Movie Review: "Heaven Sent"

My Review of the Heaven Sent movie:

Today, I have another movie review for you and a giveaway contest at the end of this post! In case you didn’t know, Pure Flix is like the faith-based version of Netflix. It works the same way the difference is in the content that points you back to Jesus Christ and shows you how much The Creator of the Universe loves you!

Pure Flix is a one-stop shop for faith and family-friendly movies and shows where you can confidently stream in your home with the entire family. With new premium and exclusive original entertainment choices every week, Pure Flix streaming service has the largest variety of high-quality, curated, positive, encouraging, wholesome movies, series and kids' content in one service. Pure Flix is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment, alongside AFFIRM Films.

Pure Flix VIP Ambassador program asked me to review the movie Heaven Sent. The main idea for this movie, in words from the producers, is: Elise, a grandmother hurt by her past, and Patrick, a widowed pastor, have closed the door on love. But with faith and a little help from technology, will their live-streamed romance find a way?

I watched this heartwarming movie after it was made available for viewing on Pure Flix. Heaven Sent captivated me from the first scene and kept me engaged throughout the movie.

Now for my review: 

When I saw that Karen Abercrombie was starring as the leading lady in this movie, I knew it was going to be good! I became a fan of Karen ever since her debut as Miss Clara in the movie War Room. I soon found that her performance as Elise in Heaven Sent did not disappoint!

She mastered not only her lines but her facial expressions. There wasn’t a moment in this movie when Abercrombie was out of character. The same could be said about the supporting actors. However, Abercrombie’s performance stood out the most as she is clearly becoming a legend.

Most impressive is the fact that not only was Abercrombie the lead actor, but she was also the executive producer who co-wrote this entire movie!

J. Leon Pridgen II played the leading man, a widowed pastor named Patrick. He did a great job showing how his character grew from heartbreak to hope as he entered a relationship with Elise.

This movie was filled with honesty, humor, faith, family themes, fun and sweet surprises. There wasn’t anything to not like about it. I related to and empathized with the characters. I thought the storyline was seamless and the plot was well-thought. The actors delivered a stellar performance.

If you want to watch a movie that will make you laugh, smile and believe in true love again then Heaven Sent is it.

Themes of this movie included:

· Letting go of our children/grandchildren

· Family over fame

· Finding love after loss

· Miscommunication

· Grace during misunderstandings

Heaven Sent is a movie that will introduce you to Pure Flix, prompt you to join and watch it again and again! And once you’re a member of Pure Flix, you’ll find more content to view that will encourage your heart. So don’t delay, join today!

Watch Heaven Sent movie trailer:
https://youtu.be/cTrGCnXLKiE

Jean Thomason from Momentum Influencer Network interviewed Abercrombie. Watch their conversation here: https://youtu.be/y-vp-TthzLk

Before you go, enter this contest for your chance to WIN a FREE 3-month Pure Flix subscription! Note: This giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. The giveaway starts today (Feb. 10) and will end on Feb. 14, 2023. 

If you're participating in the giveaway for Heaven Sent, please note that we cannot accept winners that have won a Pure Flix subscription in the last six months.

Here is the Giveaway Contest link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f8dcb68c437/?

Disclosure: Many thanks to Pure Flix for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

#HeavenSentMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

Devotionals for the Heart: The kind of love that only God can give to you

No Greater Love
A devotional by Karen Marstaller

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” 

–John 15:12-13 (ESV)

February. The month filled with hearts, flowers, and boxes of candy is upon us.

In our very modern world, we tend to believe that if we look a certain way, or say a particular phrase, or buy the most expensive gift for someone we care about that they will reciprocate and will love us back.

We call it “romantic”. We watch the sweet movies about a man and a woman who fall in love, and we shed a few happy tears when they finally kiss at the end.

Or maybe it’s the tender love stories we learned to enjoy when we were young. Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott started it for me. You can read the blurb on the cover of the book and are assured that the main characters will face hardships throughout the story, but true love will eventually rule the day.

Love is multi-faceted. We love our relatives differently than we love our best friends. We love our spouses and children in another way. We seldom talk about loving our neighbors, but we’re always ready to defend our favorite ice cream. “But I love Chocolate Chip,” we say. “It’s my favorite!”

Maybe we’ve trivialized the meaning of the word “love” so much that we don’t recognize real love when we see it. It could be that some of us entered a “love” relationship with a cute guy, or a hunk of an athlete, or the wealthy aristocrat who can whisk us away where our dreams of romance await. But that’s not always love.

Our Heavenly Father has a completely radical view of love. God’s version of love is His Son, Jesus Christ, on a cross, dying for the sins of the world (John 3:16). His sacrificial love is equal to our redemption. His love shelters us, cleanses us, and renews and motivates us.

Ultimately, God’s love makes it possible for us to find our true home in His heart. Walking in the forgiveness of our sins, we are given the opportunity to live the abundant life that Jesus promised in John 10:10.

God’s love is a different experience from the generic kind of love that the world has contrived.

God’s love is so pure and complete that His desire is for our hearts to be cleansed, and not for our gorgeous or good looks to be our only selling point. He wants us freed from the burden of our sin which often yanks us by a chain into sometimes disastrous choices. His plan for us is to learn how to truly love each other. And His example is our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus agreed to embrace humility all the way to the cross. He carried the shame and embarrassment which we so richly deserve. He stepped into a chaotic world that was swirling in the depths of wicked ways, and in love, He laid down on a cross to let sinful men pound heavy nails into His sinless flesh.

That’s what love did.

And that’s not all God’s love did. Through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, God granted us another freedom—access to God Himself. We can call out to the Lord to save us, to help us, to love and care for us, and then we have the privilege of asking for strength to share His wonderful love with those around us. He hears all our prayers.

It all comes down to this: Do we love other people enough to tell them about the Lord? Do we allow His love to bubble up inside of us and spill out into our everyday interactions? Do we bless others with the joy He gives? And most importantly, do we really believe that God loves us? If so, then we will share the unfathomable love of our risen Savior with the people we meet.

It’s a true love story that’s worth sharing.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord God, the Creator of pure love, please open our eyes for opportunities to share Your good news of hope, of life, and of love to the people around us. Please give us overflowing hearts of gratitude for the miracle of Your love for us. Please bless us all with Your perfect Valentine, Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You, dear Father. It is in the wonderful name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “No Greater Love” by Rachael Lampa. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Karen Marstaller is a retired high school teacher who spent most of her career challenging creative students to write. Her heart is for her readers.

She writes to encourage them, to make them laugh, to show them that life is a beautiful journey, and regardless of their past, to show them that there is joy ahead if they will just keep looking.

Karen and her husband live in central Texas in a sweet little home that they completely remodeled. They enjoy spending time with their family, which includes seven precious grandchildren.

Most of all, Karen writes in obedience to the command to love your neighbor, to offer a cup of water to those who are dying of thirst, and to comfort others with the comfort she has received.

You can reach Karen by emailing her at this address: klmarstaller@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: When the "joy of the Lord" is your strength

God’s Joy is My Strength
A devotional by Dr. Jessica B. Turner

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”—Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)

Have you ever been guilty of using a scripture without pausing to truly think about what it means? I know I have. You hear other believers sharing their favorite verses and before you know it you have your own collection of favorites to pull from!

As a believer who is still new to studying the Bible, I am grateful for those who share scriptures that have gotten them through tough times.

However, I have been guilty of storing God’s Word in my heart without giving it much thought. I wasn’t stopping to explore the context of the verses or how it applied to my life. While there is nothing wrong with holding onto scriptures that empower you without going deeper, I want to encourage you to go a step further and ask God to reveal why that scripture speaks to you. That’s exactly what I did, and it completely opened my eyes to what I was missing!

For months, Nehemiah 8:10 had become an anthem of mine. I would find myself walking around my house audibly saying, “The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength!” But one day, I asked myself, “What does that even mean?”

God immediately impressed the following words on my heart: “When you do as I have called you to do, your obedience brings Me joy. It is knowing that you are a source of joy to Me that you find strength to keep going.”

Here are some examples of how I now apply this revelation to my every day life: When I drag myself out of bed one more time in the middle of the night to comfort my baby boy, I bring joy to my Heavenly Father. When I wash the dishes and fold the laundry – for the millionth time – with a grateful heart, I bring joy to my Heavenly Father. When I take a minute out of my busy day to encourage a friend, I bring joy to my Heavenly Father. When I choose to make reading the Bible as a family a priority, I bring joy to my Heavenly Father.

Everything that I once saw as an inconvenience is my very source of strength, if I recognize it. It brings joy to the Lord and it is that very joy that drives me to take one more step.

I don’t know what you are facing or what you are needing strength for today. What I do know is that when you approach your situation with a heavenly perspective, it changes everything!

Faced with a disheartening diagnosis? Your decision to trust in God will be your source of strength.

Stretched financially? Your decision to continue to tithe while making cuts elsewhere will be your source of strength.

Tempted to turn back to sin when things get hard? Your decision to run to God instead will be your source of strength.

I pray this realization encourages you as much as it did for me! Now I look for ways to bring joy to the Lord, knowing it’s the very thing that will keep me going.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me so much that You gave Your one and only Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice so that You could have a relationship with me. Help me to delight in doing what pleases You knowing it brings You great joy! Let that joy overflow into my life so I may continue to walk in Your will without growing weary. I love You and I trust You. In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Joy of the Lord (feat. Katie Torwalt, Dante Bowe & Naomi Raine)” by Maverick City Music | TRIBL. Listen to it here. 

~*~
Author Bio:

Dr. Jessica B. Turner is a wife, mom, and LSU graduate with a degree in veterinary medicine.

  

After practicing small animal medicine for six years, she traded in her stethoscope to become an online wellness coach, motivational speaker, and writer with a passion for mental health advocacy. This major life change was sparked after Jessica struggled with postpartum depression soon after she birthed her twin girls.

Along with Jessica’s career change came the discovery of who Jesus Christ really is and how He was the missing piece for her to be able to move forward in past trauma that she had suppressed for decades. Jesus walked alongside Jessica as she underwent a transformation like none other.

God transformed Jessica’s life from a broken mom who struggled with depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and PTSD from witnessing an attempted suicide, to using her experiences to make her a powerful vessel for Him. To this day, God enables Jessica to touch the lives of others through her often unfiltered, yet inviting form of storytelling.

Throughout this process of refinement, Jessica has shared her life story with the world through her social media platforms, in-person events, blog posts, and podcasts. She values the gift of transparency and has discovered that what so many people need to know is that they are not alone. Jessica has walked in their shoes, and she wants the world to know that Jesus is walking with them as well.

~*~
Connect with Jessica:
Website: www.jessicabturner.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicabturner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicabturner/

Devotionals for the Heart: When you don't know how to help someone

When You Don’t Know How to Help
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

Sometimes when tragedy hits someone you care about, you struggle with how to love them well in the midst of it—especially when there is little you can do. Have you been there before?

A week before Christmas, my amazing and precious niece Kendall, who just turned nine, complained about a bellyache as she fell asleep. Her parents (my husband’s younger brother, Beav, and his wife, Brandy) felt a sizeable hard lump on Kendall’s stomach, just below her sternum, that hurt when they pushed on it.

When they took her to the doctor the next morning, scans discovered their worst fear: it was a massive tumor coming off her kidney.

Beav said it felt like a cold shock ripping through his body.

“In that moment, my entire life changed,” he shared.

As days passed, a biopsy revealed it was a neuroblastoma, an aggressive, fast-growing cancerous tumor on her kidney that was so large it was pushing her spine over. Kendall went through one round of chemo and then the next (with a little break to celebrate Christmas and her birthday in-between). Currently she’s on pause, waiting to begin round three, and a stem cell collection was done yesterday.

The best news is the cancer has not spread beyond the kidney, even though it is what’s called MYCN positive and is a more aggressive mutation of the disease. She’s responding extraordinarily well to treatment so far, getting outstanding care at one of the best pediatric oncology centers in the nation (Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston), and prognosis is positive.

But it’s also incredibly hard—for her, for her parents, and for everyone else in her world. Kendall is the middle child, with an older sister who is eleven and a younger sister who turns two this May, so the diagnosis has caused major upheaval and lengthy hospital stays, with local relatives and friends doing lots of heavy lifting when it comes to childcare and transportation. And the whole situation is terrifying with what feel like hundreds of unknowns…What could happen? What will long-term effects look like?

Family, friends, and acquaintances have been showering the family with well-wishes and other expressions of support. Last week, my husband and I attended an event in honor of Kendall at Jack Brown’s, Columbia, to support a charity called Happy Wheels, which brings brand new books and toys to approximately 400 children weekly at all three children's hospitals in South Carolina. Each child gets to pick out one toy or book of their choice every week for the duration of their admission. They get to keep the gifts and take them home.

All of this is good, touching—thoughtful gestures of love and support to, in some small way, support the care provided to Kendall and kids like her and let them know they are not alone and not forgotten.

But … what else can we do? For me, that’s perhaps the hardest part of all of this—knowing my sweet niece, the fierce firecracker who’s had my heart since her birth, is going through this and there is absolutely nothing I can do to make it better or take it away from her.

For those of us in the family who are Christians, surrounding her with prayer is the only thing we really can do. And so we pray… that God equip her medical team with the skills and knowledge to treat her well, that God enable the medicine to shrink and eventually dissolve her tumor, that she and her parents feel peace, joy, and comfort even on the hardest of days, that she experience a full and complete healing that not only draws her closer to God but also somehow glorifies His mighty name.

We also look for ways to pitch in and help when necessary, whatever that looks like.

That is what we as Christians are called to do. Jesus tells us in John 13:35 (NIV), “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

He says we are to care for each other intimately and lovingly, as if we are caring for the Lord himself, whether that person is sick, in need of clothing, or in prison (Matthew 25:36-40).

Other Scriptures echo this, such as Galatians 6:2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

My church is praying for Kendall, as are the churches of a host of friends and family members, including Kendall’s own church. Together as one voice, we lift her up to the Lord, the “great physician” (Luke 5:31), who has the power to do all things.

If you are struggling with illness, or if you have a loved one who is, know you are not alone. This broken world is far from perfect, but one day we will all be together in a place no disease can touch. That place is Heaven. Until then, let’s love one another, care for each other, and pray with all our hearts to the One who made the stars.

Let’s Pray: Lord, please be with Kendall and with all people who are struggling with illness. Help them feel Your love every step of the way. And help us to love them well in Your holy name. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning journalist, author, blogger, editor, writing coach, and devotional writer with thousands of articles to her name. 

Since 2010, she has served as the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, which has won 123 journalism awards during her tenure. She is the author of Feed My Sheep: A 40-Day Devotional to Develop a Heart for Hunger Ministry (2019) and More Like Jesus: A Devotional Journey (2018) and the editor of a number of other books from her newspaper’s Advocate Press, which she helped found in 2017.

She has won more than 100 writing awards and is a seasoned speaker and frequent contributor to Crosswalk.com, Christianity.com, and BibleStudyTools.com, among many others. She has a weekly faith blog at JessicaBrodie.com and is part of the team at Wholly Loved Ministries, with her work included in many of their devotionals and Bible studies.

Brodie holds a Master of Arts in English, and she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in communications/print journalism from Florida International University. Born and raised in Miami, Brodie now lives in Lexington, South Carolina, just outside Columbia. She has also lived in Ohio and in the mountains of western North Carolina. She and her husband, Matt Brodie, have a blended family of four teenage children and stepchildren.

Brodie has written several novels and is actively seeking publication through her agent Bob Hostetler of The Steve Laube Agency. Her novel The Memory Garden won the 2018 Genesis contest for Contemporary Fiction from American Christian Fiction Writers, and her novel Tangled Roots won a third place Foundation Award in Contemporary Romance at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in 2019. She is finishing the third in the series, Hidden Seeds, now.

~*~
Connect with Jessica:
Website: https://www.jessicabrodie.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaJBrodie
Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicajbrodie
Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaJBrodie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicajbrodie/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicajbrodie/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shiningthelightjessicabrodie/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jessicajbrodie

Devotionals for the Heart: Life Lessons Learned from Escape Rooms

Life Lessons Learned from Escape Rooms 
A devotional by Chaplain Anderson

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 

–1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

Some of my friends went out for a night of fun. They went to an escape room.

The fun of this experience for them was finding clues, cracking codes, solving complex problems and completing puzzles. The challenge to escape was intensified by a time clock that set the rules: Escape in 60 minutes or less and you won.

There have been times in my life when I have felt boxed in by challenges or temptations. Some of them seemed to last forever and my endurance failed. Some abated in due season. Early in my adult life, I heard a preacher say, “God has the key to every seemingly interminable temptation or unrelenting circumstance. Stop looking at the problem and look for the way of escape.”

He was referring to 1 Corinthians 10:13. The New Living Translation of this Bible verse says: “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

When you are burdened, tempted, or facing some of the inevitable trials of life, strengthen yourself with three thoughts:

Thought #1: Whatever you are experiencing may be new to you, but someone has experienced this and overcome it. In fact, Jesus, our High Priest, was tempted in every area of life—like we are, have been or will be—and He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). You can get through this like those overcomers who blazed the trail for you.

Thought #2: God is faithful! He will not abandon you in your times of deepest allurement. When the waves of oppression or opposition threaten to overwhelm you, call out to Emmanuel and remember God is with us!

Remember the Bible story found in Daniel 3:1-30 where three disciples of Jesus Christ had their faith in God and allegiance to Him tested. They refused to bow down to the gold statue of King Nebuchadnezzar, even under the threat of being thrown into a furnace! Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego believed that God would be with them, even under fiery duress and God showed up for them, right in the middle of the flames so they were not set ablaze. These three friends lived to tell the story of how their God saved their life! They rightly perceived that they would not be able to escape via the same portal through which they were thrown into the flames. But they chose to only bow down to God, not man. And God rewarded their faith-filled loyalty!

However, though unsinged and smokefree, they were not the same men who went into the flame. Likewise, when you are delivered from your prevailing circumstances, you too will be different. Surviving the fires of life transform us. Faith experiences refine our characters. You will be different because you survived in the midst of the flames. You will be more confident about yourself and your God who secured and delivered you.

Thought #3: The third thought is that you, by faith, can find the exit to any situation. You may have gone to the wrong place and stayed too long, but, God has prepared—even before your arrival—a way of escape. But they key is that you must access it. Looking at the door is not sufficient. Move to the portal and step into your deliverance by faith!

When the places of comfort and validation become threatening, we must act in faith rather than fear. Those who are weak-willed will give in and never find the divine portal of transformation. When God delivers the ones who leave, He leaves them different, triumphant and exalted.

So, take this text with you today: “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

This is the key to your escape room from temptation, opposition and oppression.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, may the readers of this message find encouragement and fortitude for the day and for their future. If and when they feel locked into strife, enticement or conflict, please help them to shift focus from the trial to the way of escape that you have promised and provided. Deliver them from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever! In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: "Another In The Fire" by Hillsong UNITED. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Chaplain Paul Anderson served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Over 26 years of active duty, he was promoted through the ranks from Seaman Apprentice (E2) to his final rank as Commander (O5) in the Chaplain’s Corps.

Prior to his Naval career, Chaplain Anderson pastored in the Allegheny East and Potomac Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. His undergraduate preparation for ministry was completed at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md.

He has subsequently earned four graduate degrees: a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in Michigan, a Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and a Masters of Sacred Theology in Religion and Culture from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Chaplain Anderson also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also holds certifications in Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Civil Mediation, Alternative Workplace Dispute Resolution, Temperament Analysis, Marriage Enrichment, Workforce Diversity, and is a certified Life Coach.

You may connect with Chaplain Anderson via email at this address, psanderson75@gmail.com.

Thankful Thursdays: A God who cares

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful that the God of the Universe who is the Maker of Heaven and Earth takes time to step into our lives and feel our pain.

Earlier this week I was really going through something that made me feel like God was distant and did not care about my pain. There have been things I have experienced over the years that had me questioning if God cared about me. Of course, I know that is not Biblically accurate because the Bible says over and over again how much God loves all of His creation, especially humankind.

Last night, everything was caving in around me and I went silent. It was in the silence that I heard God speak through song lyrics. God does this for me often and I always know He’s speaking to me in these times because He always places a song on my heart that I have not heard in a while and the selection of lyrics He loops in my head always speak directly to whatever situation is weighing on me. And those lyrics lift me up out of my pit of despair. They feel like a hug from God.

So as I stood by the kitchen sink, silently washing dishes, the lyrics to the song “Who Am I” sung by Casting Crowns entered my mind. This specific selection played on loop in my head: “Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth/Would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt?”

It was in that moment I realized that God feels the depths of our pain. He’s not afraid of our pain. He goes there with us and He can handle all the ways we feel and He can take all of our honesty about how we feel. God is big enough to not be offended by your pain or your questioning His presence in your life.

Your pain is personal to God. In fact, God cares so much about everything you go through that He’s willing to sit in the silence with you. He’s willing to hear your cries and go deep with you. But He won’t leave you to sink to the bottom of the ocean floor and drown; He will lift you up above the surface of the troubled water that’s trying to take you under. He’ll encourage you to look up to Him and remember that He has a plan for your life and it is good (Jeremiah 29:11).

God knows we more mortals are not perfect. He knows that we experience pain. He knows that pain is part of the human experience because of sin that exists in this world, and the ongoing battle between good and evil. God knows it all and He will never leave you to fight alone. The Bible says that God will fight our battles if we only be still (Exodus 14:14).

And sometimes, He will remind you of His Presence in your life in a love language that is close to your heart and for me, that’s music.

I thank God for His steadfast love that is with us in the highs and lows of life (Psalm 139:8). I am so thankful that He is willing to go deep into our pain and help us heal. I am so glad that no situation is too much for God to handle.

He is so faithful to us.

What are you thankful for this Thursday?

Love,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA

Founder of "God is Love" blog

Devotionals for the Heart: Reasons Why You Need the Bread of Life

Feed Your Faith
A devotional by Casey Wayne

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” —John 6:51 (NLT)

What is your favorite food?

Usually when people ask me this question I say the same, somewhat general, response: Bread.

I love pretty much every form of bread. Bread sticks, garlic bread, biscuits, rolls, toast, etc. There's just something about bread that everybody loves. I don’t think I’ve ever known someone to say they don’t like bread. Even if someone has to stop eating it due to dietary restrictions, they usually like eating it. Think about how many restaurants bring bread for the table before you get the rest of your meal. Some form of bread is a major component in many cuisines found around the world. It is not surprising that Jesus Christ chose to call himself the “bread of life”.

Let’s read what Jesus says in John 6:35 (NLT): “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

God’s provision is what will sustain us, no matter the circumstance. As Christ followers, it is important that we fulfill our spiritual hunger with the “bread of life” and not worldly things.

Most people understand the basics of how the food we put in our bodies determines how well our bodies function. If we choose to pursue the things of this world, we will be left feeling hungry and hopeless. In his book, Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear, Max Lucado put it this way: “Feed your fears and your faith will starve. Feed your faith, and your fears will.”

The same thing could be said about anything our sinful nature may cause us to chase. Whether it's fear, pride, worry, addiction, the perfect life, control or anything else the world draws us down into, making the intentional decision to feed our faith more than what Satan is trying to use to bring us down will help us find the hope and strength we have in Christ.

The more we pursue God’s Word (The Holy Bible) and spiritual growth, the more satisfied we will feel through Christ (Psalm 107:9). By God’s grace-filled provision we find hope and strength through whatever life brings. It is so important that we seek God daily through reading The Bible and praying to Him. When Jesus modeled for the disciples how to pray, He even prayed for God to provide “daily bread” for nourishment (Matthew 6:9-13 ESV).

What we feed our body, heart and mind, matters. There are many pleasures this world provides. Most of us will face the lure of delicious candy and desserts, but we need to realize that those sweet treats are not enough for our souls. While they provide temporary enjoyment, the lasting, life giving satisfaction only comes from a relationship with our Heavenly Father (God).

My hope and prayer for every follower of Christ is that we all remember to continually seek God and pursue spiritual growth. As we receive the amazing grace and sufficiency of our Father's love for us, we can then fully love others for His glory.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your grace-filled provision. Remind me of your faithfulness and open my heart to be fed by You. Help me desire to seek You daily, growing in my knowledge of You. Draw me closer to You and remove anything that is distracting me from pursuing You.

In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Miracle of Grace (Bread of Life)” by Curtis Stephan. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Casey Wayne is a wife and mother of two children. 

She enjoys time with her family doing simple things like movie nights and cooking together.

As a devotional writer, Casey strives to share her story with relatable honesty, showing how God is faithful throughout the big and small moments of life.

She has a heart for encouraging the faith walk of other moms, praying they gain a deeper connection with our Heavenly Father.

Her family lives in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.

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Connect with Casey:
Website: https://www.caseywayne.org/
Blog: https://peaceoffaith.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseylwayne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Peace.of.FaithCaseyWayne