Your Hearts Desire?

A friend recently shared the exciting news that one of her family members was water baptized. Yay Jesus! She explained that she had been praying a really long time and that she asked one of her prayer groups to pray with her. And then she told me that her prayer group told her not to get her hopes up.

I stopped her mid-sentence and asked her, “They told you not to get your hopes up? Why would they say that to you?”

Stop right here and think about some of your responses in conversations that you have. What are some of the things you say that are rote, off the cuff, or an automatic response? If we believe one way (in hope and expectancy that God is going to answer our prayers), why would we answer another way?

When we delight in the Lord by staying tethered to Him consistently (daily), offering up praise and worship simply for Who He is He gives us the desires of our heart. Why? Because He begins to lay His heart over our heart and His desires become our desires.

If Jesus Himself set the example and was water baptized why wouldn’t He answer our prayers concerning those we are praying to take the step of water baptism? I can guarantee you He will answer this prayer every time because it is the desire of His heart!

Precious One, choose your words wisely. Words are so very powerful. Our responsibility to one another is to speak truth and encouragement no breathe doubt. I don’t think my friend’s prayer group intentional or purposely told her not to get her hopes up but I do believe they didn’t think before they spoke.

Know God’s word, know His truth, know His promises.

Shalom!

#thereisalwayshope

©teresejmbelme2018

 

 

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Wanting More

Last night my husband and I enjoyed Wine Down a weekly Friday night Summer event hosted by a hometown vineyard and winery in our community. These gatherings are family friendly and bring together our community with live music, food (either purchased at the winery or bring your own), and wholesome, clean fun.

We decided to purchase our meal from the food vendor, which was pizza, a rare treat for us! I had the Sopressata, an Italian divinity and my husband had the Hawaiian with jalepeno. Each pizza was thin crust and had eight pieces. Before I knew it, mine was gone and I asked my husband if he wanted to share another pizza, because I simply wanted more!

What causes us, at times (perhaps many), to go off on our own to gain more rather than wait on God for His provision for our circumstances? God told David he would have given him even more but David didn’t ask for more he only took matters into his own hands.

As children of God he desires to give us yasaph. He desires to continue to add more, to surpass His increase again and again. Do we trust Him and turn to Him first? May it be so in every situation.

Shalom!

©2018 TereseJMBelme

Wanting the Giver More Than the Given

 

photo credit Pixabay.

I love to give gifts. I especially love to give gifts for no reason. There is something beautifully simple yet profound as I watch the expression of joy on the face of the recipient and their eyes light up when they open the gift that was chosen specifically for them.

We learn to be good gift givers from the One who gave the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Who died on the cross so that all creation would have the opportunity to choose Him and the hope of being with Him forever.

Imagine the delight of His disciples as they were rowing back to shore and they realize their beloved Jesus is standing on the beach waiting for them! They thought He was dead! Perhaps they had been fishing for many hours but caught very little. Jesus tells them to let their nets down one more time and when they pull their nets from the water their is a bounty of fish heavy enough to tear the nets!

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11.

Jesus loves to give us good gifts. Physical gifts and especially spiritual gifts. He has tilled the soil of our soul and placed goodness there and he has placed an eagerness to know Him in our heart. He wants to fill our nets to overflowing.

But His greatest desire is for us to know the Giver more than the given.

Shalom!

©2018 TereseJMBelme

Moving Through Seasons

 

 

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall. Which season is your favorite? I love everything about Fall. The bright, crisp days, the turning of the leaves from green to vibrant yellow, orange and deep red. The sense of accomplishment of the first half of the year and the readiness to hunker down for the shorter days ahead.

As we celebrate the seasons of the earth we realize that life has many seasons. Seasons that come and go. Some that are long and others that are much too short. Many of us are in a season of letting go. Some of us have been through this season before and find ourselves in the last of its kind. For some this is your first experience in this season.

Even as God has been preparing me over the last five years I find this final season one of the hardest. Yet, I know He will never leave me nor forsake me. The season of empty nesting is both sad and exciting at the same time. If you find yourself in this season I encourage you to embrace it as gladly as you do your favorite season of the year!

Precious One, your identity is found in Christ not the season.

Shalom!
©️TereseJMBelme2018

Re-born to Walk in Victory

Have you ever gotten into your car turned the key and nothing? No click, no sound, only silence. You realize you most likely have a dead battery. The solution is a new battery. In the meantime a jump start may bring the dead battery back to life.

Over the last several months my time with Jesus has not been the vibrant, exciting, can’t wait to meet with Him time it has been in seasons past. I have known for quite some time that I needed a jump start, something to propel me into new territory with Him.

Today I had the amazing opportunity to attend a small intimate gathering of women and learn some new and valuable ways to enter into some very sweet time with Him. I experienced Jesus on a new glory plane. As is His nature, he went above and beyond anything I can ever ask or imagine. He showed me wounds from my childhood that I didn’t realize were within me. He walked me through healing and reminded me of my identity and authority in Him.

He increased my freedom!

My prayer for you is that you would ask Jesus to meet you in new and unexpected ways and teach you to simply sit in His presence, listen for His voice and draw you ever closer through His word.

Shalom!

©2018TereseJMBelme

What do you Have to Lose?

 

 

Going to the store always involves a list for me. Lists ensure that I won’t forget all the items I want to buy. Sometimes our walk of faith can become a list checking frenzy. Causing us to check off our time with God like a grocery list when it isn’t about a list but a relationship.

The old and new, law and grace. One give us a set of guidelines speaking to us of our need of a Savior and the other gives us the desire to live for Him because of the power that raised Him from the dead the power of the Holy Spirit.

Law and Grace walking hand in hand alive and relevant today as the day God breathed them into existence. Even the prophets have not been abolished. All remain until the day that Jesus returns to set all things right according to His will and righteousness.

Precious One please do not wait to allow the law to shower you with its knowledge of the Savior. The longer you wait draws closer to being too late. And what you have to lose is eternity.

Shalom!

#donotwait #eternityawaits #tetheredtotheKing

©TereseJMBelme2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

Immeasurably More

Let’s encourage one another today! In the comments tell us how God has answered prayer immeasurably more than all you could ask or imagine!

Shalom!

#giveGodtheglory  #answeredprayer #immeasurablemore

©2018TereseJMBelme