Tuesday, September 2, 2014

a butterfly flapping its wings...


Physicists and scientists agree that even an apparently insignificant event such as a butterfly flapping its wings in Africa can affect the atmosphere in Alaska.

Isn’t it true that even a small thing, such as the beautiful hymn, Be Still My Soul, can transform the atmosphere in the room where it is being played?

The same is true for words…just a few encouraging words of Truth from God’s Word can transform the atmosphere of our thought-life.

Read these words out loud and see what happens to your atmosphere…

You are who God says you are…

In Christ, you are...
   BLESSED with every spiritual blessing,
      ACCEPTED in the Beloved Son of God,
         ADOPTED as a child of the King,
             CHOSEN before the foundation of the world,
                REDEEMED by His Blood,
                    FORGIVEN by His Grace,
                        LOVED with an everlasting love.

When you feel betrayed, God says: You are BLESSED
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Eph. 1:3)


When you feel ignored, God says: You are ACCEPTED
According to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:5-6)


When you feel abandoned, God says: You are ADOPTED
Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. (Eph. 1:4-5)


When you feel inadequate, God says: You are CHOSEN
Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. (Eph. 1:4)


When you feel rejected, God says: You are REDEEMED
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. (Eph. 1:7-8)


When you feel condemned, God says: You are FORGIVEN
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. (Eph. 1:7-8)


When you feel forgotten, God says: You are LOVED
Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. (Eph. 1:4) 



Take a few minutes to enjoy Kari Jobe’s rendition of Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest)…


Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.


Was this encouraging to you? Please feel free to leave a comment in the box below, I'd love to hear from you!


Linking up with Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart as an encourager.

16 comments:

  1. Oh Beth..what a wonderful post.. and a lovely version of my favourite hymn.

    I changed the atmosphere around me declaring these things right along with you.

    God Bless you special lady. xx

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    1. Thank you, Mary, it is such a blessing to me when you share how something our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ uses to comfort me encourages you...many blessings!

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  2. Ahhh... be still my soul. This is a perfect message for printing and saving for those days when my soul is restless. Thank you for sharing your gift here!

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    1. Karen, thank you for sharing...love your idea of printing and saving for "those days"...amen!

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  3. I love this!! So good and so what I need every moment --to be reminded of who I am and what I have in Jesus- Thank you!! Stopping by from Holley's Blog

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    1. Thank you, Susie, I just love all the encouragement we find over at Holley's place, thank you for sharing :)

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  4. Thank you so much for sharing this Beth, along with the hymn by Kari Jobe. Wow! This is so important - to remind ourselves who we are in Him, Who Jesus is to/in us and, I would add, who others are to Jesus and they to Him. I thought that as I read Holley Gerth's devo on Expectations. When I saw the title, I immediately thought of expectations that I place on others. All that Holley wrote and you have written can be applied to misplaced/wrong expectations of others. Does that make sense? For example: I help out a woman slightly older than me, and want so for her to be more independent and respectful, less self-absorbed. I cannot change her, and wrongly try. If she is not asking for it, it makes no difference anyway. It causes me frustration, hurt, stress and more - all brought on by my wrong expectations of her. It also causes her frustration, hurt, etc. Serve in love. I can have expectations/ desires for her, but must pray about them, for her, and not try to force my ways of thinking on her. God is at work, for which I am very thankful.

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    1. Cindy, Thank you for stopping by from Holley's place... I so agree with you...there is an excellent quote in Ann Voskamp's wonderful book, One Thousand Gifts, it is, "expectations kill relationships"...that really resonated with me, too

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    2. Thank you, Beth. I just finished Ann's book, ONE THOUSAND GIFTS. It is great and worth a second read, if I have time. :)

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    3. Cindy, I also bought the audiobook of 1,000 gifts read by Ann Voskamp, and I have listened to it several times...if possible, it is even better as an audiobook, where you can hear Ann's inflections and tone of voice...wonderful grace message :)

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  5. Hi Beth! I am coming over from Holley's.
    I can hear Amy Grant singing Be Still My Soul in my head, so that really proves your point. Just your words on a page bring peace to me!
    I have been feeling a little 'rejected' lately, so your post helps me see that it's only human rejection. I am always at home with my Father :)
    Blessings,
    Ceil

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    1. Ceil, so kind of you to stop by from Holley's place...it is such a blessing to share with others what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has used to encourage me :)

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  6. Thanks so much for this encouragement today, Beth. Such beautiful truths!

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    1. Trudy, thank you so much for taking time to leave your comment! It is a blessing to me to know that it was encouraging to you :)

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  7. It really doesn't take much, good or bad, to get me. These are such comforting truths!

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    1. Sarah, thank you so much for stopping by again from Holley's place...your comments are always so encouraging to me...and I love your writing :)

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