Liv
Extracts of Truth & Encouragement from a Growth Journey with God
It’s Time to “Chat!” What Do You Think about Liv? Let Me Know In This Survey!
Can you believe it’s been six months since God gave the instruction and permission to launch this website?!? He’s revealed much to me during this time, and I’ve loved sharing it with you, post by post! As I wrote in my very first post, my prayer is that, through my life and this site, as I have dedicated both to Him, you will be brought to Jesus, and the river of life will flow out of your heart in a powerful way! Maybe Liv has been a blessing to you, and God has used it to do just that…bring you closer to Him and make beautiful changes in your life to look more and more like Him. Maybe it hasn’t been what you were hoping for or needing. Or maybe you just don’t have time to read one more thing; your plate is already full!
This brings me to today. The LORD has directed me to take this time to check in with you all and see what’s going well…and what isn’t. We’ve compiled a survey to help me serve you (and, therefore, Him) better. As always, the LORD will continue to drive us on this venture; He has chosen this medium to hear your voice in order to fine-tune some things to better meet you where you’re at.
Your feedback is super important, so please take a few minutes to honestly answer the questions in the survey below. They’re anonymous, so I hope that helps you feel more comfortable in sharing how you really feel and what God is laying on your heart. You only have to take the survey once; there’s no need to come back every day and lobby for your vote! : ) Let’s get started!
Collision Course
Do you remember the post-deer-accident picture of my little Geo Prizm, shown in the “Wonder–An Additional Offering” post? Well, following that collision, my little car was, thankfully, repaired! One rainy Good Friday, several years later, I was driving that same car home, on my lunch hour, to take our dog for a walk. I was heading over and down a hill, toward a green light, at the bottom of the descent. A vehicle, approaching from the opposite direction, was in their left turn lane, watching me to see if they could make their turn safely. They, obviously, felt they had enough time, accelerated, and made their left turn, crossing my lane in front of me. An SUV, which was right behind that vehicle, decided that, if the first vehicle made it, they could, too. They didn’t leave time to assess my speed, the rainy weather, the time it would take them to turn safely, or make any other responsible judgment call (bulging eye and rolling eye emojis, please!!); they just gunned it, right as I was approaching the intersection! They barreled into the left front of my little car, bringing me to an abrupt stop, and rendering my car undriveable…they totaled it (I don’t have pictures of that one…)!!
Force, the strength applied to movement, is necessary to decelerate a moving object. I believe God has made purposeful connections between physical things and spiritual ideas, and physics is no exception. I’m not a Science person, but God led me to this. Stick with me for a minute; there IS a purpose to what may seem like a boring rabbit trail!
The faster an object is moving, the more force will be necessary to slow it down; a large object, like a car (even a small one), will require increased force to decrease it’s speed or bring it to a stop. If you have a long time to slow down, a little force will be needed. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of time, when that SUV pulled out in front of me, which proved that a large force, applied over a shorter time, changes the momentum (or impulse) of an object!
An example of a nearly elastic collision is a ball, getting hit with an object (like a bat or someone’s foot); when it’s hit, the bat or foot remains separate from the ball. Some kinetic energy, which relates to movement, is lost, in this kind of collision, to heat or sound.
A perfectly inelastic collision is when two objects, like two vehicles, collide and remain together as one physical body. In this type of collision, total momentum is protected from being destroyed, but total kinetic energy isn’t. Kinetic energy may change into the sound you hear, when the two vehicles collide; heat energy; or internal energy (like, damage to the vehicle!).
Have you ever been cruising along, having an amazing day, when someone says something negative about you (or you perceive it that way, anyway), does something mean to you, or just doesn’t consider you at all? Yup! Collision! Depending on the level of the offense (“force”), it can slow you down, change your momentum (or impulse), or bring your world to a stop.
What kind of “collision” have you experienced this week? Was it like a nearly elastic collision, where some of your movement (displayed in your life as joy, service, encouragement,…) is lost, yet it continues right on moving? Or is it like a perfectly inelastic collision, where you and your “collision” are now one (you’re still moving right along, but in a different direction…and internally damaged)?
There’s a different type of inelastic collision (or “force”) that remains together in a positive way after the impact; that’s the relationship with your Savior through the power of the Holy Spirit. When you and Christ come together, the impact of the Holy Spirit’s power can protect your momentum from being destroyed, change the sound others hear, heat up the passions He wants to ignite in you, and heal the internal damage created from outside forces, using them for good in His Kingdom.
“Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants.”
Romans 8:5 GNT
“16 But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively, without regard for God and His precepts]. 17 For the sinful nature has its desire, which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.”
Galatians 5:16-17 AB
Let’s not let damaging collisions with other humans decrease our momentum for the Kingdom! Let our impulses continue to move by the strength of the Spirit of God, in the direction He wants us to go, even when hurtful things collide with us so unexpectedly. The strength of God’s Spirit is greater than the strength of humans! Think on these Scriptures; let’s make the decision to focus our minds on the truths He is teaching us in the Word of God and move (walk) with Him! Sound easy? Not likely,…but He isn’t called the Helper in Scripture for nothing!
Praying for you, Liv Bouquet!
God is Love, but Does He Hate?
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God is love.“
1 John 4:7-8 ESV
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone, where you’ve shared openly or answered a question fully, yet the one “listening” only hears part of what you said and assumes the rest?!? That happens a decent amount to me, and it’s SO frustrating!! I wonder if God feels similarly, when people take nuggets from the Bible and use them for their purposes/agendas, hearing only what they want to, and not understanding Who He is or what He meant.
In the previous two posts, the LORD directed me to write about the fruits of the Spirit; these attributes of God are produced in and through us only when we’re joined together with Jesus, through the Spirit of God. The first fruit listed in Galatians 5:22 is “love.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard many cite “‘God is love,’ so we should…[fill in the blank with any unaccountable response to something immoral in God’s eyes].” The LORD is clear, in His Word: He IS love, but there ARE things He hates, because they just don’t align with His holiness. In fact, the kind of love, referred to in Verse 22, is what God prefers, morally; it’s not a response we design. This means hating the sins He hates and handling situations in a way He says to.
Love = What God Prefers, Morally
To find out what He prefers, let’s take a look at some things He doesn’t...
12“A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,
13who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet, and motions with his fingers,
14in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
15Therefore, calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment, he will be broken beyond healing.
16There are six things that the LORD hates; seven that are an abomination to Him:
17A proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil,
19a false witness snorting lies, and someone sowing quarrels between brothers.“
Proverbs 6:12 NASB 1995; 6:13 NIV; 6:14 NHEB; 6:15-16 ESV, 6:17 AB, 6:18 CSB, 6:19 ISV
The things, listed in Verses 12-15, must’ve been important enough to reiterate them in Verses 16-19; they exhibit a lack of moral principles, opposite of God’s character, and the LORD hates them! In fact, we, as His people, should also hate them!
“The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and a perverted mouth, I hate.”
Proverbs 8:13 ESV
“O, you, who love the Lord, hate evil!”
Psalm 97:10a ESV
If you’re confused by Proverbs 6:16 and wonder why Solomon says “six,” but then “seven,” you’re not alone! It seems he should know the number before writing it down, doesn’t it?! Which one is it? Six or seven? Check this out:
“This passage uses a pattern common to books like Proverbs, giving a number for a list and then adding one more (Job 5:19; Proverbs 30:21). This is mostly a poetic flair, but sometimes highlights the last item as especially important. In this case, the last point is about those who create division, which is the common theme of the previous six ideas.”
“What does Proverbs 6:16 Mean?” BibleRef.com, https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/6/Proverbs-6-16.html (accessed May 12, 2021).
Something else that may’ve made you wonder, as you read Proverbs 6:12-19, is why “winking” would’ve made this list. The core? Evil. Winking, in many situations and cultures, is disrespectful, a flirtatious advance (often unwelcomed), or it lets one person in on something (“Hey! Play along with this!”) while deceiving someone else. These things can cut deep at the core and cause trouble. (This isn’t referring to a playful wink between husband and wife or a reassuring wink between friends; that’s far from malicious and promotes unity, rather than discord.) Each situation and motive has to be examined at the wink’s core; if it’s meant to do damage, it’s an issue to God. Even motions made with the feet, how people walk, finger movements, etc., used to send signs to others relating to something deceitful or malicious (harmful), are included here and hated by God, as evil is at the heart of them.
Let’s look at another hated behavior…
“Balances of deceit [are] an abomination to YHWH, and a perfect weight [is] His delight.”
Proverbs 11:1 LSV
“Balances” refers to scales used to weigh, measure, test, prove.1 I find it interesting that the Hebrew word used for scales, in the above verse, is referring to multiple scales and balances, not just one, and it’s root’s figurative meaning is between “two ears,” “to ponder.”2 That gives us something to ponder, doesn’t it?! We need to test our hearts and minds in order to prove if our motives and thoughts are deceitful or harmful to others in any way, or if they are true and morally right (choosing God’s preferred way), which delights Him. Let’s continually test what we think against all Scripture; It’s the perfect scale that can measure our motives and thoughts with multiple checks and balances, to weigh if we’re aligned with God’s preferences. Unity and justice, as we see throughout Scripture, are ultra important to God, and unity with Him is what brings us back to love:
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God is love.“
1 John 4:7-8 ESV
1Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, “239. azan,” BibleHub.com. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/239.htm (accessed May 12, 2021).
2Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, “3796. mozen,” BibleHub.com. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3796.htm (accessed May 12, 2021).
What (or Whom) is Your Source of Life?
If you do an internet search on “life source,” you may find everything from blood donation centers; to donations for organs, eyes, and tissues; to organic grocery stores; to water filtration systems. What do you think of when you hear “life source?” What is your source of life?
“But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 AB
Fruit…a picture of abundance…a sign of life; in fact, the sun is also a symbol of life. They go hand in hand. Did you know…
Fruit trees need full sun to really grow and flourish!?!
“‘The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].'”
~Jesus, John 10:10 AB
Spiritually speaking, I think we could change the previous statement to:
In order to really grow and flourish, we need the Son (of God)…every bit of Him we can soak up!
He’s the only one through Whom we can really live…and be enabled to live life in abundance! I’m not talking about getting everything we want! I’m talking about flourishing, when it comes to the Spirit of God producing fruits of His character in and through us.
* The LORD wanted me to write about the fruits of the Spirit in the last post, as well. Check out the “Pruning Day” post for an everyday look at each piece of fruit.
From a spiritual perspective, “fruit,” which is spoken of in Galatians 5:22-23, refers to what’s done in partnership with Christ. We’re blessed with the Spirit of God, residing in us, as a seal, when we accept Jesus Christ as the sacrifice…the payment…for our sins. Think of Him like glue; He joins us together with Christ and the Father, so as to prevent us from coming apart from Him. Also, like a seal attached to an important document, He’s the symbol Who shows we’re God’s.
“‘I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to Me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit; but you cannot do anything without Me.'”
~Jesus, John 15:5 CEV
In this verse, we see two life sources…1) the vine and 2) the branches. Yet, the branches can’t produce any fruit, if they’re cut off from the vine. In order to “produce lots of fruit” (through the Spirit), we have to be joined to Christ.
“[Then Jesus said,] ‘I am the True Vine, and My Father takes care of the vineyard. He removes every one of My branches that doesn’t produce fruit. He also prunes every branch that does produce fruit to make it produce more fruit.'”
John 15:1-2 GWT
Here, Jesus says that He IS Truth…He’s REAL…He, Who is unseen, is connected to the “seen” (His being in us can’t be hidden!). God the Father is a worker, Who intends on accomplishing something. Any grape farmer who’s interested in growing a fertile plantation wants to grow as many good, quality grapes as he can. Likewise, the Father’s intention is to grow a lot of quality fruit! In order to do this, He looks at each branch (His follower) and sees if it’s producing fruit or not. If it IS, He prunes it to direct new, healthy growth, producing more fruit! Pruning, actually, means “cleansing,” here; He removes the sin, which is opposite of what He desires, getting rid of what is fruitless in us.
Check out what literal pruning does!
When you trim your trees, you get all these benefits!
* Say farewell to dead, broken or damaged branches.
* Save your property from potential damage from fallen branches.
* When you remove old branches, you give trees the green light to put out healthy, new growth.
* Train trees to grow on your terms so that branches won’t hang over the roof or stretch into power lines.
* Give trees a clean, polished look that elevates your whole landscape.
* Set the tree up with a good foundation for long-term health.
https://blog.davey.com/2018/09/what-is-pruning-the-importance-benefits-and-methods-of-pruning/
As you saw in the last post (and as you may know from experience), getting pruned isn’t a lot of fun, but the benefits, as you see above, include healthy, new growth and an abundant “crop,” through the Spirit; this allows us to accomplish much, as we promote the value of the One we belong to…of Who He truly is…to others! So long to not being productive or useful! Relish the protection of the Father, as we become more and more obedient to Him, following His ways. I don’t know about you, but I love having a source of life like this…One Whom I can count on for long-term spiritual health!
“My Father’s glory is shown by your bearing much fruit; and in this way, you become My disciples.”
John 15:8 GWT
What’s the Father seeing, when He examines you? Are you producing a ton of fruit? Does He have the pruning sheers ready for you? Whatever season you’re in, I pray that you’ll see Him for Who He is, through His Son, Jesus, and the power of His Spirit…that He’ll enable you to live fully, abundantly for Him!
Pruning Day
I went out of my way to help. I rearranged things in my day to be there, and God brought things to mind that may have been overlooked. It’s always more fun to offer to do things before you’re asked! Yet, in all of this, the response I received was less than desirable! The one I wanted to serve met me with ungratefulness, unkind words, a harsh tone, and a whole lot of self.
“You give glory to My Father when you produce a lot of fruit; in this way, you become My disciples.”
John 15:8 GNT
The LORD has had this verse in front of me for a couple of weeks, now. He clearly wanted me to write about the fruits of the Spirit, yet He was also very clear about His timing. As the time for this post drew nearer, the above situation raised its beautiful, yet hideous, head. Yup. Satan wanted to blur the attraction of the Spirit’s fruit and show how I was mistreated…how I would be right in any negative reaction; after all, that’s what was done to me, right? My insides were in knots. I had so many conflicting emotions. I went to the only place I know to find stability–at the feet of my God, Who reminded me of the above verse…In the situation with this individual, how did I show that I was a follower of Jesus? Did I let God’s Spirit work through me and give glory to My Father?
- Love–I clearly spoke of my love to this person, even though I was mad. My desire to help was still there, as I tried to help this person understand why I did what I did, that this person was whom I was thinking of, constantly. I expressed to this person my desire to show my love through visible and invisible means and explained how the reaction I received had made me feel. God also helped me express love in speaking to this person about how we demonstrate love to others, thinking of them first, rather than ourselves. In my prayer time with Him, God led me to choose to forgive.
- Joy–I saw God’s hand in bringing to mind things in this person’s day that I hadn’t thought of…ways that would, hopefully, bless this person and help this individual feel loved. I, initially, was overjoyed with the opportunities God gave me. Once the reaction hit, though, I gave that my focus, and my joy diminished. Ugh! I wish I wouldn’t let circumstances overshadow joy, sometimes!
- Peace–During the “reaction” and shortly thereafter, I was fragmented. I didn’t experience the wholeness that God brings. Only when I laid it at His feet afterward, chose to forgive, and let Him use this in my life as a means to grow me did He graciously piece me back together, and my mind cleared.
- Patience–While God has grown me in this area over the years, I have to say I wasn’t ultra patient on this one. While I may not have raised my voice, my anger was evident in my tone and body language.
- Kindness–The Spirit was evident, as He brought to mind the things that would kindly serve the needs of this person. I saw His perfect timing, as He knew He would have me writing about this today. Unfortunately, my attention shifted from kindness to selfishness (how I was hurt and wrongly treated). Thank you, LORD, for Your kindness in calling me back to submitting to You and knitting my insides back together!
- Goodness–The LORD enabled me to express His goodness at the beginning of this situation, but I clouded it, when I acted out of my own power and wasn’t yielding to Him completely.
- Faithfulness–I was receptive to how He wanted to use me at the beginning, but when confrontation arose, I straddled the line of His path and mine, like a race car with one side of its tires on the grass and one side on the pavement; it doesn’t take long to lose control.
- Gentleness–There were times in the situation where I could feel the LORD’s power working through me…He expressed it when He withheld my anger and spoke through me with a gentle answer. I wish I would’ve yielded to Him throughout the entire situation!
- Self-Control–It’s pretty safe to say that I was acting like an insubordinate citizen of His kingdom during times of this situation.
A few years back, my husband and I were doing some work outside, in front of our house. We have this bush (pictured above in its glory…lovely, growing, and full of life). Unfortunately, over the years, we saw more and more empty branches, and the more dead branches there were made the entire bush look super unhealthy! It was time to prune! I grabbed my hedge sheers and pruner and “went to town,” cutting off all the dead branches. At one point, my husband looked over at the measly little bush that remained and said, “We should just pull it out; there’s not going to be anything left.” I remember being so excited, though, in that moment, with the anticipation of what the pruning would do and discussing the spiritual visual God gave us in that bush. Not too long after, the bush was alive with new growth and was flourishing!
Lord, please use this situation to grow me, and flourish within me! Remove the roots of sin that need removing and enable me to truly live, so others can see You in me!
Provision
Written by Guest Writer, Stacey Hill
*God has made it very clear, in multiple ways, that He would like to continue using Stacey’s story within our Liv community to give glory to His name. I hope you are blessed by it, as I have been, and that it speaks to you, as you walk your journey (whether it’s an adoption journey or just a journey, like mine, where you find yourself in need of Him). If you missed the last post, you missed the beginning of Stacey’s story; check out “Fear Not” for Part 1! It’s too good to miss! ~Michelle
Luhansk, Ukraine; March 2001
Eighteen hours aboard the Ukrainian Railway brought us to the far eastern border of Ukraine. The next important part of our journey was to find a driver we could trust and a place to stay. Our facilitator explained that we were not in a safe situation. She actually said to us, “Do not make eye contact with anyone, and do not speak a word to each other or anyone; you cannot let anyone know you are American. Stay here! I need to go find a driver.” With that, she left us outside the train station…alone. Lord, please provide.
In 1 Kings 17, we see two incredible examples of God being Elijah’s provision in the most unlikely ways, in what looked like impossibility.
“Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, East of the Jordan. You are to drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”
1 Kings 17:3-4, 6 ESV
Ravens? I read these birds are famous for their voracious appetite and insatiable greed, often stealing food from other birds or animals. Only God could arrange for these birds to provide for Elijah to bring him meals for what could have been a year. Reflect on that; God provided a miracle in a way that only He could arrange.
“Then the word of the LORD came to him: ‘Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.'”
“‘As surely as the LORD your God lives,’ she replied, ‘I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.’”
1 Kings 17:8-9, 12 NIV
A widow, in the time of a severe drought? She would have been the least likely to have extra provisions. In fact, did you catch that last part? She is so lacking; she is preparing to die.
“For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.’”
1 Kings 17:14 NIV
After what felt like an hour, our facilitator returned in a car driven by, what we learned later, a former member of the military, who was built like a defensive lineman. Our facilitator quickly exited the passenger side of the car, and in her best ventriloquist impersonation told us, “Do not speak, and get in the car.” Minds racing, my husband and I, huddled in the back seat, tried to make sense of the intense conversation transpiring between our driver and our facilitator. Knowing very, very little Russian we failed to understand what was happening, as the driver pulled the car off the side of the road and put the car in park. That was the moment I noticed a small note, located on the stick shift knob, that said, “In God I trust.” My eyes went from those words to the driver’s eyes; they were filled with tears. This man was pledging his complete service to us for anything we needed. God’s provision for us, in our time of need, was a good man, a Godly man, who had a heart for orphans and deeply desired to help us find our child(ren).
God’s provision through him and his wife exceeded our imagination for the next 10 days. After searching for hours for a place to stay and finding nothing available, he opened his home to us. He and his family insisted we stay in their only bedroom, while they huddled into their small Living Room. His wife went to the market and cooked for us daily. He was our faithful driver every day and, some days, was at our service for over 10 hours. In a way only God could have arranged, they were our provision, and we became theirs, helping them overcome the financial drought they were in. In fact, before we could continue our drive that day we met him, we had to find gas…our driver…on his last gallon of gas. God allowed us to make sure his tank did not run out of gas and their kitchen didn’t run out of food. God, the ultimate Provider!
Fear Not
Written by Guest Writer, Stacey Hill
Michigan, USA; September 2000
We announced to our family that God had overwhelmingly showed us that the way He would expand our family was through an international adoption from the country of Ukraine. Our peace in this decision was at an all-time high, and our excitement was, as well. God had blessed us with answered prayers, unity as husband and wife, clear direction, and favor in a lengthy paperwork process. We enjoyed the love and support around us and felt bold confidence.
Kiev, Ukraine; March 2001
“Take the train as far as it goes, to the end of the line, to Luhansk, Ukraine. I regret to tell you, however; I do not know anything about the orphanage you are going to. You will need to ask directions to find the Lotikovo Children’s House and how to proceed with your adoption.”
Suddenly, I was paralyzed by fear. God had brought us on an adoption journey filled with peace, excitement, and confidence. Now, our adoption facilitator was out of information, and we were boarding a train for 18 hours to end up where? To do what?
Have you been there? Have you felt confident and empowered, and then in a few months, days, or even moments later, you feel alone, abandoned, or maybe paralyzed by fear?
Fear…At some point in our lives, we all feel it…most likely, in varying degrees and situations. We also know that fear can be good; it keeps us accountable for our safety. However, the fear that God has left or abandoned us, or the fear we didn’t actually hear Him correctly, is dangerous to our safety, as well. Fear can open the door for the enemy to begin his work as the father of lies and lead us to take our eyes off of our Father, “the author and perfector of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2a ESV).
I was astounded when I learned that we are told more than 300 times in Scripture, “Do not fear!” or “Fear not!” Some scholars even say “fear” is mentioned 365 times…one for each day of the year. I am comforted to know God knew we would come up against fear, and, in His ultimate way of loving us more than we can imagine, He equipped us with tools for those moments: to hear His Word say, “Do not fear, (enter your name here).”
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”
Psalm 46:1-3 ESV
“For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Isaiah 41:13 ESV
“Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Matthew 10:31 ESV
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
John 14:27 ESV
“…for God gave us a Spirit, not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
“So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'”
Hebrews 13:6 ESV
Oh, there are so many more verses I want to share with you…that God wants to share with you. Will you go searching? Will you let Him speak the words directly to you…and then, believe His words? Let them change your fear back into confidence.
Soon after boarding the train, a woman approached me and asked me why I was crying. After telling her why, she had a look of incredible amazement on her face. She proceeded to explain that she and her husband were going back to the Lotikovo Children’s House to pick up their son that they had adopted. They were also traveling with their adoption facilitator that specialized in adoptions from the very same orphanage we were being sent to. For the next 18 hours, our facilitator met with their facilitator and acquired all of the necessary information to help us with our adoption.
The Lord turned my eyes back to Him, and He said to me, “[Stacey,] fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 ESV).
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