Blog Archives
The Antidote for Fear is FAITH! { Special Guest Post from Debbie Yoerg on Psalms 27-28 }
So glad Debbie Yoerg is back with us today! If you’re in the Tampa Bay area, she is hosting a women’s conference NEXT Saturday, January 24th from 9am-4:30pm at the Verizon Events Center in New Port Richey. You definitely don’t want to miss it! You can find more info on her Facebook page here and a link to order your tickets to the conference!
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{ Special Guest Post – Debbie Yoerg – Psalms 27-28 }
Psalm 27:
The Lord is my light and my salvation ❤
One of my favorite Psalms is 27 and falls on the day that I am sharing with all of you. Every word of this Psalm is highlighted in yellow and has been meaningful for me to reflect back to over the years. I pray these insights bless you!
❤ Verse 1-3- I am reminded that because the Lord is the light of my salvation I have nothing and no one to fear! The antidote for fear is faith… He is our help in the moment and our hope as we move forward in Him. He is our strength! It is by trusting the Lord that we can face our enemies and conquer our fear. We are safe in His covering. ❤
❤ Verse 4-9- Do you desperately want to be in the presence of the Lord? I know I do! My heart cries to be in His presence; to seek His face, and to trust His protective covering over me. As I snuggle close to Him I find He does lift my head and holds my face in His hands. I can envision that as He tells me He loves me. My friend, He is the place to run to, He is your hiding place, He is your source of strength. He wants to reveal Himself to you. He is faithful as you draw close to Him. I pray you feel His presence and rejoice in knowing His unconditional love for you as you soak up His peace in the midst of circumstances.
❤ Verse 10-12- To be forsaken by a parent is so sad. The scripture tells us that the Lord can heal the pain that lingers throughout the years. The Lord can take that place in our lives that have been wounded and draw us close to Him. He can fill the voids and heal hearts. If we receive His healing and let Him guide our steps, He will set our feet on His path for our lives as we seek His face. He is the Father to the fatherless and has adopted us as His sons and daughters! What the enemy meant for evil the Lord will use for good if we let Him.
❤ Verse 13-14- Despite the trials that David was going through, he chose to be confident that the Lord was present and helping him through his trial. David also learned to wait for the Lord and in His timing. Praise the Lord through your circumstances, trust that He has you in the palm of His hand protecting you and in His timing will pull you through and bless you for waiting on Him. I pray you grab a hold of this promise He is giving you and boldly trust Him in the midst of your trial! God is faithful!
Psalm 28:
Heart of worship is prayer ❤
This Psalm teaches us that prayer is so essential to our relationship with Jesus. It is our heart communicating with the Lord, who is your very best friend and true source of strength. Prayer is a lifestyle and our worship to the Lord!
❤ Verse 1-2- I know I am not alone when I say I understand David’s cry to be heard by the Lord. It is a place of total surrender for me to pour out my heart and to hear the Lord’s still small voice as I draw close to the Lord in prayer. I know that is your heart’s cry, too! Please rest in knowing that He does hear you… You matter so much to Him!
❤ Verse 3-5- I feel for David as he is learning about friendships and how some are hurtful. The Lord has revealed this to me in my own life. I have found that some friendships have been wolves in sheep’s clothing; deceived by their friendship of their true agenda. The Lord has taught me much in this area and I thank Him for His wisdom and discernment to reveal those things in the spirit what I couldn’t see in the flesh. As the Lord teaches you to set boundaries, release these people to the Lord, pray blessings over them, and let go.
❤ Verse 6-9- Be encouraged, my friend, that the Lord does hear your cries and the desires of your heart. Give Him thanks in ALL circumstances! He is protecting you and strengthening you to take you deeper and to new levels of intimacy with Him. Grab a hold of Him, hold on tight and watch what the Lord will do as He continues to bring you into your position in His Kingdom.
Father, I thank you for Your promises to us! I pray your people grasp how much you love them and that their strength is ONLY found in You. You are their hiding place! You raise them up in the midst of enemies and trials! You may be silent at times but You are working things out on their behalf. Help your people to wait on You and in the waiting to be content and at peace. You hear their cries and hold them close! Help them to see what they cannot see in the flesh. I pray for wisdom and discernment as you reveal things to them. Thank you, Lord!! Pour out Your love over your people and I pray their hearts are filled with Your Holy Spirit as they bask in Your presence and the joy of their salvation. In Jesus Name I pray… Amen ❤
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“The antidote for fear is faith.” I absolutely LOVE this. Partially because in my own life, I have been stepping way out of my comfort zone. Like, waaaay out. One thing I’ve learned is that God steadies our steps when they’re taken in faith. Faith > fear.
God likes to stretch us from where our fear holds us captive to where He knows we will walk by faith and freedom. He’s a pretty smart guy. 😉
We’d love to hear what spoke to you in your quiet time today! Start the conversation below or here on my Facebook page!
Live Life Unscripted,
❤ Brittany
God wants to confide in.. YOU! {Special guest post by Tammy Gerber on Psalm 25-26}
I’m so glad to bring my good friend, Tammy Gerber, from www.oneraindancer.com back to share with us! If you missed her first post here, you can click here to read as she shared her heart on our series “Confessions of a Worn Out Mama.”
I pray you’re blessed as she shares her insight on Psalms 25-26!
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Psalm 25:
I love the Psalms so much. I go to them for comfort, encouragement and hope when I’m struggling. I also love the Psalms because they are raw and real. David is not afraid to say exactly how he’s feeling, which is a comfort to me. It’s a reminder that I can be honest with God. I don’t have to sugarcoat anything.
Psalm 25 is no different in its encouragement. David pleads with God for help, reminding Him of His great love and mercy (verses 6 and 7). He asks God to remember David according to His great love, not according to his sins (verse 7). David continues by listing some of the benefits of fearing God (verses 12-14). My favorite benefit of fearing God is verse 14: the Lord confides in those who fear Him. Confide means “to impart secrets trustfully.” (1) Don’t you think it’s amazing that the God of the universe would want to confide in us?
My other favorite verse in this Psalm is verse 16. It says, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.”(2) I love David’s honesty. He just tells it like it is, and He isn’t afraid to tell God what he needs. He tells God he is lonely and needs comforted. This world can feel very big and loneliness is a struggle for so many people, including myself. I’m so thankful for the reminder from David that when are feeling alone, we can go to God. He is the only One who can satisfy and fill our empty hearts. If you have time, jump ahead to Psalm 63:1-5. They are some of my favorite verses about God being the only One who can truly satisfy our souls.
Psalm 26:
In this Psalm, David says in verse 1, “Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life.”(3). To vindicate means, “to clear someone of blame or suspicion.”(4) I’m making an assumption (and just my opinion) here that David wrote this Psalm before the mess with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). He even invites God to test him and examine his heart and mind in verse 2. I think it’s both comforting and terrifying that God examines our hearts and minds. I am so grateful for His continual grace and mercy toward us when we mess up. In verse 11, David reminds God again of His great love for him, and asks God to redeem his life and to be merciful to him.
I often wonder about David’s relationship with God. It had to be amazing to watch. It wasn’t perfect, but it was real. David obviously feels free to be totally open with God. He is not afraid to lay it all out before the Lord, and yet he does it with reverence and awe and respect for God. I love that and pray that I can do the same. I pray that for you too.
Where would we be without God’s grace? We would be in a pit for sure! I’m so thankful for God’s forgiveness and love, and I’m so thankful He sent Jesus to set us free from our prison of sin once and for all!
Thank you Brittany, for asking me to do this post!
-Tammy
Sources
- – Dictionary.com
- – Psalm 25:16 (NIV)
- – Psalm 26:1
- – Dictionary.com
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It’s such a pleasure having Tammy share with us today!
David was always so real. The good, the bad and the ugly, he displayed it for us to see. David went down some treacherous winding roads in his lifetime. But I truly believe this is why he had such a passionate heart for worship. He knew where God had brought him from. Has God brought you through some things?
God sees us, hears us and examines every fiber of our being. And the crazy thing? He’s still pretty wild about us.
We’d love to hear from you! What is something that really spoke to you today?
Start the conversation below or head to my Facebook page by clicking here!
Live Life Unscripted,
❤ Brittany
When it’s better to follow than lead. {Special Guest Post by Meredith Bernard on Psalms 23-24}
I’m so excited you’ve joined us today! Ready to dive in? Let me introduce our special guest poster today. 🙂
Meredith Bernard and I met at She Speaks 2014 in Concord, NC. Two writers on a mission to step out of their comfort zones, we definitely found ourselves blessed beyond measure to be trained by some of the most genuine God-girls on the planet. Please check out her blog and stellar photography skills as she serves through pen and lens at www.meredithbenard.com !
————- Guest Post by Meredith Bernard – Psalms 23-24—————
When it’s better to follow than lead.
“He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His names sake.”
Psalms 23:2-3
I’m not very good at following directions, because I’m not very good at receiving them.
I’m the (annoying) person that would rather try to figure something out myself than read the instruction manual. I’m also the one that believes all roads lead somewhere…so even if I take the wrong one, I’m bound to find my way out eventually.
In as much as I like to do things my own way, there are many times I would just assume follow the crowd as to try to lead one. I’m a walking, talking oxymoron. (Some days minus the “oxy.”)
An introverted extrovert.
Someone who hates talking on the phone, but once on the phone forgets how to stop talking.
A follower who would rather lead; but only lead herself.
Then I read this familiar Psalm and I’m reminded when being a follower is the best choice; and alas it’s not the way I usually go.
When my soul is tired from all that drains and restless from cares I can’t seem to help but carrying…I have still waters beckoning and a God ready to meet me there to take my cares away.
When my soul is depleted from life and motherhood on the days they both seem to take more than they give…I have a God willing and able to restore my dry bones.
When my stubborn soul leads me down paths of self-righteousness, I have a God that cares enough to steer me back His way, in His righteousness and for His precious name’s sake.
For all the usual ways I prefer to be a follower, these words remind me instead Who I should be following and why. This Psalm reminds me when I should be following and how.
Always and in all ways my Father’s way is the better way and He’s always willing to lead, if I’m willing to follow.
Praying you and I both go this way…His way…more this year than ever before.
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Thank you so much, Meredith, for your insight today! Please go here and give her blog some love!
It’s so easy to think we have it all figured it. It’s in those “valleys of the shadows of death,” {A.K.A. – our trials and hardships} when we learn to follow the steps of The Shepherd.
His way is so much better than ours. His words need to be heard more. His touch brings the healing and restoration. He wants to lead us beside still waters, if only we can find the time to be still.
How can we be better Christ followers this year? Do we need to clean out our ears to listen more clearly to His voice? Clean out our closets and get rid of some baggage?
Let’s release it all at the precious feet of our Savior and learn to follow Him. He has great things in store for you! ❤
Join in the conversation below! Has He led you through you beside still waters? You can also join in the discussion here on my Facebook page!
Live Life Unscripted,
❤ Brittany
Trust in God, in spite of….. {Psalms 15-16 – Special guest post by Gary Jones}
This post is incredibly special to me for several reasons.
1 – This is the very FIRST time my hubby has ever shared in my blog! {Big moment!!}
2 – Did I say my hubby is posting??
I’m just a little excited. 😉
He is not only the best dialysis nurse I know, but he is my Pastor, my soulmate and my best friend for over 8 years. {I love you, babe! }
Without further a due, Gary Jones… ❤
————- Psalms 16-17 – Gary Jones ————–
Psalm 16:1
“Keep me safe my God,
For in you I take refuge.”
As I sit back today and read psalm 15-16, I reflect on my day which started at 5:30 am. I get my patients squared away and I go to my breakfast break. It’s a great time to pull out the iPhone and check Facebook and the news.
First off, terrorist attack in Paris. 12 killed, others injured and a massive manhunt for a couple of guys that were videoed walking up and down the street terrorizing people.
ISIS declaring war on our freedom and on Christians.
The Flu epidemic. Thousands infected, many have died.
Ebola. Massive outbreak in Africa with over 9000 deaths at this point.
Cancer diagnosis and deaths of so many that are close and dear to me.
And then this. A father in St. Pete. After being pulled over by a police officer, stops at the top of a bridge and over the bay. He gets out, pulls his 5 year old precious little angel and holds her to his chest and in one motion throws her over the side. 62 ft in the air. Throwing her little body into the cold, frigid water. 62ft below.
As a father I can’t imagine what kind of evil could posses a man to do something so purely evil.
I have realized that we live in a sick, sick, evil world. One that I can’t begin to comprehend how dark and evil that this world we live in truly is.
If I stopped here and said goodnight, it would be a very bleak post. However, Psalms 15-16 gives us a hope for “our” future. We as believers have a hope that is so much bigger, so much greater than any evil that dwells in this earth.
“Lord you are my portion, my cup, you make my lot secure.”
Don’t be discouraged my friends. Don’t be deceived into believing He can’t take care of you. He loves you, and He cares. Trust in the heart of God, in spite of what you see and hear.
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I love one of the last things that Gary said. Don’t be deceived into believing He can’t take care of you.
We serve a mighty, mighty God, y’all. He hung the stars in the sky and knows every hair on your head, even if you’ve colored it so much you can’t remember the natural color. Nothing catches Him by surprise. Not even those painful, gut-wrenching news stories.
I’m so thankful for the promise found in Psalm 30:5. Even though our mourning may last for a night, JOY comes in the morning! You could substitute almost any word there. Make this personal and insert your current situation.
“Financial hardships may last for a night..”
“The pain from infertility may last for a night..”
No matter how you fill in that blank, JOY comes in the morning! Don’t be deceived into thinking God can’t take care of you! He loves you so much!
I’d love to hear your thoughts below. Encouraged today? Learn something new? You can follow the conversation here on my Facebook page!
I can feel David’s anxiety.. {Psalms 13-14 with Debbie Yoerg with Crowns for Christ Ministries}
It’s my pleasure to introduce Debbie Yoerg from Crowns for Christ Ministries! She is a personal trainer, radio host and inspires women to walk in their God-given destiny! You can follow her ministry here on her Crowns for Christ Facebook page!
Now to take a look at Psalms 13-14.
————— Debbie Yoerg – Psalms 13-14 ———————-
I am sharing my thoughts with you today on Psalm 13 and 14. As I read Psalm 13, I can relate to David.
❤ V. 1-2- I can feel David’s anxiety… His prayer for relief from despair. I’ve been there! The phrase “How long” appears four times in the first two verses indicating to me, the depth of his distress and wondering where God was. David was impatient and he felt forgotten. I have felt this same way… crying out to the Lord and praying for Him to reveal Himself to me in the midst of my circumstances wondering “where are You, God,” and to please “do something.” Lord, calm our anxious hearts in these situations and bring us Your peace that surpasses all understanding!
❤ V. 3-4 – David’s cry out to the Lord was heartfelt. Asking the Lord to answer him, enlighten his eyes to see, and to deliver him from his enemies. My prayers are often to see what I cannot see in the flesh and to have His eyes to see and discern around me!
❤ V. 5-6 David’s cry turns to praising and his faith begins to grow. Verse 5 starts off with BUT implying that he has a choice and chooses to trust in God’s unfailing love for him no matter how long he has to wait for God’s justice. David rejoices in his salvation and worships the Lord in song and praise. When we are impatient, weak, overwhelmed, and anxious, let us be reminded of David’s steadfastness and his faith in God’s love for him. We must trust the Lord even in our waiting and stand on His promises and declare His everlasting love for us!
– Psalm 14 –
I can’t imagine doing life without the Lord in my heart. The thought of denying Him is unimaginable to me, yet, there are so many souls who do that…
❤ V. 1- To deny God and refuse to live by God’s Truth is foolish and leads only to death.
❤ V. 3- We ALL fall short and must look to Jesus as our Savior, repenting our sins and receiving His forgiveness.
❤ V. 5-7- God is present in the company of the righteous- our enemies who attack us are actually rejecting Jesus. This reminds me that it is the Holy Spirit within me that my enemies are coming against. In these times that we may feel defeated let us choose to stand on God’s Word and promise that He is our refuge and our victory in overcoming comes ONLY from Him! We Praise You, God!!!
Lord, thank you for salvation, thank you for your unfailing love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Calm our anxious hearts, Lord when we are overwhelmed by situations that surround us. Help us to trust that You hear our cries and rejoice in Your presence, stand on Your Word, and declare Your love and promises over our lives. Thank you that we are not in the dark… that You have saved us! We pray for those who are lost and deny Who You are. We call these people out to You by name and those unknown and pray for their souls. We lift up our enemies to You, repent our hearts of any unforgivness, bitterness, or resentment and release them to You to work upon their hearts. Thank you, Lord, for You are GOD and You reign. We praise You, Jesus, we magnify You, and we lift Your Name up high… JESUS! In Your precious Name I pray…Amen!!
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Thank you so much for your insight on these chapters, Debbie! David is so easy to relate to. How many times have we found ourselves crying out to God, “Where are you, God? How much longer will I have to face this?” He has not forgotten us or turned a blind eye to our struggles.
As Debbie stated, it is usually the Holy Spirit within us that people are coming up against. John 3:19 says, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” The light always displaces darkness. It also illuminates things that were once hidden.
People generally aren’t fond of shining light on their imperfections. I know I’m not! But, it shows me what I need to work on. Many times people are offended by the gospel because in order to receive Jesus, they have to accept the realization their current condition. Not everyone sees their desperate need for a Savior and are defensive towards the message of Jesus Christ. It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the natural rebellion we are born into. We are born into a sinful world, yet our redemption comes only through us personally accepting Jesus as our personal Savior.
Find some hope today? Can you relate to David? Share your thoughts below and be sure to visit my Facebook page here to connect with others joining our bible study!
Live Life Unscripted,
❤ Brittany
Special Guest Post by Shannon Yeatts! Insight on Psalms 5-6
I’m so excited you are joining us for our first “official” Online Bible Study! We have a special guest sharing with us today on Psalms 5-6!
Ready to pull out those highlighters and fav bible study tools? Let’s do this! First I want to welcome a good friend of mine, Shannon Yeatts. She is a praise and worship leader at Faith Church Ministries in Danville, VA where her husband is the pastor. Here we go!
——— Shannon Yeatts – Psalm 5-6 ——————
Psalm 5:2-3 “Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”
Each day should begin with a word of prayer, praise and gratitude to our Lord and Savior. God wants relationship with us and prayer should be part of that relationship. Prayer along with God’s word will bring you closer to God and will create intimacy like never before. When we pray, we’re talking to God and when we read Gods word, He’s speaking to us. That’s how a relationship works. Communication! If my husband and I never communicated our marriage would be awful but because we communicate our feelings, we have a very powerful and loving marriage!
Never take your prayer time for granted. There are people in 3rd world countries that have to hide in underground churches just to get into Gods presence with other believers. There’s people dying for their faith and family members being shunned because of their decision to follow Christ. We have so much freedom here in America. We are so blessed to be able to gather with other believers and worship freely, some are not so fortunate. Make your prayer time persistent and full of passion! Don’t go a day without it, it will get you through the toughest times!
Sometimes you may not know what to pray. Just keep praying! Sometimes all you can do is cry, God understands. Jesus makes intercession for us when we don’t know what to pray anymore. If all you can do is cry, keep crying! God sees your tears and hears your cries for help. He sees your desperation for Him to move! His ears are not deaf to your cry.
The other day I got really upset because there were some things that I had been praying and believing God for and I just felt like God didn’t hear me. I began to cry and I even yelled out in desperation to God. That very same day, God put someone in my path that was sharing their story on Facebook. It was almost identical to what I had been facing. Finally, God had placed someone in my life who understood what I was going through and I was encouraged to see that there was still hope for my situation. I then began thinking about all the prayers God had recently answered in the past month. Maybe not in the way I expected, but He heard me! God understands our needs and cares about us so much!
Psalms 6 is a perfect example of someone crying out to God for help. This is exactly how I have felt for the past few years. Near the end of the chapter in verse 9 he says “The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.”
Hallelujah, the Lord hears our prayers and He receives them! Don’t stop praying! Make prayer time a priority this year.
Dive into Psalms With Me!
Making those New Year’s Resolutions yet? Here’s one to definitely check out!
We’ve gone through some book studies before, but none quite like this one. We will be joining hands and diving into the book of Psalms together! Each day, we will read 2 chapters {most are pretty short} and have discussions on my Facebook page { www.facebook.com/lifeunscriptedministries } .
The best part? We will have other people joining us to share their thoughts and insight! We already have lined up a few pastor’s wives, a Christian comedian, a published author, and fellow blogger… And that’s just the beginning!
I can’t wait to share this experience with you! If you haven’t already, connect with me on Facebook and share this online bible study with your friends and family! I want to get the comments linked to here, so if you know how to do that, please let me know! I’m learning as I go here! lol 🙂
When you find some quiet time today, go ahead and read Psalm chapters 1-2 and head over to my Facebook page this afternoon for discussion. See you there!
Live Life Unscripted,
❤ Brittany
A gift from me and Starbucks <3
You guys have stolen my heart. That being said, I’d love to reward one of you with a Starbucks gift card! I’ve partnered with Rafflecopter to make this happen. You have until Tuesday, August 5th to enter to win! Good luck!
P.S. I think I linked this right.. lol Click the blue link below. 🙂
Live Life Unscripted,
❤ Brittany
