Spring E-Book

BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 115

Beschreibung

Spring. It's a season of hope. A season of excitement and change. A season of growth and new beginnings, and watching flowers bloom in the garden. We spend time enjoying God's beautiful creation, strolling in parks, or watching birds from the window. We plant seeds, and water, and wait for signs of new life. This 90-day devotional will encourage you to spend some time with God, celebrating his amazing handiwork. Experience expectation, joy, and excitement during the season of hope. 

Leseprobe

BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC

Racine, Wisconsin, USA

Broadstreetpublishing.com

SPRING: A SEASONOF HOPE

© 2018 by BroadStreet Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-4245-5580-2eISBN: 978-1-4245-5774-5

Devotional entries compiled by Michelle Winger.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ Scripture quotations marked (NCV) are taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org. Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Design by Chris Garborg | garborgdesign.com

Edited by Michelle Winger | literallyprecise.com

Printed in China.

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Oh, that we might know the LORD!

Let us press on to know him.

He will respond to us

as surely as the arrival of dawn

or the coming of rains in early spring.

HOSEA 6:3 NLT

CONTENTS

Introduction

From Winter to Spring

I Will See His Goodness

Abounding Joy

The Greatest Investment

Fortress

Peace with Jesus

Never Useless

Leaving a Legacy

Confident Faithfulness

Powerful, Gentle Love

The Need to Be Right

In Every Season

A Familiar Way

Heavenly Rewards

Embracing Detours

Celebrate Blessings

Vessels of Abundance

Audience of One

Pearly Gates

Prince of Peace

Impossible

Renewal

Clear Out the Clutter

Drink from the River

New Life

Never too Late

Dare to Hope

Application Accepted

For Such a Time as This

Hope

Vulnerability

The Gift You Have

Governor of Your Mind

In His Timing

Awakening the Sun

Most Beautiful of All

Call on Him

Struggling to Pray

Little Foxes

Held Captive by Fear

Temper Tantrums

Love Like He Does

Unexpected Generosity

A Strong, Graceful Oak

Come Away

Never-ending Joy

Waiting for Dawn

Unending Chorus

A Worthy Friend

Overwhelming Devotion

True Satisfaction

Nothing to Fear

Grace Upon Grace

Honor in Purity

The Patience Pit

Deeper Roots

In Sunshine and Storm

The Spirit Is Willing

Creatures of Habit

Dance Unhindered

Body Parts

Meditate on Goodness

All of Your Heart

Love Without Fear

Perfect in Our Weakness

Creation Clues

Rewards of Fellowship

When Being Rich Is Hard

Stars

Be Content

Better than Rubies

Pruning

Foolish Wisdom

Constant Love

Into the Light

A Thousand Generations

Comparison

Pursuit of Peace

Kindness Defined

The Gap

The Call for Help

The Little Things

Limitless

Releasing Beauty

Roots

Stop and Listen

A Heart for Others

Change of Season

Peace Like a River

Joyous Journey

INTRODUCTION

Spring. It’s a season of hope. A season

of excitement and change. A season

of growth and new beginnings, and

watching flowers bloom in the garden.

We spend time enjoying God’s beautiful

creation, strolling in parks, or watching

birds from the window. We plant seeds,

and water, and wait for signs of new life.

This 90-day devotional will encourage

you to spend some time with God,

celebrating his amazing handiwork.

Experience expectation, joy, and

excitement during the season of hope.

From Winter to Spring

Let us acknowledge the LORD;

let us press on to acknowledge him.

As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;

he will come to us like the winter rains,

like the spring rains that water the earth.

HOSEA 6:3 NIV

Spring teases us, playing its own game of “catch and release.” A few balmy, sunny days awaken our senses to the freshness of spring air and promise the end of winter. We fall into bed after hours of sunshine and laughter, only to reawaken to a white blanket covering any evidence of warmth. Spring sun hides behind winter clouds, teasing us as though they know of our longing for the great light they hide. When the sun finally re-emerges, we are bathed in instant warmth.

Our lives have winters, don’t they? We live through seasons where we feel cold, hidden, and trapped. We feel buried under the snow of circumstance with an absence of clarity, warmth, and light. But, if we looked closer, perhaps we could see the rushing of the clouds, the gilded outlines that promise there is hope just past them. And though winter can be long, the moment when the sun returns will be worth it all.

Perhaps you are in the midst of one of life’s winters. Remember that for every winter there is a spring.

What season are you in right now in your life? Can you hope for spring? For new life and growth and warmth?

Lord, today I press into you and ask you to come to me like the sun rushing from behind the clouds. I desire your warmth and light in my life right now. Thank you for the spring.

I Will See His Goodness

I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

PSALM 27:13 NIV

There is nothing more reassuring than the confident hope that comes from God. A knowledge that what is coming is better than what is. We all come against many difficulties in our lives, but hearing that it’s all going to be okay can be the difference between getting through it and giving up.

I will remain confident. What a beautiful promise to speak out when you’re in the hardest of times. Better things are coming. You can be assured there are blessings for you. That you will see, firsthand, the goodness of a loving God in the land of living—the really living. Not just getting by, or barely getting through, but being truly alive.

Those who have tasted and seen know that God is good.

Do you know the goodness of God?

How have you seen his goodness in your life recently?

Thank you, God, that you are good. Thank you that you have promised your goodness and your faithfulness to me—and that no matter how hard things get, I can be confident that I will see you and be alive with you.

Abounding Joy

Who will show us some good?

Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD.

You have put more joy in my heart

than they have when their grain and wine abound.

PSALM 4:6-7 ESV

The clearing of the land broke all the soft skin on your hand that had never labored like that before. The dropping and covering of each seed in the dirt was done with a whispered prayer of hope. When the rain did not fall, you pleaded. When it came, you breathed a sigh of relief. When it raised too high, you held your breath. Each day a prayer was on your every breath—these crops were your life.

You partnered with God to bring life, but ultimately it was out of your control. The heat came, and what was tiny grew large. The air cooled, the mood shifted, and the time had finally come: harvest. There was goodness to be collected and joy to be found in all that hope: bubbling over like a cup of new wine.

We find joy in life knowing our hope has been fulfilled in Christ. Our joy is founded on that unshakeable truth.

Are you excited for a season of fulfilled hope?

Thank you, Jesus, for restoring my hope. Thank you for being with me during the season of labor and toil. I look forward to seeing your goodness played out in my life.

The Greatest Investment

We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that

these troubles produce patience, and patience produces

character, and character produces hope.

ROMANS 5:3-4 NCV

A risk-free investment is too good to be true in the financial world. But spiritually speaking, there is such a thing. What is hard today, painful to give to God? Whatever that is, whatever you just can’t release your grip on, go ahead and let go. You are not giving up for the sake of giving up, like throwing money into the wind—you are investing.

When you give your concern to God you can be fully confident that he will make a greater return than you ever could. He is beautifully abundant. In your struggles, he returns patience. When you feel like your patience is wearing thin, he returns character. When your character is being tried, he comes back with hope! Beautiful, joy filled, love inspired hope. And hope does not disappoint.

Don’t be like a daughter who has a stick and refuses to trade it in for a prize her father is holding behind his back. Trust in the investment that God wants to make in you.

What concern are you ready to give to God today? Do you trust that he is a risk-free investment with great returns?

God, I trust you! You are good. I rest in the truth that you have good in store for me. You are the best risk-free investment that anyone can ever make. Thank you for your good returns on my small, limited investment.

Fortress

“Be my rock of refuge,

to which I can always go;

give the command to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,

my confidence since my youth.”

PSALM 71:3, 5 NIV

Did you ever build a fort as a child? Maybe it was made of blankets in your living room, with pillows stacked on top to keep the blankets from falling. Or perhaps it was a sheet draped over your bunk bed. Maybe you went to even greater measures and had someone help you build a tree house.

If you built a fort in the woods, it was most likely made of sticks, boards of wood, cardboard, and whatever else you happened to have around your house that could serve as walls or a roof. When you build, you make sure to have a few basics: a solid floor, walls, and something over your head to act as a protective shelter.

The fort we build today is our relationship with our God. He is our fortress: sturdy, unmoving, and strong. He is the solid ground beneath us, the sheltering walls around us, and the roof that protects us.

How do you put your hope and confidence in God’s love? Can you believe that he is your strong fortress who will not be shaken and will never crumble.

God, thank you for your constant protection and sure footing beneath me. Thank you for your never-ending love and support.

Peace with Jesus

May undeserved favor and endless peace be yours

continually from our Father God and from our Lord Jesus,

the Anointed One!

2 CORINTHIANS 1:2 TPT

True peace can only come from Jesus. Peace that gets deep inside your heart and settles there, releasing any anxiety or fear you were carrying, any worrying about what tomorrow might bring. When you live for God, you understand that his sovereignty makes worrying pointless. You are able to rest, knowing your steps are determined and your heart taken care of

It doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want, but being in pursuit of a relationship with Jesus does mean you experience freedom. Say goodbye to baggage that has the potential to weigh you down and restrict you from living the life you were created to live.

When God formed you, you were made with a purpose. Only walking with Jesus allows you to live in that purpose. Pursue it whole-heartedly like you are on a mission. This is his hope for you!

How do you see God’s purpose working in your life? Can you remain in his peace as you walk toward that purpose?

God, thank you for being perfect peace for me. Thank you for creating me with a plan in mind, a roadmap for me to follow. I ask for your help in forging the way for me to live that life fully. I want to release all that I carry to you.

Never Useless