Jesus

How to receive God’s guidance

Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

We all want to receive guidance from the Lord. You may need to make a decision in your marriage or with your children or regarding your work situation, and you wonder which way to go.  Well, the good news is that God promises to guide us!  Psalm 32:8 says “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”  The tricky thing is figuring out exactly how to access his counsel!

Here are two primary ways to access his wisdom and his counsel.  The first is….spending time reading His Word.  Duh.  But how many times do we come up with excuses as to why we don’t have the time or energy to spend much time reading the Bible?  Maybe it’s time to stop making excuses and DECIDE to make Bible reading a priority in your life.  I bet you make time to brush your teeth and take a shower, so why can’t you carve out 15 minutes for reading the Bible every morning?  šŸ˜Š  Reading the Bible will give you direct guidance on so many decisions you’ll need to make throughout any given day.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Next, spend time worshipping God and in “listening prayer”.  When we worship God, he draws near, and he longs to whisper to us through His Holy Spirit if we will strain to listen for that whisper to our souls.  1 Kings 19:12 “After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”  So try this.  Put on some worship music, or start singing a worship song. As you praise Him, close your eyes and envision God with you.  Now ask Him to whisper guidance to your heart.  Strain to listen. Did he give you a vision or nudge your heart in some way?  I believe He will guide you.  Just make sure that anything you believe you hear from God does not contradict what He says in the Bible.

3 ways your past may be hurting you

Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

Iā€™ve come to realize that many women (and men) in my life are being held hostage by something in their past.  In fact, something that occurred in their past seems to be strangling the life out of them.  But this is not Godā€™s design for me or you!  In John 10:10, Jesus said ā€œI have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.ā€  So whatā€™s the problem?  Allow me to spell out 3 common problems related to a personā€™s ā€œpastā€ that have the potential to strangle the life out of Godā€™s people.

  1. Ā A person takes on a negative identity because of the way she was mistreated in the past, and continues to carry that attitude into her present day.Ā  Perhaps her dad abandoned the family and she started to believe the lie that she was unloveable.Ā  Maybe her boyfriend was verbally abusive and told her she was trash, and she continues to believe that lie years later.Ā  In both cases, that person often sinks into depression or self-medicates in harmful ways, or enters into every new relationship with the expectation she will be treated as unloveable or like trash.Ā  Obviously, such believes will strangle the life out of her.Ā  If this is you, itā€™s time to ask God and godly people in your life to speak truth to you about who you really are!
  2. A person carries so much shame about their past sin, that they disqualify themselves from any future blessings or joy.Ā  This is also a case of wrong beliefs.Ā  If you have repented of your sin, then God has set you free to live an abundant life!Ā  Unfortunately, we often feel so undeserving of his forgiveness that we actually reject his kindness and the abundant life Jesus died to provide!Ā  But thatā€™s the definition of graceā€¦ā€undeserved kindnessā€.Ā  Thatā€™s why God is so amazing!Ā  Ephesians 1:7 says, ā€œIn him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of Godā€™s graceā€.Ā  Is it time to accept and embrace Godā€™s extravagant forgiveness and enjoy the kindness he longs to show you?
  3. Sometimes, we miss out on the abundant life God intends for us because we stubbornly cling to an old season in our life, refusing to let it go.Ā  This sometimes happens after a divorce or death of a spouse.Ā  In fact, I took a lot of grief from many believers when I followed Godā€™s promptings to start dating my new husband Mark about 6 months after my beloved husband Raul passed away.Ā  But I knew that nothing productive would happen if I allowed myself to wallow in what I had lost.Ā  God brought this beautiful scripture to mind.Ā  Isaiah 43:18-19 ā€œForget the former things; do not dwell on the past.Ā  19 See, I am doing a new thing!Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?Ā  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.ā€Ā  Is it time for you to let go of a season of your life that has ended so that God can set you on an exciting new adventure?

Sensing God’s comforting presence

Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

If you’re like me, sometimes you desperately need to sense God’s presence.  When my relationships are challenged and I’m not “feeling the love” from people in my life, I so need to sense God’s love and his comfort.  The good news is that God promises to hold us when we cry out to Him!  In Isaiah 51:12, God says “I, even I, am he who comforts you.  Who are you that you fear mere mortals?”

However, it’s not like I can literally see him or reach out and grab his hand, so how can I take advantage of the comfort that He promises me?  Well, I take a clue from King David.  In Psalm 63:2, he says to God “I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.”   I believe David is talking about God giving David a vision of himself as David was worshipping. 

I’ve tried this and it is a marvelous thing!  I enter a time of praising God, with or without music, and then I ask God to help me envision myself being in His presence in perhaps his throne room or maybe in a beautiful mountain meadow beside a pristine brook.  Why don’t you try this right now?  Close your eyes, voice thankfulness and praise to God, and then ask Him to allow you to see yourself with Him in a particular setting.  Can you sense His presence?  Do you sense His great love for you?  Can you feel His comfort?  Do you sense the warmth of His love?  If possible, actually try to get out into his beautiful creation and saturate your senses with the beauty he designed!

If youā€™re struggling to experience Godā€™s comfort, let me just say that you MUST believe that God will indeed reveal his comfort to you.  Have faith that you will sense Godā€™s comfort.  Remember, your faith that God will fulfill his promises is vital.  James 1:6-7 says, ā€œBut let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.  For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lordā€

Try this when in the pit of despair

Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

In your marriage and in all your relationships, you will face challenges.  In response to those challenges, we often wring our hands in despair, get mad at God, sink into depression, lash out at people around us, get really grouchy, and on and on.  We act as if we’re surprised that we’ve encountered heartache and trials.  Well, here’s a news flash for you.  Trouble is normal and to be expected.  After all, Jesus says in John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble“.  Drat.

However, God has a plan to do something wonderful in the middle of our challenges…if we decide to move out of despair and self-pity.  God wants to teach us something.  He doesn’t waste any opportunities for our personal growth!  In the middle of our suffering, God gives us the choice to either wallow in depression or contemplate what He might be trying to teach us.  Romans 5:3-5 sums this up well: “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because Godā€™s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

The choice is yours.  You can stay mired in despair if you want to, or you can anticipate a time of great personal growth and shaping of your character.  Could God be teaching you patience, or perhaps teaching you to be courageous in confronting abuse, or maybe teaching you to help and comfort others who share a similar heartache?  Maybe the Lord simply wants to teach you to draw even closer to Him and to trust in Him completely.

Maybe the Lord is planning to answer your prayers in a way that will blow your mind!  When Iā€™m in a time of discouragement or challenge, I like to give my concern to God in prayer and then encourage myself by saying thisā€¦ā€I canā€™t wait to see what God is going to do!!!ā€

Don’t miss out on God’s blessings!

Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

We are all so prone to dwell on what we don’t have.  For instance, you might spend lots of mental time and energy longing for a more romantic husband.  Or maybe you rehearse over and over again the many qualities your husband lacks!  You may be a single woman reading this devotion, and you may be spending lots of energy and time trying to capture a man who can become your husband!

Here’s the thing.  We can easily spend so much time focusing on what we don’t have…and trying to manipulate people and circumstances to get what we want…that we don’t even enjoy the many blessings God has actually given us.  We can miss out on the life we have!

Colossians 2:6-7 reminds us, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”  You and I need to focus on the many things for which we can be thankful.  What good people has God placed in your life?  How has God provided for you?  Dwell on those things and be thankful.  When you stop focusing on what you don’t have, you’ll finally be able to truly enjoy all the blessings that you do have!

Are you multiple-choicing God??

Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

I donā€™t know about you, but I fall into a really crazy and unproductive pattern when I seek God for advice and direction.  I intend to be a good listener, but instead of quieting myself and really straining for God to speak to me through his Holy Spirit, I keepā€¦.talking!  In fact, one second after I ask God the question ā€œwhat should I do about ā€¦..?ā€, I start mulling over the options.  My thoughts start ricocheting in my head and after a few minutes, I feel like Iā€™ve boiled down the choices to 3 or 4 options for God to choose from. Yikes! 

The other day I found myself doing this again.  This time, however, I heard God speak a word of correction (or what some might call rebuke!).  I heard him say ā€œWhy are you multiple-choicing me?ā€  He reminded me that He doesnā€™t need me to lay out options from which to choose.  He reminded me that, often, his answer or direction is not even listed among my multiple-choice options!  I heard him whisper to my spirit, ā€œWhat if my answer is ā€œeā€ and you have only given me A-D from which to choose?ā€

Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that I need to do less talking and more listening. This is the essence of James 1:19  ā€œMy dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speakā€¦ā€

By the way, one tip that has helped me quiet my thoughts (so I can actually hear the Lordā€™s whisper of guidance) is this:  Close your eyes and envision being with the Lord.  I like to envision walking beside him in a beautiful meadow next to a quiet stream.  Then, while your mind is focused on being with Jesus, ask your question.  Within a few moments, I usually sense Him whispering a word to me, or giving me a vision, or bringing a Bible verse to mind that will guide me.

3 Bible verses to overcome insecurity

Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

Most women are plagued by insecurity.  As a result of our insecurity, we end up putting up with rude or abusive behavior from others.  Our insecurity leads up to covet what other women have.  Our insecurity prompts us to put other people down so we look better in comparison.   When we are drowning in insecurity, we tend to expect a man to be the “answer”.  We seek and catch a husband and then expect him to make us feel better about ourselves by constantly telling us that we’re beautiful, desirable, smart, funny, intelligent, etc.   However, husbands are imperfect themselves, and something could happen to take them away from you!  Therefore, a husband can’t be a reliable source of security for you.

I believe we would benefit by frequently meditating on 3 particular Bible verses.  They are great reminders of how God sees us and who He is to us.  The first one is a reminder that He loves us and even delights in us!  This verse portrays the picture of a loving father tenderly cradling his daughter in his arms.  Here is the verse.  Zephaniah 3:17  “The Lord your God is with you.  He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you.  He will quiet you with His love.  He will rejoice over you with singing.”   Close your eyes and picture God smiling at you as he holds you.  Hear him whispering those words to you.  Ah. So good. 

The second verse reveals that God is our loving father, so even if your own parents have let you down, God will remain faithful!  Psalm 27:10  Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.   God will never leave you!  This makes me feel so much more secure.  And the third verse reveals God as our husband and protector.  Isaiah 54:5 For your Maker is your husbandā€” the Lord Almighty is his name.  Wow! The maker of heaven and earth, the commander of heavenā€™s army of angels is your husband.  Relax.  He will take care of you.  Yes!

Key step before making big decisions

Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

I was reading the creation story the other day and was struck once again at how easily Satan deceived Eve.  Genesis 3:1-6   Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ā€œDid God really say, ā€˜You must not eat from any tree in the gardenā€™?ā€  The woman said to the serpent, ā€œWe may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,  but God did say, ā€˜You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.ā€™ā€   ā€œYou will not certainly die,ā€ the serpent said to the woman.  ā€œFor God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.ā€   When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.

What struck me in this account is that the cunning serpent (the devil) was wise enough to whisper enticing words of deception to Eve when she was all alone.  Adam wasnā€™t on the scene.  Why was the devil so effective?  It would appear that part of the reason for his success in tempting Eve to make a horribly wrong decision is because she was not with Adam.   She consulted no one about the temptation she had received.  She consulted no one during her deliberation as to whether to actually eat from the forbidden tree of good and evil.  She consulted no one before making a huge, life-changing decision.  It seemed beneficial to her.  So, she just did it!

We can learn from Eveā€™s mistake.  If youā€™re considering a major decision in life (quitting your job, leveraging all your savings on a new money-making idea, separating from your husband, bailing your teen out of natural consequences of bad decisions, etc), pause before acting!  Consult a godly mentor.  Better yet, pray with several wise and godly people in your life.  Ask them all to seek guidance from the Bible and the Holy Spirit.  You will often spare yourself unnecessary pain in the long run!

Invite 3rd party into your marriage

Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

One of my super humbling moments as a newly divorced woman actually reminds me of a vital marriage principle.  Hereā€™s the event forever etched in my memory from December of 2002:

It was nearing Christmas and I had just gone through a divorce after 18 years of marriage.  My children were 16 and 14 at the time and I wanted to keep as many Christmas traditions in place as possible, so I announced that I was taking the kids to cut down our Christmas tree from a local tree farm.  Just before we took off, I realized I didnā€™t have any way to tie the tree to the top of my SUV.  But hey, Iā€™m a reasonably intelligent person, or so I thought. lol  I wasnā€™t going to let anything deter me!

So I searched my new house for something resembling rope or a bungee cord.  Alas, there was no such thing on hand.  All I had was someā€¦.sewing thread. Hmmm. Well, maybe a whole bunch of thread would work?

Off we went to pick out our beautiful Christmas tree.  My son cut it down.  Unlike me, he apparently knew how to handle this part of the operation.  We hoisted the tree to the top of my SUV and then I carefully wove my spool of thread back and forth across the tree to secure it to the roof.  My kids just shook their heads in disbelief.  Then we took off, and we actually made it about a half-mile before the tree took a slow, inelegant slide from the top of the car to the road. Splat!

Why am I sharing this story with you?  Iā€™m using it to remind both you and me that a tiny thread is not sufficient to hold anything heavy when the wind starts blowing against it.  In the same way, we need a super strong rope to hold a marriage together when we are slammed by the wind of miscommunication, frustration, and unmet expectations in marriage. We need a rope of three strandsā€¦you, your husband and the Lord.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 says ā€œThough one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.ā€

Sit down with your husband and brainstorm ideas on how you can keep God in the center of your marriage. You will need Him to help hold you guys together when you encounter the inevitable adversity and challenges that hit every marriage! Invite a third party into your marriageā€¦the Holy Spirit!

Don’t look at the squirrel!!

Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

I sensed God reminding me of something this week, and I have a feeling He might want to remind you too.  Let me start out by saying, as followers of Jesus, we have great purpose in life.  Our purpose is to bring Him glory.  We do that by loving the Lord, serving the Lord, obeying the Lord, telling others about Jesus, and loving the people He has placed in our life.  Hereā€™s the problem.  I often start out my day with a desire and passion to bring God glory, but thenā€¦.squirrel!  My attention gets drawn away to something else!  How about you? 

It’s so easy to get distracted by the ā€œshiny objectsā€, the newest gadgets, the luxury items we think we need to have, etc.  And if we allow our attention to be diverted long enough, we start focusing on making more money to buy more things instead of focusing on loving God.  For you, the ā€œsquirrelā€ might be getting distracted by our cultureā€™s relentless message that we need to create the perfect home interior or alter our face or body so that it resembles the women on the cover of magazines.

Ladies, we need to continually check in with the Holy Spirit throughout the day and ask Him, ā€œAm I getting distracted away from you?ā€  We need to take our thoughts captive!  2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Let me add that this same problem of the ā€œsquirrelā€ or distraction can also impact our marriages.  The devil loves to get us to focus our attention on the neighbor man who seems so nice, or that male co-worker who seems so compassionate and empathetic.  Donā€™t look at the squirrel!  Stay focused on the good qualities of your husband and refuse to look at or fantasize about another man.  Take captive every thought instead of letting your thoughts run wild, destroying your good intentions in the process.