Encouragement for Today
“It is Enough”
Wendy Pope, Director of Development, Proverbs 31 Speaker Team Member
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/speaker_wendy.htm
Key Verse:
Mark 15:39, "And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" (NIV)
Devotion:
I love new and contemporary worship music. God has used it to draw me to Himself in a way that I never thought possible. However, I still treasure the memories of the great hymns I learned as a young girl. I remember once a month on Sunday nights at my home church we had favorite hymn time. Members would get to shout out the page number of their favorite hymn and the congregation would sing the first verse. The sound of the words from the old familiar hymn by Eliza E. Hewitt, "My Faith has Found a Resting Place" resonates in my heart: “It is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me.”
Oh, that we would believe the truth in those words. Believe. Believe. Believe. The sad truth that I discovered about myself is that I really didn't believe. Even as I write today, it is difficult for me to admit. I did not believe that His death was enough for me. I did not believe that I am the apple of His eye. I did not believe I was created in His image. I did not believe that He has a plan for me and that His plan was to bring me a future full of hope. I did not believe that the sins of my past, present and future were settled at
I believed enough to secure my salvation. I believed that Jesus came to earth, was born of a virgin, died on the cross, rose again, and will return for me. These were easy truths for me to believe. The truths that dealt God’s love for me were the difficult ones to believe. I had spent much of my life living in the shame of sins committed against me and sins that resulted from circumstances and influences in my life.
Not believing the promises of God's Word or accepting them as truth gave the enemy a foothold in my heart. His weapon of choice for me was shame. I lived in shame because of an unbelieving heart: shame of sin, shame of my unworthiness, and shame of not measuring up to others with my talents, looks and abilities.
Shame first reared its head in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. Their sin made them see themselves for what they were: naked. They tried to hide from God, just like we do. But what did God do for Adam and Eve? He made a covering for them so they would not have be ashamed. He does the same for us today. The blood He shed on
My Prayer for Today:
Lord, my prayer today is simple: help me believe and live like I believe that your sacrifice was enough for me to live in freedom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
Begin a journal. Write the answers to the reflection questions in the journal. Write today's prayer in the journal. Sing a song of praise after each entry your make. Date each entry and watch God deliver you into freedom and restore what has been stolen from you.
Reflection Points:
What are you ashamed of today?
Who is your voice of truth?
What keeps you from believing the cross was enough?
Power Verses:
Genesis 15:6, “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness." (NIV)
Psalm 106:12, "Then they believed his promises and sang his praise." NIV)
Joel
Hebrews 11:6, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (NIV)
Additional Resources:
What Happens When Women Walk in Faith by Lysa TerKeurst
Good to Me by LaTonya Mason