How To Find God: Search For Him With Your Whole Heart!

A few months ago, I very sincerely and humbly asked the Lord, “What is the problem people are having today?”  And He said, “Finding Me”, “How To Connect With Me”. These words were surprising to me, and then again, they weren’t surprising to me at all!

I knew exactly what He meant, because I felt that same way in my heart also. I knew that most people did’nt know how to find God. Most of us are walking around feeling like God is either angry with us or we’re thinking that we don’t know the “pretty right words” to say to Him.

Finding God and connecting with God are actually two easy things to do; when we search for Him with a sincere heart. I think people complicate the communion and the loving fellowship we can have with Almighty God. God has graciously made it to where a little child can have a relationship with Him. It’s us adults that “mess it up” and make it confusing or even strange! God is so gently aware and giving of Himself that all we have to do is ask in faith and believe. Hebrews 11:6 saids, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must first believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of them that diligently seek Him”. We must believe that when we’re seeking God with our whole heart as Jeremiah 29:13 says(You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart), we will be found by Him. He hears us and He’s listening.

When you deeply sense that God is talking to you; don’t second guess it. Just believe. Believe that you are hearing from God. Learn what His Word saids about what you believe you are hearing from Him. Does it line up with His Word? (listen, the devil ain’t gonna tell you to go out and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ!, he aint gonna tell you to write beautiful words of comfort for your fellow man, he ain’t gonna tell you to be lovely and kind to one another!) So is it the voice of God you’re hearing?! Learn what God’s voice sounds like to you. Engage with Him. And when you know, that you know, that you know, that it is God’s voice you are hearing; believe! Talk to Him like He’s your Father, because He is. He’s your loving Father. Talk to Him like a friend, because He is your friend. He’s a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24, ” A man of many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother “.

He said to come to Him with “childlike faith,” Not “childish”, but childlike. Come to Him with a true, sincere, humble and contrite heart. We are to reverence All Mighty God. Reverence His deity; and His Holiness. Reverence the God that He is. But at the same time, feel comfortable enough to talk to Him like a friend, like your best friend. In fact, tell Him more than you would ever tell your best friend. That’s what makes our relationship with God so beautiful; we can tell Him Everything, Anything and All Things…..we can tell Him our heart.

We can’t approach God with insincerity in our heart’s, no, no, we have to be honest and true when we come to God’s throne. He already knows your heart anyway, so be real!  He sees right through the mask and that hog-wash. So don’t be fake, be for real. It’s just you and Him; and if  it’s not just you and Him, get to a place where it can be just you and Him. He’s so kind and gentle. He wants His children to know how much He loves them; how much He cares about everything that concerns you.

The bible says, draw near to God and He will draw near to you; James 4:8. He’s so patient with us and He’s a faithful and dedicated Father. He is always tending to the needs of His children. I think what we tend to do is bring God down to mankind’s ways of thinking and how we behave and expect that we are going to treat Almighty God the same way! Not happening! That’s not how it goes! God is not to be treated like “mere man”. Don’t bring Him down to our level but let Him lift us up to His standards!  Try seeing from God’s perspective. And the only way we can do that is to learn about Him and His ways, by reading His Word. Get to know your loving Father.

I know it can feel uncomfortable at first, but trust Him! Trust His way! After a while of regularly seeking Him and talking to Him, it’ll get easier and easier to bring your troubles and your thoughts to Him. Find God and commune with Him! He’s a loving and caring Father and He is always there for you.  Amen.

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Devotional: Out Of The Darkness

Today’s Devotional has a very personal flavor to it, in that, I must tell a brief background story about my life for you to really understand it’s meaning to me and from where in my heart it comes from. And it all begins with where I found myself about five years ago.

About twenty years ago, my life was great. I had everything a woman could want. It was great; until it wasn’t anymore! I had a good relationship with the Lord. We were very close. But, when I believed that He was calling me to preach, I ran from God and turned away from the calling on my life. I was afraid to teach and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I ran! And for seventeen years I ran. As a result of turning away from God, my life began to spiral out of control. I was met with some awful situations I found myself in. I even became a statistic of the opiate crisis we are still fighting today.

To make a long story short, I became addicted to pain pills. It was bad! And I was in a bad head space, (a bad heart space too)! Pain pills became my cunning best friend. I didn’t care about anything else. It got so bad, that I didn’t pay any of my bills and with that, my lights got turned off. I remember spending the winter of 2017 in my big, cold house, all alone, with no power, heat, or water. Yes, it was that bad!

But you know what, it was the best thing that could’ve happened to me! Because it drove me to my knees, and I began to cry out to God! One day, as I was reading my bible; in the dark, the Lord said to me, “even if the lights were on, you would still be in the dark”. Wow!!! That was deep! But so true! I truly was in darkness in more ways than one! That year, five years ago, I went for help and I’ve been free and clean ever since. You see, when you think that you are “all that and a bag of chips”, the Lord will humble you!!! Take heed lest you be next!

Anyway, a couple of years later, God gave me “Out Of The Darkness”, and it goes like this….

“Come out My child, come out of the darkness. There is still a glimpse of light there, go to it, it will help you to see your way out of the darkness.

You will find peace there, you will find hope and love there, joy and happiness. You are not meant to stay where you are, so go to the light. It remains there waiting for you. Don’t be afraid, come My lovely one, take My hand and I will guide you through. There is another side to your struggle. There is freedom on the other side, hope, a new life with new desires and all that you need. I, am on that other side. I assure you, you have nothing to fear. Just trust Me. I won’t let you down. There is fresh love there for you. Your battle is over, you have overcome.

So walk through it, talk your way through it; pray your way through it…. even sing your way through it! The eyes of the Lord are upon you, watching over you.

And when you get to the other side, shout! Shout Hallelujah! Give Him praise. He inhabits the praise! All the glory is His! No one else has done this for you. It is He, the One who adores you.”

So shout! And shout again! Hallelujah! Out of the Darkness into His Marvelous Light! Peace and Amen. Monica Bell

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From Darkness Into His Light

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Devotional: When You Are Ready

When you are ready, come to Me. I Am here waiting…..waiting for you to come to Me.

I know the troubles that you have seen and the ongoing battles that you have fought and I Am here for you. You don’t have to go through this alone. You can count on Me, I’ll never leave you or forsake you.

I know right now it feels like the days are too long, and the nights are so very lonely, but when you are ready; in the stillness of your room, light a candle and pray, and in that warm glow, begin to pour out your heart to Me. I will hear you and I will answer you. You will find peace there, peace that the world didn’t give to you and the world can’t take it away from you.

I’m here to comfort you. This is our precious and sacred time together. The Lord comforts all those in whom He loves, and that means You My Love.

So when you are ready, seek My face and let Me love on you. I’ll change your world, and “show you great and mighty things which you do not know,”(Jeremiah 33:3). In your world, the Son will shine again; your burdens will flow away. You will never have to worry about them ever again.

When you are ready, come, My arms are open wide to you. When you are ready, Come. Peace and Amen. Monica Bell

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“I AM” waits for you….Come.

Who Am I And Where Did I Come From?!

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.”

So, you say, I don’t think that’s true. I don’t know if I believe that.

Well how do you think you were made? How do you think you came to be? Did you come out of a rock or a shell? Were you dug up from the place of “no where”? What are your thoughts about you; and where you come from?

Let me raise a question to you; if you don’t know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made; than how do you know that you weren’t fearfully and wonderfully made? Could it be that you just haven’t made the discovery yet? Could it be that you are still in darkness; where satan wants you?

What am I saying? I am saying, wouldn’t you want to know; wouldn’t you want to be sure of where you came from? Why not do some soul searching and digging? Find out for yourself who you really are.

Why do I raise this question anyway? Because I believe that when we discover who we are and where we come from; we get to know ourselves better. We come to know the vastness of our being. We get to discover the greatness of our design! And we began to walk in it……to grow into it!

When we discover and know the Divine Being who created us; how He formed and shaped us and knew us before we were in our mother’s womb; we will discover our complete selves. All the wonder and the depth of our core being.

So, search it out for yourselves and let me know what you come up with. I dare you?! I invite your comments!

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Discovering your deep inner beauty! A beautiful coral colored flower!
Discover Your Beautiful Self!!!

Tuesday’s Beautiful Word: Joy

A Beautiful Word To Ponder Today: Joy – What is the meaning of Joy and where does Joy come from? What is the difference between Joy and Happiness? How can I experience Joy?

Joy is a gladness in our heart no matter our circumstances.

Chaos can be happening all around you and your joy will not be stolen. Joy is an inner gladness that won’t be shaken! Real joy comes from knowing and obeying God in everything! As we obey God and His instructions in His Word; we experience the Joy of the Lord. The joy of the Holy Spirit rises in us. Nehemiah 8:10 saids, “The joy of the Lord is my strength”. God’s joy gives us great strength to press on and be happy, in spite of our situations. John 16:24, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full“. It pleases the Lord God to bless His children with merriment of heart with joy and gladness. His love is joy to feed your soul! It is His good pleasure to fill us with joy everlasting.

God is the “foundation of our life” and what “we get” to experience; nothing happens without Him. How do you get to feel Joy in the Lord? ● Discover the Lord’s purpose for you. You are more than ordinary….. you are extraordinary! Finding one’s purpose brings fulfillment and happiness! ● As we praise God in Worship, our heart’s are filled with joy. Worship Him! ● Another key in finding joy is to recognize God’s hand in your life, even during challenging moments. ●Look for God in the little things. Be appreciative for the simple joys you get to feel; like, seeing a smile on a child’s face; or hearing the laughter of children playing. ● Try having a heart filled with gratitude and watch your joy multiply.

Happiness may come and go, but joy remains. The stage set for happiness is sometimes staged with what our circumstances present to us, but not so with joy.

Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” When we make God our foundation for every aspect of our lives, we find true and genuine joy. Joy for a lifetime. Joy unspeakable and full of glory. Psalm 118:24, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

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You Are A Gift! You Have A Gift! Your Gifts Are Worth Pursuing!

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:31 about the gifts God has given to His children, he encourages Christians to “eagerly desire the greater gifts”. In Romans 12:6-8, the gifts are; Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leadership, and Mercy; (More gifts are spoken of; like Pastors and Shepherding and others, in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Ephesians 4:11 and in 1 Peter 4:11). Eagerly desire the gifts; Jesus paid a high price. The Holy Spirit stirs up those gifts in us; so why not perfect them for the glory of God?! Why not find out what your gifts are; why they were given to you and use them for His glory? God could have chosen anyone to give your talents and gifts to, but He chose to give them to you. Why?

No one can do the things you’re able to do like you! You are not ordinary… you are extraordinary! Why not use your gifts to help someone who’s hurting in this world?! There are so many ways your gifts and talents can offer hope to someone in need. When we think about and fully understand the gifts we were given, from the Almighty Himself; and the abilities we possess, and how much it cost the Savior; we would never squander away those gifts and talents. The God Almighty thought enough of you to bless you with those beautiful gifts! Use them! And bring Him glory!!!

What are you talented in? What do you do and do it well? What seems to come to you with such ease? Do you have a spirit of exploration? Are you a natural Leader? Maybe you have an ability to draw or you speak well….maybe even writing. Charles Surgeon said “Jesus needs Sanctified writers”! Are you an Encourager, do you enjoy lifting peoples spirit? Are you the one with that Teacher attitude….being quick to correct someone’s grammar?! Search your Soul loved one and come to life! You’ll be a better person for it.

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your gifts to you,(they are empowered by Him). Ask Him to “stir up” the gifts in you! You will be amazed to see how the Holy Spirit works! Make it known to God that you are tired of sitting on your hands and that you are ready for action! Make it known to Him how serious you are to start learning from Him. Once you enter into His glory of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, nothing else will satisfy you! You Are A Gift. You Have A Gift. Pursue Your Gift.

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You Are A Gift!

The 3 D’s of Salvation: What is Salvation? A Gift From God!

Salvation is a Gift from God. We have been redeemed from a world filled with sin! We find deliverance from sin by putting our trust and faith in Jesus Christ; The Son of the Living God! Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

Only God can save us from sin by believing in His Son Jesus Christ who died for you and for me. Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. If you are “broken”, you are in the perfect position for God’s grace and mercy to overshadow you! Only when we are broken, do we recognize our need for the Savior to make us whole. When God comes knocking at your door, let Him in! Don’t hesitate, thinking, “I’ll get saved another day.” You are not guaranteed another day! Why not accept Christ in your heart today and be Saved?! God loves You with an Everlasting Love!

The 3 D’s of Salvation: Decide. Devote. Depend.

Decide – Decide to stop running from God and accept His drawing you unto Himself. He wants you; He loves you. It’s the most important decision you will ever make!

Devote – Devote every waking moment to your newly found faith in Christ Jesus. Spend time with God. Spend time in His Word; learning about Him and who He says you are! He will help you in your devotion to Him.

Depend – Depend on God for Everything! He will keep you in “Perfect peace. Shalom. Nothing missing, nothing lacking, nothing broken” (Isaiah 26:3-4). Just whole-heartedly trusting and leaning on God. You will NEVER go wrong depending on the Lord! Trust and Obey. Salvation is yours for the asking! Call on Him!

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His Redeeming Love! He came from Heaven to offer mankind Salvation.

Tuesday’s Beautiful Word: Salvation

A Beautiful Word To Ponder Today!

Beautiful Word Of The Month: Grace

The beautiful word for the month is Grace: What is the meaning of Grace? And what do people mean when they say things like, “His grace is sufficient” or “But for the grace of God go I”?

Grace can be kind of a tricky word to understand sometimes. Grace isn’t something tangible, yet you can feel it, you can feel it in the inner most parts of your being! Grace is the mercy God shows us when we don’t deserve it; just as mercy is not giving us the wrath that we sometimes do deserve. When I think of Grace, I think of all the things I’ve done that should have cost me my life, but because of God’s grace, He never let death touch me. I didn’t even have a clue that it was even near me. That’s Grace!!!

How do you perceive Grace? What does Grace mean to you? Let me know in your comments.

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Blessing His Children In Spite Of Our Flaws!

How To Grow From Doom To Bloom

Previously we talked about “Not Growing Weeds” in our gardens and how our lives are a lot like gardens in that, what we feed grows and what we starve dies. Well today I want to talk about, how to go from that since of doom to living a life that blooms. And it all starts with being real with ourselves; being willing to look in the mirror and see who we really are, no matter how much it may hurt.

If we want to stop the weeds (our ugly thoughts), from growing in our lives and taking over our minds, we have to pull out the weeds and replant. When we decide to “pull out” the negativity, we have to replace that now empty spot with words of good thoughts and joyful, positive words that lift us up and encourages us! We cannot leave that spot empty! Otherwise those same weeds will begin to take over again! And we don’t want that! We have to refill it! Replant. Replant with what? Replant with goodness and with joyfulness! Replant with positive words that helps us to grow and flourish! Beautiful Words that feeds our soul. By being thankfull that we are still alive; expressing words of gratitude that we are still on this side. Because things can always be worse!

That’s what helped me to get “unstuck” and to start growing and living again! I had to change my unhealthy way of thinking. And I also had to face some hard truths about myself. Truths like; I was selfish, and I wasn’t always willing to be brutally honest with myself about what I saw looking back at me in the mirror; facing myself. I was Just plain old selfish!!! Me! Me! Me! And with that kind of attitude; no wonder I was always feeling unpleasant and feeling a since of doom! I wasn’t happy when I only thought about myself. But once I was willing to look at those hard truths about myself, and do something about it, and replace my negative thinking with positive thinking; I began to grow, blossom and get excited about life again!

I’ve often heard people say that you are happier when you think of others before thinking of yourself. And I have found that to be so true! There is just something about being selfless, positive and giving to others, that makes us a better person. Giving to others makes us feel good and full on the inside!

Be encouraged, anyone can always change! As long as you’re still breathing, you have a chance to get it right; when God graces you with another day. But don’t take it for granted!

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“Mary Mary Quite Contrary How Does Your Garden Grow?”

Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and blue sea shells and words that I feed it I know!

It’s a known fact that whatever we feed grows and what we starve dies. What are you feeding your garden today; The garden of your beautiful mind?! Are you feeding it with words to help it to grow or with words to destroy it? Are you feeding it words of encouragement or harmful words to hurt it?

I ask myself, what could I feed you today to help you to grow?! But, I soon realize, that I could feed you with some of the most encouraging, up lifting and the most awesome words I know. But if you don’t believe it or receive it, than it’s not gonna do you any good.

So, what do I do; how do I help you to see how rich with beauty you are?! How do I help you see the new creation in Christ Jesus you are?! And that you were designed to grow into your beautiful self?! I’m gonna keep pounding and pounding His Word into you, until you can feed yourself with the divine food from above!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have past away; behold, all things have become new” 2 Corinthians 5:17. Please leave your comments below?!

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