November 2011 Archives - Finding God Daily

Finding God In Christ

November 30, 2011 by Finding God Daily Publisher 1 Comment

Leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” John 4:28-29

This is one of those HUGE aha moments! Now, tell the truth, have you ever noticed that before? That the woman at the well forgot her reason for coming to the well in the first place, leaving her water jar behind? Also the woman who came at the hottest hour of the day, when no others came to draw water, in order to escape ridicule, embarrassment, and the haughty stares of others, was now speaking to an entire town. Astonishing! She was finding God in Christ the Messiah!

How did she get from point A to point Z; from needing and hiding; to overflowing and sharing? Simple enough; one little trip to the well; one run in with a Man who wouldn’t turn her away or use and abuse her; one large gulp of the “Living Water.”

Hers was a supernatural, divine meeting for sure. Most assuredly, had a human being confronted her about her past, the outcome would have been fear, disappointment, shame and condemnation. Not so with Jesus. He was accepting of her and still had compassion. He did not look to punish her but rather to set her free from her past. And so He does, through His unspeakable gift of grace and mercy that brings eternal life and transforms even the hardest of hearts.

Can you imagine the freedom she felt? Knowing she had been cleansed from her past, and that her daily mundane trip to the well, usually alone and uneventful had turned into an experience, an adventure that would change her life forever? Oh, how I wish I could have been there that day!

Oh, but we can! We can meet Jesus at the Well of Living Water everyday. No exceptions to the rule. We can take our water bottles, cups or buckets full of guilt, confusion, humiliation, worry, fear or inadequacies and leave them there with Him-just like the Samaritan woman. We can walk away in faith knowing He already knows the whole story – plus more. We can be filled with His Spirit, so we too can pour forth to others. Just, GO in faith, ASK through prayer, and RECEIVE His best!

The outcome of receiving His best is the secret to becoming a true Woman of the Well yourself. This means you become who God says you are, not who the other ridiculing women, or men that you bump into each day say you are. Here is what the Word of God says you are, straight from the Well, for whenever you choose to leave your water pots behind in faith and believe:

Ephesians 1:7 I am forgiven all my sins and washed in the blood.
2 Corinthians 5:17 I am a new creature.
1 Corinthians 6:19 I am the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 1:13 I am delivered from the power of darkness.
Ephesians 6:10 I am strong in the Lord.
Ephesians 1:4 I am holy and without blame before Him.
Ephesians 1:6 I am accepted in Christ.
Colossians 1:12 I am qualified to share in His inheritance.
Revelation 21:7 I am victorious.
Romans 6:2,11 I am dead to sin.
Jeremiah 31:3 I am loved with an everlasting love.
John 8:31-33 I am set free!
Colossians 2:12 I am raised up with Christ and seated in the heavenly places.
Romans 8:37 I am more than a conqueror!
1 Thessalonians 1:4 I am beloved of God.
1 John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one does not touch me.
Romans 8:17 I am a joint heir with Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:18 I am reconciled to God.
Deuteronomy 28:2 I am overtaken with blessings!
Ephesians 1:13 I am sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 2:10 I am complete in Christ.
Romans 8:1 I am free from condemnation.
Colossians 2:7 I am firmly rooted, built up, strengthened in the faith, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Philippians 1:6 I am being changed into His image.
Philippians 4:19 I have all my needs met by God according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 2:16 I have the mind of Christ.
John 6:47 I have everlasting life.
John 10:10 I have abundant life.
Philippians 4:7 I have the peace of God which passes understanding.
Ephesians 2:18 I have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Jesus Christ.
John 14:12 I shall do even greater works than Christ Jesus.
1 John 4:4 I possess the Greater One in me because greater is He in me than he who is in the world.
John 10:14 I know God’s voice.
Colossians 1:27 Christ is in me the hope of glory!

Jesus, meet me today. Take the water bottle of things I “think” I need or want and in exchange give me that same Living Water you offered the Samaritan woman many years ago. I have faith that you will not turn me away, judge me, or punish me, but that you will be compassionate and loving in an unconditional way. Help me to receive all that you have for me today by faith and to take it to others in a loving way that glorifies You. Amen.

SPLASHING FOR Him as I am finding God in Christ today!

Watch this modern monologue depicting the woman at the well:

Filed Under: God's Love, In Difficulties, In Life, Jesus, Prayer, Quotes, Uncategorized Tagged With: find God, find God in Christ, finding God, Finding God in Christ, meet God, who we are in Christ, who you are in Christ, woman at the well

Finding God in the Arms of Love

November 29, 2011 by Finding God Daily Publisher Leave a Comment

By Deborah Lovett

Deuteronomy 33:27: The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

It is a wonderful thing finding God in the arms of love. What an incredible un-learning experience! Yes, I have had to deprogram myself of years of pressure, expectations, fears, and misconceptions of who God really is. I have also had to relearn who I am in Christ. This resting in the arms of God’s love is a fabulous gift. And it is a gift that has actually come in the silence, not in the answers. Think of holding a tiny sleeping baby, and how in the silence your heart explodes with love for that child. Now just imagine how God must exude love when we rest in His arms! How it must make Him smile!

What He has shown me is that “all things work for the good of those who love Him.” For me that has become a journey of looking for the good, in all circumstances and giving thanks as well.

The other day I heard that Christians should not say, “Everything happens for a reason.” Rather we as Christians should say, “Everything happens because God loves me, and for His glory.” You see we should already KNOW the reason! Why is this true, you might ask? All things are sifted through the Almighty Hand of God, for the purpose of disciplining us, guiding us, or perhaps testing us, with the ultimate goal of bringing us into a more intimate relationship with the One who created us. Having that in mind, we should be able to rest in the arms of His love ALWAYS!

What about our sin? Well, obviously God doesn’t approve of our sin. Ultimately God will bring us closer to Him, when we confess and repent whole heartily. Regardless of the depth of our sin we need to remember that the ground is level at the foot of the cross. His forgiveness and His love is found there and His arms are outstretched even more so.

This resting and waiting phase of believing that God is the overseer of all things has brought me to a place of ultimate rest in my everyday trials and temptations. Knowing not only that I love Him, but that He loves me even more! I see His glory more, I experience His love more, I can hear Him even in the silence now as I rest in His everlasting arms.

My prayer for you today is that you will be found finding God in the arms of love. I also pray that as you rest there, you will be able to release all unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness and ugliness in your life. Love is patient, so don’t run off to quickly. God will wait as long as it takes. Cast all your burdens on Him today, He is waiting with the everlasting open arms of love that can handle anything you bring.

Watch this toe-tapping Gaither rendition of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

Filed Under: God's Love, God's Will, In Life, Prayer Tagged With: Deborah Lovette, find God, Find God in the Arms of Love, Finding God in the Arms of Love, leaning n God, the everlasting arms, the Gaithers

Finding God in a Bird

November 28, 2011 by Finding God Daily Publisher Leave a Comment

By: Deborah Lovett

Here’s how I am finding God in a bird.

My dear friend suggested I get a bird. She commented on how peaceful and calming they were. Thoughts of a partridge and a pear tree started rolling around in my head. I thought how cool: finding God in a bird at Christmas time! So I asked for a bird this past Christmas. However, my family talked me out of it, reminding me of our animal house; two horses, two cats, and our 135 lb. golden retriever! Instead I received a bird book for Christmas; not hardly the same, but hey, it was a nice thought.

God stepped in though, as He knows the desires of our hearts. He sent me a cardinal. Yes, my very own red bird! And seeing I am from Ohio, and that the Cardinal is our state bird, I could only smile at His attention to details. Bird, cardinal, red, Christmas…oh my!

It came and perched himself on my kitchen screen daily, spreading his tail feathers for all to see. The whole thing was pretty impressive.

After watching him for a while, I noticed he had a daily custom. First, he perched on the kitchen screen, then he would fly to the kitchen door and bang his head up against it a few times as if trying to get in for dinner. (Don’t let this fool you–it’s was probably take out or microwaved!) Then he flew off. At first I thought, “Wow, God sent me a beautiful, peaceful bird.” After a while, I realized He sent me a bird with mental problems.

Since I never beckoned my redbird with a feeder or food, I did a little research and found out they love sunflower seeds. So I started spreading some seeds out, hoping to spare it some aggravation. Sorry to say, it continued its practice of perching, banging and only then, stopping to get a bite to eat. Honestly, it was a bit frustrating.

Then to my surprise, little redbird found himself a girlfriend. That’s right, I am guessing God sent me an early Valentines gift? So I named them, Lucy and Desi, and am proud of my lovebirds from heaven. But Lucy has some explaining to do, because she bangs her head up against the door window right along with Desi!

So what insights can we glean from this whole experience? First off, God wants to give us the desires of our hearts, one-way or another. It is not always the way we think, for His thoughts are so much higher and deeper than ours. Secondly, Lucy is following a birdbrain! Monkey see, monkey do, only in this case, bird see, bird do. We tend to follow others too easily and we need to be observant of who we are following. We cannot call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ if we are following someone else. Thirdly, we too can bang our heads up against the wall, or in the case of the birds, the door, looking for food. The only difference is that we are looking for answers, love, protection, comfort, satisfaction or even some kindness, through status, power, addictions, money, attention, our children, our husbands, or even our ministries. Our food is so very accessible as well. The Word of God! We are blessed to have it so readily available.

Who are you following today? Are you banging your head against the wall, looking for answers? Is there confusion all around you? Do you feel as if you are on the outside of God’s family looking in? Have you neglected reading and soaking in God’s Word?

Perhaps we all need to be finding God in a bird, or maybe a pair of red cardinals to remind us to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us through God’s Word this coming year.
It is well with my soul, (and my birds!) May I suggest a One Year Bible for Christmas this year?

While we recommend that you read the Bible next year, why not start by reviewing the Bible in a minute?