Tag: wisdom

Barefoot Devotions

Your Soul Is Starving

Hannah B.

Are you feeling down and out? Confused? Unexplained feelings? Like you’re missing something?

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Are you doing all the things you should love but you aren’t finding any satisfaction for your hunger?

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Perhaps, it’s your soul that is starving. The Bible tells us that we need spiritual food and with it, we will be fed and we will live.

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John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

Barefoot Devotions

Learning To Rejoice When God Removes

Hannah B.

When God removes a relationship or something from your life, He replaces it when the time is right. It will be so much better that you will thank Him for removing the thing you lost.

Are you thinking that I am crazy? How can this be? It must be true, I just experienced it!

After seven months, I thank God for the friend He removed because the friend I gained is a beacon of light for my purpose versus a friend who was a stumbling block for my purpose. This new friend will shine the way to my calling instead of blowing out the light.

It doesn’t mean that I don’t love the person that is no longer in my life, because I do. I always will regardless of the differences that set us on different paths. Just like our disagreements with each other, it doesn’t mean that either of us are bad people. We completed the need in each other’s lives that God intended and therefore, He closed the door to our relationship.

It was hard. I grieved. I was sad. I was angry. I was hurt. I felt betrayed. I was a mess. I second guessed my actions and wondered about everything I could have done differently. I even questioned my ability to choose friends and I second guessed all of my relationships. I could feel the enemy pressing repeat and starting with these emotions again.

Finally, I have seen why this has happened and I can rejoice. In the future, I hope I am able to endure situations more gracefully and with even more faith but most importantly, I want to rejoice from the beginning. God did more with my emotions than I ever could have.

We have all experienced times in our relationships we were hurt by someone or we hurt someone. Perhaps a decision was made to let someone go because you recognized they were not good for you during your season of life.

As we change, we grow apart from the people we bonded with and grown to love. Sometimes it is a season where both of you are growing in different directions. Although it is painful to experience the loss of someone you have bonded with and shared life with, God has a reason and a plan. Our minds are unable to comprehend His reason and plan because we would not be able to believe what He has planned for us.

We have to remember that sometimes people, things, and jobs are removed because they don’t serve a place in our lives any longer. Although the suffering was long, the perseverance will lead to greater things.

Do you think Ruth could have ever dreamed about her Boaz?

Romans 12:12 | Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

James 1:12 | Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him

Romans 5:3-5 | More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Xoxo,

Hannah B.

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Barefoot Devotions

A Never Ending Light

Hannah B.

The Discovery

In the thick forest surrounded by darkness that seems to be thick with shadows, she continues to walk along the path that is set out before her. The wind is still stirring around her causing her long dark hair to blow into a tangled mess.

The debris from the last storm has covered most of her path. The aftermath of the storm is making it difficult to judge if she is even on the right path. Her vision is clouded with darkness that seems to be closing in in her.

Determined to fight through, she manages to move her feet forward and shuffle through the shattered pieces and belongings that lie around her. As she looks down and remembers the pieces that were once whole and the story they tell, sadness begins to match the power of darkness.

Once again, she is determined to look toward a light that seems to be pulling her feet forward. Knowing that if she doesn’t look forward, she will surely die. Dying was not option. She was tired of dying over and over through every storm.

Staring at the pieces of her aftermath on the ground, she cried out in desperation, “Surely, this is not what life is!” Deep down she knew she was called for more, but what? What could she possibly do that was worth anything? She was trapped in the tangled mess and broken pieces the storm left behind.

There was the light again. It was so close but yet so far away. It was peaceful and it seemed to have what she so desperately needed. A deep yearning that she did not realize was there. Unsure of where this light was coming from or what it was, it had found her. It was the opposite of everything else she knew, so surely it was good. Surely, it would help her find her way. Still surrounded by darkness, she focused her eyes ahead and chose to follow it with a desire to be enveloped in this light.

As she was walking further down the path, she realized the light grew brighter at her feet. It was leading her away from the storms that never seemed to let up and the aftermath that was left behind.

The closer she walked toward the light, the heavy burdens of being tangled in her mess were coming less worrisome. Though it was still dark, she could see at her very step and it was peaceful because she knew that as she walked toward the light, it would shine before her feet took the next step.

Abba Father. Jesus. My savior. You have searched for me and you found me. You have saved me.

Her name is Faith and this is how she was found.

A Lesson

Although we walk on dark paths in life’s unknowns, we can rest knowing that our Father has already gone before each of our lives. He has strategically planned out our every move, every day of our life, and our every breath.

He has forseen every problem we will face and has already come up with the perfect solution. We don’t need plan A, B, or C because He has the one.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

It’s for your benefit. It may be painful as we endure trials, but in the end, the perseverance will lead us to a greater purpose and great joy.

1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

By reading God’s Word and focusing on Jesus, our faith will grow as we begin to understand God’s heart. We are able to trust that He is there with us, has already gone before us, we do not need to fear the darkness because Jesus’ words are the light that will always lead us to our purpose that we were predestined for before we were born.

He is a light that is always twinkling and desires to catch your eye. When we allow darkness to seep in, it will cloud our spiritual eyes like a dark fog. Often we wonder why God has left us? But He has not. We have simply strayed too far down the wrong path, away from Him. It’s up to us to turn around and find Him. Chase Him. Run to Him. Don’t look back.

It’s up to us to turn the light on. We don’t have to look very far because He is closer than our earthly eyes perceive.

Psalm 119:105 – Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

 

Xoxo,

Hannah B.

Barefoot Devotions // Faith Over Fear Series

Faith Over Fear: Season Two // Day Six

Hannah B.

As you begin to sprout into the person God has called you to be, you realize that the process is a lot harder than it looks. You will face situations in your life that will cause you to ask, “Why is this happening to me?” or “How could things be so great and I was so full of joy and happiness but now I feel like this?” Maybe you feel slightly disappointed that what you hoped for would come true. Even though our worldly surroundings are changing, we can always count on God to carry us through whatever situation we face. We know that He is working out ALL circumstances, emotions, and encounters for your benefit and for His glory. If something or someone is removed from your life, you can have full confidence that God is working behind the scenes to provide you with something far greater than your mind can comprehend. When doubt creeps in, REJOICE for what He has done for you and thank Him for what He is doing. We must continue to move forward in our growth process, no matter are uncomfortable we are!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. – Philippians 1:6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

Practicing

In what ways or situations are you facing that are causing doubt?

In what ways are you feeling uncomfortable as you grow into your new self?

How will you change your mindset to focus on God?

Praying

Heavenly Father,

I want to thank you for what you have done for me and I rejoice in knowing you have a perfect future that you designed for me. Even though, I can’t see with my earthly eyes and I am feeling afraid, worried, and doubting you, please take these feelings and remind me turn to you when they start taking over. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Xoxo,

Hannah B.

Barefoot Devotions

Not Forgotten

barinmysoul

It always amazes me how distracted we can get on a daily basis and forget how far we have come in life. We do our day to day things and have our day to day issues.  Could be a stressful day with work and kids and so much to do and so little time to do it.  Or I just got paid and now I have no money.

Recently, I was watching a documentary on the Oklahoma City building bombing that sadly happened back in 1995.  I remembered that I had written in my journal just a few short days afterwards about how I had felt about it.  I ran upstairs and grabbed my journal out of my suitcase full of all my teenage memories.  Which is pretty fitting considering I moved around a lot as a child.  My parents were divorced and I found myself going back and forth between the both of them.

So, I started reading my journal which only consisted of a few months from that year. I must have remembered the old saying “don’t print anything on paper that you wouldn’t want broadcasted on the front page of a newspaper” Lol. As I was reading, I couldn’t stop.  All these memories that I had blocked out.  I was such a depressed and lonely teenage girl.  I wanted to reach into that journal and hug her and tell her everything would turn out okay.  My day to day journaling consisted of boy trouble, abuse, feelings of suicide and loneliness.I had wanted to have a closer relationship with Jesus but I found myself drowning in depression and anger.

I do remember times of shaking my fists and screaming out to God to take me out of this world.  To make all this go away.  To save me.  I had no mentor back then. No woman to show me what a life for a girl is supposed to be like.  I lived with my father and my 2 brothers most of the time.  I longed for someone to see into my soul how tormented I was.  I suppose I didn’t know how to articulate any of that at the time.  I only knew how to yell and fight and defend myself.  I only knew how to express how angry and sad I was.  I got myself into quite a bit of trouble. Drugs, alcohol, premarital sex. I stopped caring about myself.

I don’t actually remember much of the details of that time; even the events I wrote about, but I do remember making my mind up at some point that I was going to look forward to the future and hold onto that last thread of hope that God was real and what I’ve learned my whole life was true and that Jesus loved me and hadn’t forgotten me.

Now, as I look around at my beautiful house and the peace in this house I see how God did deliver me.  I have wonderful children.  I didn’t do too much in my life in the right order but God still blessed me none the less.  God saw through my soul and saw my pain and He delivered me.  He set me on solid ground.  I may have messed up in so many ways but being the Sovereign God He is; picked me up, dusted me off and pushed me forward.  What an amazing mighty God we serve. And the thing is, I may have just been reminded of  some of the pain I went through growing up and some of the awful things that were said to me or done to me but I’m also reminded that I am blessed and I survived. That I was saved and He did hear my cries and I was delivered from all of it.  I don’t have to feel sad about it anymore. I don’t have to be angry.  I can forgive and I am forgiven.

The annoyances that happen in my day to day are nothing compared to what The Lord God brought me out of so many years ago.

Looking back I don’t even recognize that girl in that journal.  I know that God has transformed me.  He has worked on my heart and has mended all my little holes and patched all those rips and tears.  There may be scars but they are no longer wounds.

If you are going through a time in your life where you feel like nobody could possibly understand what you are going through or you feel like you are alone; I am a living testament that you are never alone.  God does hear you and even if you don’t see his work yet, He is working on your behalf.  It is always in the right time.

He knows perfectly and strategically where you are at in your grief or your anger or your sadness.  He knows what you need and when you need it. He knows when you are open and ready to receive it. When you can lay it all down and get on your knees and recognize that He does have your back you are ready to receive it.

If you don’t have a mentor or somebody to reach out to that will listen and pray for you or pray with you, I encourage you to get out your bible and pray.  I encourage you to find a bible based church to go to and do not isolate yourself. Reach out to other people or your pastor and ask them to pray with you.  You are loved and you are never forgotten.

Luke 12:7- “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows”.

Valerie C.

Barin my Soul