Tag: fix our eyes on Jesus

Faith

Shake It Off

meghanewhite

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Over the summer I was at the right place at the right time to capture this bee and butterfly. I’m always on the lookout for butterflies when I’m working in the garden. This scene got my attention in a different way. The beautiful monarch was eating nectar, and the bees would not leave it alone. Bees kept landing on the butterfly’s wings. The monarch was undeterred as it would shake it’s wings and get right back to business.

This pattern kept repeating. Happy monarch eating nectar, busy bees landing on it’s wings. The monarch would flutter it’s wings every time a bee landed on them. This was one determined butterfly. Nothing was going to stop the butterfly from it’s purpose of gathering nectar, not even some very stubborn bees.

We get distracted from our purpose. The enemy loves to get us off course, and stop us dead in our tracks from our Kingdom purposes. He dive bombs us every day with all sorts of things to take our eyes off of Jesus. That’s the last place he wants us looking. Oh no, we can’t have our focus on Christ. Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Some days the distractions are small, and some days the distractions are big. So big that they take our joy away, and steal our hope. We get weighed down, and get hurt. Then we are so busy focusing on the pain and annoyances in life that we have completely forgotten about our victory in Jesus Christ.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57, NIV 

Those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior have victory over death and sin. Sin has no hold on us. Death has no sting. The same Jesus who took our sin away also gives us victory over every challenge and problem in this life. We don’t always win every battle, and we will take some losses along the way, but we are winners in the end through Jesus. He already took care of it for us.

Those bees will keep coming. They will try their hardest to land on our wings, and stop us. We will keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. And when we get stung, He will help us, and heal us, and we will start again.

Shake off the distractions. Eyes on Jesus. We have victory through Him.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2, Berean Study Bible

Love you all,

Meghan

Father God,

Thank you for your perfect love and grace. Thank you for Jesus. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. When we get distracted, help get our focus back on the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. Thank you for the victory we have in Jesus in every circumstance, and every trial. We belong to You, and You always take care of your children.

Amen

Authors

Eyes on Jesus is available NOW! —

meghanewhite

My new book, Eyes on Jesus: A 90-Day Discernment Devotional, is available now. See what other Christian leaders are saying about the book.

Eyes on Jesus is available NOW! —

Check out this new devotional by author, blogger, and podcaster, Tim Ferrara. He has a great blog called Discerning Dad. Give him a follow, and consider ordering his devotional. This would make a great gift.

Click on the link for all the details. 

God bless you,

Meghan 

Worship

Stop Everything and Praise the Lord

meghanewhite

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The world is exhausting. We have access to any amount of information that we want, and plenty that we do not need. This evil world is broken, and getting sicker by the minute. Now add to all of that our own every day trials and responsibilities, and you’ve got the perfect formula for hopelessness. 

We have hope because of Jesus. We may not always feel it, but it’s always there. No matter how crazy the world gets, or how crazy our lives are, we always, always have hope. One really simple way to get our hope and joy back in seemingly uncertain times is to turn our hearts toward the Lord. Praise is a powerful weapon in our spiritual arsenal. 

I’m talking about singing and praising God. Absolutely no talent is required, just an honest heart worshipping God. Our voices sound like angels in God’s ears when it’s sincere. That’s just my opinion since God is concerned about the condition of our hearts above anything else. Sing even louder if you are in deep pain. Praise to God is so powerful in our trials. 

Praising the Lord takes our eyes off our circumstances and fixes them on Him.

Do you need to put the brakes on the insanity of our world? I know I do. It’s just too much. We are not designed to bear heavy burdens, only Jesus’ burdens are meant for us. Those are the light ones. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Step one is to turn off social media, news, emails, and pretty much everything that makes noise. If you’ve got young children you may need to be creative and use nap times, or just have them join in the praise. Those little ones, and big ones, will learn so much from some sweet worship at home. 

Step two is to turn up the worship music. Whether you have a piano or another instrument, and can play, by all means play. Use cd’s, Spotify, Youtube, or whatever format you get your music from, and play only worship music. A cappella is lovely too, if you’re up for that. There are hymns, and modern worship music, and everything else in between. 

Step three is to sing out loud and praise God. This is the best part. Fill your mind and heart with the greatness of God, and let Him know it. You can even dance around the house if you feel comfortable doing that. Just go for it, and give God full praise right in your kitchen, or bedroom, or anywhere. 

David danced before the Lord. 

Then David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. 2 Samuel 6:14 NKJV 

Dancing is not required, but it may spontaneously erupt out of sheer joy from the Lord. David is such a beautiful example of uninhibited adoration and worship of God. No wonder he’s called “a man after God’s own heart”. 

Something so amazing will start to happen as you lift your voice to the King of Kings. You will get your hope back, you will remember who is in control. Burdens will lift. You will see just how big and awesome God is. Our omnipotent God is still on the throne no matter what government’s do, no matter what the news says, no matter how pervasive evil is. God will never be dethroned. And justice is coming.

Praise Him today. Praise Him everyday. Take a break from all the crazy and give God your best praise and worship. It will fill your heart and give you joy knowing that no matter what you are facing God will help you. Let’s praise the Lord for He alone is worthy of our praise.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. Psalm 28:7, NKJV 

Love you all,

Meghan 

 

If you need prayer send your request to meghanewhiteauthor@gmail.com

Persecution, Trials

The Hiding Place

meghanewhite

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Do you have someone in your life who inspires you? Maybe you are inspired by someone you have never met. I am blessed with many incredible Christians who encourage me and spark my faith. But I also have some people I admire from afar, some who have long ago left the earth. One of these special people is Corrie ten Boom.

Years ago I read The Hiding Place. My mom read the book when I was a teenager so I decided to read it as well. I couldn’t put it down. Corrie’s family hid Jews and Dutch Resistance workers in their home during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The ten Boom’s had a long tradition of supporting, and regularly praying for the Jews. Exactly one hundred years before her family was arrested by the Gestapo, they began praying for the Jews.

The hiding place was created in Corrie’s bedroom. A brick wall was built creating a hidden room with a secret entrance through a linen closet. The refugees lived in the house but would quickly escape to the hiding place when alerted of a raid by the Gestapo through a bell system. It is estimated that the ten Boom’s helped at least 800 people during WWII. Impressive what ordinary people can do by trusting an extraordinary God.

Eventually the ten Boom’s were betrayed and arrested. Corrie’s sister Betsie, brother Willem, and nephew Kit all died in the concentration camps. Casper ten Boom, Corrie’s father, died after ten days of imprisonment. There are many miraculous stories that Corrie shares in The Hiding Place. If you have never read the book I don’t want to give away too much detail. I highly recommend reading this inspirational story.

After terrible suffering in prison and the concentration camps, watching her sister get sick and die in the camps, losing her father, brother, and nephew, Corrie still loved God. Her faith had been tested by fire and proved worth more than gold. After the war, God used Corrie greatly to spread the Gospel around the world.

God loves to use regular folks like Corrie ten Boom. She loved Jesus and lived a surrendered life to Him. Corrie was a real person, with real struggles. Bitterness had captured Corrie’s heart towards the guards at the concentration camp who had been so cruel to her sister and all the prisoners. God set her free through the power of forgiveness. He can set all of us free of whatever is holding us back if we allow Him to work in our lives.

This amazing woman of faith still inspires people today. Corrie helped me just a few months back. In March, during my husband’s hospitalization, I was struggling. Each evening I would collapse after spending hours in the hospital with Tom. We had no real answers and were told daily the severity of his condition. By the time I would lay down at night, I couldn’t fall asleep.

I would watch anything that was uplifting or encouraging to try and ease my mind. One night I was scrolling through Youtube when a Corrie ten Boom video showed up. That was odd because I hadn’t been searching her out, but God knew that’s what I needed. As soon as I heard her voice it immediately comforted me. I can’t tell you what her message was. I don’t even remember. Corrie encouraged me, and I could fall asleep.

“There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.” Betsie ten Boom said this to Corrie while in the concentration camp and Corrie quoted it the rest of her life.

The Lord is our hiding place. He will hide us when we need protection. He will surround us with His massive wings. He will hold us, comfort us, cover us, and care for us when we are struggling. God is the perfect loving Father. If you are hurting, don’t run from Him, run to Him.

You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 32:7, NIV

Corrie ten Boom overcame insurmountable suffering and pain because she relied on Jesus Christ. He used her mightily, and he wants to use you too, for the Kingdom.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, today would be a great day to change that. Jesus loves you and died for you. He is waiting for you to invite Him into your heart and life.

Love you all,

Meghan

If you need prayer send your requests to meghanewhiteauthor@gmail.com

Jesus, Worship

Basking in His Presence

meghanewhite

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Each spring a question mark butterfly shows up in the evenings by my pool. It will flutter around really fast and then briefly land on the tile. At first the wings stay closed and then the pretty wings open and lay flat. This pattern repeats itself until the sun goes down. Sometimes the butterfly lands on me, which I love.

Butterflies are cold-blooded. They cannot regulate their body temperature. They need the sun for warmth. When a butterfly opens its wings it’s basking in the sun. Their body temperature needs to be warm enough to fly. If a butterfly’s body temperature is too low it cannot fly. My little butterfly friend is just getting filled up for the night so it can fly.

We cannot fly without the Son.

Basking is relaxing in the warmth of the sun. In order to do that you need to stop for a minute. Close your eyes. Feel the warmness on your face and just breathe. Can you feel it? Doesn’t that feel awesome?

Do you ever stop and bask in the presence of Jesus? Stop everything and just experience His amazing presence. Let Him fill you up. Just worship Him. Spend some time with Him without asking for anything.

We are needy. Humans are weak and need help constantly. Jesus is the Savior, and the answer to everything. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The only way to the Father is Jesus. He made all things.

All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. John 1:3, NASB

King David desired nothing more than to be in the Lord’s presence. No wonder David is called “a man after God’s own heart”. We can learn a lot about the presence of the Lord and how to worship Him from David.

I have asked one thing from the Lord;
it is what I desire:
to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
gazing on the beauty of the Lord
and seeking Him in His temple. Psalm 27:4, HCSB

Jesus is beautiful. There is no one like Him, and there never will be. We can gaze upon His beauty. How do we do that?

We need to stop all the noise for a few minutes. Find a quiet place. It does not have to be fancy. A closet, hallway, patio, or a car. It’s about who we are seeking, not the location we are in. Jesus is not limited to church walls. He’s everywhere.

Focusing on Jesus takes our eyes off of our problems. It’s not all about us. It’s all about Him.

Take some time each week and bask in the life giving presence of the Lord. Don’t use this time to ask for anything. Instead, just be with Him. Worship Jesus. Open your arms. Lay back. Let the Son give you the warmth you need to fly.

Love you all,

Meghan

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The outside of this butterfly is vastly different than the inside. There are two small marks that resemble a question mark, thus the name question mark butterfly.