Going Through Something Right Now? A One-Minute Devo

Going through something right now? Week #2

Although our short weekly study in God’s Word deals specifically for someone with cancer, you can still draw strength from God’s Word. Simply replace cancer with what you are currently facing…

Cancer can strike fear into the most faithful of us. The fear of the unknown, what might happen, and what to do next can seem overwhelming. Our own frailty and the enemy of our souls, the devil, can work overtime in our thoughts and emotions with a barrage of what-ifs and what will be our outcome?

From God’s Word, we learn that fear is our biggest adversary, even greater than cancer itself (Ps. 64:1). That is why our Father so tenderly and yet firmly in the Bible tells us hundreds of times over not to be afraid. From the Old to the New Testament, He invites us to move past fear, worry, and anxiety. How is this accomplished? The Lord’s antidote to all fear is His love.

John, the apostle, tells us that perfect love casts out all fear, but how do we arrive at trusting the love of the Lord Jesus perfectly in our weakness, frailty, or pain? We begin by pouring over His Word and what He is saying. We take baby steps of faith to dare to believe what He is speaking even if others have failed us because He will not.

Take time to meditate upon God’s Words that speak of His love, care, forgiveness, and ability to heal. Doing this doesn’t mean we are in denial or not listening to our physicians, which is not genuine faith. It does mean that we are making a concentrated effort to keep our soul – our minds, emotions, ability to choose, and personalities – effectively focused upon His love as it revealed through His Word. Think of it as a daily prescription for your heart, life, and health.

Many of us doubt Jesus’ love for us personally. Am I right? I did for years. Even as a minister of the gospel. I needed to accept His complete forgiveness for my sin even as I struggled with debilitating behaviors. God’s platform of forgiveness, grace, and love became the launching pad to emotional and physical healing for me.

If you do nothing else, saturate yourself in the knowledge of God’s love for you from His Word. Next, ask Him for the felt presence and experience of His love through the Holy Spirit. These two requests together will always defeat fear. But this is between you and Jesus. No one can do it for you.

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How were you challenged or encouraged from what you just read?

Further Bible References:  Exodus 15:26, Psalm 103:1-3, Matthew 8:16-17, Mark 1:32-34,

Isaiah 41:10-13, 1 John 4:17-19, Jeremiah 31:3

To learn more about my story, find Held in His Hands: Encouragement for Your Healing on Amazon!
Also: This study is on the YouVersion App: Cancer: Encouragement for Healing
https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/26201

Held in His Hands - Encouragement for Your Healing

Hi There!

Over the next several weeks, I will be posting here brief snippets of teaching regarding physical healing. God miraculously healed me of stage 4 incurable cancer — fully documented. I pray this will be a blessing and if you have friends or loved ones in a difficult place physically, emotionally, or in any tough situation, please consider inviting them to subscribe to my weekly posts at sueboldt.com. Let’s begin…

When Challenges Call…

There are just some days when news or situations come unexpectedly, unannounced, or uninvited. We might find ourselves looking at a life now placed on pause, or worse, have been turned entirely upside down. A cancer diagnosis can do that to us. Whether the news was for us or a dear loved one, it can shake us to our core.

And yet, our Heavenly Father holds us ever so tightly in His Almighty Hands.

If we have had the wind knocked out of our soul because of a physician’s pronouncement, the Lord Jesus is in the midst of our questioning, confusion, alarm, and dismay. He is here. Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our Healer. Our God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever never leaves our side. He is never swayed by our anxiety, pain, unbelief, uncertainty, or the magnitude of a diagnosis. He still heals today.

I know this firsthand.

Just a few years ago, the Lord healed me of stage 4 non-functioning adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare, incurable, and deadly cancer with a less than 5% survival rate to five years from the first diagnosis. I went into my third surgery told that I was winding down. Yet, I came out of the operating room with no cancer found anywhere by the attending surgeons and the verifying pathology department at a major hospital. Nevertheless, the greater miracle was the power of His presence to bring joy, peace, and strength every step of the way.

Today, let’s open God’s Living Word and be loved, comforted, encouraged, and healed, beckoning us to greater surrender and a more significant release of the Holy Spirit’s presence. Let’s hone our ability to hear God’s voice, review some possibilities of what might hinder our healing, and discuss the power of spiritual warfare prayer. Most of all, let’s find ourselves in greater intimacy with the Most High, and like the apostle Paul, learn that His grace is more than enough in any situation, even a cancer diagnosis.

Take time each day – slowly if possible – to let the referenced and accompanying Bible verses speak deeply into your heart by asking:

·        For the Holy Spirit’s felt presence.

·        What phrase or section of the verse(s) stand out to me?

·        What might God be saying to me through this phrase, and how do I apply it to my life?

Let’s begin…

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Carefully consider what spoke to you most from what you just read. Bring it to mind or reread this portion of encouragement again throughout your day.

Further Bible References:  Exodus 15:26, Isaiah 41:10-13, Matthew 8:16-17, Mark 1:32-34, Hebrews 13:8

To learn more about my story, find Held in His Hands: Encouragement for Your Healing on Amazon!

At the Start of This Week... One-Minute Devo

At the start of this week…

If your kids are whining, your workmates are irritating, and the neighbors won't mow their lawn, it is probably a sign your soul is running on empty! It is time to get filled up, saturated, and doused in the Holy Spirit. Get alone with the Lord and His Word, rest in His presence, and get fueled up to greet the week ahead.
Psalm 16:11

If you are feeling burnt out, stressed out, or wiped out – again, it is time to return to the living waters of the Holy Spirit. Are you unsure about His work in you? It is time to spend some time getting to know Who He is. Take a look at the Gospel of John, Chapters 14, 15, and 16. Don’t remain a desert when you can become an oasis.

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything!
1 John 4:4

In His Radiance... A 30-Second Devotional

I am convinced both shame and pride walk hand in hand in our lives, yet here is a beautiful promise from the One Who loves us beyond reason…

They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
Psalm 34:5

When Adam and Eve made a disastrous choice in the garden, it was marked with pride, but ended in shame. Pride, thinking they knew better than the Father who created and adored them; breathed life into them. Then, shame overwhelmed them for their grave mistake.

Shame. Well, it just makes us feel oh so unworthy. We want to find cover – we want to run, and we want to hide. Next, shame’s sister, pride, comes along and causes us to try to rise above our shame and say, “We can do it! We are better than shame!” Pride tells us we deserve more, causes us to be dissatisfied with our lives, and woos us to work harder to prove we are not shame-full. We are not comfortable in our own skin. 

Only looking to King Jesus for our worth, acceptance, and love will break the cycle of shame and pride. And the promise? Freedom, radiant lives, and wholeness in Him alone. What are we waiting for?

From the 365 Day Devotional: Morning Moments.

Jump In! A 30-Second Devo

Ahhhh. To live in the river of God’s presence. Nevertheless...

There are bills to pay, diapers to change, cars to fix, families to fix, carpets to be vacuumed, laundry piles, laundry mountains, laundry-lava-flows. There are kids to discipline, runny noses to wipe, work deadlines to meet, and work gossip to put up with – work, work, work. You get the idea.

Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.
Ezekiel 47:12

Short and sweet. If we live in the river of His presence – spending time alone with Jesus, hearing His voice through His Word and presence – the stuff of our lives will be different. Including the laundry.

Jesus can make the mundane extraordinary, take the tedious and make it holy ground, restore joy (yes, giddy happiness) when the darkness closes in. And, He can bring His healing touch to any situation. Honestly. It is time to get drenched.

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From the 365 Day Devotional: Morning Moments.

Who We Are -- What We Have Been Given

…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…
Ephesians 6:18

Throughout this short study, we are beginning to realize who we really are. We are chosen, accepted, forgiven, a masterpiece, lavishly loved, and called for purpose, to list just a few of our God-given, not-earned, attributes.

We also recognize some of what we have been given in the grand inheritance we have in Christ. Just a few things we have been given are the wealth of the Holy Spirit living in us, life and authority in heavenly places, access to God, newness in life, and His armor.

We conclude with Paul’s instructions that prayer is key to growing in each of these wondrous realities.

Prayer is the means by which we have access to our Father through His lavish love because we have already been accepted and forgiven. We rise in prayer knowing that we are seated with Jesus in heavenly places: that our armor and His authority are in place for us to co-labor with Him to bring heaven to earth now. Prayer is the avenue to grow in more significant healing in our inner man to walk in newness of life and receive clear instruction about how we are to carry our His call upon our lives.

Prayer is where we experience intimacy with the Lord (Psalm 27:4) and His divine touch upon our lives and destinies. Prayer is where we hear His heart and what steps to take next. His Word empowers prayer as He breathes life into our spirits from its pages. And prayer is the battleground to which we come, entirely covered in His armor to break hell’s hold on lives, situations, and nations (Psalm 2:8). 

Prayer doesn’t cause us to be accepted because we already are. Prayer is what has been magnificently given us to enter the Holy of Holies and commune and bring pleasure to the One who loves us so much that He calls us His masterpiece.

We are more than we could ever realize because of Jesus’ work on the cross and resurrection. And we have been given a limitless bounty of gifts to do His work. Let’s access all He has done and given by entering into His presence in prayer.

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This weekly study is from the 14-Day YouVersion Plan: Accepted: Who We Really Are and What He Has Done For Us by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

Wearing His Armor One-Minute Devotional

Therefore take up the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:13

How do we complete our call? God has given us His armor to protect us and to advance His purposes.

We won’t understand much about our life circumstances if we don’t seriously recognize that our adversary, the devil, rules the earth until Jesus returns (John 12:31. Eph. 2:1-3). Yet, for this purpose, the Son of God came, that He might destroy the work of the devil (1 John 3:8). Now filled with the Holy Spirit of the living God, we have been given His armor and authority to take back ground from the enemy.

God’s armor provides for us a:

Belt of Truth: Jesus alone is the Truth, and we secure the core of our being with His Word, Who He is, what He has said about us, and what He has given us (John 14:26).

Breastplate of Righteousness: God’s imputed righteousness that covers us is more potent than all the sin and stuff we may still be working through. This piece of armor is essential as the enemy attempts to accuse us of our sin and keep a lid on our authority over Him.

Shoes of Peace: Enable us to stand on the unshakeable platform of the all-encompassing gospel of the Lord Jesus. We extend peace where we go, and we don’t make decisions without God’s peace reassuring us.

Shield of Faith: We arm ourselves preemptively and daily with faith. How is faith built? Two ways. One, by opening God’s Word to see all that is available to us in any situation (Rom. 10:17). And two, by making the minute-by-minute the choice to believe His Word above any other voice, report, or feeling.

Helmet of Salvation: Our thought-life truly is our main battleground, and we must guard it with utmost care, learning to bring every thought captive to the Lordship of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

Sword of the Spirit: Our only offensive weapon is the power of God’s Word itself. Just as Lord Jesus demonstrated during His encounter with the devil in the wilderness, God’s Word stands as the final authority over darkness.

Routing the enemy is ongoing work as we draw closer in intimacy with Jesus and are healed from the inside out. Drawing closer to the Lord doesn’t make us the devil’s target. Instead, the enemy learns he has less and less to hang onto in our lives as we surrender daily to the Lord, resist our adversary, and he flees! (James 4:7-8)

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This weekly study is from the 14-Day YouVersion Plan: Accepted: Who We Really Are and What He Has Done For Us by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

Our New Title... One-Minute Devotional

For you were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light
Ephesians 5:8

We have been given a new title in Christ – Children of Light.

God’s Word declares that as Jesus is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17)! With the Holy Spirit’s effective working in us, we can rise to our new name (Eph. 5:8). The Lord is calling us to walk as Children of Light by being imitators of God, piercing the darkness in the power of Jesus’ name, walking in His love toward all, and as a fragrant sacrifice for Him.

As His light-bearers, we will live differently. We will learn to walk a little more wisely with eyes wide open, knowing that although we are still in the world, we are not of the world (John 15:19). We will learn that what we do matters, and what we allow to influence our lives has significant ramifications for our either living in the Holy Spirit’s power or giving way to distractions. And we will discover that submitting to one another – coming underneath someone to lift them up – will be a hallmark in every one of our relationships.

Walking as Children of Light means submitting entirely to God first, then letting Him lead us in submission to others in our homes, marketplaces, workplaces, schools, and churches. Ouch! That may be a difficult pill for us to swallow who insist on being right, first, best, or for those attempting to fluff their own pillow, build their own nest, or trying to make a name for themselves. And yet, the longer we walk in God’s heartbeat, experiencing His lavish fullness in our lives, we never have to fear that there won’t be enough for us.

To walk as Children of Light in submission is living as one who makes it a race to the bottom to lift up those in our lives. This doesn’t mean we don’t have healthy boundaries or suffer under abuse. As Jesus teaches, healthy submission brings the reward of genuine spiritual authority and the enemy’s vanquishment (Mt. 8:8-10, 20:25-27).

We have a powerful title, and submission and consequent spiritual authority are vital characteristics of God’s Children of Light, as we will see next week.
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This weekly study is from the 14-Day YouVersion Plan: Accepted: Who We Really Are and What He Has Done For Us by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

You Are New... One-Minute Devotional

…and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:24

We are new in Christ.

Well. Let’s get honest about this. You and me. Are we living in Jesus’ newness of life? (Rom. 6:4). Personally, I went decades feeling that my habits and strongholds were beyond God’s help. What about you?

What is the answer to this dilemma?

Paul tells us to put off our old man – we are to stop doing life from an old place of brokenness. To put off (Greek: apotithemi) means to cast off, put off, and lay down. How do we do this? By having our minds renewed continually. Then, and only then, we can ‘put on’ the new man of Jesus living in us (vs. 22-24). Paul then writes very practical and helpful tips for living in the freedom of new life in Jesus through Chapter 4.

The trouble is, we may see some progress in ourselves from old habits, behaviors, addictions, and thought patterns, but then life happens. Events take place, triggering old areas of hurt and wounding. The struggle to break free from the symptoms of our brokenness – reactions, addictions, pride, shame, etc. – leave us thinking that becoming a completely new person in Christ is unattainable. Yet, these very places of hurt and bondage in our souls are why Lord Jesus came to rescue us (1 John 3:8).

Just as we may have wrestled with the truth that we are accepted, we now must realize that we are new in Christ.

The first step to healing is choosing to believe what God sees and says about us. We stand on the platform of the riches of His grace. We then humbly come, surrender to the Holy Spirit’s work, and take one step in front of the other to put off the hang-ups and hurts that have held us. We begin actively dwelling in Lord Jesus’ felt presence and expectantly receiving God’s life-breath from His Word. With His help, we should seek counseling and powerful Spirit-filled prayer with spiritual leaders or pastors for those areas of bondage.

We are new. As we renew our thoughts to align with our Father’s, His profound cleansing freedom and new life become our reality.

You Are Called... One-Minute Devotional

Each and every one of us is called.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling…
Ephesians 4:4

However you describe it, you have a calling, purpose, mantle, and destiny. For what? To complete the work of Jesus on the earth. Remember, the Book of Acts starts with all that Jesus both began to do and teach. Acts then recounts His disciples’ exploits to reach the lost, heal the sick and demonized, and build up His church (Acts 1:1). The story isn’t finished – it continues with us.

These ministries – apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers – are gifts of the Son. Man or woman, we find our passion and leaning toward one or a combination of these ministry giftings in our lives. Along with our Father’s gifts (Rom. 12:5-8) and gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:8-10), we discover how God wired us. And we wait on Him for how these gifts play out in our lives. No sideline sitting is allowed.

Make no mistake about it. You, me – we are called.

It doesn’t matter if we wash cars or preach to the multitudes. We are called when we chase little ones around the house or sit in the halls of government. If we have a breath here on planet earth, we are people of purpose and destiny. And in the healing power of the Holy Spirit within us and finding ourselves deeply rooted in Christ’s love, our calling becomes more and more apparent.

With the Holy Spirit’s help, ask yourself – what energizes you?

Apostles have a world view and see the big picture. They are the go-getters and often risk-takers that generally don’t focus on details because their vision goes beyond the norm.

Prophets are those who tend to see things as black or white. They have a keen discernment to see what is current and future and a passion that people know what God’s heart is in the moment.

Evangelists have a yearning for those who are lost and need rescue.

Pastors have a shepherd’s heart. They care for, tend, mend, teach, protect, and lead a flock, which might be their family, friends, workplace, or church.

Teachers are those whose drive is to help people to understand. They love breaking down the complicated things and making them easy to be received, learned, and lived.

You are accepted, you have access, you are loved, and you are called.
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This weekly study is from the 14-Day YouVersion Plan: Accepted: Who We Really Are and What He Has Done For Us by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

Hook, Line, & Sinker... One-Minute Devotional

…to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:19

Who needs some strengthening in their inner man right now?? Paul prays for us and teaches us along the way.

We are accepted. We have access. We are ever so loved. 

Paul prays that we not only have head knowledge about the love of Christ, but he requests that we experience it firsthand. He asks that Jesus’ love would be well rooted and grounded in our lives, remaining steady in any storm.

Paul wants us to comprehend (Greek: katalambano) the depth, width, and height of Jesus’ love. Katalambano not only means to understand His unconditional agape love, but it also describes actively seizing, laying hold of it, and appropriating it to make it our own, to take it into one’s self. We experience His love because we are ardently pursuing it (Rev. 2:4-5).

That doesn’t mean working harder, trying to earn His love. It means taking alone time with the Lord for just being with Him in sweet communion where we ask our Father for the Holy Spirit’s felt presence and work within us (Ps. 27:4). There, He reveals His Son’s love in our heart’s emotions (Rom. 5:5). We will have fresh, daily revelation as we open God’s Word because we see it through His eyes of love instead of mere mental acknowledgment (Mt. 6:6). Then, our Christianity becomes a reality and not just a theory.

When God’s love overwhelms us, we will experience His fullness in our lives. Daily duties, work obligations, and even ministry no longer become chores to wade through because knowing the certainty of God’s love within us changes everything outside of us. Small blessings are magnified, miracles are more abundant, and trials become opportunities to see what He will do.

Take time to ask the Holy Spirit to examine your heart and mind to see where you are in your internal belief system that Jesus loves you. Most of us have struggled with this vital and imperative knowledge in the depths of our being. We can believe Jesus’ love for others, but for ourselves? Maybe, not so much.

He has poured out His love for us. Let’s receive and live in it – hook, line, and sinker.

Anyone Love a Good Mystery? One-Minute Devotional...

…that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery…
Ephesians 3:8-9

In Ephesians, Paul writes about the mystery of the gospel six different times. Colossians 1:26-27 explains this mystery's foundation as, Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The Lord Jesus Christ is living in us.

Who can fathom the wonder of Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23)? On this side of heaven, we will only have a faint realization of this truth, yet it is truth, nonetheless. The Lord Jesus lives in you and me. And not just a drip or a drab of Him; we are filled with all the fulness of God, who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power – dynamis – that works in us (John 1:16).

From the resources of the Lord's unsearchable riches, we have a mandate. God desires us to bring heaven down to earth and for His love, power, and miracles to invade our daily lives and put the enemy of our souls on the run.

The Lord taught us to pray - Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10). His prayer is not passive. It is boldly proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our every situation and establishing His authority over demonic principalities and powers (v. 10). This is God's intention for each member of His body to accomplish. But how?

The Holy Spirit indwells us now. Nevertheless, there is an aspect where we grow in the power of the Holy Spirit. With the continued healing of our soul – our heart, mind, personality, intellect, and ability to make choices – the more access the Holy Spirit has to readily work through us. When we are stuck in our stuff, we are, well, stuck. When we ardently pursue the Spirit's effective working in our lives, freedom occurs (2. Cor 3:17).

We must start somewhere, even in the middle of our bondages and addictions. Just keeping it real here. That is why we must become confident of our acceptance in Christ and the power of His grace. Paul tells us that we can access His presence with bold confidence. But we must come, and that takes forward motion on our parts.

No one can do our faith-walk for us. Jesus is calling us to make a difference in our needy world in the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's accept His invitation and take the first steps toward more of Him revealed in our lives.
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This weekly study is from the 14-Day YouVersion Plan: Accepted: Who We Really Are and What He Has Done For Us by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

The Titles He has Given Us! One-Minute Devotional...

…according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
Ephesians 3:7

What titles we have! We are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household – His family.

Whatever we thought our status was, we have risen several notches, to say the least, as we begin to humbly – not arrogantly – recognize who we are in Him.

As members of His family, Jesus is building us together as a holy temple for God to indwell by His Holy Spirit. Peter talks about this as coming to Him as to a living stone (1 Peter 2:4-5). And what is the mortar that binds us all together? The love of Jesus. He is building us upon the cornerstone of Himself alone.

If we are God’s dwelling place, then you need my stone, and I need your stone. Get my drift?

If one brick is out of place or not functioning, the whole house might come tumbling down. Abba-Daddy has chosen us individually for a unique and essential purpose and position in His temple that only we can fill. You and I can’t try to be somebody else; because someone else’s destiny won’t fit us or the temple. We need to discover His will for our lives and fulfill it as we genuinely surrender to Him (Rom. 12:1-2). 

But there’s the rub. Most of us flounder when asked about our call, purpose, or mission. Or, we have an inkling of what God wants to do through our lives; nevertheless, we lack the confidence to pull it off.

Here, we stand upon God’s lavish grace once again. It isn’t up to us to figure out our life’s trajectory or accomplish it in our own strength. It is the effective working (Greek: energeia) of Christ in us. That phrase translated to mean supernatural energy, efficiency, and working of the Holy Spirit.

And what are we being energized with? The Holy Spirit’s power (Greek: dynamis) dwelling within us – meaning energy, power, might, great force and ability, and strength.

Did you catch that? No matter if we feel weak, less-than, or insignificant, we have God’s promised Holy Spirit available to us to transform our natural lives into something supernatural and our ordinary into His extraordinary.

This weekly study is from the 14-Day YouVersion Plan: Accepted: Who We Really Are and What He Has Done For Us by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

We Have Access... Two-Minute Devotional!

We are not only accepted by God our Father; we have access to Him.

How the Old Testament dovetails with the New Testament causes our faith in Jesus to be all the richer and more fulfilling. Paul reminds us of all the Old Testament promises that were not available to us before Jesus entered our lives. We were aliens from His family, strangers to His covenants of promise, we had no hope, and we were without God’s presence. However, now, we have access to all these astounding and limitless gifts through the work of the Son, in the power of the Spirit, and by the availability of our Father (Gal. 3:18).

One of these coveted promises we now possess is the peace that passes understanding in Christ alone (Phil. 4:6-7). King Jesus not only gives His peace to us – He is our peace (v.14). Jesus has broken down every wall of separation erected that once kept us from God and from fellowshipping with one another. When we live hidden in Him, tucked under the shadow of His wings, the promised Hebrew peace-shalom-is ours.

Shalom, meaning completeness, wholeness, peace, health, contentment, tranquility, welfare, safety, soundness, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, and harmony.

As has been said, peace isn’t the absence of strife, confusion, or discord; it is the presence of Jesus. We have access to the Prince of Shalom, and He has invited us to come (Rev. 3:20).

Drink in this truth. Sometimes, in our daily grind, we forget. We forget that we have access to God, who created the universe, and all that is seen and unseen. We have His availability on our good days and bad days (Heb. 4:15-16). We can come into His presence when we are fallen, broken, and bent; and when we are happy, successful, and victorious. In either case, Jesus extends an invitation to come and dine with Him. To hear His voice, receive His strength, and be delivered, healed, and transformed into His image.

Yes. Let’s never forget we have access to God because He has already accepted us as His children (John 1:12). Now, let’s receive His invitation to be with Him.

This weekly study is from the 14-Day YouVersion Plan: Accepted: Who We Really Are and What He Has Done For Us by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

You Are God's Masterpiece... Two-Minute Devotional!

The Lord Jesus created each one of us a masterpiece. Yes.

Masterpiece is the original meaning of the word often translated as workmanship. The Greek word used is poiema, from which comes the English word poem, meaning something created by a master artisan. Poetry is beautiful. As a note from my Bible tells me: 

Before conversion to Jesus, our lives had no rhyme or reason. Conversion brought us balance, symmetry, and order. We are God’s poem, His work of art.*

Where are you in your beliefs about yourself? Do you still get tangled up in thoughts that you are too much or not enough? Do you think you are too young, too old, or your appearance, aptitude, or lack of ability in an area of life disqualifies you? Do you question whether Abba-Daddy made a mistake when it came to creating you? Do insecurity, comparison, and shame still rule your heart to some degree?

Paul writes to put these lies to rest. In Christ, we are qualified (Col. 1:12). As the adage states, He doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called. That is you, and that is me. I know from experience that I had to actively speak to these untruths and break my life-long agreement with them in Jesus’ Name (Mark 16:17).

God has a purpose for each of us, and we are the only ones who can fulfill it. He wants us to know the exhilaration of co-laboring with Him. No matter what your current circumstances are or you think life has passed you by, you have a purpose. You are God’s purpose. You have significance and a God-given destiny because you are His masterpiece – His beautiful, powerful poem in the Holy Spirit. Now, ask Him for your unique assignment, get crackin,’ and delight His heart and yours.

This weekly study is from the 14-Day YouVersion Plan: Accepted: Who We Really Are and What He Has Done For Us by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

* Jack W. Hayford, Litt.D, Executive Editor, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2002) Word Wealth for Ephesians 2:10.

You are Seated... Two-Minute Devotional

The opening verses of Ephesians 2 seem so dire at first glance. Not only were we once spiritually dead, but we were also vulnerable to every scheme of the enemy, the world, our brokenness, and selfish desires. Further, we realize that we can still walk the world’s course, even as believers, if we don’t guard our hearts and minds against the adversary’s input. For me, this explains why I struggled in my life for so many years, even as a Christian.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-6

But God (v.4). But God reached down into the muck and mire of our sin. In His beyond reason love, God isn’t just merciful to us; He is rich in mercy. He doesn’t just extend grace to us; He extends the riches of His grace. It gets even better.

We not only have received salvation, but we are also already seated with Christ in heavenly realms. Our zip code has changed. Although we still live on planet earth, God has transferred us to the Kingdom of the Son of His love (Col. 1:13). This truth may seem incredulous; nevertheless, it is God’s Word. Yet, we often live so far less than all He has given us.

We can see the importance of reading Ephesians and letting it soak into our hearts. We may not yet reside in heaven, but spiritually we already do. Heaven’s authority in Jesus’ name is ours to wield against the enemy’s stratagems and the seductions of this world here and now (Luke 10:17). 

Nevertheless, we can’t attempt to earn or work for this authority. It is our acceptance that the very righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us and clothes as a breastplate (Rom. 4:11, Eph. 6:14), even when we fall so far short. It is by faith in Christ, receiving these truths from God’s Word, and as we live humbly in His outrageous grace that Jesus’ authority becomes ours, and our freedom begins to be realized.

How do we live in heavenly places now? First, by believing its truth, even if it is baby step believing.

Second, by asking our Father for the Holy Spirit to baptize us and overwhelm us with Himself as we surrender everything about ourselves to Him daily (Luke 11:11-13).

Third, by asking for His help in revealing the truth of God’s Word to us and in us. Instead of just reading the Bible, we need Holy Spirit revelation. 

Remember, He wants this for us more than we do!

This weekly study is from the 14-Day YouVersion Plan: Accepted: Who We Really Are and What He Has Done For Us by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

You Have Been Given an Inheritance! Two-Minute Devotional

You Have an Inheritance — Yes, You!

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will…
Ephesians 1:11

Don’t we all wish we could receive a massive inheritance from some long lost relative? Out of the blue – wham! – we become wealthy overnight. Yet, we often fail to recognize the inheritance we have in Christ, not just in heaven, but here and now (v. 11). All of Ephesians 1 opens our eyes to the lavish gifts our Abba-Father has already given to us.

We find our inheritance in the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit who dwells within each believer. God Himself, the Holy Spirit, is our guarantee (Greek: arrabon) that we belong to Jesus (Rom. 8:9-11). Arrabon is a business term describing earnest money or a deposit paid in advance as a down payment. The Holy Spirit, our guarantee, reveals Christ to us now and gives us a foretaste of eternity to come (John 16:13-15).

Through practicing the presence of the Holy Spirit in our quiet times with the Lord, we experience His felt presence and power – a taste of heaven on earth. Arrabon is also the word used in Hebrew culture for an engagement ring. Oh, how precious this is in the light of Jesus’ church being the Bride of Christ! Just as a ring is worn to say, I belong to Someone, the Spirit’s work in our lives declares to everyone, I am His. Consequently, we become vessels who bring Him great glory (v.14).

Paul teaches as he prays for us to recognize all that we have in Christ. God has given us:

• The Spirit of wisdom, revelation, and knowledge of the Lord.

• The ability to have our eyes opened to know our life’s calling and the hope that knowledge brings.

• His glorious inheritance is already within us, but we must realize this truth.

• The same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is working on our behalf and dwelling within us.

• Jesus, who is seated at God’s right hand in heavenly places, far above any work of the enemy as Head of His church.

• The gift of being His body on earth, filled with the fulness of His life.

We will spend our lifetimes unwrapping these truths of who we are and what Lord Jesus has given us. Let’s begin the unveiling process today.

You Are Accepted! Two-Minute Devotional

You Are Accepted!

…to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:6

We are accepted. We are forgiven.

It is that simple. It is that hard. The simplicity lies in our Father unreservedly giving us His Son to satisfy the debt of our sin. The difficulty is for us to believe this truth. Certainly, God must require something of us? Surely, it is up to us to get our act together? And yet, this platform of grace, richly supplied (vs.7-8), is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can’t do anything but receive it. Everything has already all been done.

Let’s consider God’s grace (New Testament Greek: charis). It is His divine favor and strings-free gift that saves, maintains, and transforms us. Grace, the word that also means joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, and loveliness, has already been bestowed upon us and is the platform we must stand upon - but do we?

When we stand on His platform of grace, no matter what our thoughts, emotions, or the enemy is shouting in our heads, we take the first steps toward freedom and realizing who we are in Christ. When we slip and fall – for we surely will – we must not let guilt become the ball-and-chain that binds our souls to our hurts, addictions, and behaviors. Yes, we must agree with the Holy Spirit’s conviction of our sin, confess it, and ask forgiveness for it, but then we must agree with God’s Word that His work of forgiving and cleansing us has already begun (John 1:9).

When we choose to believe Jesus at His word that we are already forgiven and accepted, we silence guilt’s accusations. Then, the power of God’s grace can transform us from our hang-ups and hurts, propelling us toward our purpose. Remember, the mystery of the gospel (v.9) is Christ in us, living His life through us (Col. 1:27).

We can’t fix ourselves; only He can. It starts with a Holy Spirit paradigm shift in our hearts and minds and our responsive yes to His promptings. I think I am less-than and don’t belong; He declares I am entirely accepted and loved unconditionally. My thoughts tell me I will never get it right. He states that it isn’t up to me; the Holy Spirit will do the work (Eph. 3:7). The enemy tells me I am guilty; Jesus says I am already forgiven, clean, and free (Heb. 10:12-13.

It is time to believe these truths with all our heart, mind, and strength.

This weekly study is from the 14-Day YouVersion Plan: Accepted: Who We Really Are and What He Has Done For Us by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

You Are Chosen! A Two-Minute Devotional...

You Are Chosen!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him…
Ephesians 1:3-4

Over the next several weeks, we will journey on the mountaintops of who we are in the Lord Jesus through sections of Paul’s wondrous letter to the Ephesian church. We will find that we are accepted, forgiven, positioned, empowered, and uniquely created for God’s purposes. It is from the platform of His grace and truth about who we are, despite our sin and failings, that we take our first steps forward in greater freedom, Holy Spirit living, and fulfillment for our lives.

From the outset, Paul encourages us to know that we are God’s saints, and we have received spiritual blessings beyond compare. The word saint in the original New Testament Greek means holy one.

It is difficult for us to see ourselves in this light of purity and moral goodness because we know our issues, strongholds, habits, and hang-ups. Right? However, this truth about why we are called saints will be evident as we study further.

As humans, we long for His blessing in every area of our lives, but we must first realize that we are already positioned in His blessing. We may be searching for something He has already lavishly given us. And what is every spiritual blessing? Holy Spirit gifts, enablement, and the authority of His Name, to name a few (1 Cor. 12, Eph. 1:19, Luke 10:17-20). We are not spiritual paupers; we have been abundantly blessed and have all we need in Christ Jesus (2 Peter 1:3).

Finally, we are chosen.

The words chosen and predestination in these opening verses can be disconcerting, and we may have differing theological views. Regardless, here, these words speak to those who have responded to the gospel by saying yes to Jesus as Lord of their lives (John 1:12). We have been chosen because we are His children, and He is enabling us to walk in His love with holiness and without blame-a work that only He can do through us (Eph. 3:7).

Chosen.

You are chosen. I am chosen. This is our position in Jesus and how our Father sees us, whether we feel worthy of being chosen or not. We see our messes; He looks at us and sees His Son. Recognizing this truth reveals the power of His grace and our residency here and now in the Kingdom of His agape, unconditional, and limitless love (Col. 1:13).

This weekly study is from the 14-Day YouVersion Plan: Accepted: Who We Really Are and What He Has Done For Us by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

Drawing Closer to Jesus A Two-Minute Devotional...

Drawing Close in the Secret Place - Our final Day!

One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
Psalm 27:4

In our intentional times of growing in intimacy with God, we are essentially practicing the Old Testament teaching of waiting upon Him. The Hebrew word, Qavah for wait, means to wait for, look for, expect, and hope. It also means gathering together, binding up, and adhering to. Drawing closer to Jesus in intimacy is to bind our heart with His and gather and adhere our life with His life.

Don’t get discouraged if your first few times of intentionally meeting with the Lord seem to go nowhere. Like priming the pump on a deep well that we haven’t drawn water from for a long time, it may take a few meetups before the dust is knocked off our spirit.

Also, keep in mind that the enemy of your soul will challenge this significant time. He knows the value and power of God’s experienced presence. He knows that wherever Jesus is, people are set free, healed, and empowered by the Holy Spirit and His Word. Press through when this time is challenged, or if you must, reschedule as soon as possible.

You will find genuine refreshment and restoration as you persist in making the secret place a priority. You will not want to go back to living life without this precious and powerful time with God every week or so. Touching base daily with Him in prayer and His Word will keep you attuned to Him. And when the storms of unexpected circumstances take place because we live in a broken and fallen world, your time alone with Jesus and His Word is your rock to stand on Psalm 18:19. No work of darkness or any person can take that away from you.

In closing, cultivating God’s presence in our lives is a feast for our souls and spirits Isaiah 55:2. We’ll find that the lusts and cravings of this world lose their value when we invite the Holy Spirit to overflow us. Ministry burnout is less likely to take place because we are ministering out of His fullness in our lives rather than ministering on the empty fumes of our own strength.

The advantages are limitless, the cost is free, what are we waiting for? Let’s draw close to God in the secret place.

What spoke to you the most from this study?

Remember! This seven-part study is from the 7-Day You Version Plan: Intimacy with God in the Secret Place by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!