Can you be trusted with FAVOR?

Favor for things to go your way. Favor for the breakthrough you’ve been seeking. Favor for next level living. Favor to be chosen?

I think of favor as God taking a personal liking to you. He chooses you, picks you out of the crowd and says “You, I like you. I pick you.” And when God blesses you with favor, nothing can stand in your way!

Have you ever watched the game show “Let’s Make a Deal”? Members of the audience dress in crazy costumes hoping to catch the eye of the host and be picked for a chance to play and win. They wave their hands, they jump up and down, they show off their flashy costume knowing the host is about to pick someone and they just hope it’s them.

Well, let me tell you, God is looking for someone to pick. He’s looking for someone to bless with his favor. Have you ever wondered how you get his attention? How do you prove yourself trustworthy of his favor?

Here it is: 2 Chronicles 16:9, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” Your heart is your inner being. It’s your thoughts, feelings and decisions. He’s looking for the one whose thoughts are committed to him. Whose feelings are committed to him. Whose decisions are committed to him. These are the ones who are trusted with God’s supernatural strengthening. Favor comes here.

The story of Joseph (found in Genesis 37-50) gives us the perfect example of HOW to be trusted with favor. God chose him, picked him and always showed him tremendous favor which caused others to like him. But that doesn’t mean life would be easy for Joseph.

Joseph was favored by his dad, so his brothers got jealous and sold him into slavery. As a slave, Joseph found favor with his master and was put in charge. While in charge, he was falsely accused and put into prison. In prison he found favor with the warden and put him in charge once again. There he was noticed by Pharaoh the King, and was given rule over all of Egypt.

Time and time again as things went bad, God showed his favor towards Joseph and caused bad things to become works for good.

No doubt, he had God’s favor on his life and it came in the form of other people liking him. Other people continually chose Joseph and put him in charge. Genesis 39:21 says “The LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”

Yes, even with God’s favor, Joseph was in prison falsely accused. We assume God’s favor means smooth sailing and instant success. No, sometimes God’s favor means unfair, unjust and unseen things happening to you, and God using it all for good.

Joseph was in prison and God’s favor didn’t miraculously break him out of prison. No, God’s favor simply made the prison warden like him. Maybe you’re stuck in a bad situation right now, maybe not prison, but a situation where you feel you can’t do what you want to do and everything is against you. Well I want to tell you God can give you favor right in the middle of it. He may not get you out of it tonight, but he can chan

But first, you must be able to be trusted with favor.

After all that happened to Joseph, HE NEVER GOT BITTER. He never set out to get even. In fact in Genesis 50:20 he looked at his brothers, the ones who started this whole domino effect of disaster by selling him into slavery because they were jealous, and he said “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

He could look at what was intended for harm and find the good in it. Can you do that? Can you find the good in your bad situation? This is how you prove you can be trusted with favor.

When you can give your best effort even when nobody is watching, then you can be trusted with favor.

When you keep doing the right thing even when you won’t receive praise for it, then you can be trusted with favor.

When you love and give without strings attached, then you can be trusted with favor.

Remember, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

And here’s the thing about favor, when God takes a special liking to you, you not only get blessed but everyone around you gets blessed.

In Genesis 39 we read about Joseph working in his master’s house. His master saw that God favored him and caused everything in his hand to prosper, so he began to favor Joseph as well.

Oh, let’s stop right there. God caused everything in Joseph’s hand to prosper. Don’t you want everything in your hand to prosper? For everything you touch to multiply. For everything you set out to do to be successful?

Now remember, that certainly didn’t mean Joseph’s life would be easy. Remember all he went through. But time and time again God repaid him for everything he lost, and when he did he gave him even more.

Why did everything in Joseph’s hand prosper? Because he had God’s favor.

Why did he have God’s favor? Because he proved he could be trusted with favor.

How did he prove he could be trusted with favor? He always did the right thing. Time and time again, he did the right thing. Whether anyone was watching or not, whether it would benefit him or not, he did the right thing. And he kept a good attitude. He intentionally looked for the good and refused to get bitter.

If you’ve grown bitter because of what has happened to you, realize you may be blocking God’s favor.

If you’ve grown lazy only given a half-hearted effort in the things you do, realize you may be blocking God’s favor.

If you’ve given up because it was hard and others were experiencing success easier than you, realize you may be blocking God’s favor.

God WANTS to be for you. He wants to pick you. He wants to bless you and promote you. He wants to show you tremendous favor, but you must prove you can be TRUSTED with favor.

I know sometimes it feels like God is against you because things keep being delayed or things keep falling apart. But sweet daughter of the Almighty King, never forget GOD IS FOR YOU. And just because God is for you, as he was Joseph, doesn’t mean your life will be easy. It means no matter what happens, God will use it for good.

Your job isn’t to figure this all out. Your job is to refuse to get bitter here and keep doing the right thing.

God is watching you closely today. He wants to know if he can pour his favor on your life. Can you be trusted with his favor? Will you do the right thing and will you keep the right attitude?

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

You’re thinking from a human perspective, but God is working on something bigger than you can see here. Do you hear me? There’s more to this than you can see.

You’re putting limitations on this situation, while God in his unlimited power is at work in something bigger than you can fathom. You’re ready to settle in, surrender to resistance and give up the fight, while God is ready to push you on towards bigger places than you are right now. You’re frustrated with what you see happening, but my sister, you simply cannot see ALL that is happening. Your sight and understanding is so incredibly limited so faith will be required here.

God has been speaking 2 words to me: Nahhhhh, bigger. This is bigger than you think and I’m bigger than you’ve allowed me to be.

Isaiah 55: 8-9 VOICE, “
8 My intentions are not always yours, and I do not go about things as you do. My thoughts and My ways are above and beyond you, just as heaven is far from your reach here on earth.”

Sitting in your smallness, this seems overwhelming, impossible and pointless. But, my friend, you have a great BIG God who’s eye is on you while he holds the entire world in his mighty and capable hands. You cannot see what he sees, and you’re not supposed to.

Now, he’s asking you to trust that whatever you’re in the middle of right now, it’s actually so much bigger than you realize and his power is over it all.

What you SEE God doing in your life is a row boat in comparison to the ark he is actually leading you to. A row boat is tiny with extreme limitations. You’re not going far in that and you’re not taking very much with you. An ark is massive boat with the capacity for so much more. That’s what God is doing here … MORE.

Think about your current struggle, your current uncertainty. Now, imagine God working in it to do something big and beautiful. Can you imagine that? See it. Nahhhhh, bigger. It’s even bigger than that. Even more beautiful. Honey, his work is eternal. It’s beyond the limitations of this world.

Ephesians 3:20 MSG, “God can do ANYTHING, far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”

And while you can’t see it right now, that’s what he’s actually doing in your circumstances. He’s doing more. And that’s what he’s calling you to … MORE.

What you have imagined as your purpose is a row boat in comparison to the ark you were created for. But the truth is, when you’re without a boat and you know you need to get upstream, a row boat sounds pretty darn good. And so, we start praying for a row boat. We start trying to negotiate our way into getting it right now. And dang do we ever get disappointed when it doesn’t work.

Why isn’t this working? I’m talking about your specific situation. WHY ISN’T THIS WORKING FOR YOU? Why is it everything you try is met with resistance? Why is every door closed? Why is every answer no?

Could it be because this is bigger than you think? Could it be because God is directing you to something bigger than you’re about to settle for? Could it be that you are being protected in this time of disappointment?

We ask for God’s will in our life, but we sure don’t like it when that results in a series of no’s. Why can’t this just work? Why can’t I just get a break? Why can’t this little thing just come together? Why am I left here waiting?

Oh yeah, because God is working on something BIGGER.

Honey, if that little thing comes together you’ll just settle right there and miss what God ultimately has for you. Hear him today … “Nahhhhh, bigger!” This is row boat stuff you’re begging me for, but I made you for ark stuff.

Imagine being Noah. You can read his story in Genesis 6-9. Noah is the man God chose to save his creation through. Only the people and the animals Noah was able to fit on the boat he built would survive the flood. So for over 100 years, Noah worked on the same project, building this one boat … during a drought none the less.

That’s like my worst nightmare. A 100 year long project. I like 1 hour projects. I like starting and finishing something within the same day. I lose interest fast. I start chasing squirrels and forget why I am where I am. So I will often settle for little projects I can whip out fast while avoiding the bigger projects God designed me for.

What big project are you avoiding? What bigger plan have you been delaying by chasing squirrels? You’ve been busying yourself with little things as a distraction from the big thing God is calling you to. And today you hear it loud and clear, “nahhhhhhhh, bigger.” Dig in girl, what you’re being called to is going to take some time. Are you willing to stick with it?

Genesis 6: 14-16 God said: “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18 inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side and build three decks inside the boat – lower, middle and upper.”

I find this genuinely interesting, do you know what the name Noah means? It means REST. So, God chooses the man named for rest to build the largest boat that had ever been built, and he knew it would take him over 100 years of non-stop work.

Did you know you can be at rest while working?

Did you know it’s possible to do what needs to be done without being completely stressed out? This is the way God works.

If you’re stressed in your work and always exhausted, perhaps you should ask God to help you work in his way.

God has some BIG work for you to do, work that’s going to take a long time, so it’s important for you to discover the peace in this journey and learn how to work as Noah did. Your freaking out and dreading the work is totally optional. God has provided everything you need to do this and do it well. Your delaying however will not help.

Noah worked. He kept working. Scripture never tells of him stressing. Scripture never tells of him breaking down under pressure. It never tells of him complaining. But I bet he had bad days. I bet there were days it all felt overwhelming. I bet there were days he questioned the point in all this work in building a boat when he had never even seen rain.

But do you know what Noah shows us so clearly … he shows us to STOP CUTTING CORNERS AND SETTLING SHORT OF WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO.

Verse 22, “So Noah did everything EXACTLY as God had commanded him.”

We don’t see him cutting corners. We don’t see him lessening God’s plan and settling for a little less.

How tempting it must have been on year 80 to say, how about a 2 story boat instead of 3 story? How about we make this a little smaller than original plans to just be done already? Nope, he did just as God had told him without settling for less, and that was important.

Scientists estimate there were 35,000 animal species on Earth which needed to be saved. To put that into perspective, consider this … the San Diego zoo is huge, but it only has 680 species of animals. But God’s plans were for 35,000 species and Noah’s big boat would be their home to escape the coming flood. Multiply that by 2 so they could reproduce, and you need a boat that can hold 70,000 animals. Guess what scientists have also found? Based on the specific instructions and dimensions given by God for the ark, it would not only hold 70,000 animals, but it would FLOAT.

If Noah would have cut corners, rushed the process and settled for less, there may not have been room for the hippo, y’all! Our world today would have been void of that glorious plump, chunky creation! But Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

MORAL OF THE STORY: GOD KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING, and what he is doing is BIG.

Invest the time and trust God will not allow a day of your effort to be wasted. Trust even when it seems you’re getting nowhere, God is working in the details for his divine plan in your life. And when you wish this could just be easier, remember God is doing something bigger.

Maybe we’re struggling to believe because we’ve made our God small, and today he’s saying, “nahhhhh, bigger.” I’m bigger than you believe me to be. My power is greater than you’ve assumed. My plan is better than you’ve imagined. I say BIGGER!!!!

Let God out of that box sister. He will guide you if you ask him. He will strengthen you for your work today. He will provide every single thing you need. He is not limited. He is not backed in a corner. He is not stuck or frustrated. HE IS BIGGER THAN THAT.

What God was doing back then in having Noah build the ark was bigger than he could ever ask, think, or imagine. But Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded. He didn’t understand it. He had no proof it would float. He had no way of controlling 35,000 species of animals to get them on the boat. But Noah was obedient in surrendering to the calling of God, not trying to control it, understand it, or limit it.

Be the girl God can trust to not cut corners. Be the one he can trust to give her best effort. Be the one he can count on to follow through. Be the one he knows will refuse to settle for little, settle for easy, or settle for less.

Why? Because God has clearly said, “Nahhhhh, bigger!”

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Sometimes life presents struggles and hardships that seem unfair, and certainly unwanted. Perhaps today as you listen, you’re in the middle of one of life’s struggles or you’re witnessing someone you love struggle, and more than anything you just want to find a way out. You want to break free. You want life to return to normal. You want the storms to cease and the calm to return.

You want to fix this. Why can’t everyone just say sorry and fix this mess?

I’ve been there too. Begging God to remove the struggle. And he didn’t.

Why? In all his majesty and power, why wouldn’t he stop the raging storms in my life? I mean if I’m really his beloved and precious daughter, and if he’s the Daddy I thought he was, why wouldn’t he rescue us from this struggle?

I’ve since learned the tremendous purpose in it all, the purpose today which was much bigger and greater than my struggles of yesterday. God wasn’t absent, he was omnipotent, and he was using his power in the greatest of ways in the middle of it all.

Omnipotent means all-powerful. That’s our God! He alone holds the power to do absolutely anything.
Psalm 115:3, “Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes.”
Isaiah 55:11, “It is the same with my word. I sent it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”
Jeremiah 32:17, “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!”

Even when you can’t see him or understand him, God is being omnipotent. His power reigns perfectly.

There’s a story of a man rescuing an emperor moth, perhaps you have heard it. As I share this story, I wish I could give credit to the author, but it’s a 20 year old printed piece of paper titled “Struggles In Our Lives” my dear friend found in her mother’s belongings after she died. A letter which perhaps comforted her mother during a struggle many years ago, perfectly preserved and placed for her daughter to find as she struggled after losing her mama. Isn’t that just the way our God works? So mysteriously random, yet so strategically specific.

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck. Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth, expecting that at any moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened. In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What this man in his kindness and haste did now understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. FREEDOM AND FLIGHT WOULD ONLY COME AFTER THE STRUGGLE. By depriving the moth of the struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through life without any obstacles, he would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Our potential is only revealed through the fight. No fight, no flight. You want to rise up and soar in life? You want to reach new levels and experience life to it’s fullest? STOP AVOIDING THE STRUGGLE.

Your freedom and flight will come after the struggle. Your pursuit of ease has limited your potential.

Romans 8:18 says ” I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

What is God trying to reveal in you that only comes after the present suffering? I bet it’s something remarkable. And I bet it will be worth it!

Today, we seek the shortcut and the hack in everything. How can I zoom through this as fast as possible to get to the next thing? How can I make this easier so that I can not only do this thing, but I can do 5 other things at the same time? Let’s microwave it, auto-pilot it, skip it, hack it, or get it for free. And oh what have we sacrificed in our desire to always make life easier? Have we missed that life was never meant to be easy? Have we missed that God had a divine purpose in it all?

In the struggle.
In the wait.
In the restriction.
In the setback.
In the unfolding.

Yes, just as the restriction of the cocoon and the struggle required to be free was for a purpose in the life of the moth, so is your struggle. You’re not being punished, you’re being propelled. You’re being strengthened. Now is the time you get to hear God, in his infinite wisdom and omnipotent mighty ways, say WAIT FOR IT … WAIT FOR IT … WAIT FOR IT.

May we not rush in with scissors to cut our way out. May we not seek ease and comfort this time. May we be willing to struggle right through it, fight our way out, then spread those big ol’ mighty wings and soar in the life we were created for.

Last Fall at our BIG Life Retreat in the Outer Banks, a precious young woman with the gift of prayer was with us. We learned quickly to invite her to pray over us. I will forever remember the words of one of her prayers. She said, “Lord, help us not rush to unpack what you wish to unfold.”

Well, isn’t that what I do? I rush in and unpack when God wants to allow things to unfold. I want it fixed now. I want solutions and next steps with immediate action. And it’s as if God stretches out his arm and places his hand on my forehead so I am forced to stop. He gently whispers to my soul, “My girl, this will unfold in my timing and my way. Let it.”

Just let it.

Let it unfold.

You don’t have to rush in and unpack this. You are not the fixer or the rescuer here. That’s God job. You, my sister, you suck at being God. The cocoons of life are for a future purpose of tremendous destiny.

May we boldly embrace any hardships of today, fully trusting God knows exactly what he is doing in the unfolding!

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Do you remember being in middle school gym class and waiting to be chosen for a team? The coach would select 2 team captains, then those captains would take turns one by one building their own teams.

Now I’m not sure who came up with this system, but I’m here as a fully grown 49 year old woman to tell you, that is traumatizing! I still remember just hoping someone would call my name early. Hoping I would be chosen to be part of a team. But my value as an athlete was rarely recognized and I stood just waiting to be chosen because I was the really fun peppy one.

For those of us who have ever struggled with an unhealthy need to be liked and chosen, I believe it could have started right there in 5th grade PE!

What if today, you’re being chosen FIRST? What if the team captain sees your value and worth and undeniably wants YOU on their team? How would you feel?

Ephesians 1: 4-7 “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”

Say what??? My sister, can you receive that as a personal message and confirmation from God Almighty? All the evil forces of Hell want to keep you from hearing this and believing it. Right now, you’re battling it. But the truth is clear. Hear it for yourself.

Before this world was even created God was thinking of YOU. He was thinking of you, loving you, choosing you. Yes, the creator of the universe wanted you and he placed you in the middle of his creation because YOU bring him great pleasure. Girl, HE LOVES YOU!

I’ve been studying the book of Leviticus. Whew, it’s a tough one. I can’t say I recommend it. Chapter after chapter are the offerings required to cover sin, guilt and shame. Rituals to be performed, sacrifices to be made, rules to be followed. It’s nearly impossible all that was required to redeem us before our Holy God. And that’s why he gave us Jesus! Jesus repays what we cannot. He redeems us wholly and completely. He is the offering, he is the sacrifice, he is our redemption.

Because of Jesus, you are without fault in his eyes. Yes, that’s exactly what this scripture says. “He chose you in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” Daughter, he doesn’t look at you with disgust. Nor does he look at you with disappointment. He sees you as the daughter he paid the highest price for because you were worth it.

And this is what he wanted to do. God wanted to save you because you are worth saving. Your life is worth the sacrifice.

And THAT is how God sees you. Maybe that’s a far cry from how you see yourself, and if so, you need to take another look.

Take another look, because you have failed to see your value.
Take another look, because you have failed to see your true worth.
Take another look, because you have failed to see your potential.

If you’ve been shrinking back, believing there’s nothing special about you, nothing outstanding about you, nothing remarkable about you … oh sister, think again! YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!

God purchased your freedom with the blood of his Son and that blood covers ALL your sins. Not just a little. Not just some. Not a select few, but all. All your sins have been covered.

What is the most shameful thing you carry around with you? You’ve been dragging the guilt of this sin like a stone tied around your neck, weighing you down, holding you back and limiting your potential. And listen to me, it’s NOT YOURS TO CARRY.

Oh it was your sin, no doubt. Your bad choice, your neglect, your mistake – it was you, but it’s no longer yours. On the cross the price was paid for you personally and every single one of your sins were bought. You have been forgiven. And what does our scripture today say? “This is what he wanted to do and it gave him great pleasure.” God wanted to pay the price for you. Jesus willingly did this for you knowing in advance every bad choice you would ever make.

Ahhhhh, think about that for a moment. God knew every bad choice you would ever make in your entire life and he said “Yes, she’s worth it. She’s the one I want. I want to pay the price for her. I don’t want her to have to face the penalty for her sins or carry the guilt through her life. I’ll cover her.”

This is what has been bought FOR you: FREEDOM
And this is what has been bought FROM you: SHAME.

You have no right to carry around the shame of your sin any longer. Someone bought it from you.

Now imagine if you had a car and someone bought that car from you. It would no longer be yours, right? Even if that car was a total hunk of junk and you felt it had no value, if someone bought it from you, it is no longer yours. When you accepted payment, you relinquished your rights.

Understand, this is what Jesus did for you. He showed up and bought that old hunk of junk that was littering your front yard and he hauled it off for you. He paid the price. Now it’s no longer yours. You have no right to go hunt it down and try to bring it back home. It’s not yours.

As my 3 kids went through those rough teenage years, this is a truth I had to remind them of. They’re going to screw up. They will make world class jacked up choices just like I did, and God knew that when he chose them. It didn’t stop him. In fact, it made him all that much more determined to save them because he knew they couldn’t do it on their own. Won’t you tell your kids they don’t have to carry around that guilt and shame any longer? They have been forgiven.

Maybe you’ve been holding a grudge against someone who wronged you. Won’t you let it go today? It’s not yours to carry. If God can cover your sin, don’t you believe he can cover someone else’s sin against you too? He can heal that wound. He can make you whole. Jesus paid the price for it already. You can walk in freedom now.

Oh to be chosen! To be valued and loved and wanted! All your life that’s what you’ve been wanting, and here it is.

You’re not left out, you’re called out.

You’re not forgotten, you’re forgiven.

You’re not passed by, you’re picked.

Jesus has called “MINE!” and he’s looking right at you. Why? Because you’re worth it!

In closing today, I will read our scripture again, this time from the Message translation (Ephesians 1: 4-7):

“Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making.”

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Within you at this very moment is some serious potential. Potential to not only change your life, but change the lives of others. Talents, gifts and strengths given to you by your Creator on purpose, for a purpose. Sadly we can live our entire lives without ever tapping into that potential and miss what it is we’re here to do.

The thing about potential is, in the beginning it typically looks nothing like what it will grow to become. Just like the seed of an oak tree looks nothing like a tiny little oak tree, and apple seeds don’t look like adorable little apples. God created the seed of potential to appear unimpressive, but oh the mysteries it holds within.

As a little girl, I planted flowers with my Grandma. In her pantry she kept brown paper bags with seeds from last year’s harvest. The bags were labeled with the name of the flower and the specific color. If she didn’t label the bag, she would have no way of knowing what she was planting come Spring. Her flower garden wasn’t random, it was designed specifically with intention.

Imagine God working in your life with a storehouse of brown paper bags containing seeds of potential. Seeds that look insignificant and unimpressive. Seeds only he sees the label for, knowing what they can become. He sprinkles these seeds of potential in your life. Potential for who you can become, where you can go, and what you can do.

Here you were thinking there’s nothing really spectacular about you and all this time God has placed seeds of potential in your soul. My question to you today is will you be daring enough to hone in on these potential skills, master your talents and share your strengths, and just see what God imagined when he gave you your potential?

Oh girl, if you could only see the label on the bags he pulled from when he made you.

Seeds of leading. Seeds of teaching. Seeds of serving. Seeds of wisdom. Seeds of strength. Seeds of grace. Seeds of patience. Seeds of perseverance. Seeds of prophesy. Seeds of miracles.

Who could you become? Where could you go? What could you do?

Well, it probably looks nothing like where you came from or who you started as.

Why would you ever let who you used to be determine who you can become now? You’re in the process of becoming. Shed that shell and let’s see what you’ve got in you girl!

When God said in Isaiah 43:19 “See, I’m doing a new thing”, don’t you know he was talking about YOU too? He’s doing something new in you. He’s allowing those seeds of potential to grow within you, and as they do, your life begins to take on a new shape and form.

The apple seed is planted deep in the dark soil where it appears nothing happens for quite some time. That’s the way of potential, you can miss what is happening inside. You can miss what is to come if you’re staring at the ground. Eventually that seed breaks above the ground in a tiny sprout. Over time, that sprout becomes a tree. But that’s not all. There’s more to come, more that has yet to be seen.

For most of us, that’s exactly where we are in life. We’re finally breaking out of the ground and growing, but we feel like there’s really nothing special about us. We just haven’t produced fruit yet, but it’s coming. This is where God is going to do a new thing … yes, new to you because you’ve never see your fruit before, but not new to him. He always knew your potential because he specifically chose it for you.

You likely know the story of Noah. He’s man who built the ark and saved not only his family, but 2 of every animal species, to survive the flood and begin again. You can read his story in Genesis 6-9.

Think about the potential God specifically put within Noah. He would save all forms of life to begin again. But all his life, he had no idea what was inside of him. He just knew how to build things, and honestly that didn’t seem all that impressive. Maybe he was good with animals. Okay, still not life altering there.

But the seeds of potential God placed within him were also seeds of perseverance. Perseverance to build a giant boat in the middle of a drought. No rain had hit this dry land, and here’s this crazy man building a giant boat.

Imagine what people said about Noah. Imagine the criticism and pointed fingers. Yet he persevered. From the storehouse of Heaven, God had given Noah exactly what he would need to keep going. Those seeds within him were growing and his potential was being tapped into.

He built this great ship for nearly 100 years, with over 100,000 square feet in space. All of this from a normal man with a normal life, just living up to his potential.

And really, that’s who you are, you’re just a normal girl with a normal life, and if you choose to partner with God, you can live up to a potential that is beyond anything you could ever ask, think or imagine.

What could your normal life become when your potential is developed? I wonder what God had in mind for you when he chose seeds to place within you?

Want to know?

Ask him.

Start asking God what HIS VISION for your life is. Ask him what untapped potential is still within you. Ask him what he wants to grow in your life.

I always come back to Jesus’ words that tell us we do not have because we do not ask. What if we started asking? Not asking for the new car or the big boat, but asking about those seeds. Asking about our potential. Get curious about what could possibly be growing inside of you.

Jesus told us seek and we will find.

Seek what he wants to do in your life.
Seek what he is up to.

Oh, how exciting to find the potential in your life. I bet it will blow your mind!

Isaiah 43: 18-19 MSG, “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is!”

Lord, give your girls a vision of the new things you are growing within us this year, and strengthen us to live up to the potential you have placed within us.

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

There’s a difference between a wish and a plan. A wish is a thought without action. A plan puts that wish into motion with a path to make it possible.

God has more than just good wishes for you. He has good PLANS for you. This means he doesn’t just wish goodness for you, he has it in the works. He has it arranged. He has the way made. It’s in store.

You know if you order something today on Amazon Prime and it shows in stock, it’s on it’s way. You expect delivery.

God’s plans for you are in stock and on their way. You can expect delivery my sister.

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

And whatever God plans, HE CAN MAKE HAPPEN. Who can stop the Lord? Who can out power him? Who could possibly get in his way, delay him, detour him, or defeat him? NO ONE.

Isaiah 14:27 “The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has spoken— who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?”

So imagine this, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the one who has angels following his command, the one who controls all of heaven and Earth, has good plans for YOU and his hand is raised over you.

Tell me again why you’re stressed. Tell me again why you are worried. Tell me again why you are overwhelmed. You have a good future ahead of you. There are not plans to harm you honey, there are plans to prosper you.

I have good wishes towards you. I truly wish nothing but the best for you. But honestly, my wishes don’t change your life, do they? I don’t have the power or influence to change your future.

But imagine the president of your company calling you today and saying, “I’ve noticed your work, and I have good plans for you.”

Wow, would you get excited? Immediately you would envision promotion and a window office. A total breakthrough in your career. All because the boss has good plans for you.

Imagine Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon and wealthiest man alive at a worth of 263 billion dollars sending you an email today and saying, “Your name came across my desk, and I have a ridiculously good future for you.”

You would probably pee a little! Oh my goodness, what could this mean? The house on the hill without a single worry again. All because the rich man has good plans for you.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”

So how is it you’ve heart these words of the creator of the Universe, the owner of all that ever existed, the one who holds the whole world in the palm of his hands, the one who makes the sun to rise and the earth to spin, the one who gives you the very breath in your lungs, and you’re not phased?

HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?

How has your entire world not been shaken with this word from God? He has good plans for you!

God is the boss. He is the richest of all. Anything he wants to be done, can be done. If he tells a mountain to move, it moves. If he wants the ocean to stand on it’s end, those waters will part. If he wants water to turn to wine, you should get your cup ready. If he wants little to become more, it will be so. If he wants donkeys to talk, their lips start moving. If he wants dead bones to come alive again, they start rattling. If he wants babies to come when all hope is lost, then someone better buy a crib. If he wants prodigals to come home, you better get the party ready. It’s all in scripture. The proof is there.

And HE is the one who has good plans for you!

How has the darkness not lifted? How has your anxiousness not eased? How has your mind still been stuck in the state of worry? Someone who can TRULY make a radical difference in EVERY way, knows your name, knows exactly where you are, knows every detail of your life and he has good plans for you.

Shouldn’t that give you hope for your future?

Yes, it should.

So why didn’t you wake up this morning absolutely moved by his plans of prosperity and goodness for you?

The only possible reason is because you’ve dismissed yourself. You’ve closed yourself off. You’ve decided to not be available for the truth of his promises.

Somehow you’ve heard these words from the Lord, and you’ve assumed that can’t include you. Not here, not now, not in this world.

You think God is limited now for some reason? You think he’s too busy taking care of other problems? Oh, you’ve put God in a box. You’ve limited his power. You’ve assumed he’s running short on time or resources.

He is here and he is working, girl get out of his way!

Here on top of this mountain in Tennessee this week, we learned if you order something on Amazon and they ship it using the US Postal Service, you have to have a mailbox at the address for that delivery. Even if it’s a huge box full of beautiful Retreat dishes and supplies that would never fit in a tiny mail box, you still have to HAVE a mailbox for them to deliver. This mountain house doesn’t have a mailbox, so everything we ordered was returned to sender.

No mailbox of availability, no delivery.

Do you see where I’m going here? When you order from Amazon, you expect delivery, but you have to have a mailbox set up.

God has plans for you, they’re on the way, but if you have no established space of availability for his delivery, it will be returned to sender. Girl, how many of God’s ridiculously good plans for life have been on their way to you, but could never be delivered because you don’t have your mailbox set up.

Your life isn’t available. There’s no space for God. How can he speak when you’re so busy? How can he get your attention when you’re so distracted? How can he show you when you’re so self-focused? You’ve closed your heart off. You’ve limited your own life with your wounds and your worries.

Now, God says, have the courage to seek me, trust me and pursue me. Live your life wide-open to my good, positive plans and believe you’re actually worthy of them. This is how you get your spark back, this is how you find the freedom to be truly happy. Let me cover you in my grace so that you do more than just survive, you thrive. I will give you peace. I will fill you with hope. I will heal your brokenness. I’m working right here, right now, and I’ll do it for you again and again.

Psalm 14:2 MSG “God sticks his head out of heaven. He looks around. He’s looking for someone not stupid – one man, even, God expectant, just one God-ready woman.”

Yes, God is looking for a one girl who is expectant and ready for him. Will that be you?

May you dare to believe just how much he loves you. May your soul hear him and trust him. And may you be so bold as to believe it, and partner with him in those plans.

That’s it, be a partner with God in his great plans. He has plans to prosper you. Plans to give you hope and future. Be his partner and step into those plans, and never dismiss yourself again. You can expect delivery if you have an established space of availability for Him.

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Join me for a time of Bible study together today.
We will be reading:
Luke 22: 3-6
Luke 22: 31-32
Hebrews 7:25
John 16:33

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

This week in BIG Life Mentoring, I’ve been teaching my girls about the gap. It’s the gap between the life you’re living and the life God designed you to live. Our goal is to lessen the gap.

Many years ago, God gave me a vision of my future standing before him when the journey of this life is complete. There, he and I watched a movie of my life flash before our eyes. It was big, it was beautiful, it was thrilling and exciting, unexpected, wild, and overflowing with purpose and meaning. Oh, that life was soooo soooo soooo good. But there was one problem, if it was my life, why couldn’t I remember the best parts of it? In this vision, I could remember some of the movie of my life, but the best parts seemed to be missing. I saw them flash before me, but had no memory of them.

That’s when God revealed this life-changing truth to me. He said, “My girl, all of this was available to you, aligned for you, destined as yours, but some of it you didn’t choose. You sat it out. You played little. You gave up. You dismissed yourself. So, the life you CHOSE to live fell short of the life I was prepared to give you. I’m showing you what could have been if you would have fully trusted me to work in you.”

This vision allowed me to see the gap. The gap between the life I’m living and the life God says he designed for me to live. Now, my mission is to seek God every step of the way to lessen the gap.

The gap is bad if left unfilled. However, the gap is glorious when filled by Jesus! That gap is the potential for Jesus to come in and fill your life with his power, his glory and his divine ways.

Wherever you feel “not enough” in your life, God is working to show you HE IS. He is enough of anything and everything you’re lacking. The gap exists for his power to dwell. Jesus is our gap filler.

Where is your gap? Where are you struggling? Have you asked Jesus to fill that gap with his power and make you more than enough?

Paul had a conversation with God where he was assured his perfection was not needed. God told him his grace is all that was needed. He reminded Paul that actually his power works best in weakness. Remembering this, Paul then said “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

My guess is on this 9th day of a brand new year of life, you haven’t been perfect. Your efforts and your follow through may have been lacking at times. Your attitude may have fallen short. Your faithfulness may have wavered. Your pace may have slowed when you needed to move forward, or you may have rushed when you needed to pause.

In response to all of this Jesus says PERFECT, I CAN WORK WITH THIS! Your lack of perfection is an open invitation for God’s power to inhabit your life and do what only he can do.

Your part is to recognize your weaknesses as Paul did and invite Jesus to work through you. Remember, this is where his power works best.

There are times in my life where I clearly see the hand of God. Times I know without a doubt my eyes behold his power on display working in every detail. Those times are laden with hardship, struggle and uncertainty. Times when I am not enough and God shows up and says, “I am.”

Because HE IS ENOUGH and his power works in me, he makes me more than enough. He turns whatever I’m lacking into an ample supply to overcome and rise up. If I am all self-sufficient thinking I’m perfect with no gaps, I leave no room for Jesus. Whew, how he has humbled me to show me the gaps!

Moses was a man who continually felt he wasn’t enough. But God chose him. He chose someone who stuttered to speak boldly. He chose someone who felt inadequate to do a great work. That’s exactly how our God works. He chooses someone with a gap so he can fill it.

Filled with his power.

Isn’t that all you need? Maybe you don’t need God to fix you, you need him to fill you! The gap is there for the purpose of filling, not fixing. You’re not broken honey, you’re perfectly designed to need the power of the Almighty.

However, if you’re not seeking God to fill your gaps, then you’re either settling for the gaps as they are and missing your potential … or you’re trying to fill the gaps with exhausting measures that always fall short.

God spoke to Moses and gave him instructions to free his people from captivity in Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land. Moses responded to God by arguing. No God, I’m not your man. I am not good enough. I am not a good communicator. I am not a good leader. I am not strong enough.

While Moses is arguing with God, disqualifying himself of his appointed position and mission, he throws out the excuse that he doesn’t even know what to tell the people. Who should he even say chose him and sent him? What Moses is saying here is I am a nobody with nothing and everyone will think I’m crazy. God, there’s this massive gap and I don’t know what to do with it.

God’s response to Moses in Exodus 3:14 is epic. God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

I AM.

Everything that Moses felt he wasn’t, God just told him, I AM.

You’re not good enough. I am.
You’re not a good leader. I am.
You’re not a good communicator. I am.
You’re not strong enough. I am.

Moses had a gap and the power of God was about to fill that gap.

So here we are on this Thursday morning, totally flawed women with gaps. Gaps defining the distance between where we are and where we want to be. Gaps of inadequacy. Gaps of failure. Gaps of disappointment. Gaps of guilt or shame. Gaps of continued struggle when darn it, we thought we would be beyond this by now, but here we are still struggling.

And God’s response to every single one of your gaps is, I AM.

Where you are unable, I am more than able.
Where you are not strong, I am undeniably strong.
Where you are uncertain, I am absolutely certain.
Where you are struggling, I am overcoming the struggle.

The gap is being filled at this moment with God’s power … if you’ve invited him to do so. Your gap is where the power of Jesus works best. Again, what did Paul say? “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” The power of Christ works through the gaps he’s invited to fill.

Jesus, come fill this gap! I can’t do this on my own. I desperately need you.

Your perfection is not needed. What is needed is Jesus. Plain and simple, that is your answer. Jesus, come fill this gap with your power and make me all I’m not. Work here. Fill here. This is your space.

What’s interesting is God didn’t fix Moses. He didn’t miraculously cure him of his flaws, he simply filled the gap and empowered him to do exactly what he was called to do. By recognizing what he wasn’t, he realized who God was.

Whatever you feel you are not, God is. He is the God who fills our gaps. The one who occupies the space between where we are and where we want to be. The one who dwells in the distance between who we are and who he is making us to be. His power is here, right in this gap.

When we say “I’m not able,” God says, “I AM.”

When we say “I’m not smart enough,” God says, “I AM.”

When we say “I’m not strong enough,” God says, “I AM.”

When we say “I’m not good enough,” God says, “I AM.”

Honey, let go of the lies that tell you you’re not enough and take hold of your truth. The truth that you are more than enough because the power of God is working in your life. The very presence of Jesus fills your gaps and makes you everything you feel you are not.

Boldly rise up to the calling on your life. Step forward with confidence, because with him you can do ALL THINGS!

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

We are inherently afraid of not knowing what comes next. That fear drives us to a desire to make our lives predictable. We want to know what’s coming and what to expect. We want a sense of control.

However, you were NOT created for a predictable life. Your design is not for settling into pattern and routine with guaranteed outcomes and known timelines.
Why do you think God gave you the ability to create and change? So you would dare to believe you can be part of something bigger than just yourself.
Why do you think he placed unattainable dreams within your soul? So you would have a pull towards something more.
Why do you think he made scrapes and bruises to heal? So you would get up and keep going.

At the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry on Earth, he walked up to 2 brothers fishing at the Sea of Galilee and he simply said “Come, follow me.” An invitation into the unknown. An offering of adventures in uncharted territories. An opportunity to taste their destiny. Matthew 4:20 says “At once they left their nets and followed him.”

Their nets represented the predictable pattern and routine of their life. They knew how to fish. Their identity was as fishermen. It was certain if they continued to throw out the nets, eventually they would bring in a catch. Their lives were predictable as fishermen. Leaving their nets to follow Jesus represented the unknown. It represented the unpredictable. It represented a sacrifice of the certain for a chance at destiny.

They left their nets at once and followed Jesus. These 2 brothers were Peter and Andrew and their worlds radically changed in that moment. They walked with Jesus everywhere he went and took part in life changing miracles we still talk about today.

10 chapters after Peter left his nets and followed Jesus into the unknown, he is invited into the impossible with Jesus … he walks on water! It was likely only a matter of a few months, but the events and lessons of those few months filled 10 chapters. But think about this, my sister, you may be only a few months away from doing totally impossible things with Jesus. But it starts with the invitation today to loosen your grip on your control and step into the unknown where Jesus is leading you.

Now, what about all the stories we don’t know? How many others received the invitation to “follow me”, but just couldn’t let go of a predictable life to accept the offer?

Where in your life has Jesus said “follow me” and you totally missed the opportunity because of your busy calendar, your important job, your rigid routine, or the finely constructed walls of your comfort zone? You want predictable and Jesus doesn’t offer predictable, he offers purpose.

We talk a lot about purpose, but here’s something you need to know … purpose is totally unpredictable. You may think you know the path of your purpose, but God may have some twists and turns you didn’t see coming. Purpose is always unfolding and revealing itself along the way. Purpose is a lifelong journey into the unknown, following the One who knows.

The 2 fishermen had no idea where they were going, but Jesus did. They couldn’t take their nets with them, and you can’t take your security with you either. Whatever you’re clinging to is a total sense of false security. That job could end tomorrow. The house could be gone in an instant. That life is fragile, days are numbered, and you don’t know the count. You’ve been working to make your life predictable, but the truth is life is totally unpredictable and you’re right in the middle of it.

Both faith and fear demand you believe in something you cannot see. Think about that. Fear is dwelling on a potential negative that is still unseen. Faith is dwelling on a potential positive that is still unseen. God repeatedly tells us in his word DO NOT FEAR.

Why? Because this dwelling on a potential negative and imagining what is still unseen to be something bad is hindering you from the life he has available to you.

Why would you assume this is going to be bad for you? Why would you imagine negative outcomes? Why would you dwell in worst case scenario? You can’t obediently follow Jesus when fear rules your mind.

You can’t see the future, so why fear the future? You can’t see it, so imagine it different. That’s faith. It’s still unseen, but it’s trusted. It’s an obedient following and dropping anything that would hold you back.

A rich young man once approached Jesus and asked him how he could follow him to eternal life. In Matthew 19: 21-22 Jesus says “Go, sell your possessions and give to the poor … Then come, follow me.”

Oh, another invitation to follow. But it says “When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.”

Was Jesus saying to follow him you have to give away everything? Was that the point of the lesson? I don’t believe so. This was a rich young man who had accumulated many things. These things had become his identity. This was his predictable life. And Jesus was saying you have to give up your predictable life to follow me. The rich young man missed his opportunity because he chose what he knew on his own over the unknown with Jesus.

How could his life have changed? What greater things beyond his riches could he have found if he would have followed Jesus? What miracles could he have been an active part of? What purpose could have awaited … well, he never knew.

I can’t live with never knowing. I desperately want to know what Jesus has for me. I choose an unpredictable life following Him. I choose faith over fear, knowing that’s simply a shift in attitude over what I cannot see. My identity and security will be in him, not in what I do or what I have.

Will you follow him too? Will you choose the unknown with the all-knowing? Will you continually choose faith over fear in all you don’t know and can’t see? Will you trust that God is leading you somewhere greater than you could have ever gone on your own?

Jesus has an invitation for you this morning. Come, follow me. What will you be leaving behind to step into your destiny with him?

We are afraid of not knowing what comes next, so we make our lives predictable.

Don’t be afraid of what comes next. You can’t see it, so you get to choose … fear or faith. Both demand you believe in something you cannot see. Only faith allows you to follow.

The fishermen chose faith and they followed. The rich young man chose fear and he missed out.

Now it’s your turn to choose. Will you choose faith or will you choose fear? Will you follow into the unknown, or will you cling to the predictable life you’ve worked so hard to build?

What do you need to drop right here, right now, to fully trust and follow Jesus in faith?

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

There are voices that tell you not to show up. Voices that tell you that you can’t do this. Voices that tell you, you will never be good enough. Voices that tell you this is too overwhelming and too hard.

But my sister, check the source of those voices. Where is this coming from? If it’s not from God, then why are you listening? Why are you entertaining voices that quite possibly originated in the pits of hell?

You have an enemy, and let me tell you what that enemy does … He talks. He talks and talks and talks. Day and night he is accusing you in the courts of heaven, and day and night he sends his demons to torment your mind. However, understand this one thing about your enemy that he does NOT want you to know. He is not like God. He does not have the ability to be everywhere all the time. He and his demons must be selective with their efforts of evil. When they find a cracked door, they will bombard it, but when they find that door is locked and sealed shut, they move on.

Girl, your door is cracked! You’ve been allowing their taunts and pokes to enter your thoughts, so they’ve decided to hang out and torment you. If you slam that door and shut this down, they will move on!

Oh yes, the enemy talks … what’s he been saying to you? And more importantly, what are you going to do about it?

The Bible tells us about a giant of an enemy in the Philistine army who talked a lot as well. That giant was named Goliath. Scripture says he was over 9 feet tall and one threatening dude to look at. For 40 days Goliath did nothing but stand up and shout taunts at the Israelites, and when he did, they would all shake in terror.

Until David, the little shepherd boy shows up with lunch for his brothers who were part of the Isratelite army. David wasn’t old enough to be a soldier like his brothers, he was kept home to take care of his father’s sheep and run errands. But while he’s there delivering lunch, he hears the giant Goliath. 1 Samuel 17: 23-26, “Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel. As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright. David asked the soldiers standing nearby, ‘What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?'”

All Goliath did every day was step out and say ugly things. And day after day, everyone was terrified by Goliath. But David was different. David says to King Saul in verse 32, “Don’t worry about this Philistine, I’ll go fight him!”

Yes, the most unlikely person there that day decided they wouldn’t back down and hide when the enemy talked.

My friend, if you’ve been backing down because the enemy has been talking ugly to you, you’re missing the victories God has already aligned. You’re forfeiting because you’re envisioning losing the battles God will equip you to win. You’re listening to the taunts of the enemy and accepting them as your truth. Girl, SHUT HIM DOWN!

You know how the story goes, right? Little David refuses the King’s armor and shows up to face Goliath exactly as he is with nothing more than a few rocks and a slingshot. Goliath yells his ugly threats again and David replies (verse 45-47), “You come to me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies – the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a god in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

And THAT is how you shut down the enemy.

You don’t sit there and entertain his taunts. You don’t allow his words to rule your thoughts. You consider the source, and let me tell you, if the source is the devil, then it’s a LIE. How do I know? Because the Devil is a liar and liars lie. Plain and simple. Jesus said this about the devil in John 8:44, “He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

How do you respond to a lie? You shut it down with the truth! That’s exactly what David did. He spoke God’s truth to the enemy.

But then notice what David did next. 1 Samuel 17: 48-49, “As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.”

That’s what you call victory over the trash talk of the enemy!

David responded to the enemy’s lies with God’s truth, then he took action! He moved forward and when he did, the enemy was defeated.

The only way you defeat the enemy who has been getting in your head is to respond to him with truth, then move forward and take action. You can’t just sit there in a shouting battle with him. The devil sees that as a cracked door and he will capitalize on the opportunity to bombard your mind with his lies.

Remember, the devil and his demons are limited. The moment they see you’re clinging to the truth and moving forward with action instead of being distracted, discouraged and sidelined, then honey they just move on!

Yes, you’re in a battle. But you’ve been equipped for this. Your enemy is talking … stop listening! Respond with God’s undeniable truth and eternal promises, then take your next step as if you’re a chosen warrior guaranteed to win. BECAUSE YOU ARE!

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

You have a need in your life right now. There’s something you can’t fix, something you can’t overcome, something can’t change. But it hasn’t been changing, has it? You’ve been waiting, but all that waiting has things left the same, and in some ways even worse. What do you do with that? Really, what do […]