Encouragement for Today – December 19, 2022 Devotional, Wednesday Message written by JODI HARRIS (Proverbs31 Ministries). As you study today’s devotional, remember this; “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)
TOPIC: You’re Never Too Much for God
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SCRIPTURE: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these … will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Matthew 6:28b-30 (NKJV)
Encouragement for Today – December 19, 2022 Devotional MESSAGE
I’m so angry! I cry out to God. My chest tightens as I clutch the couch pillow.
Anger is the outside armor protecting my tender heart from the rejection I feel beneath. I want to be closer to my loved one, but fear tells me I’m just too much for them.
My lament to God continues: It’s like I’m this rose, but they see me as a cactus. So they give me the attention a cactus requires: not much. But a rose needs more. It needs shade and sun in the right amounts; it has thorns that need navigating, soil that needs nutrients and water, dead branches that need pruning.
In other words, I realize midprayer, roses are high maintenance, and so am I. Sigh. I can see that. It is a lot.
I am a lot.
As I sit in silence, listening for the Holy Spirit, I envision Him as the One who loves me just as I am. Oh, Lord, help me release my loved one from fulfilling a role that isn’t theirs but Yours.
God brings to mind an image of my yard full of blooming roses bursting with color, planted by previous owners years ago. They’ve never bloomed like this since we’ve lived here … until this spring. I was so taken by them — the pinks, yellows, whites, lavenders, peaches and reds in various shapes and sizes.
God, why this? I wonder. Then I feel Him speak these words tenderly to my heart:
My beloved daughter, look at those roses I have nurtured and brought to full bloom! See how I care for them exactly as they need to flourish. If I can create and nurture a gorgeous garden of roses for you to enjoy, I can nurture you just the same.
Your longing to be valued as you are is only fulfilled in Me. You are never too much for Me! I created you and will nurture you perfectly so you will flourish, but you have to come to Me. You cannot put that burden or role on anyone else. I’m the only One who knows you fully and can meet your needs. Will you let Me?
This gentle voice of God sounds a lot like the one that taught the people on a hillside long ago:
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these … will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-30).
Those words from Jesus in Scripture jump off the page and into my heart and life as I experience them firsthand. I am not too much for God. I am deeply valued and loved just as I am.
In the days following, I wander through my yard, soaking in God’s constant reminder that He not only cares for the roses surrounding my home but also the rose inside.
Father God, thank You for the all-around-us reminders You use to speak to us that You are here, loving and nurturing us exactly as we need so we can flourish! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
With the holidays in full swing, you may be starting to feel a little uneasy about spending extended time with friends and family. You worry about that controversial topic that’s bound to come up and it makes you want to hide under the table. How do you approach hard conversations while still honoring the relationships and loving your people well? Whatever your situation is, Lysa TerKeurst wants to give you a biblical foundation to help you navigate difficult conversations as a Christian with this episode of The Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast: “How Should I Handle Disagreements as a Christian?” Click here to listen now!
What if we are missing what God has in store for us because we’re too busy looking backward? Whether it’s because you feel ashamed of choices you made or because you are longing for what feels familiar, God has a purpose and a plan for what’s ahead. Learn how yesterday’s mistakes don’t have to steal from your tomorrows … Join our next study! Make It Count: Move Past Your Past and Live With Purpose Today, A Study of the Book of Deuteronomy is a six-week study starting January 9 in the First 5 mobile app. Click here to get your study guide!
Thank you for reading Enco
ENGAGE
Connect with Jodi Harris over on her website or on Facebook, where she encourages and inspires women to passionately pursue Jesus, to use their gifts and lives fully for God, and to live the adventurous story He has imagined for each of us.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 143:5, “… I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” (NIV)
Psalm 8:3-4, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (NIV)
In our key verses, Matthew 6:28b-30, the word “consider” means “to examine closely, to watch and learn from.” Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He often asked His followers to consider something in nature, to learn from it.
Have you ever taken the time to study and observe something in nature that in turn taught you about our heavenly Father? Tell us about it in the comments!
Encouragement for Today – December 19, 2022 Devotional Message. Encourage someone today by sharing this Gospel.
