BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women Pamela Crim | Daily Devotional for Women

God has been pestering me about a topic I don’t really want to talk about. But y’all he just won’t leave me alone about it, so today we’re not talking about birds. Yesterday we talked about birds because I was dodging the push to dive into this … sin.







Sin – it’s all the things God tells us not to do, but sometimes we sneak and do it anyway. And when we feel like we can get away with it, we will do it some more. Why would the creator of the Universe, the one who sees everything and knows everything, tell his creation there are some things we can’t do? Really, why does God say, “No, you can’t do that.”







I remember when my kids were little and I would tell them they couldn’t do something, they would immediately respond with the whinest possible, “but whyyyyyyyy?” And honestly, sometimes I said no because I was being lazy. No, we can’t go to the park and play because I’m lazy. But I couldn’t tell my own kids their request for fun was denied because I was simply lazy, so I made up some other excuse. Sometimes I said no because we didn’t have time or we didn’t have money. Sometimes I said no out of pure habit. There was no good reason for my answer of no, it was just my denial default.







Now, I get a do-over opportunity with my grandbabies. My Grandma name is Franny, because my 2 year old grandson can’t say Granny. And let me tell you, Franny says yes as much as possible. Next weekend I’m flying to Virginia to bring him home with me for 10 days. When he asks, if at all possible, the answer shall be YES. I want to spend every minute with him. I want to do all the fun things with him. I want to fill his days with awe and wonder here on the island. There will be none of this saying no because I’m being lazy, or saying no because it’s my default to just deny. Nope, this is my do-over and the answer is YES.







God doesn’t require a do-over with us. He has always been a YES for us. He has never denied us a single time because he was being lazy. He has never said no to us because he lacked time, money or resources. He’s never said no because he just couldn’t pull it off. He’s never said no out of habit. Do you know what God’s habit is? Do you know what his default really is? YES.







Really, is that the way you see God? He’s standing by with a ready YES. He wants to say yes to you. Unfortuatley most of us view God as a “No Man”. He denies. He withholds. He vetos. He limits. But we have the wrong picture.







2 Corinthians 1: 19-20 says, “In Jesus it is always YES. For every one of God’s promises is YES in him.”







Our God is a YES God. Yes, he can do it. Yes, he’s in it with you. Yes, he will make a way. Yes, he wants even more for you!







So, when God says no, we can completely trust him. We never have to question God’s no. There’s one reason God says no. So, just in case you’ve been whining with your, “but God, whyyyyyyyyy”, here’s your answer … Why did I say no? Because it’s not my best for you.







That’s why that door didn’t open. That’s why the plans didn’t work. That’s why it fell apart. That’s why the answer was no. It wasn’t God’s best for you, and God’s not settling.







You may be quick to settle for less, for now, for temporary … but God is overflowing with abundance and an eternal focus. If it’s not his best for you, then the answer will be no. Can you trust that?







1 John 1: 5, “God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.

I’ve been watching a dove meticulously build its nest for several days in the palm tree by my back deck. Did you know that dove mate for life? Did you know the male searches for the nesting site, but the female has the final say on location?







And what I’ve been watching is an orchestrated partnership in building. The male gathers twigs and branches and brings them to the female. He lands on the females back, while passing her the building supplies, then she weaves it all together to build a perfect nest, awaiting her precious eggs.







Y’all, it’s the first signs of getting old. I’m now watching birds.







But the winds here on the island have been extreme, and I found their perfectly constructed nest laying on the hard ground.







Everything they had worked for was gone. The babies would be coming soon and they had no nest for them. Imagine the panic. Poor mama must have been stressed the heck out. Poor daddy must have been desperate to fix this mess.







Have you ever felt that way? Maybe you even feel that way right now. You worked so hard, you were so close, then it was gone. You’re left wondering what you’re going to do and how this will ever be okay again. But honey, look at your track record. You have a 100% survival rate so far. You’ve made it through every single thing that has ever happened to you. And whether you acknowledge him or not, that was God getting you through. That was God’s provision. That was God’s blessing. That was God’s divine work in your life.







Let God’s proven provision bring you peace today. He has proven his faithfulness to you. He will care for you through this too.







After finding the fallen nest, I saw a bird flying through the air with a long twig. There he was, gathering materials again. And there she was, rebuilding her nest. They was working quickly to prepare for the eggs she was about to lay. What they needed was provided.







That day, I saw God’s hand at work, caring for these bird. Providing what was needed, even when things had gone wrong. Why aren’t we able to see this better in our daily lives? Why do we assume the burden and stress when God so clearly demonstrates not only his ability, but his desire to care for us?







Jesus says in Matthew 6:26-27 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”







The birds trust what they need will be there when they need it, even when disaster hits. We can too, and even more so.







Jesus says you are valuable. He says you are priceless. He says your heavenly father will make a way for you. And your worrying will not help anything.







Watch the birds once those eggs hatch and there are hungry little mouths to feed. The mama and daddy dove take turns feeding their babies. She flies out of the nest searching for what is needed for that day. Food is needed to take back to her babies. If he sits in their nest and worries about how hard it will be to find food, are the babies fed? If she chirps away and sings a sad song to the babies about the stress of flying out once again to feed them, does she help anything? If they worry too much about leaving the babies and circle the nest like a helicopter parents, they can’t bring back dinner.







So, she trusts. Every day she trusts. She leaves the nest with confidence knowing the babies are hungry and she will come back with food for them. Daily trust for their daily provision.

Sometimes it feels like everything in life is against us, but that’s only because we can’t see the power of everything that is FOR us. Sometimes it feels like there’s no possible way this is all going to work out, but that’s only because we can’t see all that is working in the unseen. Sometimes it feels like we’ve lost the very thing that makes life worth living, but that’s only because we haven’t even begun to experience the fullness of life God has planned for us. There’s so much more than you can see.







You simply can’t see all the power that is working for you. You simply can’t see all that is working in the unseen. You simply cannot see, or even begin to imagine, the unspeakable beauty in an eternal paradise beyond this life.







But what if you could see? What if you could see there’s so much more than what your limited vision has ever been able to see before? What if you caught a glimpse of the power of God at work right here and now for you? What if you gained a heavenly perspective on your earthly time? What if you saw the battle you’re in as a victory already secured by heaven’s armies?







What if God opened your eyes to let you see there is so much more to this. More to this life. More to this battle. More to this … whatever your “this” is today. There’s more.







There’s a story in our Bible of a man who was overwhelmed by the problems that surrounded him, and God did something miraculous that turned his overwhelm into a calm confidence and powerful peace. The story is found in 2 Kings 6.







Elisha is a prophet of God. Through faith in the power of God, he spoke of things no one else knew and performed miraculous acts. Elisha had the ability to know what an enemy King was doing before he did it. He would warn the King of Israel so the Israelites could always be one step ahead of their enemy. When the enemy King was told of this prophet Elisha who was ruining his battle plan, he sent a massive army at night to surround the city where Elisha was.







Early the next morning, Elisha’s servant got up and went outside and he saw the enemy’s massive army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. He comes back inside and he says, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”







They were surrounded. Imagine the panic. Maybe you don’t have to imagine it too much … maybe it’s precisely how you feel right now. You’re surrounded. You’re overwhelmed. There’s nothing but battles and hardships all around you. You’re drowning in grief. You’re overcome by worry. The fear, the hurt, the regret, it’s all more than you can bare. What in the world are you going to do? How are you going to get through this? How is this ever going to be okay again?







As his servant is in a state of panic over the enemy he saw, Elisha knew there was more. More in the unseen than in the seen. More that was FOR them than against them. This was God’s great gift to Elisha. He had an inside connection to see what others could not see. To know what others could not know.







Elisha says to his servant in 2 Kings 6: 16, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.”







This massive enemy army was there for THEM. They were surrounding the entire city, there to capture Elisha. Far outnumber, way overpowered, completely surrounded. This was their reality. But it was only the reality of what was seen. There was a reality of the unseen too.







Verse 17, Then Elisha prayed “Lord, please open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the servant’s eyes,...

How do you hear from God? How do you receive the divine guidance you are seeking?







READ HIS WORD!







Asking God to speak to you and not reading the bible is like saying you’re hungry and refusing to feed yourself.







But here’s the problem – what you’re reading reading doesn’t make sense or doesn’t seem to apply, so you’re frustrated because you feel like you still don’t have answers to your questions.







But understand, God’s word is ALIVE! Hebrews 4: 12, “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double edged sword.”







God meets us in his word and the Holy Spirit works through his word. Opening your Bible is literally you taking a step towards God. And here’s the great thing about God, James 4:8 , “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” This means if you take just one step toward God, he will take a thousand steps toward you. If you need God to be with you in this, take your step toward him, open your Bible. Just read his word. This will draw God in to you. You will receive his guidance. He will show you the way.







I think of reading by Bible kind of like sit ups. I know there’s one way to getting abs … sit ups. But I can lay down on the floor right now and do 100 situps and not look one bit better. You could open up your bible today and read 5 chapters, and not feel any better. You could read and read and find absolutely no answers or clear direction. BUT IT STARTED SOMETHING YOU CANNOT SEE.







Doing situps starts building muscles you can’t see, but you have to keep building. Reading your Bible starts a divine flow of wisdom and guidance you can’t see, but you have to keep reading.







For more of this unscripted Bible Study together, watch the live broadcast on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/1249986681/videos/7568941406517453/







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What if you’re doing something wrong and you don’t even realize it? What if the next steps you’ve been taking have been foolishly on the wrong path taking you in the wrong direction, but you’re just doing all you know to do? What if you’ve been making the wrong decisions, attaching to the wrong people, thinking the wrong thoughts, and you can’t see all the wrong things this is creating in your life?







That’s the problem. We don’t know. We can’t see. Everything we do could be wrong, even when our intentions are so right.







There’s a prayer for that. Seriously, there’s a prayer for the girl who has been potentially going the wrong way, but wants to get it right now. There’s a prayer for the girl who doesn’t want to screw up again. There’s a prayer for the girl who genuinely wants to please God and walk in his will.







Isn’t that you? Aren’t you ready to walk God’s way? Aren’t you ready to trade your will for his will? Aren’t you ready to release everything you’ve been holding back so you can receive the fullness of what he holds for you?







This prayer is tucked away in your bible, and it’s just been waiting for you to be really ready to pray it.







Psalm 139: 23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.”







This is a powerful prayer that should not be taken lightly. If you ask God to search you, you better be ready to respond to what he shows you. Because here’s the thing, what if you’ve been asking for all the right things, but you’ve been asking for the wrong reasons, and that’s the sole reason why your prayers seem to be going unanswered. Did you know that’s possible? James 4:3, “You ask and don’t receive because you ask with the wrong motives.”







When you ask the Lord to search you and he reveals to you that your motives are wrong, what are you going to do with that?







If you don’t plan to go to work on the things he shows you, don’t even ask. But if you’re serious, if you’re willing to work on WHY that prayer isn’t being answered, or WHY this has really gone wrong, then ask God to search you.







Here’s what God has shown me: The motive behind my seeking of God is often off. I’m trying to persuade my seemingly reluctant God to do what I want him to do. I’m trying to flip through my Bible for God to co-sign what I want. I’m trying to earn enough good favor with God to qualify for more. \







OUCH. That’s the truth of what God shows me when I ask him to search me.







What does he show you? What are the motives behind your prayers? What are the motives behind your service? Why are you even listening today? Are you checking boxes to be that good Jesus girl? Are you trying to earn the gold star? I mean if you’re going to ask God to search you, be ready for what he shows you.







The purpose of prayer isn’t to persuade a reluctant God to do what we want. Oh, what a misuse of the power he has given us. The purpose of prayer is to align our will with His. It’s to open our eyes to what God sees so we partner with him in accomplishing what he is doing. It’s to allow his power to flow through us for his purposes, not our own. We’ve once again totally made this all about us, haven’t we?







What God continually shows me is, “Pamela, this isn’t about you.” Oh how he loving takes my face into his hands and turns my head in the ...

You’re waiting on something, and it feels like it’s taking entirely too long to happen. You’re stuck in limbo wondering when. And as we wonder when we often begin to ask why. Why is this taking so long? Why do I have to wait? Why me?







Time is a funny thing. We can wait for several years for something, but then as soon as we have it, our whole world shifts around now having it. And now that we have it, it’s easy to take it for granted. It’s easy to overlook the fact that this morning we woke up with so many things we were once waiting for.







Seriously, remember when you were counting down the days to your wedding, or prewashing all those new baby clothes with such anticipation of the day you would bring that baby home, or dreaming of moving into the new house, or interviewing for the job and praying they would choose you. Eventually the day came, and the day went, and what you had looked so forward to became reality, then reality lost its luster. How many days have gone by since you were genuinely excited about what you already have? Probably a lot.







We only seem to get excited about what we don’t have yet. What we do have is already old news. So now we just wait. Wait for the next new thing. Wait for the weekend. Wait for vacation. Wait for the next holiday. Wait for something to change. All while days are going by that we will never get back.







What are you waiting on? Can you be happy while you wait? Can you find joy in the in between? Can you count your blessings while one blessing is missing?







This is one of the greatest lessons God has been graciously teaching me over the past 5 years. He’s teaching me to trust him with the timing and choose to be happy while I wait. If I can’t be happy while I wait for this problem to be fixed, then I may be unknowingly sacrificing year after year of my life. And really, what glory does that give God if I sit here miserable in the wait? What kind of faith is it that requires all my blessings to be present before I count them?







Paul taught us about choosing happiness in the middle of a mess while waiting for it to get better. He called it contentment. Contentment is a quiet state of happiness and satisfaction. Contentment isn’t loud, it’s a calm feeling within, regardless of the storm outside. He said in Philippians 4: 11, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.” Notice the word LEARNED.







Learned implies it wasn’t natural to be content in his circumstances. It wasn’t automatic and without effort. Paul had to choose his mindset over and over again until he had LEARNED contentment.







What is natural for human beings when we don’t get what we want when we want it is to throw a fit. Seriously, look at a baby. If a baby doesn’t get fed within 3 seconds of feeling hungry, there’s a complete meltdown. That’s what is natural to us. We have to learn how to still be happy when we don’t get what we want when we want it.







How loud are your complaints when you are waiting? How ugly is your face when things aren’t the way you want them to be? Let’s check real life situations here …







You’re at a restaurant and you’ve ordered chicken fajitas, no rice with double beans and guacamole on the side. The waitress brings steaming hot steak fajitas with rice and the guacamole is old. Check your face? How do you react? What do you say? Are you going to throw your grown woman hissy fit?







You’re waiting in a crowded parking lot for a spot. There’s a car leaving, so you turn on your blinker and wait. Just then a truck whips right in front of you and t...