“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity; plans to give you a future and a hope.” Prophet Jeremiah, Old Testament.

So many valuable things seem to be senseless or even worthless on the surface.

Let’s take diamonds, for instance. “Raw diamonds” or “diamonds in the rough” are formed deep within the earth and often resemble lumps of pale glass when discovered. They have an oily appearance and no spark. In essence, for the untrained eye, it is almost impossible to distinguish between a genuine diamond in the rough and a cheap piece of quartz. They both look shapeless, rough around the edges, and unattractive. But deep inside, the roughly shaped diamond rock hides the most valuable of stones.

The Cullinan Diamond, for example, is the largest rough diamond ever found, weighing 3,106.75 carats and valued at $400 million. But if you see a picture of this diamond when discovered in South Africa in 1905, you will find that the gem in its raw state was less than impressive. Nevertheless, its rough appearance hid a most precious stone, unrivaled to any gem in known history.

“What you see is what you get.”

Whether it’s raw diamonds or life’s circumstances, the adage “what you see is what you get” certainly does not apply, for God often hides some of his greatest blessings in the most challenging trials.

The adage “what you see is what you get” certainly does not always apply to life's circumstances, for God often hides some of his greatest blessings in the most challenging trials. @AJC #MondayDevotional #MondayMotivation…
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In the Old Testament book of the prophet Jeremiah, we find the northern Kingdom of Israel (Judah) exiled to Babylon after years of rebellion and idolatry against God.

When the Babylonian seize started, false prophets tickled the people’s ears with the promise that the exile would only last a short time before God would return his people to their beloved land.

But God had a purpose for the exile, which would not be accomplished overnight. And so, Jeremiah gave the people the bad news: the Jews were to settle in Babylon because the exile would last 70 years!

At the end of this difficult news, however, God gave His people assurance and a promise:

“ ’I know the plans that I have for you (…), plans for welfare and not for calamity, (plans) to give you a future and a hope. (…) ‘You will find me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,(…) and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ ”

The harsh and ugly reality of 70 miserable years in Babylon disguised a purpose that transcended the people’s understanding at the time.

The Jews had fallen into a state of such deep spiritual adultery that they forgot who they were. Therefore, as hard as the circumstances in Babylon might have been, the exile was God’s grace in disguise, for it caused the Jews to desire the long-lost intimacy with their Maker, once again. And it was there that the people’s hearts started to turn back to the God of the covenant.

I cannot help but think about countless situations that looked like rough, shapeless stones, which turned out to be precious gems that changed the direction of my life.

Countless situations that looked like rough, shapeless stones, turned out to be precious gems that changed the direction of my life. @AJC #MondayDevotional #MondayMotivation #FaithChallenge
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These “rough diamonds” feel worthless, senseless, and painful:

A horrible diagnostic. Unemployment. Separation. Betrayal. Death. We’ve all had our “Babylons” – times when the hardness of our circumstances threatens to steal all hope. Months, perhaps years, when our faith was tested to its very limit.

But as children of God, we have two options:

We can choose to tie our hearts to Babylon, wishing for a short, painless exile; look away from the very lessons that God wants to teach about ourselves, His goodness, grace, and sovereignty. Or we can choose to trust the end of the prophecy, affirming our belief that the God of Abraham still honors His covenant and will certainly “restore our fortunes.”

Indeed, as I look back, I see the precious stone within each ugly trial. I see the polished rock reflecting a stronger, more authentic faith. And I see that it was not fate nor luck, but the Father’s loving hands that masterfully chiseled the ugliness away, revealing the purpose and beauty of each trial. But not before I let go of what I could see… and trusted His promise and vision for my future.

What we see in the challenging parts of our earthly journey is definitely not what we get. There’s a beautiful, priceless diamond waiting inside the ugly rocks. Will you let Him bring it out?

What we see in the challenging parts of our earthy journey is definitely not what we get. There’s a beautiful, priceless diamond waiting inside the ugly rocks. Will you let Him bring it out? @AJC #MondayDevotional #MondayMotivation…
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This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, May 8th, 2021. Click HERE to find it on the AJC’s website.

The post What You See Is NOT What You Get {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

“There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.” — Clare Boothe Luce

On the 29th chapter of the book of the prophet Jeremiah, a famous verse stands out as one of the most quoted passages in the Old Testament:

“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.”

This verse is often highlighted during religious schools’ commencement ceremonies. It serves as a fresh reminder that God promises a better future to those who love him, even in the bleakest days.

In that passage, Jerusalem had fallen into the hands of the Babylonians. Judah was devastated, and, as God had promised through the prophets, the Babylonians took the Jews into captivity. Jeremiah was left behind and heard that false prophets proclaimed that the captivity would be short-lived to the exiles.

God’s word came to Jeremiah, directing him to write a letter exposing the false prophets: the captivity would last a long time, and the people must be ready to respond appropriately.

There are diverging opinions among scholars as to the exact dates of the 70 years in Babylon. Some believe it refers to the years 605-535 B.C., which marks the first deportation to Babylon and the first exiles’ arrival back in Jerusalem after King Cyrus’ freedom decree. Others demark the 70 years between the last deportation and destruction of King Solomon’s temple, and the year its reconstruction began after the arrival of the first caravan of exiles back from Babylon. Another possibility is that the 70 years refer to a generation — or lifetime — since the number seven relates to “completion,” “wholeness,” or “perfection” in the Bible.

Regardless, all scholars agree: God himself sent his people to Babylon due to their willful, unrepenting, enduring idolatry, and rebellion. It was designed to be a time of introspection and change — a time for the people to move forward, but in a new direction.

The Babylonian captivity was designed to be a time of introspection and change — a time for the people to move forward, but in a new direction.@AJC #MondayMotivation #MondayDevotional
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As one starts reading the 29th chapter, God did not begin his admonition to the people by promising a quick delivery. Instead, his instructions revealed their stay’s longevity: They were to move forward with their lives, while in captivity. They were to build houses, plant crops, marry, and have children. Furthermore, he directed them to seek peace with their oppressors and pray for the heathen nation that enslaved them.

Only after giving them directions concerning their lives in captivity did God promise to deliver them from their foe. “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

“2020 — the year when life stood still.”

That may be a caption under many people’s stories this year. It seems as if we have been taken captive into a time bubble where uncertainties, chaos, and strife reign.

As I read Jeremiah 29 a couple of weeks ago, the passage’s background made me think of our world’s current situation, as the tentacles of COVID-19, political and civil unrest threaten to keep our society from moving forward.

Yet, when I thought about God’s instructions to his people, this principle provoked my mind: God does not expect us to stand still, fearfully waiting for changes to happen. He wants us to move forward by faith; doing the things we know to do, trusting that the one who has allowed these troubles to assail us is more than able to deliver us from them.

God wants us to move forward by faith; doing the things we know to do, trusting that the one who has allowed these troubles to assail us is more than able to deliver us from them. #MondayDevotional #MondayMotivation #moveforward
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As Matthew Henry writes in his commentary: “(The Israelites) cannot but sometimes weep when they remember Zion. But let not weeping hinder sowing; let them not sorrow as those that have no hope, no joy; for they have both.”

Indeed, for those who trust God, there are no hopeless situations. Seemingly hopeless circumstances are like Israel’s captivity — designed (or allowed) by God, not for evil or to harm us, but rather, to mold us, cleanse us, and sharpen our faith.

May God help us move forward, even as the fog of uncertainties disrupts our vision.

Seemingly hopeless circumstances are like Israel’s captivity — designed (or allowed) by God, not for evil or to harm us, but rather, to mold us, cleanse us, and sharpen our faith. @AJC #MondayMotivation #MondayDevotional
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This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, Septembher 26, 2020. Click HERE to read it on the AJC’s website.

The post Forging Ahead Through Crisis {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

She talked about the moment God told her to marry him. She knew that she knew: the man was her “chosen one.”

Problem was… he was not a believer. Not even close. As a matter of fact, he was devoted to a very different religion.

Words came out of her mouth at a speed that made my head hurt. She went on and on about how she believed God had chosen her to evangelize the man. She just knew it! She gave me bible verse and told me stories, talked about divine encounters and signs. No one would convince her otherwise. She was to marry the man. And thus, my new friend said “yes” and became his wife.

At the time this happened, we were only acquaintances and I was a new believer, but I remember thinking… If this is really God’s will, why do you need to justify it to me – a stranger, practically? If this is truly God’s will, why are you so agitated?

This happened years ago and I’ll never forget it.

The marriage did not last.

He did not change his beliefs, and my friend ended up experiencing betrayal, loss, and unthinkable brokenness.

When she told me they were divorcing, I could not help but remember our first conversation, and how odd it seemed to me that someone I barely knew felt the need to justify her decision to me, a stranger. But the tragic end of the relationship was only a confirmation of what I wish my friend had understood before it was too late:

She was heading outside of God’s will and, deep down inside, she knew it.

For the past couple of months, I have been writing a blog series: Six Signs You Are Heading in the Wrong Direction. If you missed the first five signs, you can find links to the previous blogs at the end of this post.

Today I want to talk about the last sign that may indicate you are headed in the wrong direction, away from God’s best for your life:

Sign #6 – You find yourself justifying your decision, repeatedly.

I will be the first one to confess that, just like the previous signs I wrote about, I also know this one from personal experience. I too found myself justifying a (wrong) decision out loud in the past, as if I owed an explanation to everyone around.

So, I get it! Truly – It’s not that we think people are fools and cannot see our motives. Truth is – we cannot see it clearly ourselves. We become blind by the desire of our flesh, and try to convince ourselves and others that God is blessing our decision.

We want it our way… and think that if we act as attorneys defending our own plans, God will be convinced. It’s a foolish, but oh-so-human thing to do!
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Therefore, if you find yourself feeling the need to justify a certain decision or behavior out loud, you may want to reconsider it. Stop for a moment and sift it through the grid that engulfs each message in this blog series:

Sign #1 – Does your decision give you peace… or are you restless about it?

Sign #2 – Are you so busy that your time spent seeking God is suffering? You cannot hear Him clearly if you don’t spend quality time with Him.

Sign #3 – Does your decision align with, or contradict Scriptures?

Sign #4 – Are godly friends concerned about your decision? Are you dismissing their counsel?

Sign #5 – Are you procrastinating obedience? Has He told you to do something and you just pressed on to the next thing in your own agenda?

And lastly – today’s message:

Do you find yourself justifying your decision to people you love (and sometimes to strangers, even?)

It should never be our place as brothers and sisters in Christ to judge other people’s decisions. I know that God is certainly not a cookie-cutter God, and that He does act in mysterious ways. But we can count on this truth:

God will never tell us to do something that goes against His Word and character. Furthermore, the principles of peace... or restlessness, blessing... or curse, will always indicate if we are on the right path - Deuteronomy 28.
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“And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” Isaiah 32:17

I just love this verse! It is a perfect Word for the end of this blog series. These powerful, blessed Trio should be the strongest indicators that we are living in the center of God’s will. They should reign in our lives, every time we make a decision:

The work of Righteousness, which is Peace.

And the service of righteousness, which are enduring Quietness of spirit… and Confidence that what we are doing pleases our God.

Unshakable Peace, Quietness of Spirit and enduring Confidence.

If you do not have these, stop wherever you are, and do not move forward, until your heart finds them.

And if this Trio is not present, it may just be time to do a one-eighty… and head back to the center of God’s will, before it is too late.

Unshakable Peace, Quietness of Spirit and enduring Confidence. If you do not have these, stop wherever you are, and do not move forward, until your heart finds them.
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Thank you for reading this blog series! May you always be determined to live in the center of God’s will. That is indeed life at its best, on this side of eternity.

If you would like to read the other messages on this Blog Series, click below to visit each blog post:

Blog Series: Six Signs You Are Heading in the Wrong Direction

Sign # 1 – You have no peace about your decision

Sign # 2 – An Overwhelming Schedule

Sign # 3 – Your Decisions and Actions Contradict Scriptures

Sign # 4 – Dismissing Godly Counsel

Sign # 5 – Delaying Obedience

The post Sign #6 – When You Repeatedly Justify Your Decision {Blog Series: Six Signs You Are Heading in the Wrong Direction} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

The theme for the weekend retreat was based on Jeremiah 29:13.

With the message of my book Twelve Inches as the backdrop, we spent the weekend talking about how to allow what we know about our God to rule over our emotions, thus developing and maintaining strong faith.

It was a revival-type of weekend, as several women recommitted their lives to following Jesus with all their heart, mind and soul.

The retreat organizers had planned for one of their church’s ministers to end the retreat on Sunday morning with the Lord’s Supper. After a service filled with testimonies of how God moved during the weekend, we were ready to partake of the Lord’s Table.

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

She shared a short message about how the busyness and messiness of life can easily misplace our hearts from fully resting in God.

At the end of the message, she shared an image that God gave her – a reminder of how He designed for His children to live.

Pulling two colored paper hearts, one bigger than the other, she held them up and gently placed the small heart inside the larger one.

“This is how God wants us to live,” she said. “Allowing our hearts to be centered in His.”

She had a basket full of small and big hearts that she passed along, and each of us picked one of each to keep.

I sat my two hearts on my lap and contemplated the visual.

While playing with the small heart inside the larger one, I started moving the smaller heart towards the center of the larger one. Because they were hand cut, they looked quite asymmetric together.

That’s when my perfectionism kicked in.

I started moving the small heart upwards, so it rested better centered, and the edges became even on both sides.

It looked better that way. It just did.

Or so I thought.

That’s when I heard God whisper in my heart:

“When you move your heart from the center of Mine, look at where your heart ends up.”

I looked again and realized what He meant.

I was wearing black pants, and, as I shifted my little heart from the center of His heart, the upper edges of the small heart touched the fabric of my black pants.

As my heart left the center of His, and even thought it seemed to look better than it did before, it moved outside of His perfect heart… thus touching darkness.

The imagery was as clear as the message therein:

God knows His perfect plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11) …

And even when we were living in exile (Jeremiah 29:10) …

He called us to turn to Him, inviting us to live within His heart (Jeremiah 29:13) …

The boundaries of God’s heart is the safest place for His children to live. Everything outside of that… is darkness.

The boundaries of God's heart is the safest place to live. Everything outside of that is darkness.
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I don’t know about you – but I often find myself fiddling with my own plans, leaning on my inadequate wisdom, shifting to accommodate ideas that makes sense.

Indeed, it appears to be so harmless to shift just a bit from the center of God’s will…

And it certainly can happen so.very.subtly.

But all it takes is one important decision without consulting Him, and we may be on the way to place our life outside of His protection and perfect plan.

Just a little compromise…

Or saying yes before praying…

Bringing our moral compass just a little off course to please someone…

Or justifying our sin or lackluster faith walk…

Spending little time listening to God… and too much time heeding worldly voices…

It’s subtly simple…

It’s one little shift at a time.

What an image! What a Truth!

May we remember that waiting upon God before moving is not only a matter of obedience, but also a matter of trusting His loving hands. May we rest our hearts completely in His, even if, from our perspective, life would feel or look a bit better elsewhere.

Friend, if today you are tempted to move forward before a divine Green Light leads you on, I pray you make a deliberate decision to sit back down…

Be still before your God.

Seek the peace that surpasses all understanding before moving forward, trusting that, even though it may look like your life would look better somewhere else, the only place where your heart will find balance, joy, peace and freedom…

Is in the Center of His perfect Will.

Nothing else will do.

The post Heart Shift: Could Your Heart be Moving Away From God’s? appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.