1808 Mid-Life Crisis

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

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تمت الإضافة منذ قبل seven عام

المحتوى المقدم من Pamela Crim | Daily Devotional for Women. يتم تحميل جميع محتويات البودكاست بما في ذلك الحلقات والرسومات وأوصاف البودكاست وتقديمها مباشرة بواسطة Pamela Crim | Daily Devotional for Women أو شريك منصة البودكاست الخاص بهم. إذا كنت تعتقد أن شخصًا ما يستخدم عملك المحمي بحقوق الطبع والنشر دون إذنك، فيمكنك اتباع العملية الموضحة هنا https://ar.player.fm/legal.

<div class="span index">1</div> <span><a class="" data-remote="true" data-type="html" href="/series/uncuffed">Uncuffed</a></span>

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Uncuffed

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منذ 9 أياممنذ 9d ago

إلغاء الاشتراك

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Uncuffed empowers people in California prisons to tell their own stories. The award-winning collaboration between incarcerated student producers and professional journalists shines light on the human experience of people before, during, and after their prison terms. The new Season 4 is hosted by formerly incarcerated producer Greg Eskridge. https://www.WeAreUncuffed.org

منذ عام واحد 19:50

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God has a plan for your life, and we are told it is a good plan. Knowing God specifically created me for a plan that is radically good leaves me feeling both incredibly hopeful, and slightly panicked. What if I missed his plan? What if I screwed it up? What if I was supposed to […]

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#Self-Improvement #Pamela Crim | Daily Devotional for Women #Christianity #Society #Religion #Podcasting Education

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

1808 Mid-Life Crisis

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

173 subscribers

published منذ عام واحد

MP3•منزل الحلقة

553 حلقات

#Self-Improvement #Pamela Crim | Daily Devotional for Women #Christianity #Society #Religion #Podcasting Education

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BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

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1832 This Is Your Lifeboat 18:25

منذ 1 day18:25

18:25

Grab your Bible and let’s dive deeper into the story of Jonah to see how God works through the things we want to avoid to change our heart! Enjoy today’s unscripted Bible study time from Jonah 2. 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…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

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1831 You’re Being Impulsive 18:20

منذ يومين18:20

18:20

We all likely have heard the story in the Bible about Jonah and the whale. First, let me ask, do you actually believe it? Sometimes it’s hard to be a person of deep intelligence and faith at the same time because some things just don’t make sense. How did this real man end up in the belly of a real whale, and survive for 3 days? There are stories in the Bible that are known as parables and those are nothing more than teaching points made practical by made up stories. But let’s be clear, this isn’t one of them. Jonah lived 700 years before Jesus. He was a prophet of God. The book of Jonah in the Old Testament tells his story. Then Jesus reminds everyone of his story in Matthew 12:40 and says, “For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.” Jesus is saying, “Yes, as unbelievable as that was, it really happened … and now, something totally unbelievable is going to happen with me too.” Jesus would be crucified on the cross and he would hang there for all to see he was dead, his body would be put in a secure tomb, and three days later women would come to the tomb and find the stone had been rolled away and Jesus was no longer there, for he had risen. It really happened. These are not made up stories. However, because they seem nearly unbelievable, faith is required here. Did you know there was recently a lobster diver off the coast of Cape Cod who was swallowed by a humpback whale? For real. It happened. He was on the news being interviewed from the hospital. Now that man has a testimony! How absolutely incredible! But, my guess would be it didn’t feel incredible while it was happening. Here this guy is swimming around on the bottom of the ocean catching lobsters and all of a sudden things just go dark. He never saw it coming. He initially thought he had been eaten by a shark, but in the darkness he realized he wasn’t injured. If it were a shark, he would have been shredded. So where was he? He could feel movement of his surroundings so he knew whatever he was in was moving in the water. He starts moving around as violently as he can. Hitting, kicking, desperately doing everything he can to get out of whatever he’s stuck in. And then, the whale surfaces, shakes his head and spits him out! INCREDIBLE! None of that felt incredible while it was happening. And really, that’s the thing about a testimony … going through it is not incredible. It’s dark. It’s scary. It’s likely the opposite of what you were hoping for or had planned for your day. But girl, when you make it out …. hallelujah! That’s your testimony. This man’s recent testimony reminds us Jonah and the whale is a real story. Yes, it happened … but have you ever asked WHY it happened? Why was this prophet of God swallowed by a whale? Do you know? We don’t have to guess because scripture tells us plain and clear. Jonah 1: 1-3, “The Lord gave this message to Jonah, ‘Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I see how wicked the people are.’ But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.” Well, there’s the problem right there. Jonah was running from God. Running from God ended him up in the belly of a whale for a couple days where he could get his head and his heart right and try again in obedience to God. Girl, have you been running from God? Maybe you don’t really think so because you have valid reasons for doing the things you’re doing and not doing what you’re not doing. You felt that prompting from God, but you dismissed it because it seems impossible. You felt his nudge, but you didn’t respond because you thought it would make you look silly. You heard his whisper in your spirit, but you hushed it because surely someone more qualified than you could do that instead. You read his word that brought a holy conviction, but you pushed that feeling down and continued on your way telling yourself it’s really not that big of a deal. That’s running. That’s avoiding. That’s delaying. That’s dismissing. God doesn’t like it. Jonah ended up in the belly of a whale because he didn’t do what God told him to do. Why didn’t he do it? Because he didn’t want to. Sometimes we don’t want to go. We don’t want to be the one to say something. We don’t want to go first. We don’t want to change. So we make excuses, we dismiss the prompting and we create delay tactics. Delayed obedience is still disobedience. A world class fantastic excuse is still an excuse. A prompting has a timeline … it’s prompt. It’s not a later-ing, it’s a PROMPT-ing. So, the question is, why are we like Jonah and sometimes disobedient to God’s call? Is it fear? Is it doubt? Is it laziness? Is it sin? We constantly dismiss ourselves from the power of God working in and through our lives. Why do we do that? With some self-examination, I realize the real root of the problem for me is often, I just don’t want to. I don’t want to do what I don’t want to do. I don’t feel like doing what I don’t feel like doing. So I dismiss it. I avoid it. I delay it. I create some sort of justified excuse for me to sit it out. And most of the time I just assume nobody noticed and God moved on to someone else. But what if some of the messes I find myself in today are a result of my own disobedience? What if this is my time of sitting in the dark, being stuck in the yuck, and God is working on my heart and mind so that when I do get out of this I will do it right this time? What if this is your time of sitting in the dark and stuck in the yuck because honestly, you have only been doing what you wanted to do. You’ve only been going where you could see and like what you saw. You’ve only been showing up for what you could control. You’ve only been following your feelings. That’s a problem. Jonah was impulsive. He knew God told him to go to Nineveh but he didn’t want to go there. That wasn’t on his bucket list. Nope, not those people and not that job. Not it, God. So, he impulsively jumps on a ship going in the absolute opposite direction. Are you impulsive? Are you fast to jump? You’re all in, then you’re all out, and it happens in an instant. You speak before you think. You buy before you consider. You commit, then you totally uncommit. Proverbs 28:26, “Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.” Really, impulsiveness is the opposite of wisdom. You’re trusting a temporary feeling over an eternal God. Girl, calm down. Your impulses are guided by circumstances, not by God. Circumstances make you feel some sort of way and your decisions in the moment cannot be trusted. The devil loves to deceive us with impulses. He knows he can wreck your life with a few impulsive feelings and thoughts in circumstances you’re trying to avoid. The devil surely thought he had won when impulses led Jonah to jump on that ship going in the opposite direction of where God told him to go. But here’s the great news about our Almighty God: He doesn’t give up easy! You may be running and avoiding, but God can still see you. Psalm 139: 7-12: “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the earth, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night – but even in the darkness I cannot hide from you.” Jonah discovered he simply could never escape from God. He was running, but God was chasing. He was hiding, but God was forever finding. He was dismissing, but God was calling. So you know how the story goes, right? Jonah’s hiding on this ship going in the opposite direction, and a great storm comes nearly sinking the boat. The men on the boat realize Jonah is running from God, so they throw him off the boat into the sea and the storm immediately stops. Then here comes the whale and just swallows Jonah right up. And there, on that far ocean, in darkness that hid Jonah, God brought light in his heart and mind. He brought him to a place of surrendered impulses. Yes, surrendered impulses. And when that whale spit Jonah out, he went straight to Nineveh to do exactly what God had told him to do. If you’re running, it’s not working. You really suck at hiding from God. If you’re ignoring him, you failed because he’s speaking to you right now and you simply can’t deny it. If you’ve been impulsive, he’s asking you to surrender those impulses, stop making rash decisions, and sit with him. Just sit with him. Don’t run. Don’t jump. Don’t hide. Just sit. Sit in the darkness if the darkness is where you are. He will be your light. He will show you the way. If you are weak, he will strengthen you. If you are lost, he will guide you. If the belly of the whale is where you are, then the belly of the whale is where he’ll work. Surrender the impulses that got you here to the God who can get you out. 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…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

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1830 This Is Your Forty 17:53

منذ 3 أيام17:53

17:53

Forty. It’s a significant number in the Bible, often representing new life, growth and transformation. That’s exciting and fantastic, but dig deeper. That goodness always came AFTER a time of trial, hardship and sacrifice. The fear-filled and disobedient Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, then God led a new obedient generation into their Promised Land. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days by the devil. After that temptation, Jesus began his ministry on Earth and changed eternity. It rained for 40 days, flooding the entire earth. All life outside of Noah’s ark was eliminated. Then the waters receded and life began again from only that which had been saved. The giant Goliath taunted God’s people for 40 days. Then, the little shepherd boy David slays the giant with his slingshot and a rock and wins them victory and freedom. Forty. 40 days, sometimes 40 years. But then, completion, then renewal, then victory. The next 40 days is known as Lent. It’s the time between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, leading up to Easter Sunday. This is our time of sacrifice and hardship, leading to new life, growth and transformation. Oh yes, God wants to do a work in YOU! We love the promise of transformation, but resist the refining work of the trial. But, God says this work he wants to do in you is entirely too valuable to be cutting corners! The transformation is coming, and it’s coming THROUGH the trial. The hallelujah is on it’s way, right behind this hardship. The strengthening happens because of the sacrifice. Now, Sis, face your 40! Don’t let the next 40 be like your last 40. It’s time to go deeper. It’s time for full heart surrender. It’s time for sacrifice. It’s time for repentance. On the other side of this 40 is that new life, that growth, that transformation only God has seen. God wants to do a work in you! Will you submit to the process? I didn’t grow up in Church. I only knew Easter as the special weekend where Mama made me a pretty dress and I sat quietly with old people for 1 hour while some man in a suit talked about things I didn’t understand … then we ate a feast at Grandma’s house. I most certainly didn’t know about Lent. I’ve had to do some studying to understand what all of this means. So, just in case you come from a background like me, let me give a quick rundown on what this season of 40 days means. In the early days of Christianity, before someone could be baptized as a Christian, they were to spend 40 days and 40 nights preparing. During this time, they were to sacrifice comforts and really consider if they wanted to commit their life to Jesus. This time of preparation was modeling the preparation of Jesus for 40 days in the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil. (Matthew 4) Now, many Christian churches baptize as infants, so the 40 days of Lent is used as a time of renewal and re-commitment to Christ and the life he has called us to. So, to put it simply, that’s what this time is … This is your renewal and re-commitment to Jesus. A time specifically dedicated to focusing on Jesus. How many of you would confess you struggle with focus? Your mind is busy, your days are over-filled, and you are scattered. To focus, the excess must be eliminated, and only the source of our intention can remain. BUT HOW? How exactly do you put all of life on hold so you can focus on Jesus? I mean it would be really great if we could each go to our own private retreat where we have absolutely no worries and no obligations so 100% of our time can be spiritual. The truth is, even if we could … most of us would never actually do that. 40 days without distractions. 40 days without a cell phone? 40 days without noise? 40 days without spikes in your dopamine that make you feel good? Nope, we wouldn’t. So, we’re left in our busy, distracted worlds where we have schedules and demands, luxuries and comforts, and we struggle to offer any time of focus on Jesus. And to that I believe God says, “Okay … then struggle it out!” Yes, struggle with this. Don’t avoid it. Don’t run from it. Choose to struggle. Choose to fight for a way to focus more on Jesus. Choose to sacrifice for 40 days so that you will be strengthened. Choose to embrace a self-imposed hardship so you come out of this with a greater hallelujah than ever before. Beginning today, this is your 40. These days leading up to Easter are your invitation to eliminate something as a sacrifice and in exchange, focus on Jesus. What will you offer for your 40? Let God tell you! He knows where the perfect space could be made that would bring renewal in your life. Ask him. Father, where can I make space for you? What sacrifice would be pleasing to you in my daily life? I don’t want to just go through the motions. I don’t want to check another meaningless box. I want to embrace a time of willpower and hardship to grow closer to you. Show me what you have requested of me. Now, let’s hear from God. How do we do that? The perfect way is to read his word! After Jesus faced the devil in the wilderness for 40 days, he started his ministry. He gathered a few disciples from fishing boats with an invitation to follow him, then he preached his first sermon called the Sermon on the Mount. What if you just made time to read that sermon today and see what he wants to specifically show you? You can find it in Matthew 5-7. God has specifically drawn me to a few verses in chapter 6. Verses 16-33: “When you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Is God asking you to give up a specific food or drink for Lent?) “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Is God asking you to give up things that have become your treasures? Yes, your stuff … and shopping.) “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! (Is God asking you to give up something you’ve been looking at or watching?) “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (How is God prompting you to seek his Kingdom first by clearing out something in your life for the next 40 days?) 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…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

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1829 Winning Your Heart Back 18:40

منذ 4 أيام18:40

18:40

Recently God has lovingly asked me to adjust my conversations with him. Out of neglect, my prayers have become mostly a list of ways I want God to move and act. God, do that, then do this. I’m continually suggesting his next move. I push my preferred destiny on the one who holds the ultimate preferred destination for my life, as if I know better and he needs my help. Is that what you do too? Something I’ve noticed on my journey with God is he allows me to be wrong. He allows me to do it wrong. Then, with time as my trust in him grows, he begins to show me a better way. Now, he’s showing me Luke 6:45, “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” This heart was really full of supreme ideas and suggested ways. This heart was full of a need for control and everyone under my control to play nice, just the way I wanted them to. And from my heart, everything I said to God just flowed. “God, fix this. God, change them. God, stop her.” But, in a surrender of my heart, God is changing the words that flow from it. He’s simply asked me to give him more praise. Recognize his extraordinary power and my complete dependence on him. See his hand in everything, and trust him wholeheartedly. Give him credit and stop assuming my goodness was the force behind any of this. He is the force, I am not. He is the Creator, I am not. He is the healer, redeemer, provider, restorer, I AM NOT. And when my heart knows that, then what I say flows from that. I’m in a season where God has asked me to practice words of awe, wonder and praise over requests, pleas and demands. As God has been dealing with me on this change of my heart, he leads me to a tiny book of the Bible I’ve never studied, Hosea. I must admit, it’s a bit confusing because it starts out like this, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go and marry a prostitute.” Immediately my brain flips a switch that says, “Skim over this, it’s not applicable.” Some of the Bible is a hard read. I can’t pretend to understand it all, and if it were my book, I would have left a whole lot of that out. But it’s not my book. It’s above me. My guess is, it’s above you too. Good, it keeps us humble and it keeps us seeking. I think that was God’s plan. As I leaned into God’s word in the book of Hosea, there were things that started leaping off the page at me. Warnings and promises revealed, and to my surprise, they do apply to me. I bet they apply to you too. The Lord is speaking to his people. He refers to them as his bride. Don’t let that trip you up and don’t let the enemy twist that. Know that it means you are chosen, you are cherished, and you are adored. But as the Lord is speaking to his bride, he shows us there is a problem … she fails to recognize all God has done for her. Hosea 2:8, “She doesn’t realize it was I who gave her everything she has.” She has become ungrateful. She has become so busy with her blessings that she fails to honor the bless-or. She treats her provisions as if she earned them. She receives without acknowledgment or gratitude and only expects more. She takes it for granted. SHE IS ME. Is she you too? When we fail to realize it was God who gave us everything we have, we face an awakening that comes only through hardship. God says in verse 13, “I will punish her for all those times she forgot about me.” The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Honey, if you can’t be trusted with your blessings, they are in danger of being taken. If your blessings have gotten in the way of the bless-or, then the way will be cleared. This is our warning. A warning of love from our Father. I had a really good earthly Daddy, so it’s very natural for me to lean into God as my heavenly Daddy. I trust easily. I have been taught a Father’s love is genuine and pure and his disciplining hand can be trusted. I fully recognize that is not everyone’s personal experience. I’m so sorry if you were hurt, abandoned, neglected, or simply not loved well by an earthly Daddy. I pray for healing so you can fully receive the love of your heavenly Father who is perfect in every way. Our heavenly Father punishes from a place of love for his beloved child. He corrects us when we are wrong. He puts us in an occasional time out so we can think about what we’ve been doing wrong. And sometimes he takes our phones away so we listen. That’s what you do as a good parent. A good parent doesn’t just let their child do anything and everything they want, because a parent knows things the child does not. And God says, “My girl, you’ve forgotten about me. You’ve gotten so wrapped up in your blessings that you only come to me asking for more. You were not created to be an ungrateful taker, but you’re unknowingly acting like one because your heart has gotten twisted. Now, I will untwist your heart.” How is a heart untwisted? Some things are taken away. And that’s what God does in Hosea 2. He takes back the ripened grain and new wine he had so generously provided every season before. He takes away the wool and linen clothing he had given to cover her. He puts an end to her festivals and celebrations. All the busyness and blessings that caused her to forget about God were taken. But they were taken out of LOVE. God will take everything away if it brings us back to him. Just as we put our children in time out or take away a toy … why? Out of love, not out of hate. We love them so much that we’re willing to do the hard thing now to help them forever. God loves YOU so much that he’s willing to do the hard thing now to help you forever. But, the hard does not last forever. Look at what comes after the lesson is learned. Verse 14-15, “But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.” God wants to win you back now! After you’ve learned the lesson, after you’ve put your blessings back in their rightful place, then he gives it all back to you. You know what this tells me? This tells me GOD WILL REDEEM WHAT I HAVE MESSED UP. I’ve created my own Valley of Trouble. I’ve allowed temporary things to become top priority. I’ve gotten all out of alignment with my fleshy desires and limited perspective. I’ve messed things up in my own special way. Oh girl, have you messed some things up in your own special way? Did you know God wants to redeem that now? Once you turn back to him and just let him win you, then redemption comes. Hope returns. Blessings overflow. The question is, are you going to let God win you back? He wants your praise. He wants your gratitude. He wants your time and attention. He wants you to recognize every single thing you have is solely because of him. He wants you to put everything back in it’s rightful place and turn your heart over to him fully. And when you do, he shows you just how good he is. Then he wins you back! God’s winning me back. I may wander sometimes and occasionally get all up in my head thinking things are more about me than they really are. I may temporarily become an ungrateful brat who fails to pause and recognize God is the one who put that chicken on my plate, God is the one who strengthened my legs to run again, God is the one who kept my husband’s heart beating, God is the one protected my children in their stupid years, God is the one who makes my world spin. It’s all GOD! He’s winning my heart back. And with my heart his, then the words that flow from my heart are pleasing to him. I naturally praise him. I don’t have to force it and I can’t help it. I think God wants your heart back. He wants to win you back again. He wants to transform your Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. And this time, he wants you to forever remember only he could do that. Look at the lengths he has gone to for you. He’s meeting you here in your Valley of Trouble and winning you back! Now, there is hope! 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…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

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1828 Don’t Stop Now 18:26

منذ 5 أيام18:26

18:26

Have you ever questioned if God hears your prayers? Oh honey, he hears you. But if he hears you, why isn’t he answering you? That’s a tough question. We often misunderstand the answers. There’s more than just yes, there’s also not yet, and no because I have something better for you. Now, today, we’re going to read about an experience Daniel had with an angel. Maybe this is a story you’ve never even heard, I know I certainly hadn’t. God wants us to hear this now so we can understand there’s more happening than what we can see, and we play a role in the outcome! To set the stage, remember Daniel was a man of God who had visions and could interrupt dreams. With faith, he had survived the lion’s den as angels had shown up and sealed the lion’s mouths to protect him. Now, in Daniel chapter 10, he has had a vision that he could not understand and it was disturbing to him, so he he’s prayed to God for 3 weeks for understanding. Now, after 3 weeks, this is what happens, verse 4-14: On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people. Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling. Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.” Here’s what we need to know … what is happening behind the scenes in the spiritual realm is a full on battle! Behind every scene, the angels and demons are fighting. The demons are fighting to delay you, distract you, discourage you, overwhelm you, depress you, and destroy you. All the time. Every time. But God’s angels are battling them to protect you, deliver you, encourage you, strengthen you and move you forward. It. Is. Real. You can’t see it, but it is constantly happening. Paul knew that for sure and he wrote in Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” This angel, who looks like a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist and a body that looked like a precious gem with eyes that flamed like torches and a voice that roared has been in battle for Daniel. The battle was over the answer to his prayer. Do you understand there’s a battle happening in the heavenly realms over the answer to your prayer? I don’t think we get that. The angel reveals in verses 12-13, “Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for 21 days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way.” Do you remember how long Daniel had been praying? FOR THREE WEEKS! TWENTY-ONE DAYS! While Daniel prayed, the angel fought to deliver his answer. Are there delays in the spiritual realm? Clearly, this is an example. So, that leaves me to wonder … were you praying specifically for something, but then you gave up? What if you gave up while the angels were battling for you and the day you quit praying was the day God called the angels back and said, “She’s just not asking anymore.” How much angelic assistance have I forfeited because I failed to be consistent in prayer? Here’s what I’m learning: PRAYER REALLY MATTERS! An angel was dispatched because of Daniel’s prayers. For every day he continued to pray, that angel continued to battle the demon sent to block him. Jesus refers to Satan as the “Prince of this world” 3 times in the book of John. These spirit princes being revealed to Daniel are Satan’s demons, his battle buddies, his soldiers of evil. They are the evil spirits battling God’s angels, trying to block God’s answers, God’s blessings, God’s breakthroughs and God’s works. But what we see here is as long as we pray, the angels will not quit fighting for you. There’s a delay here … your job is to keep praying! This angel tells Daniel that Michael, one of the archangels, came to help him fight. Do you know about the Archangel Michael?!!!! He is a spiritual warrior who is a champion for justice and protector of God’s Church. He is often shown with a sword, defeating Satan himself. In Venice, my favorite Church is one in a back alley where tourists rarely go. It’s called The Church of Santa Maria Assunta, built in 1715. Inside, is a massive stone sculpture of the Archangel Michael defeating Satan himself. Beneath his feet, the prince of the world is defeated. Y’all, that’s what our angels are doing for us! It’s real. It’s happening. There’s a battle, and the battle is often over your prayers. Don’t stop praying now! Why is there a delay in your answer? Well maybe there’s a battle happening for you! Maybe God has sent your answer the moment you began to pray, but the journey to you has been a fight. Here’s what you need to know … God says you’re worth fighting for. 2 Chronicles 20: 15-17, “This battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you.” Deuteronomy 20:4, “For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!” In Exodus, we read of Moses leading the Israelites in a battle against their enemies. Chapter 17, verse 11 says, “As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained advantage.” What was Moses doing with his arm lifted up holding this staff? He was praying. He was seeking God. Verse 12, “Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset.” As a result, there was victory! I don’t know how long you’ve been praying and waiting, but maybe your arms have grown really tired. Maybe you just don’t know how to keep praying. This is why it’s so important to have the right people around you who know about your battle. My sister, who’s praying for you? Who’s holding your hands up when you are tired? Now is NOT the time to quit praying. There’s a battle happening in the spiritual real and your angels will not stop fighting as long as you’re praying. They are not giving up on you, now don’t you give up on them. God has a victory here for you and for your family. Keep your hands lifted in prayer and praise. If you’ve grown weary, as we all do, it’s time to ask someone to hold your hands steady for you. 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…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

1
1827 Do It Anyway 21:07

منذ 8 أيام21:07

21:07

As a little girl, I knew absolutely nothing about God. I wasn’t raised in church. Sadly when I was a toddler, my parents were hurt by church and simply never went back for 15 years. The only thing I knew about God were the pictures in our family Bible. Did anyone else have a massive Bible with foil edges and full colored pictures somewhere in their home as a centerpiece decoration? It really wasn’t to be touched, but to look pretty on the table in the foyer. But I loved to sneak in and look at the pictures. One of those pictures was of a man in a robe, surrounded by lions. The lions appeared to be tame and the man appeared to be quite calm and in complete control. I had no way of knowing why this man was surrounded by lions, perhaps he was some sort of circus performer. It literally took me over 40 years to actually study the story in my own Bible to understand the scene … and understand maybe that’s not what the scene really looked like at all. Maybe the lions weren’t tame, maybe they were ferocious and pacing the floor for attack. And maybe the man in a robe wasn’t in charge at all. Maybe there was something unseen in the room achieving the impossible. And what if, in the middle of your hardest times, there’s something unseen in the room with you too. Something holding back the threat, something shielding you with divine protection, something doing the absolute impossible for you … but you just can’t see it. Today, consider maybe that’s precisely what is happening. God has sent his angels to stand guard over you during this. No, he didn’t magically eliminate the problem, but in the middle of the problem, he is protecting you from the dangers. This is a story of Daniel. If you remember from an episode earlier this week, Daniel is a man of God with the gift of interpreting dreams and messages from God. He’s faithful in every way and earned a high position in the King’s house. A few Kings had come and gone during Daniel’s time, and now there was a new King, King Darius. This King loved and respected Daniel above everyone else and planed to place him over the entire empire. That of course makes others very jealous. What do jealous people do? They cause problems. Now Daniel didn’t have a single skeleton in his closet. He was faithful and good in every single thing he did, so his enemies could find absolutely no fault in him. So what did they do? They made something up! Let’s pause right there … My sister, it doesn’t matter how much good you do, your enemy will find something or create something against you. Always. Don’t be shocked by it. And don’t play pitiful over it. Have you ever heard Mother Theresa’s poem called ‘Anyway’? These were the words inscribed on the walls of her children’s home in Calcutta: People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway. What a reminder … do it anyway. Be faithful anyway. Keep praying anyway. Keep loving anyway. This isn’t between you and anyone else – this was always between you and God. Keep it that way! So, Daniel has a few enemies and the fact that they can find no reason to blame him for anything just makes them create a problem. These guys know Daniel is supremely loyal to his God. They know he prays on his knees 3 times every single day to his God without fail. And they know nothing will cause him to be unfaithful in his commitment to God. So, they convince King Darius to make a law that for the next 30 days, any person who prays to anyone or anything other than him would be thrown into the den of lions. The King is a good man, but he likes the thought of everyone bowing to him and it strokes his ego a bit, so he makes the unchangable law. And of course, what happens next is exactly what Daniel’s enemies knew would happen … they found him praying anyway. Daniel 6:10, “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to God.” Daniel didn’t allow threats to change his commitment to God. Nothing got in the way of his prayer and praises to his God. I have to wonder if sometimes things get in the way of our prayer and praises to God. Does vacation get in the way? Does extra busy or stressful times get in the way? What gets in the way of your committed time with God? Step 1 is to have a committed time with God. When is that? Where is that? Now notice what comes in and crowds it out? Nothing was crowding out Daniel’s commitment to God. He did what he had always done. That is being faithful! And being faithful landed Daniel in trouble. Girl, why are you so surprised when trouble comes your way? We’re so quick to say, “Why me, God?” … really, why not you? I can’t think of a single justified answer as to why trouble should never touch my life. Daniel ends up in a literal lion’s den. Verse 16-23: “So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, ‘May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.'” “A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep all that night.” “Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?’ “Daniel answered, ‘Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been fond innocent in his sight. And I have not wrong you, Your Majesty.’ “The King was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.” So, there was an angel with Daniel. Did you know that’s legit for real? We don’t know if Daniel actually saw the angel, but he knew that was the only possible thing that could have kept the lions from devouring him. Hebrews 1:14 says “Angels are spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” My friend, you are being cared for in this! God has sent an angel to stand guard over you. Maybe you can see the threat, or maybe you can’t, but that angel is holding it back from you. Was Daniel completely calm and in control in that lions’ den? We have no idea. What we do know is because he trusted in God on the absolute worst night of his life, not a single scratch was found on him. He walked out of that threat completely unharmed. What we do know is Daniel prayed in that den. And here’s how we know that … not because scripture tells us anything about that night, but because we know praying is what Daniel ALWAYS DID. He didn’t wait until a really bad night to hit his knees, he had faithfully been hitting his knees three times a day for a long time. Don’t wait until the lion is pacing the floor and preparing his attack – Girl, you pray NOW. Create and protect your faithful practice of praying. Imagine Daniel in that lion’s den. What is the most vulnerable position he could possibly be in? Kneeling! With his back turned to the lion, head bowed and eyes closed, he was completely defenseless. But we know that was the most powerful thing he could do. There, in that position, there were angels stations around him sealing the lions’ mouths shut. Imagine the scene – the one that wasn’t pictured in my family’s bible. Imagine angels wrestling those lions. Holding their mouths shut with their arms wrapped around them … or their wings … yes, their wings. Trust in God is what will save you. A faithful practice or prayer and praise is what he’s looking for! When life gets busy or you go on vacation, or people start doing stupid stuff, or the enemy roars in your direction, you just do it anyway. This is between you and God. 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…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

1
1826 Redeem the Time 15:14

منذ 9 أيام15:14

15:14

I recently heard adulthood is a never ending perpetual cycle of waiting for life to calm down, then you die. Is that you? Right now life is busy and hectic, it’s uncertain and stressed, it’s not what you envisioned it being at this stage … but when it calms down, whew doggies look out, you’re gonna live! You’re going to start really living one day. You’ll sit and sip your coffee in pure delight. You’ll have time and energy. You will be proud of yourself and walk with confidence. Oh yes, that day is coming, that day when life calms down and gets better and you can be truly happy, and when it does, you’re going to live! No. You’re. Not! The very heartbeat of life is a rhythm of ups and downs, when it calms down your ride is over sister. We’re saving up our happy for an imaginary destination in this life that doesn’t exist. Right here, right now, this is where you can live. Yes, this season of life, this one with it’s chaos and messes, disappointments and circumstances far short of perfection, this is where living happens. In the absence of calm is where you find the living. It’s a nasty ploy of the enemy to convince you that sometime in the future you will have the time, energy and resources to do the things you want to do with your life. When life calms down and things get better … then. The truth is, we’re living perfectly good days of life in survival mode, in the absence of a crisis. Hey listen to me, that crisis may come and you may need to just get through it, but if your life is free of an absolute undeniable crisis today, then you better be living! The enemy’s plan is to kill, steal and destroy. Never lose sight of that. Has he been killing your happiness, stealing your joy, destroying your TODAY with a focus on another day? Oh how he tricks us into missing today because of the worries of tomorrow, or missing today because of the hopes that somehow a future tomorrow will be better than the one we ended up with today. Ephesians 5: 15-16 NKJV, “See then that you walk circumspectly (carefully and intentionally), not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Redeeming the time … what an interesting phrase. The specific Greek word used here for time didn’t just mean day after day, it meant a specific portion of time where something should happen. THE TIME is a season of opportunity we must redeem. My sister, today is part of your season of opportunity and you’re supposed to be redeeming this. THE TIME is now. Do something with it. Don’t let this just pass. How are you using this specific time for the glory of God? How are you using this time for things of eternal impact? You can’t wait for better days. Here’s how we know for sure this is THE time we’re called to live intentionally – because indeed, the days are evil. There’s a whole lot of crazy, scary crap going on out there. That’s absolutely no surprise. This is THE TIME for you to live intentionally and redeem the time. How are you going to show Jesus in this? The NLT puts it like this, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” How do fools live? They miss opportunities. They don’t show up for life. Be careful how you live and make the most of every opportunity. Today is full of opportunities … what will you do with them? What if your response to today’s opportunities determine tomorrow’s offering? Yes, what if future opportunities are earned through using, enjoying, and savoring that which has already been given to us? I used to think if I didn’t intentionally live my life, then my life just WOULDN’T be lived. Now I know that’s not true. We will still live. We will still exist. If you don’t intentionally live your life, your life WILL just live itself. It will go on with or without your intentional effort. You’ll drift through life. And you know what happens when you drift … invevitably, you end up wrecked on some shore you never wanted to be on. And here we are, these miraculous beings who are the masterpieces of the almighty creator, just letting life live itself. Drifting. Lost. We’re just here, but not fully here. We’re showing up, but not bringing the best of us. Where is the best of us? Buried under layers of regret, guilt, shame and laziness. Dang it’s hard to even recognize the masterpiece with all we’ve layered on. But, it’s in there. Our potential is still in there. Our destiny is still available. Our purpose still calls. And if we’re breathing today, that means we have an opportunity to show up and start really living. On purpose. Intentionally. Like we mean it! When will we decide we won’t just let our lives live themselves any longer? When will we harness the power our creator has given us and WAKE UP? When will we live like we mean it? Deuteronomy 30: 19-20, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.” Well, it couldn’t be any clearer. It’s right there. This is the key to your life. Will you choose it? God has given you the power to choose. Choose well. Choose your direction. Choose your attitude. Choose your next step. Choose your mood. What will you choose today? One day life will calm day. Yes it will. The moment after that final breath is real calm. I hope you’re not waiting for that. I hope you will decide to take this day with it’s ups and downs, it’s imperfections, it’s stresses and messes, it’s busy schedule and endless demands, it’s disappointments and surprises, and LIVE IT. The key to your life is to make the choice to LOVE God, OBEY him, and COMMIT yourself fully to him. Listening today are women who have stories. Some are widows who have lost their husbands, some are broken because their husbands were unfaithful, some are still healing from the pain of an unimaginable childhood, some have lost children, lost jobs, or lost their happiness, or lost themselves. But they’re here today seeking to live. Seeking to show up in the middle of their reality and be faithful with the cards they have been dealt. The women listening today are going to play their hand … will that be you? This is what our God expects of us. When will life calm down … when we die. When will we live … today! Live intentionally today, redeem the time. Make the most of every opportunity. Yes, the days are evil … that’s why it’s so important for you step out and show Jesus! 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…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

1
1825 Dom, Dom, Dommmmm – Hear the Music 17:39

منذ 10 أيام17:39

17:39

Have you ever been humbled by life? You know, knocked down off your high horse and left to sit in your failure feeling incredibly human. It’s a deep seeded fear within most of us, and that fear often holds us hostage. We’re so fearful of failure that we fail to even show up and try. We would rather sit on the sidelines watching others than dare step on the fields ourselves and risk failure. But deep down, I’ve discovered there’s something I’m even more fearful of than failure. I’m honestly afraid of success. If I succeed, then what will I have to do to manage that success? What would be expected of me? Failing doesn’t come with a whole lot of pressures, but success comes with overwhelming pressure. The higher you climb, the harder that fall is. But God doesn’t want us to be failures, nor does he want us to be afraid of success. What he desires of his girls is to walk in the success he offers while remaining humble. If you can’t be humble in this, then honey, you can’t keep it. Do you have something you’ve worked hard for today and now you’re taking credit for it? Did you build that? Did you create that? Did you save that? Did you make that happen? Really, did you? Because if it was all you, I can tell you what’s coming next. Pie. Your pie is coming next. Humble pie. This week we’ve been reading in the book of Daniel about King Nebuchadnezzar. He didn’t believe in the one true God. He had his own gods, himself being one of them. He was incredibly proud of himself. So proud, he built that massive golden statue of himself and demanded everyone bow down and worship it when music played. And remember, there were 3 young men who refused to worship his statue, and as a result, they faced the punishment of death in a fiery furnace. Because of their faith while facing the furnace, then because of the King’s own sight of the fourth man in the fire with them, King Nebuchadnezzar became a believer of the true God. Well hallelujah, this man changed! Daniel 4:2-3, the King sends a message to all the people and says, “I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how powerful his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations.” Isn’t that just fantastic! But, here’s what happens next. Verse 4, “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace in comfort and prosperity.” Que the music … dom, dom, dommmmmm. That’s a problem. We humans simply do not do well will comfort and prosperity. Have you ever noticed that? Our priorities get all jacked up. We start doing stupid stuff. And God gets put on the back burner. Is that what has happened to you? God got you through that crisis, and now that life is easier you’ve gotten comfortable. In your comfort you’ve gotten soft. You’ve grown just luke warm. You’re not cold, but you’re certainly not on fire for God anymore. Why? Because honestly, it’s just not required. That’s what comfort and prosperity often do. We become self-sufficient and self-centered. Dom, dom, dommmmmm. My sister, can’t you hear the music? Sitting in his comfort and prosperity, the King has a disturbing dream. Daniel was specially gifted by God to interpret dreams. The King calls Daniel in and says, “Now tell me what my dream means.” And well, it wasn’t good news. It was a warning. A warning that the King was going to lose his kingdom, lose his mind, and live in the field with wild animals for 7 years. As Daniel is interpreting this dream he says in verse 27, “King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.” Then, 12 months pass. 12 months to repent. 12 months with continued prosperity to change. But he didn’t. Verse 29, “Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon. As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’ Dom, dom, dommmmmmmmm. (Can’t you hear the music?) Verse 31-34, “While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.'” “That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as an eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws.” “After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever.” Verse 36-37, “When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.” My friends, this is our warning, just as the King received his. HUMBLE YOURSELF, OR YOU WILL BE HUMBLED. You cannot take an ounce of credit for anything the Almighty God has given you, granted you, or made happen for you. Without him, you would have none of it and you could do none of it. God will allow it to all fall apart so you come back to him. But here’s the thing, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can heed the warning, check yourself, pray for God to cure you of your pride and humbly submit to God. If you do, instead of punishment, you will receive GRACE. James 4: 6-7, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” May we always remember everything we have and everything we can do is because of God. Satan fell from glory because he fell in love with his gift instead of falling in love with God. Is your gift getting in the way? Has your power become a problem? Is your blessing now a block? Has your treasure become your target? Has success become your soul’s search? Is your vanity now the vision of your life, blocking your vision of God? Dom, dom, dommmmmmm, hear the music girlfriend, this is your warning. Something is out of place. The King was given 12 months to change, but he didn’t. So he suffered for 7 years to be humbled. I do not wish suffering for you or anyone else. I give suffering zero stars, do not recommend. Whatever God is prompting you to give up, turn from or change, just do it. If you don’t, it’s going to eventually fall apart anyway. God will resist and come against anything causing pride in your life. But where you humble yourself, he will give grace upon grace! And that’s a different music. 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…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

1
1824 The Fourth Man 15:40

منذ 11 يومًا15:40

15:40

Sometimes God doesn’t prevent the fires in our lives that threaten us. Oh how we wish he would just put them out, and sometimes he does … but sometimes he doesn’t. We’re talking about the times he doesn’t. The times when bad things happen. The times when it’s unfair. The times when God doesn’t deliver us from it, but he sustains us in it. The truth is, God can prevent the fire or he can provide for us in the fire. I prefer the times he prevents, but we come out better when he doesn’t. In yesterday’s devotional, we began the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These were the 3 young men in Babylon who refused to bow down and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue. The punishment for refusing the King’s command was to be thrown into a blazing furnace, but they would not compromise. They said to the King in Daniel 3: 16-18, “We do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is ABLE to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” We are to never doubt God’s ability, but also don’t assume to know God’s will. I know what I hope God will do with this fire, but faith requires me to trust him even if he doesn’t do what I want. Even if my desires don’t align with his plans, I will trust in him. Does that mean we know for sure the fire won’t touch us or our family, that we won’t be burned, that we won’t lose everything … no, we have absolutely no promises of that. Our promises are eternal promises. Our fires in life must be judged by an everlasting God and an eternal life that awaits. Trouble was promised in this life and our Jesus has already overcome every trouble. Eternally, trouble will be no more. Here in this temporary life, trouble will come. If troubling fires surround you, I want you to know the rest of the story. I want you to hear what God can do even when he doesn’t stop the fire. Even when you feel the heat. Even when you fall into the flames, understand THIS IS WHERE GOD IS! Daniel 3: 19-28 – Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Sharach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes and other garments. And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. So Shardach, Meshach and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, official, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke! Let’s unpack this! Notice how scripture repeats the fact that these 3 young men were most certainly tied up. It says the King ordered his strongest men to bind them, then it says they tied them up. As they threw them into the fire it again says they were securely tied. Then the king says, “wait, didn’t we tie them up” and they reply, “yes, we certainly did.” There’s no doubt that when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fire they were tied up. But when the king looks into the fire, he says he sees them UNBOUND, walking around in the fire unharmed. UNBOUND. They went from most certainly tied up to being unbound. What happened here? Well, think about it. What was used to tie them up? Rope. So, what happened to the rope? The fire burned it right off! Sometimes the thing the enemy sent to destroy you actually sets you free. Is it scary going through the fire? Absolutely! But what if this is what finally unbinds you? What if the very thing that has held you captive gets burned off in this trouble? Oh Lord, LET IT BE … SET YOUR GIRLS FREE IN THIS FIRE! He didn’t save you FROM THE FIRE, but my sister, he’s SETTING YOU FREE IN THE FIRE! When you’re going through it, it’s easy to ask, “Where is God in all of this?” Well, let me tell you where he is on your hardest of days, darkest of times, and hottest of flames … HE’S RIGHT THERE WITH YOU. But maybe you just can’t see him. Scripture never says Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego saw God in the furnace with them. It says the King looked in and saw the fourth man in the fire. Honey, he is here with you in this. You may not see him, but he is there. He’s going to walk through this with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. THAT IS GOD’S PROMISE in Hebrews 13:5. And that promise still stands today. He may not get you out of this immediately, but if you have to walk through it, he will walk through it with you. If he doesn’t prevent it, he will provide for you in it. If he doesn’t deliver you from it, he will sustain you in it. There’s a song called “Fourth Man” and it says: When I stand in the fire Your glory burns brighter When the pressure is real Your presence is greater And when I stand in the fire Your glory burns brighter You are above it all, but You stand here Fourth Man in the fire, conquering my fears You are above it all, but You draw near My favorite detail in the story is the fact that they were in this scorching hot furnace that was intentionally 7 times hotter than usual, and they came out untouched and didn’t even smell like smoke! You know what this means for us … we can go through it without it getting in us. We can come out of this trouble without being bitter. We can be treated unfairly without becoming hardened. We can be supernaturally strengthened by a supply that never runs out. We can have joy when it doesn’t make sense to have joy. We can find peace in the middle of a storm. We don’t have to smell like what we’ve gone through. Don’t come out of this a bitter, hardened, angry woman. Come out of this as a girl who has been upheld, a girl who has been strengthened, a girl who has been guided, a girl who has a story to tell. But when you tell your story, don’t focus on how terrible the fire was, you focus on the one who was in the fire with you! You tell of his presence. You tell of his glory. You tell of your fourth man. No, God doesn’t save us from every fire. And sometimes the story doesn’t end up going the way we want it to go … but never forget, THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY. 2 Corinthians 4:18, “We don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 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…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

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1823 Even If He Doesn’t 18:40

منذ 12 يومًا18:40

18:40

What if God doesn’t do what you want him to do here? What if he doesn’t make this all work out the way you think it should work out? Really, what if he doesn’t … where does you faith stand then? Where will your joy be found if your idea of good isn’t how this unfolds? God never called you and I to a life of certainty. He hasn’t empowered a single one of us to know or control what unfolds next. Here’s what we do know: We know Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world!” Your trouble will be overcome by Jesus. Now we don’t know when and we don’t know how, but we know somehow and someway Jesus is overcoming this trouble. But it won’t always look like it and it certainly won’t always feel like it. Faith requires you to accept that this may not go the way you want it to go. Faith requires a trust that reaches deeper than the circumstances and remembers there’s an eternity we have not seen. Will Jesus heal the cancer? I know he can and I know he will … but what we don’t know is if it’s healed in this temporary earthly body or if it’s healed in the future eternal state of perfection. Both are healing, we just don’t know which one it will be. Will Jesus save that marriage? Well, there’s a whole lot of human free will and choices involved in a thing like marriage. So honestly, I don’t know. Will Jesus save your job? Will he clear the rain on your beach vacation? Will he give you that baby? Will he open the doors to your dreams? Will he bless you with wild success? Answer: I have no idea! I know he can, but I can’t pretend to know his ways or his timing. In my earthly state, I can’t imagine the heavenly workings of all these details. And this is where we must quote Daniel 3: 18, “But even if he doesn’t …” I know what God CAN do … he can do absolutely anything. Nothing is impossible with God. I know some of the things God has done, and those things are miraculous, indescribable, and unpredictable. And I know the end game, Jesus has already overcome every problem in the world … literally! Today’s problem will not be a problem forever. However, I have no way of knowing exactly what God is going to do with today’s problems and uncertainties. How arrogant of us to assume we know the things only Heaven knows. God’s plans may be different than our desires. Faith requires us to live with open hands of surrender and find peace in the not knowing. The truth is, I don’t know if I wake up tomorrow … neither do you. The truth is, we don’t know what could come falling out of the sky today. We don’t know what news the next phone call may bring. But not a single one of us have to be disturbed in the not knowing. We are called to live in a state of balance where we never doubt God’s ability, but also don’t assume to know God’s will. Where is the trouble in your life? Really, think about the trouble you’re dealing with right now. It’s a trouble of uncertainty isn’t it? You don’t know if, you don’t know how and you don’t know when. Now, do you believe God really has the ability to change this trouble you’re facing? Can he heal this? Can he restore this? Can he stop this? Can he make it happen? YES. Absolutely! He can do it. This is not beyond his reach or outside of his power. Nor is it hidden from his eye. He sees and he knows. Now, WHAT will he do? That we do not know. My sister, can you make peace with simply not knowing. Maybe right now you would have to honestly say you can’t. You just can’t be okay with not knowing what’s going to happen next. Well, that’s the funny thing about knowing … it’s a false sense of security, because you simply have no way of knowing. Every moment of your life hangs on a fine string and you can’t save yourself, nor can you save anyone else. Our anxiety often comes from assuming we know God’s will … and when we assume to know his will, then we try to force his will. Speaking from experience here, trying to force your own preconceived notion of God’s will is absolutely exhausting … and disappointing! Repeat after me: BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T … We cannot judge our circumstances with our earthly limitations. Quite honestly, if we knew all the details of how extremely fragile this is and every threat being formed against us in the pits of hell, we wouldn’t have the strength to get up out of bed on most days. We can only judge our circumstances by the everlasting God and the eternal life that awaits us. And here’s my very limited, wild guess … MOST OF WHAT I’M WORRIED ABOUT TODAY SIMPLY WON’T MATTER BEYOND THIS LIFE. It won’t matter that this body is failing because honey, we’re getting something perfect in Heaven! It won’t matter that this job is ending, because in Heaven, we’re all eternally retired in paradise and we won’t be bored with it either! RIP: Retired in Paradise. It won’t matter that the relationship was strained, the finances were drained, and the hardship remained. What matters is that we know Jesus! What matters is THEY know Jesus. Everything else is temporary details that have been getting in the way. Now, let’s read the full story of this one verse “But even if he doesn’t …” It’s actually from a familiar story many people have heard. You’re going to love this! In Daniel chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar had build a massive gold statue that was 90 feet tall. He declared at the sound of the music, everyone had to bow down to the ground to worship his statue. For anyone not willing to bow down and worship, they would be thrown into a blazing furnace. There were 3 young men in Babylon named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and they worshiped the one true God. When the music played, they refused to bow down and worship this golden statue. They were doing the right thing. Daniel 3: 13-18, “Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Sharach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar said to them, ‘Is it true that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?'” “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” THIS IS THE ‘BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T’ MOMENT … and it’s a serious one. God will rescue us, but even if he doesn’t … They never doubted God’s ability, but they didn’t assume to know God’s will. Maybe God’s will was a mystery to them from an earthly perspective, but from an eternal perspective it would be perfect. Why do bad things happen to good people … I simply can’t pretend to know because I’m not God and I don’t have to vantage point of Heaven. Do you know what happened next in the story? Did God charge in with an army of heavenly angels and rescue these 3 young men who had done the right thing? Did God miraculously put out the fire in the furnace and make it impossible for the King to restart the fire? Did God’s voice come down from the sky and shake the ground, changing the King’s heart right before the 3 men were thrown in the furnace? No. Those are all great ideas and with God they were all possible. But again, we can’t assume to know God’s will. I realize I’m constantly trying to convince God of my imagined good plans and offer them to him as his will. Who am I to think I could possibly know better than God? Yet, that’s what I do … isn’t that what you do too? What God did instead was he allowed it to happen. He allowed the fire. He allowed the 3 to be thrown in the fire. And HE WAS RIGHT THERE WITH THEM. Tomorrow, we’ll read the rest of the story to see what happened when they fell into the flames. In the flames is precisely where God was. But for today, practice saying, “Even if he doesn’t …” This is surrender. This is faith. This is the obedience God is calling us to. Even if God doesn’t do what you want him to do here … Even if he doesn’t make this all work out the way you think it should work out … Let your faith stand and your joy remain in him, even in the unknown, the uncertainty, and the undesirable. God, even if you don’t …. 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…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

1
1822 When God Says Change 19:58

منذ 15 يومًا19:58

19:58

Join us for an unscripted Bible study time together.God, if you’re in it, I want it … if you’re not, I don’t. Now, the even harder prayer: God if you want me to change in this, I’m willing to change. If you want me to change how I do it, I’ll change it. 2 Corinthians […]

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

1
1821 This Is Your Fuel 15:01

منذ 16 يومًا15:01

15:01

The enemy uses very specific weapons against you. Weapons meant to detour you. Weapons meant to defeat you. Weapons meant to destroy you. Depress you, deceive you, dismiss you, and disease you. Maybe you’ve felt the sting of his weapons. Maybe you’re living in fear of his weapons. And maybe you’re like the majority of […]…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

1
1820 Too Far Gone 17:37

منذ 17 يومًا17:37

17:37

Are you faced with something that is simply too far gone? Something that has no hope left for the future. Something so broken there’s no chance of repair. Impossible. May I remind you of Luke 1:37, “Nothing will be impossible with God.” No thing … no, not even your thing. With God, it IS POSSIBLE. […]…

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

1
1819 Your Seeking Era 18:52

منذ 18 يومًا18:52

18:52

Have you ever questioned how exactly you’re supposed to hear from God? If he is your guide, then how do you receive his guidance? Maybe you’ve heard people say things like, “The Lord told me this…” or “God asked me to do that …”, and you’re like, “REALLY … how does he do that?!!!” If […]

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

1
1818 God Wants You 17:17

منذ 19 يومًا17:17

17:17

You don’t need luck, not when you have God. You don’t have to be in the right place at the right time. Nobody else needs to know your name when God knows your name. Everyone else can totally count you out, but when God has singled you out nothing can keep you hidden from his […]

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1808 Mid-Life Crisis

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1808 Mid-Life Crisis