The Daniel Fast Day 21 Devotional 10/13/13

My Parents Drugged Me!

 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

A member of our Daniel Fast Community sent this to me and I just had to pass it on to you!

 "The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question: "Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?"

"I replied, "I had a drug problem when I was young! I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.

"I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.

"I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.

"I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flowerbeds and cocklebur's out of dad's fields.

"I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood; and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

"Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place."

 God bless the parents who drugged us.

-- Author Unknown --

Be blessed as you grow in the love and knowledge of Christ today!

 (From Daniel-Fast.com by Susan Gregory- Author, Speaker, Christian Life Coach)

The Daniel Fast Day 20 Devotional 10/12/13

 He is the God of New Beginnings

"Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19

God is so good! His mercies are now every morning. His forgiveness and grace is more than we can imagine and over and over again He offers us New Beginnings. Don't let the power of the "fresh start" get away from you! This is a perfect opportunity to move into a brighter, healthier and more fulfilling future.

I saw Dennis Leonard, the Senior Pastor at Heritage Christian Center in Denver, Colorado on a talk show a while back. He pointed out the promise in Isaiah 43:18. As I read and meditated on this truth, I felt my spirit energy rise and take hold of the promise for the future I can walk into. I got excited and inspired.

But one thing I know, inspiration will not get me there . . . I have to choose to walk into the future the Lord wants to give me. God will do His part, but I must do mine! I must take hold of the promise, trust in the Lord, believe with all my heart, do everything He tells me to do, and then the supernatural power of God will take over. It's happened for me before - and it will happen again. God is faithful and He loves for me to rely only on Him and His Word.

If you've read about my story on The Daniel Fast Blog, you know that 2007 was a very tough year for me. I suffered a financial crisis that on the world's standards just about took me out. But God is faithful and our sure strength in time of trouble. He says, "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old."

 

I learned how important letting the past be the past is to gaining victory. To put it in more stark terms, we need to GET OVER IT! "It" is the past that can hold us down. And "over" is our future and our New Beginnings.

God is all for New Beginnings. He says in the same passage, "Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?" We can either stay focused and locked in the past hurt and pressure, or we can turn around, walk away from that dark mountain and keep walking toward the bright future the Lord is making victory and a future with a hope.

Don't let that get by . . . it is the Lord Who will do a new thing! If we receive it!

Do you want the coming months to be those of New Beginnings for you? Or is your life totally in order with no pain, no unmet needs and like heaven this side of glory? If your life is like that -- praise God! But if not, take this opportunity to take hold of all the Lord has for you!

 

Walk into your New Beginnings. The choice is yours! But we have to operate differently than we have in our past . . . that is if we want different results. For me, it's trusting in God more, surrounding myself in His Word, and walking into the new opportunities He's set before me.

What about you? Have you taken the time to really consider how you want your life to change? Have you asked the Lord for a New Beginning and then told Him what that means for you? He wants to hear from you. Remember the words of Jesus, "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Mark 11:24

Let me leave you with this great little video that I hope will help you realize the released spirit in you is powerful, mighty and victorious for our Lord. The video is short, but I think it will inspire you. Just click on this link: March of the Unqualified.

 

Also, if you want a copy of my notes titled "Seven Steps to Letting Go of the Past," I've attached it to this message. You can view the article or save it for your personal use.

Blessings to you as you experience New Beginnings! Come on, let's go for it!

Be blessed.

seven-steps-to-letting-go-of-the-past.pdf

(From Daniel-Fast.com by Susan Gregory- Author, Speaker, Christian Life Coach)

The Daniel Fast Day 19 Devotional 10/11/13

The Fruit of Self-control

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Galatians 5:22-24

I awarded myself with a big, shiny medal today! That's how I feel anyway. You see, I am writing this while on the 25th Day of my Daniel Fast and as you can imagine - I am really looking forward to breaking it on Sunday morning. But meanwhile I have a friend in need and one way to care for her is through the popular and time-proven "ministry of freshly baked oatmeal-raisin cookies."

So here I am in my little cottage in Central Washington. It's snowing more today and we just now emerged from weeks of below freezing temperatures! I'm out in my cozy kitchen, mixing the cookie dough while BeBe and CeCe Winans sing to me from their Greatest Hits CD. I'm having a grand time singing along, praying for my friend and baking the batch of cookies.

Sounds pretty relaxing, right? Actually, there's also a battle going on! OH, does the flesh want to nibble. There's no one here but me. Who would know? Okay, I know God would know . . . but no one else! He would surely forgive me if I ate just that one little corner of that cookie that crumbled as I lifted it off the sheet and onto the cooling rack.

But you know, as I whipped my flesh into submission and resisted even a tiny morsel, I realized one of the most precious gifts of the Daniel Fast. And that is truly experiencing bringing our fleshly desires under control so that we can have the outcome we really want.

While this may seem like a silly little "victory," the exercise is strengthening to my spirit. I once again see that I can resist and be successful. The next time I want to overeat . . . I can resist and do what is best for me. The next time I want to buy something on a whim, I can resist and do what is best for me. The next time I want to dwell on a past hurt or offense, I can push the thought out of my mind and do what is best.

When we make the choice for "self-control" we are walking according to the spirit in us, which is connected to the Spirit of God. And against this discipline there is no law.

The spiritual medal I awarded to myself today was for the victory I achieved over my flesh . . . I can't hang it up on the wall, but I can remember it the next time I am confronted with a choice. My victory medal will help me press on to making the right decision, which will take me one step closer to where I want to be.

Be blessed.

 

The Daniel Fast Day 18 Devotional 10/10/13

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
 

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." John 14:16, 17

Do you know that you are NEVER alone? God's Holy Spirit lives in you and as you give Him room, He will lead you, direct you, help you, and speak to you throughout your day.

One of the times when I am most conscious of the Holy Spirit with me is when I read, meditate and study God's Word. The same thing has probably happened to you: I'll be buzzing along through the verses and then something strikes me. "Wow! I never saw that before!" Then I'll allow the truth to settle in my mind and I'll listen to see if there is more for me to learn. Sometimes there is, and sometimes not. But I will never know unless I give our Teacher the Holy Spirit time to speak.

Since acknowledging the presence of the Holy Spirit with me when I enter God's Word, my understanding has increased more than I can measure. We don't have to figure out what the Scripture has to say all on our own. We have a Helper to show us what we need to know and where we should focus.

The Holy Spirit isn't generally very loud. Instead, He is mannerly and waits to be invited into our circumstances. We also must quiet our own voices and the voices of the world if we are to hear Him. This may take some practice, but it is not hard. The Lord wants to communicate with us, answer our requests, and to show us the Way.

I hope you dip into the living water of God's Word at least once every day . . . and I encourage you to make it a group activity! That means you, the Holy Spirit and the Living Word. Ask the Lord to teach you and lead you to the truths that you need. He will lead you, direct you and give you answers. Maybe not instantaneously, but in short order.

Learn to quiet yourself and then to listen. He will speak to you . . . when you allow Him to be the Helper He is meant to be.

Be blessed.

 

(From Daniel-Fast.com by Susan Gregory- Author, Speaker, Christian Life Coach)

 

The Daniel Fast Day 17 Devotional 10/9/13

Let Me Introduce You to You!

"But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." 1 Corinthians 6:17

 
I know you may not fully understand this, but you are a full-fledged "blood sibling" with Jesus Christ. You are one with Him . . . you belong to Him . . . He is in you!

Please don't just pass over those words quickly and move on. That's what we have done for most of our lives. We've heard words, but we haven't embraced them and really taken hold of the truth about who we are in Christ. Instead, we hold on to the old unworthy identity that we give ourselves and the enemy laughs as we help him with his work.

You are holy! God loved you before you even knew your name! He loved you before you did anything right or anything wrong. Do you know that, "God so loved (your name) that He gave His only begotten Son...?" Do you know that Jesus is your High Priest and He personally takes your requests to the Father and speaks on your behalf?

Do you know that God forgives all your iniquities,

He heals all your diseases,
He redeems your life from destruction,
He crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,
He satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Your Father wants you to know who you are. You are His child. He loves you with His unlimited and most precious love. And He wants you to receive all He has for you. But first you must KNOW who you are.

 

God loves (your name). You are His lovely and adored child. He cherishes you and longs to see you, talk with you, and hold you in the palm of His hand.

Take a few minutes and let the love of God pour out to you. He wants you to know His love for you. He wants you to know His grace and mercy and loving kindness.

Receive it . . . it's yours. But you need to take it.

Be blessed.

 

(From Daniel-Fast.com by Susan Gregory- Author, Speaker, Christian Life Coach)

The Daniel Fast Day 16 Devotional 10/8/13

Test for a Little While

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6, 7
 

When you think of going through some hard times . . . do your thoughts go immediately to a recent period that was especially stressful? Or perhaps you are in the midst of that pressure right now as you read these words! The fact is, trials happen. They are part of life . . . but the good news is they last only for "a little while."

One translation says, "for a season." Another uses, "short time." The nugget we need to mine out of this spiritual truth is that the hard times come . . . but they also go! Our job is to "get through," not with gritted teeth and murmuring, but instead in a victorious, God-honoring way.

I've been through my share of trials . . . and I would never want to repeat them or want them for anyone else. However, the lessons I learned while "getting through" were priceless for my faith. I experienced Christ and learned about trusting Him and about His faithfulness.

In 1 Peter 1:7 we learn that the trials come so that our faith can be proved genuine. In other words, the trials serve as a workout for our faith muscle. We have a choice, to either work it . . . or let the circumstance play out in our lives. If we are willing, we can pump up our faith, go to battle using the sword of the Spirit and Word, and not settle for anything except victory, which is the will of God.

 

Granted, God defines the victory, not us. That's why we need to trust Him in all ways and "lean not our own understanding." He knows what is best . . . and we reap His best when we "get through" His Way to His victory.

The verse also says that the result of the trial may result in praise, glory and honor when Christ is revealed. If you look at that closely, you will see that praise, glory and honor are outcomes of the victory!

Are you facing a trial now? Do you feel as if you're about to break? If you're saying, "Yes!" then I encourage you to hang on, continue to trust God and lean into Him and His Word. Tap into the power of prayer, praise and worship so you gain strength from His presence. Speak the Name of Jesus over your circumstances, bad report or stressful situation, and then thank the Lord for all the blessings He is already giving you . . . including the victory that you are about to receive.

The main thing is to get through . . . exercise your faith . . . and trust in the Lord who always wins. Remember, the promises of God are only for His children. They are yours and you can claim them!
 

Be blessed.

 

(From Daniel-Fast.com by Susan Gregory- Author, Speaker, Christian Life Coach)

 

The Daniel Fast Day 15 Devotional 10/7/13

Extreme Makeover

 " . . . if indeed you have heard [Christ] and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:21-24

Have you seen those makeover programs on television? The first one was Extreme Makeover where individuals with serious physical issues are transformed using plastic surgery, dentistry, cosmetology, and other treatments to "makeover" their appearance. The spin-off program was Extreme Makeover Home Edition. That's where they take a disheveled house and totally convert it into a beautiful home that is completely changed!

We too can have an "extreme makeover" by allowing the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit to convert us. We can be renewed, as we see in Ephesians 4. Just like the people on the television programs, we have to give ourselves up, relinquish control, if we are to receive the extreme makeover the Lord wants to perform in our lives. We do that by submitting to Him.

 

Sometimes, the homes that need renovation in Extreme Makeover Home Edition are in such need of overhaul that the workers have to demolish the existing structure. Then they start from the ground up and build a spectacular home for the family. In Galatians 5:24 we learn, "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." When we are in Christ and living the glorious life with Him, we also have demolished our previous "lives" and renewed ourselves with the life of Christ.

Do you want an extreme makeover in your life? Do you want a life filled with peace, joy, abundance,

Healing and deliverance? Do you want your weary and austere life to be redeemed and transformed into life anew? The extreme makeover is available to us . . . except this one is even more profound. Our makeover is by the One Who created us . . . and it's from the inside out! The makeover we receive is all new and perfect in His sight.

What must we do? Give it up for Him. We must let go and put our lives in the hands of the Master Transformer. The choice is ours. We can submit ourselves to an extreme makeover, or we can hang on to the shabby house, the tattered clothes and the old way of life. The Lord won't force His makeover upon us. On the other hand, He will never turn us down . . . we merely need to say, "I'm ready, Lord. Have your way with me!" Let the work begin!

Be blessed.

 

(From Daniel-Fast.com by Susan Gregory- Author, Speaker, Christian Life Coach)