everything I knew and follow Him. I remember thinking that I had nothing left to lose. I was so desperately in need of love and comfort that I chose to obey Him.
Moving on to this day, here I am growing but in a much better place.
It was a hard lesson for me to learn but I was clearly shown whom I needed to follow in order to live a life that was filled with pure joy. You can live a life today filled with the blessing that Christ had promised for all of us. You just have to accept Him and pursue Him and everything else will fall into place.
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Devotional Series: Pursuit (#wtsdevo Pursuit)
By: Elle \Personal// Walk the Same// Color Movement
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Through Every Generation (#wtsdevo faithfulness)
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” -2 Timothy 2:13
I am deeply grateful that my God’s faithfulness doesn’t hinge on my faith. He would still be just if He measured our relationship based on what I offered Him. After all, we operate that way down here among the mortals.
One of our greatest flaws as human beings—what most separates us from a holy God is our failure to be perfect. We lie, we cheat, we cut corners and we disappoint. And because we’re humans rubbing elbows with other humans on a daily basis, it can be easy to attach our standards to Him as well. Even accidentally.
He is holy and perfect. Anything short of that is a direct contradiction to His nature. He cannot fail. He can’t be unloving. Even in His judgement He loves us. Also, while He deserves our best effort and perfect faith, we fall majorly short. Our God is still faithful.
All of our human characteristics are mere shadows compared to His. He is the essence and definition of faithfulness. He can never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). The faithfulness of the Lord endures forever (Psalm 117:2).
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Devotional Series: Faithfulness (#wtsdevo faithfulness)
By: Julian Davis \ Personal // Walk the Same
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Faithful Living (#wtsdevo faithfulness)
I love listening to the inspiring and life changing messages that I hear every Sunday. They make impact when it comes to how I live daily and transforms the way I think and approach situations. As Christians, we are keen to hear all that is being shared when our Pastors and teachers share them but all too often it is hard to actually apply them into our own lives faithfully. That’s because of the human condition of being too comfortable and our pride.
However there’s more to living life than sticking to what our flesh tells us to and Christ demonstrated that to us through His life. Unlike most of those that were around Him, it was clear, reading the Bible, that Christ experienced a true sense of freedom. He lived a life of peace and He was in a position to be there for others and comfort them when the need came. His life became like so because He was shaped by His faithfulness - to His Father, to His cause and mission and His purpose.
There came several times when He was tempted and when He felt like He couldn’t go any further but by His faithfulness, He understood that there was something bigger and amazing on the other side and this is the same attitude that we too must adopt as we choose to follow Christ.
Is it easy to say with our mouths that we will change but true transformation comes about when we choose to be faithful. Often times, things (and life) may come our way to disrupt our calling and all it takes to deflect these moments is faithfulness.
It can make all the difference to life beyond measure.
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Devotional Series: Faithfulness (#wtsdevo faithfulness)
By: Jude \ Personal//Walk the Same
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Motivated for Good (#wtsdevo goodness)
“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” - Titus 2:7-8
I used to have a lead foot. I treated the speed limit as merely a suggestion. Life behind the wheel was full of impatience and anxiety—all brought on by myself. I’d look for patrol cars or to see if traffic ahead of me was slowing down. If not, I put the pedal to the metal.
So I’ve had my share of speeding tickets. And to think it all could have been avoided if I just obeyed the law. I drove not to get caught. My motivation wasn’t to abide by the God-to-man-appointed law. I had a bigger issue than just speeding. It was an integrity problem.
Although now I feel delivered from my racecar driver complex, that integrity struggle has leaked it’s way into other facets of my life. Not long after engaging in the fight for integrity comes good ol’ legalism. And if I’m not careful my motivation can become not getting caught rather than pleasing the Father—bringing Him glory in my conduct at all times.
Am I moved to obey Him simply because of who He is? My only hope is that He grants me Psalm 19 verse 14:
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
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Devotional Series: Goodness (#wtsdevo goodness)
By: Julian Davis \ Personal // Walk the Same
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Bless the Lord (#wtsdevo goodness)
“I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
… Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
- Psalm 34:1-5, 8
Seventeen years ago this past Tuesday (October 31), Jesus Christ changed my life forever. My mom shared with me the truths that Jesus had died to save me so I could be forgiven. My small self knew that there was a standard of perfection (the holiness of God) that I could never live up to. Even as a child, I knew I was not perfect. The news that Jesus had lived up to that standard for me was amazing! I knew that I needed Him to make the way for me to be forgiven by God. I asked Him to save me, and He did. Heaven was filled with joy in that moment (Luke 15:7).
This is why I reflect on the goodness of God this week. He didn’t have to do that for me – but He did. And He did it for you too. Jesus covers all our shame and restores our relationship with our loving Creator, a relationship that we couldn’t fix by ourselves. Because of Jesus, our God sees us as His children whom He loves. Because of Him, I call out with the Psalmist, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” This is true in my life: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears”! How incredible is the goodness of our God. He is not far away; He is right there ready to come and get His children. Fifteen years ago this week, He came and got me. My eternity was sealed by the God of the universe (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
Over the past fifteen years of this relationship, I can say again with the Psalmist that I have tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord. He never changes, never fails, is never unfaithful. Any good in me is from Him. Jesus has truly changed not just my external life but my inner being. The ultimate purpose and fulfillment of my life is nothing if not found in Him whom I was created by and for. “In Your presence there is fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11)
I share this part of my story, the beginning, in the hope that it will encourage someone who reads it, that it will bring glory to my God, and that it will spark in someone a desire for the same kind of life change. All that is necessary is faith that Jesus really did live the perfect life that we could not live, die the death that we could not die, and rise again to eternal life so that we could spend forever with Him, our lives on this earth dedicated to His glory and praise. Our God is so good that He made the way for us to come back to Him when we couldn’t even see that we needed it.
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Devotional Series: Goodness(#wtsdevo goodness)
Posted by: Rebecca Hankins \ Personal// Walk the Same
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A Good God (#wtsdevo goodness)
“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” -Romans 7:18
Hopefully we can all own this verse. It’s only been a few years since I’ve been able to look at it honestly. Because we live among the measures of good, better and best by our standards. But God, in His perfect goodness is the only truly good One. Paul understood that.
If there is anything about me that isn’t utterly despicable, it’s only by the grace of God and His goodness through me. Not from me or by me. We are simply the vessels that display His goodness. Pride can convince us otherwise but only God is good.
He is a good, good Father.
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Devotional Series: Goodness (#wtsdevo goodness)
By: Julian Davis \ Personal // Walk the Same
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His Steadfast Love (#wtsdevo goodness)
“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” - Psalm 100:5
There was a time in my life not too long ago where I questioned God’s goodness in my heart. For a few months, the circumstances of my life had been going in a direction that I thought was going to change my life for good. I thought I had reached a point where the next steps for me were clear, where I knew what was going to happen. I was so excited about the future that seemed to be in front of me. But in just a few days, all that changed completely. Almost every aspect of what I had planned fell apart. I no longer knew what I would be doing in the next few months, and I no longer knew who would be with me on that journey. It was one of the loneliest times of my life as I wrestled with trusting the Lord and remaining close to Him while I waited to see what He would actually bring about. Graciously He provided everything I needed and more, and now I am so thankful for the way He redirected my life. His plan was infinitely better than mine.
But what I struggled with as all this was happening was that I questioned whether God was really being “good” in all this. I felt like He had given me certain gifts of people in my life as well as a job opportunity. I felt like I had been unjustly robbed of those things when they were taken away. I wondered whether I had done something wrong, or whether I had just misheard God’s voice. It took many months, but after seeking the Lord and coming to Him in honesty and brokenness, He said to me clearly that He had never changed that whole time (Malachi 3:6). He had remained good. He had remained faithful and loving to me. What was missing was my perspective. His goodness never changes because He never changes! I simply could not see it from my partial and flawed perspective. Even when the Lord spoke that truth to me, I had to believe it by faith. I could not explain everything that happened. Today, I still may not be able to explain every detail, but what I definitely can explain is that since then, I have seen the goodness of the Lord (Psalm 27:13). Even in taking things away, He was actually merciful and loving and good because He knew what was best for me. He knew what His plan was all along, and just because I didn’t, didn’t mean that He wasn’t good. Friends, we can have confidence that our Lord never changes. No matter what happens, He is faithful and He is good. He is our rock solid foundation that we can trust. This means that when our circumstances seem awful or even irredeemable, the fact that He is good means that He is actually working in them to bring about His plan for our good as His children. Let’s praise Him for His goodness today, rest in that foundation, and ask Him to help us trust Him by faith that He is good even when we can’t see it.
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Devotional Series: Goodness (#wtsdevo goodness)
Posted by: Rebecca Hankins \ Personal// Walk the Same
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His Goodness Prevails (#wtsdevo goodness)
Psalm 91 happens to be one of my most favorite Psalms in the Bible because on a bad day, it reminds me that God’s goodness stands out and breaks away all negativity and replaces it with the comfort and grace of God and everything good that you can possibly imagine.
I think that with so much happening these days around in our world, it is easy to lose it and fall into the trap where you end up feeling like everything is going downhill. And in circumstances such as this it is important to journey on ahead with positivity and so much hope. The way that one can do this is by being reminded of God’s goodness and the best source of this is through His own words in the Bible.
The Bible is filled with reminders about His goodness but simply taking Psalm 91 alone and unpacking it, tells us that no matter the season, situation or circumstance, God’s goodness prevails. It comes through even in the times when you might never expect it but it surely does come.
God is our Father and He loves us more than we can ever imagine. He is always for us and is always with us even in the stormy times of life - carrying us through and allowing us to grow in our wisdom and strength. All we need to do it believe and cling onto Him.
He never fails. His goodness is here to stay.
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Devotional Series: Goodness (#wtsdevo goodness)
By: Jude \ Personal//Walk the Same
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Be Kind to One Another (#wtsdevo kindness)
Ephesians 4:32-5:1 – “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.”
Kindness has been a theme in my life recently. I’ve been learning to show kindness in new and creative ways. I’ve experienced kindness shown to me in ways that I never thought would happen or that I needed to experience. I’ve been learning that two major components of kindness are mercy and selflessness.
Kindness isn’t deserved. We didn’t deserved God’s great kindness of saving us and giving us everything we need for life and godliness, but He gave it to us anyway. That’s why Ephesians says that we should imitate God as it says we should be kind and tenderhearted to one another. None of us is deserving of kindness. So instead of holding it back, we should imitate God and lavish it freely on every single person we meet.
Let’s be kind even when it’s inconvenient to do so. Let’s be kind even if the person receiving it hurts us in return. Let’s be kind even when the other person doesn’t deserve it. And when they are easy to be kind to, let’s not take the kindness we have received for granted. Let’s show each other the value that each person has by being kind to each person no matter what because God was kind to us no matter what.
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Devotional Series: Kindness (#wtsdevo kindness)
Posted by: Rebecca Hankins \ Personal// Walk the Same
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Filling up that Empty Space (#wtsdevo kindness)
Once I heard someone saying that his inability felt like a huge gaping hole in his life that simply sat there, empty and breaking everything else good that was around him. He said that he wished that someone could fill that hole up so that he could heal.
It made me realize that most of us come across those situations in life where we feel like there’s something empty inside. And worst of all, it is eating us away slowly and steadily and we simply can’t do anything about it on our own and by our own strength. But in that situation, if someone chooses to help us and lift us up, everything changes. Our worries our gone. Our stresses no more and things feel like they are going to be okay after all. That’s because someone’s kindness filled the empty void that was in our life. It feels like we are whole again.
Kindness does more than meets the eye. It heals, it brings joy, it transforms lives and it makes us whole again. Sounds like Jesus doesn’t it? We were a wretched people, living life our own way and by our own terms. What we didn’t realize was that we were opening up wounds within ourselves and by the day, they got raw and inflamed. God didn’t have to save us but He saw our hurting hearts. He wanted us to be more. He wanted us to be the way He created us to be. And out of His sheer kindness and love for us, He sent us His Son. That chasm that once was between us and God was now filled by the incredible sacrifice that Christ made for us. His kindness saved us and here we are.
Remember that being kind to others is more than just helping someone. It is a lifestyle for us Christians and it is part of who we are and our identity. When we choose to be kind, we allow Christ to shine onto others through our lives. We may not realize it but every little act of kindness plays a part in changing the world.
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Devotional Series: Kindness (#wtsdevo kindness)
By: Jude \ Personal//Walk the Same
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Kindness over Condemnation (#wtsdevo kindness)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) -John 4:9
This is such a sweet parable. Not only was it taboo for a man to confront a woman back then, it was well known that Jews and Samaritans did not associate with one another. A double whammy. So when Jesus approached “the woman at the well” He was overstepping some major boundaries.
Unfortunately, there are still some people groups and locations that are considered off limits. Certain races aren’t welcomed and certain social classes are thought to be best remaining separate. But there is one universal action that could open the door that leads to change. It could loosen the brick that drops the entire wall.
Kindness. And at its finest it’s given undeservingly. This kind of action can’t be mustered up from our will. Granted, we can be really, really nice. We can be compassionate. But kindness—this kindness only comes through the very Spirit of God.
It’s nothing different from the grace He gives us or His eagerness to give us good things. At the very least, He is kind to give us a roadmap with all the directions and detours to avoid destruction. See, kindness meets a need. It bridges the gap. So we offer it freely as it is offered to us.
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Devotional Series: Kindness (#wtsdevo kindness)
By: Julian Davis \ Personal // Walk the Same
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