BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

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

  1. 2H AGO

    2081 Life Out of Control

    I read a great analogy on life that really puts everything into perspective. It’s deep. Grab your pen, I think this is for you today and you will want to write this down. Life is like a helicopter. I don’t know how to operate a helicopter. Gosh, life can be complicated and confusing sometimes. There has to be a button you could press to get out of this tailspin, but you’re not sure which button is the right one. You’re staring at a dashboard of flashing lights and sirens warning you of immanent danger, but you don’t know what to do to get out of this. Maybe right about now you want to hit the eject button. You want to get out of this. You want to jump from the disaster. But here’s the problem, helicopters don’t have eject buttons, and neither does life. You can’t just escape this. You can’t wish it all away. This tailspin in your life is seen by God, and he is equipping you to handle it. Now, Sis, handle it. You don’t have to continue to spin out of control. You don’t have to be stuck in the same ol’ round and round going down. You have been given the power to change things in your life. You have been given authority over every choice you make. You don’t think you know how to fly this helicopter, but God is asking you to learn. He’s asking you to take responsibility for the choices you make, take control of your thoughts, and demand better of yourself. How do you live this life well? You look to the example given to you! 2 Peter 1:3 MSG “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God.” When you get to know Jesus, you get to see how to start living your life better. He starts showing you how to take control of this helicopter and stop the tailspin. He shows you how to take your wild thoughts captive and make them obedient. He shows you how to forgive and move on. How to fight and conquer. How to love and let be. How to seek and find. How to move forward and overcome. How to rise up and break through. Jesus has miraculously given us absolutely everything needed to live a life God can be pleased with. You are lacking nothing! You think you don’t know how to operate this life, but actually, YOU DO. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength, including fly this helicopter of a life you have been given to live. This confusing and complicated life is yours to live. As you grow closer to Jesus, he will teach you how to better live and stop the tailspin. Your answer is Jesus. Seriously, he is the one who will show you how to raise those wild banshees you call your kids. Jesus is the one who will show you how to love your husband and yourself enough to no longer enable this behavior. Jesus is the one who will guide you to make the choices you don’t know how to make. Jesus is the one who will strengthen you to make the changes you know need to be made, but you’ve been avoiding. Jesus is the one who will take control of this helicopter and set the course … if you will ask him. When you get to know Jesus, things start changing. How do you get to know Jesus? You simply start seeking him. Start talking to him. Start reading about him. Start listening to others who know him. Start studying his words. Getting to know Jesus not only changes your circumstances, but it changes YOU. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Your life becomes different because honey, you’re different. You’re not who you used to be. Getting to know Jesus changes how you see things. It changes how you show up. There’s nothing in your life that won’t be positively affected when you get to know Jesus more. A totally new life is possible when you’re growing closer to Jesus. I met a podcast listener recently who told me the life she was once living was busting the gates of hell wide open. She was living all wrong and she was doing it big time. She created sheer disaster in her wake. She was carrying around hurt and shame and living in complete fear of what others thought about her. That girl’s helicopter was out of control. Then, she met Jesus. And she not only met Jesus, but she got to really know Jesus. In the process of getting to know him, her life radically changed. Life stopped spinning out of control and she leveled out. She changed her choices and habits. She fixed some messes. She accepted grace and mercy, and made space for the new life Jesus offered her. Now, she uses her story to shine the light in the darkness which has surrounded others. A familiar darkness she once lived in, but Jesus got her out of. For my sister listening today who is in a tailspin of disaster, please hear me now: JESUS CAN CHANGE THIS! This doesn’t have to be your story for another day. This life doesn’t have to crash and burn. If you will take one step towards Jesus, I promise he will take a thousand steps towards you. He will show you how to regain control and stop the tailspin. As you get to know him, he will show you how to make better choices and change your habits. He will renew your confidence and strength so you no longer settle for less than his best for you. With Jesus, you have absolutely everything it takes to live a life God is fully pleased with. With him, he makes all things new and your life is changed. Yes, life is like a helicopter. I don’t know how to operate a helicopter. But I know how to lean in to Jesus and he can show me. Getting to know him is the ultimate answer! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

    14 min

  2. 1D AGO

    2080 Come Talk With Me

    Today I’m going to share with you the sweetest scripture I’ve ever read. A scripture so powerful in its sweetness that it stopped me in my tracks. Psalm 27:8 “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.'” Woah. Does that touch you the way it does me? God says to your heart “Come and talk with me.” Let your heart simply respond “Lord, I am coming.” On a weekly basis I receive messages asking about prayer. How do you pray more meaningful and powerful prayers? How do you find the proper words to say that bend the ear of the creator of the universe? What exactly do you ask him? Have we turned prayer into a formal communication for which we do not know the language? Have we complicated the connection and in the process disconnected from the Almighty? David, the little shepherd boy who defeated Goliath, then grew to become a great King with the favor of God, is believed to have written this scripture. He knew. He knew the promptings within that bring him to his Maker, and he knew to simply respond. God says “Come and talk with me.” That’s not an agenda. That’s not a script. That’s not a formality. That’s an invitation to a conversation. A two way conversation. Talk WITH me, not just TO me. I have things I want to tell you, and there are things I want you to tell me. Today, don’t you hear your Father saying to your heart “Come and talk with me.” Yes, you do. Now maybe you’ve allowed the busyness to distract you, and maybe you would first have to tread through layers of guilt and shame before you could bow your head, but today all of that can be removed. Today you can respond “Lord, I am coming.” I’m coming to talk with you. I don’t know exactly what to say. I don’t even know how to start. I don’t even know how to listen for you and be sure you’re talking to me. But I am coming. I didn’t always talk with God the way I do now. I felt distant from him, even unimpressed by him. I honestly felt like he was going to do what he was going to do, and my communication with him wasn’t going to change anything. But I was wrong. My communication with him changed everything. After God saved me from a stroke at 19 years old, I found a relationship with him that created a hunger within me for more. I craved reading God’s word. I wanted to understand. I wanted to spend time with him. I had a green study bible at my work desk and I highlighted nearly every page as I studied. I prayed the promises I read and believed them to be true. I grew immensely. But somewhere in the midst of being completely well and life going on, I lost the sweetness of that relationship, and prayer became an obligatory 3 sentences I would repeat before my meals. Then struggle hit in my early 30’s. Business failed, success ceased, doors closed, and my heart grew bitter. I was angry God had allowed these hardships. I had grown distant and distracted as I tried to fix these problems on my own. But nothing worked as it all fell apart. This was a turning point. This was the day I prayed for the first time in a long time. What was my prayer, “God, I’m so angry. I can’t believe you’re letting this happen.” Yip, I literally started talking to him again through my anger. To my surprise, God didn’t turn from me. Instead he responded to my anger with a gentleness and peace I can’t describe. To return to that peace, I began spending more time with God. Instead of just whispering my prayers, I began journaling my prayers. Writing my praises and my requests. Recording the promptings I felt within my spirit. And goodness gracious if our whole world didn’t start changing. We went from parking our car in the garage to hide it from the repo man, to building our dream home with the resort style backyard. We adopted 2 little girls from an orphanage in Mexico. I ran marathons. I met my mentor and he taught me how set goals and live the life I had always wanted. And I did. I kept talking with God … until I didn’t. Life got blessed and busy, and I got distracted. Distracted by all we had and all we were working to get more of. Distracted by all the goodness of the trips and the toys. Sadly, I allowed my blessings to crowd God right out of my life. I no longer had time to journal prayers, that time was filled with more pressing things in a growing family and business. One day I stopped and realized I had totally lost the sweetness of my prior relationship with God. There was no connection. I no longer knew how to talk with him. I didn’t hear him in my life anymore, and I didn’t know how to start again. Struggle had first hardened my heart to God, then success distracted me from my destiny. Then came the game changer. My friend Suzanne taught me the 4 sentence prayer. A simple way to talk with God that came with no strings and no pressure. Just 4 simple sentences and you’re done. The very day she taught me, I went into my closet, I closed the door, and I hit my knees and I talked with God for the first time in a long time. Sentence 1: Tell God what you’re grateful for. Sentence 2: Tell God where you’ve messed up and ask him to forgive you. Sentence 3: Tell God what you’re worried about. Sentence 4: Ask God for help. Sometimes you just need an icebreaker to get a conversation started. Sometimes you just need a clear place to start. That’s what the 4 sentence prayer can be – the beginning of the best conversations you will ever have! If you’re wondering where to start with prayer, this is your answer. It’s not the ONLY answer, but it’s an answer here for you now. 4 simple sentences to begin talking WITH God in a truly effective way. For me, I found going to a quiet place on my knees and actually speaking in a whisper really changed the conversation. My mind didn’t wander off as much. If that’s a problem for you, try it. God is saying, “Come and talk with me.” Oh girl, how I hope you’re saying now, “Lord, I’m coming”, and get yourself to a place where you can start talking with your creator now! Write those 4 sentence prompts on a sticky note and get started. God is calling, answer! Within a few weeks of starting this daily conversation of 4 simple sentences with God, he clearly told me to start hosting devotionals. I hadn’t read my Bible in over 20 years. In fact, I didn’t even have a Bible anymore. I didn’t even know what a devotional was supposed to look like. And I couldn’t possibly be expected to tell people about Jesus … I was an emotional hot mess and couldn’t speak his name without crumbling into a snotfest. But, he wouldn’t release me from this continual nudge, so I agreed to hosting a devotional conference call for 1 week to prove I wasn’t possibly the right girl for the job. 13 years and THOUSANDS of devotional later, it would take nothing short of God’s loud booming voice to make me stop! How did all of this start … I’m just a girl who’s struggles AND successes BOTH had pulled her away from a relationship with her creator, and I simply responded to God’s whisper in my heart when he said “Come and talk with me.” Now, this gets me really excited for you. If God is saying to you “come and talk with me”, what could he have waiting for you? What amazing adventure could he invite you into? What incredible movement could he be ready to show you? What purpose could he reveal? What blessing could he bring? What promise could he fulfill? Maybe you’re in the struggle … see God here. He hasn’t abandoned you. His eye is on you, his hand is here for you, and he has good plans for you. Hear him call to your heart “Come and talk with me.” Let your heart respond “Lord, I’m coming.” And if all you have to come to him with is anger, then bring it. If all you have are questions, bring those. If all you have is a prayer of “help”, then say it over and over again. Help. Maybe you’re in the success … see God here. You’ve been busy and distracted, surrounded by all the things you once prayed for. Don’t let struggle be the only thing that brings you back to your knees. Get yourself there today sister. Respond to his calling and talk with him. You have a whole lot to tell him thank you for. Start there. Thank him for every single blessing you recognize today. Talk with him about the goodness of these details. Did you know you don’t have to close your eyes while you pray? Sometimes when I’m praying over a delicious meal, I look at it intently and smell its wonderful aroma and pray while I take that first bite. Sometimes I open my eyes and look around at all that is good and right and beautiful in that moment and talk with God about my blessings. Today I received the sweetest news that my friend who has been praying for a baby for many years is officially pregnant with a little miracle. I went on a praise walk to thank God for what he has done. I just listened to praise music and worshiped God as I walked. Everywhere I walked today on this little trail were chickens with their brand new, freshly hatched baby chicks. As I praised God, I could see reminders of new miraculous life everywhere. That’s prayer. Closing your eyes is not required for this conversation with God. In fact sometimes I think he wants us to open our eyes, see what he is doing and talk with him about it right there. Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” The moment you begin worrying about something, it’s an invitation to just talk to God about it instead. Is it possible to really pray about everything. Yes – it’s an open continued conversation with God where you’re looking for him in the details, praising him for the goodness, and seeking him first. It’s a mindset and a heart posture. Won’t you respond to the whisper in your heart that says “Co

    21 min

  3. 2D AGO

    2079 When Success Comes

    We’ve all heard the nightmare stories of child stars who become wildly rich and famous and grow up to live a wreck of a life. We’ve seen the stories unfold. In a world where kid’s primary goal in life is to become famous, we know where that road can lead. This is the result of the Instagram and the TikTok. But wait … actually it’s not. God has been warning his children of the pit of ungrounded success for thousands of years. One of those stories is the life of King Uzziah. If King Uzziah would have been living in the 21st century, he would have been Insta-Famous and a top TikTok influencer. And his story is a lesson for every single one of us today. A lesson that meets us exactly where we are. You’ll find Uzziah’s entire story in 2 Chronicles, chapter 26. It’s summed up in 3 headings in my Bible: Uzziah the King, Uzziah’s Achievements, and Uzziah’s Disease. Uzziah became King of Judah at just 16 years old. Verses 4 & 5 say, “He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God. During the time that he sought the Lord, God gave him success.” Where did Uzziah’s success come from? God! How did he achieve success? He sought God. He put God first. God was his priority. He spent time with God. He asked God for help and guidance. He followed God’s promptings. Now, the next section, Uzziah’s Achievements. Verse 7 says, “God helped him.” He fought battles and he won. He built cities and they flourished. He gathered armies and they became powerful. Everything he did was successful. Verse 15, “His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.” GREATLY HELPED. Oh, God can do that! God wants to do that! Do you understand that God wants to GREATLY help you? He wants to do wonderful things for you. He wants to offer his supernatural powers to do impossible things for you. And he will, as long as you seek him. What could God achieve through you … well, there are no limits. We serve an unlimited God who’s powers cannot be contained and who’s plans are greater and bigger than our wildest imaginations. And the way he has so graciously chosen to work is THROUGH US! And he will work through you in this way, as long as you are seeking him. But what happens after success? What happens after you get what you’ve been praying for? What happens when it all finally comes together? You’re grateful … right? You’re humbled … right? You’re happy … right? But do you stay grateful? Do you remain humble? How long until you need more to be happy? I’ve lived that story of rags to riches. Now mine was less dramatic on the rags and less extreme on the riches, but still it was a journey from a nobody to a somebody in some small circles. And when I became the somebody with the house and the car and the closet full of clothes, I lost myself. God had helped me so much UNTIL I became successful. Then, in success, I no longer felt the daily need for God’s provision. I had bread for the day, I didn’t have to seek him for it. And that’s the danger of success. When I no longer counted on God for my daily bread because I had plenty, I stopped seeking him like I had during the hard times. I know I’m not alone in this struggle. The ups and downs that create our unsteady walk with God. Our wavering little hearts that seek, then they run off chasing their own things. And just like Uzziah, I had been given success as long as I sought the Lord. But, that success threatened to trip me up and make me busy. Too busy to seek God first. Uzziah was greatly helped UNTIL he became powerful. Why the word “until”? Did something change when he became powerful, successful and famous? Yes. And here’s our warning. The next section in my Bible is titled “Uzziah’s Disease”. Verse 16, “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God.” In his pride, he acted in unfaithful ways, pushed his way in to the sanctuary of God and began doing things he was not chosen to do. And suddenly, leprosy broke out on his forehead. He became a leper. The life of a leper was one of exclusion, suffering and loneliness. They were forced to live on the outskirts and were denied access to everyone and everything. And sadly, this was the life of King Uzziah, the once wildly successful leader, until he died. Not a happy ending. And I have to wonder how short this ending fell from the good plans God had for the young King who once sought him in everything. I wonder what COULD HAVE BEEN in his life if success wouldn’t have caused him to become prideful and then unfaithful? Oh Lord, please block any future success in our lives that would cause us to become prideful and then unfaithful. Remove anything that would get in the way of us seeking you. I will be honest with you, since my first failure of handling success well, I’ve been afraid of wild success. When I woke up one day and realized my entire world had become wrapped up in what I had and what others thought of me, I knew I needed a drastic change. That’s when we sold everything, gave the rest away, and started over in a life with two suitcases. I would rather have God than that big house. I would rather have God than a single other living soul know my name. I don’t want to fail that test again. But what happens when we become the girls who, no matter what the circumstances, no matter the success, no matter the power, we simply WILL NOT STOP SEEKING GOD? No matter the increase, we still humbly bow to God and seek his will over our own … what could happen then? What happens when we are unshaken by success, unchanged by fame, and undistracted by the noise? Could God continue to greatly help us? Could he be glorified even more?!!!!! Proverbs 3: 5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” You can trust that. You can live your life counting on that. You will NOT be let down by this. Now, understand the warning it gives if you don’t live like this. If you don’t trust the Lord with your whole heart, if you start depending on your own thoughts and your own ways, if you stop seeking his will in everything you do, you will be endlessly confused. You will be completely overwhelmed. You won’t know what to do, when to do it, or how to do it. Your paths will be a tangled web of a mess, and you’ll get lost in it. And there you will be stuck in confusion, overwhelm, disappointment and disaster. You will be like King Uzziah … from being supernaturally guided and blessed by the Almighty, to disappointed with the outcome and stuck in the wilderness. This doesn’t have to be us. This isn’t God’s good plan for us. We don’t have to lose ourselves in success. And as long as we keep seeking God, we don’t have to be afraid of success. Where are you in this? Are you in the middle of a mess, not knowing which way to go? Stop everything and seek God with your whole heart. Open up your hands, let it all go, and trust God to guide you. He will. Are you in the middle of success, but recognizing in the process of waking up to answered prayers, you’ve stopped praying like you used to? Girl, hit your knees today. Return to seeking God first and fully. Are you holding back and playing little because you’re afraid of success? Talk to God about that. Don’t let fear cheat you from your destiny. Seek God in creating daily routines and accountability partners that will keep you aligned with God, no matter where success may take you. Trust God and his unknown ways. Keep seeking him first in everything. He will show you the right way. Faithfully take the next step. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

    17 min

  4. 2D AGO

    2078 The Whole Point

    The answer for the problem you are facing is Jesus. The answer for the hurt you are feeling is Jesus. The answer for the person you can’t fix is Jesus. Whatever you are going through, whatever it is you’re struggling to understand, whatever you’re trying to overcome, whoever or whatever you may be waiting on … the answer is always the same. Jesus. The singular point of everything God has planned, aligned, orchestrated or allowed in your entire life is to show you Jesus. When others have let you down, God wants to show you that Jesus will not. When everything else has disappointed you, God wants you to see that Jesus will not. When nothing else has helped you, God wants to show you that Jesus will. When you just don’t know, Jesus does. Right now, take the most uncertain situation you’re facing … through this, God is pointing you to his son Jesus. The sooner you see Jesus as the solution, the sooner you find the solid foundation for your next step, your peace in the middle of the storm, and your joy on the journey. My friend, why is this happening to you? Some would say you’re under attack. And maybe you are. Some would say these are the consequences you have to face for the choices you’ve made. And maybe so. Some would say you live in a fallen world and sometimes bad things just happen to good people. Sure, sometimes. But one thing is absolutely certain – NOT A SINGLE THING will touch your life without first passing through the hands of God. If he allows it, it’s because he can use it to bring you closer to his Son, Jesus. It’s to see more of him, know more of him, experience more of him, and trust more in him. On our journey of life, all of us are learning about the true grace of God. We’re coming to understand how much we truly do need him. We’re growing to see just how involved Jesus really is in the details of our lives. 2 Peter 3:18, “You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Let me explain it like this … A child raised in a good home by good parents doesn’t necessarily understand how good their childhood was. They don’t know to appreciate everything their parents have done for them. Until they grow up and real life begins to touch them. Then they realize it. My son never once said thank you for all of the hard work of parenting him well. But that first letter from Basic Training in the Army was literally tear soaked with gratitude because he was finally aware of what we had done for him his whole life. This is what God is allowing in our lives now. He’s allowing us to see what he’s always done for us. He’s allowing us to grow in the knowledge of his grace over us. He’s letting us see our absolute dependence on him and his faithfulness every step of the way. God is showing us our need for the one true answer – JESUS! And we’re learning to really appreciate him! Remember a few weeks ago when we read about God instructing the Israelites to smear the blood of a perfect lamb on the doorframe of their house? In Exodus 12, God was going to pass through the land of Egypt with an act of vengeance, but wherever he saw the blood, harm would not fall. His people were protected by the blood. And this is what Jesus has permanently done for every soul who chooses to believe in him and follow him. His blood covers us. When God looks on those who have accepted his son Jesus, he only sees the blood and they are protected. No harm can cross over the blood against the Father’s will. Nothing can touch your life that God has not permitted because of that threshold. If it touches you, God has allowed it so that he can use it for good. Again, what is his plan of goodness? To show you the forever answer for everything in your life – JESUS. How can you better parent your teenager? Seek Jesus for yourself and point your teenager to Jesus. Again and again. Over and over again. The answer is Jesus for them and for you. How can you find the right spouse or the right career? You look for Jesus. Where do you see Jesus showing up? Where is his light being reflected? Where do you see his fingerprints on the details that simply can’t be denied? How can you heal from this hurt, this loss, this betrayal? Jesus. Only Jesus. He alone is the healer of your heart, every other feel good source is a temporary bandaid. Do you want a temporary feel good solution, or a permanent healing? Turn from every other offering and seek Jesus fully. Does that sound radical? Maybe. But let me tell you something, Jesus is a radical dude! He says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” That’s radical. If you’re going to find your way through this, you must fully turn away from everything else and radically seek Jesus – he is the way. If you’re going to really do this right without stumbling and screwing this whole thing up, you must look at everything that is not Jesus as NOT FULLY RIGHT and therefore leading you wrong. Jesus is the truth. If it’s not Jesus, then it’s not truth. If you’re going to really live life fully, walk in your purpose, fulfill your calling, follow God’s divine will and experiences the life you were created for, you must come to the realization that anything that is not Jesus is not real life. It might be exciting, it might look good, it might feel good, it might be what everyone else is doing or what everyone else wants – but it’s not real life. If you want real life, then it’s only through Jesus. Jesus is the way. He is the way you get through whatever you’re going through. He is the way you heal. He is the way you forgive. He is the way you find the right people. He is the way you end up in the right place. He is the way you do the right thing. Jesus is the truth. Jesus holds the truth about you. He is the truth about your future. He is the truth about the world you live in. Jesus is the only truth. Jesus is the life. Every other source that might make you feel alive is an imitation. Only Jesus is THE life. He is the life you most desire. He is the life you crave. Because he is the life you’re truly created for. I once heard we’re each created with a God shaped hole inside of us that only God can fill. That’s by design. God designed you to need Jesus. And everything he aligns in your life, orchestrates in your life, or allows in your life is for the sole purpose of pointing you to the eternal need you just can’t get away from. Jesus. At 50 years old, do you know what I wish I could go back and do different in every single area of my life? I wish I would have realized earlier that Jesus was always the answer. If I could raise my 3 kids over again, I would have sought Jesus more and directed them to Jesus more. I didn’t – and therefore a whole lot of totally optional hardships were required to teach our whole family that Jesus was always what every single one of needed. Did I have Jesus? Absolutely. I just didn’t allow him first place. Did my kids have Jesus growing up? You bet. But they didn’t know Jesus was the divine source for everything they needed and everything they would ever go through. If I could go back and start my business again, I would have built it on Jesus instead of tried to use Jesus as a sprinkle to get his blessings. It would have likely saved a whole lot of hardship. My hardened heart had to be chiseled away at for 15 years. My jacked up priorities had to lead to massive failure and a total fall apart so that the foundation could be rebuilt on Jesus. If I could speak to every friend again who sought my advice, I would tell them to forget everything else I said and START WITH JESUS. Jesus is your way. Jesus is your truth. Jesus is your life. For my dear friend who has been betrayed by the one who was supposed to love her the most, my friend, Jesus is your answer. For my friend who is hurting for her struggling child, Jesus is your answer. For my friend who wants a baby more than anything else, Jesus is your answer. For my friend who wants a good husband to share life with, Jesus is your answer. For my friend who is grieving, Jesus is your answer. For my friend who is in literal pain, Jesus is your answer. Why is that so hard for me to say? Why does that feel like such a cheap answer? Why does that feel like an unclear direction and a let down? Because that God shaped hole within us has believed the lie that something or someone else can fill it. It simply can’t. Jesus is the way. Jesus is the truth. Jesus is the life. So, what was that identified uncertain situation you’re facing … can you see that God is pointing you to his son Jesus? The sooner you see Jesus as the solution, the sooner you find the solid foundation for your next step, your peace in the middle of the storm, and your joy on the journey. Maybe that was the whole point. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

    21 min

  5. 6D AGO

    2077 On the Light Side

    Exodus 14: 20-30 Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea. But just before dawn the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!” When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the LORD said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the LORD swept them into the sea. Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived. But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. That is how the LORD rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

    17 min

  6. MAR 12

    2076 My Favorite Part

    Exodus 14: 5-22 When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with fists raised in defiance. The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon. As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!” Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night. Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

    15 min

  7. MAR 11

    2075 Something Even Better

    Wouldn’t it be great to have a foolproof, absolutely ‘can’t possibly miss it’ type of sign as guidance for your journey? For real, have you ever prayed for flashing signs and illuminated arrows? God, make it clear. Don’t let me miss it. Show me your path in an unmistakable way. Can God do that? Absolutely. Does he do that? You bet! That’s precisely what he did for the Israelites. On their roundabout way through the wilderness from Egypt to their Promised Land, they depended on God for guidance day and night. They had never traveled through the desert. They didn’t have a map for this route. No one in their group had ever gone this way. It was all a complete mystery to them, but not a single step was a mystery to God. So, God showed up in miraculous ways as their guide. The Israelites’ equivalent of flashing signs and illuminated arrows was a moving pillar of cloud during the day and a glowing pillar of fire at night. For real, this is how God guided their steps for their journey of faith through the wild and unknown wilderness. Exodus 13:21-22, “The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.” Imagine this for a moment. This massive cloud continually moves to stay right in front of them. It shifts from the left to the right, guiding them with which way to go. And at night, a column of fire appears giving them light so they can even continue walking in the surrounding darkness, knowing precisely the direction to go. They didn’t have to wonder if they were on the right path, God made that clear. They literally SAW God’s guidance in front of them. Wow, wouldn’t that give you divine confidence and strength for the journey. If I know God is guiding me, I can follow with boldness. If I know God is right there with me, I can face the impossible without flinching because with him nothing is impossible. Well I don’t know about you – but I haven’t woken up lately to a pronounced pillar of anything moving right in front of me. There have been no signs in the clouds, no arrows pointing east or west in the flames. As much as I would love that visible sign, I simply haven’t seen one. So, where does that leave us? Are we wandering on this journey alone? Are we responsible for making our own way until God gives us a sign of his way? It’s easy to read the Old Testament with God’s wonders and signs and wish he still showed up for us like that. It’s easy to question if God still moves today like he did back then. But here’s what we miss … God doesn’t have to guide us with a cloud or a flame because he’s given us something so much greater. What we have today is the indwelling of his Spirit. God’s Spirit no longer lives in a fancy box hidden behind curtains in a tent like it did in the Old Testament. God’s Spirit is no longer limited to divinely visiting just one person to speak to on a rare occasion. Because of Jesus, we now have God’s Holy Spirit literally living WITHIN US ALL THE TIME! Why is it different now than it was in the time of the Old Testament? Because of one thing – Jesus has made us righteous. The blood of Jesus has covered us and redeemed us, and now we are deemed worthy of God’s presence. The way God would divinely speak to one chosen person and give direct guidance for a journey is now available to every follower of Jesus. I don’t need Moses to tell me what God has said. I don’t need an interrupter of dreams. I don’t need a pillar of cloud or fire, nor do I need a flashing sign or illuminated arrow. I have BETTER! I have the Spirit of God right inside of me. Here’s what God’s Spirit does for us: 1. The Spirit leads us. Romans 8:14, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” And you can flip that sentence as well. All who are children of God are led by the Spirit of God. As his children, we’re not led by our circumstances or our feelings, we’re guided by the inner leadership of his Spirit. We are SPIRIT-LED, meaning we are divinely guided by Heaven, step by step. My friends, that’s better than any pillar of cloud in the sky! 2. The Spirit teaches us. John 14:26, Jesus said, “When the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – he will teach you everything and remind you of everything I have told you.” We have an internal teacher that brings truth and right knowing to mind exactly when we need it. The Spirit connects God’s word to real life moments for us. Have you ever felt an inner prompting of knowing what is wrong and what is right? Yeah, that’s the Holy Spirit! And That’s far better than any flame of fire showing up in the night. 3. The Spirit guides us into truth for the future. John 16:13, Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” Jesus knows the way to God’s good plans for you, so Jesus has the Holy Spirit deliver those steps to you with an inner prompting and knowing of truth for your future. I mean really, how cool is that? That’s so much better than a flashing sign. 4. The Spirit prompts and restrains. Acts 16: 6-7 tells of Paul and Silas traveling through specific areas and being prevented from going to some towns and held back by the spirit from stopping there. God’s Spirit was prompting them to continue moving forward and restraining them from wandering off from the path they were supposed to be on. That’s what God’s Spirit does for us. He opens some doors and closes some others. He makes some things happen for us in fast timing, and other things he delays out of protection or redirects from a heavenly viewpoint of what is best. How absolutely amazing to realize as a follower of Jesus, I never just stumble into things. His Spirit is constantly restraining me from what isn’t right, and prompting me toward what is. That’s better than any glowing arrow. Maybe you’ve taken for granted the unmatched gifting of the Holy Spirit. Maybe you’ve been waiting and wishing for a flashing sign saying “THIS WAY NOW: – when all this time you’ve had something so much better inside of you. Do you want to better hear from his Spirit and know his voice apart from your own voice? There’s one guaranteed way to do that – GET IN HIS WORD! The more you allow God’s word to get in you, the more you hear his voice clearly. Every moment you spend in God’s word is access you’re allowing the Holy Spirit to have within you. The more access you grant, the more guidance you receive. Sure it must have been amazing to be one of the Israelites following this pillar of cloud in the day and pillar of fire at night, watching it move in the direction they should go. But how much more amazing is it that you don’t need an external sign of an internal supernatural guidance you have today! What if we stopped praying so much for signs, and started praying more for an awareness of his voice and obedience to his promptings. Grant access to the Spirit by spending time in God’s word. Practice listening. Practice following. Jesus is continually guiding you to the Father’s best plans through the inner voice of the Holy Spirit. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

    17 min

  8. MAR 10

    2074 Don’t Be a Brat

    My GPS continually takes me on the roundabout way. It’s laughable at this point. I’m not sure what hidden setting I have that makes my Apple Maps think I always want to go through the ghetto to my ultimate destination. I call it my Adventure Setting. I’ll eventually get to where I’m supposed to be, but the route there is scenic to say the least. And honestly, sometimes I feel God and I are on that Adventure Setting too. Rarely have we ever had a straight path, it’s a roundabout way through the trenches to get to where he’s ultimately taking me. But I have two choices on this adventure with God, and so do you: Choice #1. Hate it, rush it, and be miserable in it. Choice #2. Trust and embrace it. Choosing the second choice doesn’t feel natural, but it’s God desire for us. We don’t get to control this journey. We don’t get to make our own way. You’re not the way maker – HE IS! God says in Isaiah 43:19, “I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Who will do it? God will. Who does that mean isn’t reponsible for making the way? You. You’re not the way maker. God is. It’s his way. And here’s what we absolutely must learn to lean into – whatever way God is taking you, it’s for a greater purpose than you’re aware of. Trust him. In our study of Exodus, we’re now to the point of the Israelites being set free from captivity in Egypt after 430 years. They didn’t set themselves free – God did that. And now that they’ve marched right out of Egypt, they’re on the journey with God and to their surprise, it’s totally not anything like they expected it to be. You see, the Israelites knew there was a direct route from where they were in Egypt to where they were going in Canaan. They must have been so excited to finally go to the land God had been promising them. They must have wanted to get there absolutely as fast as possible. BUT THAT’S NOT THE WAY GOD TOOK THEM. The second half of Exodus 13 is titled “Israel’s Wilderness Detour” in my Bible. My guess would be the last thing they wanted was a detour, but a detour through the wilderness was God’s plan for them. Sometimes God’s plan doesn’t feel good – that’s just the truth. Sometimes God’s plan doesn’t make sense – that’s another truth. But every single time, without fail, God’s plan is best. If there’s a detour, there’s a purpose behind the detour. What could that purpose be? Verse 17-18, “When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, ‘If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.” Yes, this was the longer route. Yes, this was the harder route. And no, this isn’t what the Israelites would have chosen. Instead of the coastal route which was the shortest way with easy roads, food and water, God lead them in a totally roundabout way right through the wilderness, dead-ending into the Red Sea. A route with no food. A route with no water. A route with harsh conditions. And quite honestly, this must have felt like punishment. But this harder route wasn’t punishment, it was God’s protection. God knew that on the easiest route were enemy forces that would quickly discourage his people. Out of protection, God leads his people on the longer route to avoid what they were not yet ready to face. If you’re on the roundabout way, detouring through areas you would have never chosen, can you see that maybe God is protecting you from things you aren’t ready for? And even if you can’t quite see it, can you trust it? Can you dare to believe God sees what you do not see and he has been protecting you? Can you tap into your faith over your fear that this isn’t punishment, no matter how it may feel? There was a battle on the easier, more direct way you would have chosen, and God lovingly protected you from that battle – Now how about you try not to be a brat about it. God’s mercy doesn’t always feel like mercy. Sometimes God’s mercy feels like delay. Sometimes it feels like the most disheartening detour. Sometimes it feels like sheer disappointment. But I’m learning to be grateful for God’s mercy dressed in those delays and detours and disappointments. There are several journeys I’ve been on that I wouldn’t have chosen – but looking back I would have missed some of my sweetest blessings. The same will be true of your journey and if you can’t see it yet, you will one day. I would always choose the coastal route, but sometimes God chooses the wilderness route. Sometimes he takes you right through the ghetto. And some of his most merciful and powerful work is done along the roundabout way. How sad that we tend to act like brats about it. Let’s decide now we’re just going to do better about trusting God’s plan, God’s path, and God’s timing. Lord, I won’t be a brat about this. I’ll see this as an adventure with you and I’ll just stay close to your side. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

    12 min
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Daily Devotional with Pamela Crim | BIG Life Mentor

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