God is Love: God sees you

Showing posts with label God sees you. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Devotionals for the Heart: Remember this truth when you feel unseen

To Those Who Feel Unseen
A devotional by Jessica B. Turner

“But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.” –Matthew 19:30 (NLT)

Have you ever felt as if no matter what you do or how hard you try, your efforts go unnoticed?

Maybe it’s within the workplace or perhaps at home. Wherever you may be, it can be extremely hard to not grow weary when it seems as if no one even notices you.

Well I’m here to remind you that your Heavenly Father sees you! He sees your heart. He sees your faithfulness. He feels the love you pour out in all that you do. And He gathers all those things, holding them close until the day that you will be face to face with Him.

We live in a world where comparison can be hard to avoid. Everywhere we turn, there is someone who appears to be doing more than what we are currently able to do. Just when we think we are content, we see our neighbor with something that we believe should be ours as well. There is and will always be another out there that appears to be greater than you.

Yet, the words above, spoken by Jesus Christ Himself, remind us that what matters to God is often very different than what matters to the world. He is more worried about the motive behind our actions than the action itself. He is more delighted in our obedience over our desire to have the “perfect life”. He is more pleased when He sees us caring for His people understanding the eternal impact that is at hand instead of focusing on how we are seen as a result. He is more concerned with our ability to slow down and spend time with Him than to be too busy constantly focusing on the “next thing”.

His desire is to see His children working on His behalf regardless of the earthly praise we may or may not receive. This can be hard because it requires a humble heart, and a humble heart comes by understanding Who you are living for.

You may not be the greatest. You may not even be known outside of your family. But you matter to your Heavenly Father.

So when you find yourself feeling as if you aren’t enough because of how the world sees you, remember that God cares about the things unseen. He sees you. He sees your efforts. He sees your heart. And He is smiling down upon you because He is pleased!

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for being a Father who sees me for more than who I am to the world. Help me to focus on the work that you have laid out for me instead of getting stuck on what others are doing around me. Help me to find my approval in You alone instead of leaning on earthly praises. Remind me that I am nothing without you; yet I am everything I was created to be when I choose to abide in you. Encourage my heart when I want to give up and remind me that my treasure is waiting in Heaven. I love You and I trust You. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

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 from 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/

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Celebrate Lit blog tour for It'll Be Okay (book) by Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner

Welcome to my blog's stop on the Celebrate Lit blog tour for It'll Be Okay (book) by Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner!

Read my review of Sheryl's book below and enjoy your time with her today!

Remember to enter the fun giveaway contest toward the end of this blog post.

~*~
About the Book:

Is it okay for Christians to doubt?

When we don’t get answers or see God’s guiding hand, it’s hard to keep praying or walking forward in faith. Difficult times often cloud our perspective. Does God see me? Does he hear me? Does he care? Many Christians confuse doubt with unbelief and are afraid to admit those fears, but God is not threatened by our questions, and doubt does not negate our faith.

Our doubts express a yearning to be sure of what—and who—we trust. When our questions are answered by trust, faith is fed and our doubts transform into deeper belief that pushes us toward a decision.

· When we address doubt head-on, faith can grow.

· God has a plan in the good and bad that life brings.

· God can heal our wounds and turn our past mistakes around.

Join nationally-known Bible teacher Sheryl Giesbreacht Turner as she guides you toward a deeper understanding of the role doubt plays in your spiritual growth—and how learning to ‘doubt your doubts’ enables faith to prevail.

~*~
About the Author:

Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner holds a bachelor of arts, a master’s in ministry, and a doctorate of theology.

Her television and radio show, “Transformed Through Truth,” is nationally and internationally syndicated; it’s seen and heard daily by millions of viewers and listeners on audio, internet, Roku, and YouTube networks across the United States and through The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network worldwide.

Sheryl is the author of three books and hundreds of columns, articles, and devotions.

As a Lead Like Jesus facilitator, a blogger, and a missionary with Freedom in Christ Ministries she has personally equipped hundreds and facilitated the training of thousands of national and international leaders.

She and her husband, Dr. Jim Turner, live in California’s Central Valley where she enjoys running 5K races with her eighty-five-year-old mother.

~*~
Author's Note:

I’ve always been the one to ask the questions.

As a kindergartener, I embarrassed my mother when I inquired, “Where did I come from?”

Years passed, as a teenager, I made unhealthy life choices, experimented with alcohol and street drugs, and wondered, “What am I here for?”

As a young adult, in Bible College; I asked God to take control of my life and questioned, “What’s my purpose?”

Maybe you, too, have had or now have questions? These concerns may even keep you up at night? Doubting ourselves or God may be criticized as a lack of faith. I disagree. Doubt is the in between. Doubts need to be addressed. If doubts are not considered, they will rot our faith from the inside out. When we doubt, we are able to be honest with ourselves and God. We should not be afraid to doubt.

As a delivered drug addict, stage four cancer survivor, and former widow, I’ve faced many types of situations which caused me to question God’s love, goodness and compassion. As I have gone to His word, I’ve discovered He hasn’t changed, His word continues to speak and revives my faith, taking me to a deeper level every single time.

I am reminded of this in Lamentations 3:21-24 (NIV) Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Thank you so much for being part of this blog tour. I am excited about what God is going to do with His truth in us as we bring our questions to the Answer – Jesus.

Love and prayers,

Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner

~*~
My Review:

One question sets the course for this book. The author asks the reader, "Is it okay for Christians to doubt?"

From there, the book unravels like a ball of yarn as the author peels back the layers of that question like an onion until she reaches its core and at the core is the answer to everything: Jesus (Christ).

I truly enjoyed reading this book! The author's transparency and heart for Jesus could be felt throughout the book. She's not afraid to share the good, the bad and the ugly from her personal life experiences.

Sheryl (the author) writes in a way that encourages the reader and inspires their heart to keep trusting in God through it all. I like how she tells the reader that doubt can be a healthy part of your faith journey with God. I like how she reminds the reader that God is not afraid of your doubting Him and He can handle your honesty. I like how she encourages the reader to go to God with your doubts and trust Him to give you the answers that you need.

I liked the cover of this book. I think that the picture of a person walking through dense fog was appropriate, as was the brightness of the light in the lighthouse that stood in the background. I found it to be metaphorical because it's true to real life! Oftentimes, as believers in God, we feel like we're trying to navigate our way through a spiritual fog that's so dense that we can barely see what's in front of us or around the corner. But all the darkness and fog in the world cannot prevent God's Guiding Light of Love from breaking through (enter the bright yellow light from the lighthouse). I love it!

I also appreciated how the author says, "Our doubts express a yearning to be sure of what—and who—we trust. When our questions are answered by trust, faith is fed and our doubts transform into deeper belief that pushes us toward a decision."

What a powerful truth and life lesson that we can all benefit from learning!

The author taught me a few things that I did not know, mainly this point: "When we address doubt head-on, faith can grow." I didn't know that because prior to reading this book, I always had the impression that doubting God is not a good thing and it should be avoided at all costs. I was taught to praise Jesus through every storm and never question God. But this book reminded me that God is not afraid of our doubts and He can handle our honesty!

It also reminded me of the Bible story that church people call "Doubting Thomas." He was one of Jesus Christ's followers and he didn't believe that Christ had risen from the dead, saying that he wouldn't believe it until he could see it (see Jesus in person and see the marks on His hands and feet from the nails that the Roman soldiers used to fasten Him to the cross). So what did Jesus do? He showed up! He appeared to Thomas and instructed him to touch His hands and see the scars from the nails. He also ate a piece of fish to prove that He was human and alive. And finally, Thomas believed!

I like how even to this day, Jesus Christ is patient will all of us because He wants us all to be saved. If we doubt, He's okay with it but He doesn't want us to doubt him forever. So He shows up in so many different and wonderful ways to prove that He's real, He loves us and that He has good plans for the stories of our life (Jeremiah 29:11).

Finally, Sheryl Giesbreacht Turner's career as a Bible teacher truly shines through her storytelling in this book. I was captivated and learned a lot of life lessons from her teaching!

And like any good teacher, she didn't leave me as the reader without writing about how I can apply these principles discussed in her book to my every day life. It was a really worthwhile read, well deserving of five stars!

*Celebrate Lit provided me (Alexis A. Goring) with a complimentary copy of It'll Be Okay (book). My opinions in this book review are my own.

~*~
Giveaway:

To celebrate her tour, Sheryl is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!