The Power to Be: A 40-Day Devotional E-Book

Twila Belk

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

Seitenzahl: 154

Beschreibung

God gives us the power to be all he created us to be. Sure, that's easy for you to say, but you don't know what I'm dealing with. Is that what you're thinking? The good news is that it is possible to be still, grateful, strong, and courageous—even when undergoing trials, facing unknowns, battling fears, or struggling with feelings of inadequacy or insecurity. It all has to do with where your focus is. In this beautifully hopeful book, Twila shares important truths and helps you shift your attention from situations and self to a big God. Learn as she shares how: - what we focus on becomes magnified. - our circumstances don't change who God is; they show us who God is. - the better we know God, the more we can trust him.This forty-day devotional contains encouraging readings, Scripture verses, prayers, and daily affirmations, all revealing that you indeed have the power to be.

Leseprobe

If anyone knows how to gain The Power to Be: Be Still, Be Grateful, Be Strong, Be Courageous, it is my brave and bright friend, Twila! With practical wisdom, simple-to-apply insights, and rich biblical application woven with splashes of humor, this must-read book will lower your stress and raise your hope and joy.

—PAM FARREL, international speaker and author of forty-five books, including Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti, and 7 Simple Steps for Every Woman: Success in Keeping It All Together

In a day and time when everyone struggles to persevere, The Power to Be brings God’s promises into reach through a simplified and strategic forty-day application. Twila Belk’s power statements help carry us through the tough times of life in short and memorable fashion. I see The Power to Be as a daily resource for women and men who desire spiritual growth and encouragement for their families.

—LINDA GOLDFARB, author of Loving the ME God Sees, international speaker, certified Christian life coach, and founder of Parenting Awesome Kids (LivePowerfullyNow.org)

When life feels disturbing, difficult, or distorted, The Power to Be brings the stability you crave in Christ. Interwoven with riveting stories from the author’s life, correlating biblical examples, and probing personal questions, this book provides you with a safe place to process life’s most important questions.

—MARNIE SWEDBERG, leadership mentor, international speaker, author, and media personality (Marnie.com)

Twila Belk is not only an accomplished author, she’s a woman intimately acquainted with hardship. With honesty and humility, she shares insights learned through suffering and leads her readers into a deeper understanding of who God is and why knowing him matters. You won’t read this book and then put it on a shelf. You’ll keep it handy because you’ll refer to its wisdom time and time again.

—GRACE FOX, global worker, international speaker, and author of Moving from Fear to Freedom: A Woman’s Guide to Peace in Every Situation (gracefox.com)

It seems author Twila Belk has figured out the formula. I can’t be courageous until I’m strong. I can’t be strong until I’m grateful. And I can’t be grateful until I’m still. No wonder she came up with the title The Power to Be. This book empowers me to be all those things and more! Twila’s trademark style of friend-girl humor and honesty are woven through these scriptural principles and life steps. Her power statements provide intentional affirmations I can take with me the rest of the day, with mind and heart inspired to be exactly what God wants.

—KATHY CARLTON WILLIS, author and speaker, God’s Grin Gal

Do you struggle with fear, worry, insecurity, or other feelings that hold you back from being who you were created to be? In Twila’s relatable and humorous style, she shares from experience and Scripture what it takes to be still, grateful, strong, and courageous. Let her devotions encourage you. Use her practical and powerful tools. And watch what God can do when you turn your attention to him, especially when facing the tough stuff of life.

—GEORGIA SHAFFER, professional certified coach, PA licensed psychologist, author of A Gift of Mourning Glories: Restoring Your Life after Loss and Taking Out Your Emotional Trash

If you could use a dose of encouragement, strength, faith, and hope, read The Power to Be by Twila Belk. This remarkable book offers forty short devotions on choosing to be still, grateful, strong, and courageous. Twila’s personal transparency speaks deeply of what she’s learned in God’s Word about how to apply his truth to the challenges of everyday life. Don’t miss this treasure! You’ll want to buy several copies to share with friends.

—CAROL KENT, speaker, author of over twenty books, including He Holds My Hand: Experiencing God’s Presence and Protection, founder of Speak Up for Hope

With wisdom only gained from traveling through many a storm, Twila Belk takes us all on a journey of being. Being still. Being grateful. Being strong. And being courageous. It’s a journey like no other, and we’re all the better having taken the ride.

—JOANIE AND JENNI BEAVER, co-owners of Positive Note Network (positivenotenetwork.com)

Twila Belk has lived out the truths she writes about in The Power to Be. Her trials have taught her how to be still, be grateful, be strong, and be courageous. She is the real deal, and those who read The Power to Be will be greatly encouraged to be still, grateful, strong, and courageous as they face their own challenges.

—CAROLE LEWIS, director emeritus of First Place 4 Health, author of Live Life Right Here Right Now

Once upon a time, a very courageous author decided to write a very powerful book to help readers see the way to be still, grateful, strong, and courageous. In the process, she helped us to recognize God’s presence in our lives, develop a thankful heart, and press through our difficulties with the courage of the Lord. Thank you, Twila, for every word!

—LINDA EVANS SHEPHERD, author and speaker, author of When You Don’t Know What to Pray, founder of Right to the Heart Ministries

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC

Racine, Wisconsin, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

The Power to Be:BE STILL, BE GRATEFUL, BE STRONG, BE COURAGEOUS

Copyright © 2018 Twila Belk

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5604-5 (hardcover)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5605-2 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188, USA. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. 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 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scriptures marked CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version (CEV): Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version copyright© 1995 by the American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].

Cover design by Chris Garborg at garborgdesign.com

Typesetting by Katherine Lloyd at theDESKonline.com

Printed in China

18 19 20 21 22 5 4 3 2 1

Now to the King eternal, immortal,invisible, the only God,be honor and glory for ever and ever.

Contents

Foreword by Cynthia Ruchti

Introduction

PART ONE - The Power to Be Still

1Fix Your Thoughts

2Cease Striving

3Know I AM

4Set Him Always Before You

5Choose to Trust Without Understanding

6Stop Worrying

7Experience God’s Embrace

8Remember God’s Track Record

9Sit in the Quiet with God

10Pray with Thanksgiving

PART TWO - The Power to Be Grateful

11Realize the Magnitude of God’s Extraordinary Gift

12Appreciate God’s Good Gifts

13Acknowledge His Ongoing Benevolence

14Display Gratitude

15Extend Grace to Others

16Maintain a Grateful Heart

17Gain Perspective

18Engage the WOW Factor

19Pay Attention to the God Stuff

20Tell Somebody

PART THREE - The Power to Be Strong

21See Yourself as God Sees You

22Reject Negative Messages

23Quit Playing the Comparison Game

24Keep Your Protection in Place

25Grow Deep Roots

26Rejoice in Problems and Trials

27Find Joy

28Wait on the Lord

29Store Up Reserves

30Accept Help and Support from Others

PART FOUR - The Power to Be Courageous

31Practice Courage Every Day

32Get Your Eyes off Yourself

33Cling to God’s Promises

34Be Mindful of His Presence

35Consider the Size of Your God

36Trust and Obey, Then Get out of the Way

37Let God Guide You

38Resolve to Inquire of the Lord

39Execute God’s Battle Plan

40Determine to Trust God Even If

Power Statements

About the Author

Foreword

You can tell if a refrigerator or freezer gasket has lost its “oomph” by closing a dollar bill in the door and then attempting to slide the dollar out. If it slips out easily, the gasket isn’t holding strongly enough. Time for a replacement. I guess I’ve owned enough old refrigerators to have picked up that life hack.

Since the moment I first met Twila Belk, I knew that the “gasket” between her and the God she serves is tight. It was easy to love her—easy to consider her an instant sister-friend—because she loves Jesus out loud. It’s written all over her face and life. And what a life it’s been.

Those who’ve read her writings know they resonate with unflappable joy wrung out of the sometimes frightening, sometimes devastating, always challenging adventures she has faced and is still facing. She refuses hip-waders, because the burrs that cling to her clothing as she journeys and the mud in life’s ditches give her more reason to praise the One who turns burrs into blessings and lovingly washes the mud away with a rough towel tied about his waist, a basin at his side, and our feet in his hands.

Few writers are as skilled as Twila at taking the ordinaries of life and drawing out of them the profound truths that propel us forward on our journey of faith. In The Power to Be, she once again invites her readers to step into the pages of Scripture to discover its application for our daily experiences. Her power statements shift our thinking from “if only” to “I will.” Refreshing, uplifting, but compellingly authentic, Twila Belk’s The Power to Be belongs not only on bookshelves but close to the heart.

Cynthia Ruchti

Speaker and multiple award-winning author of more than twenty books, including A Fragile Hope and As My Parents Age (cynthiaruchti.com)

Introduction

The power to be. Who doesn’t want power? And who doesn’t want to be still, grateful, strong, and courageous? Especially with all the challenges we face in life. It is possible to have that kind of power, and I hope the book you’re holding in your hands (or viewing on a screen) right now will help you discover how.

As I wrote the forty chapters in this devotional, I noticed three recurring messages. The better we are at doing these three things, the more successful we’ll be in our pursuit of the power to be: (1) knowing God, (2) trusting God, and (3) keeping our attention on the right things. You’ll see how they weave together as you work your way through the book.

In each chapter I’ve included two features to reinforce the principles and truths I mentioned in the individual readings—a power statement and questions for reflection.

The power statements are positive declarations you can make. Repeat them as often as necessary. The more you say them, the more they’ll get into your heart and mind, and the more you’ll live them out. Post them in strategic places where they’ll remind you that you have the power to be. For your convenience, a compiled list of all forty is included after the last section.

The questions are another tool to enhance the main points of the readings. They’re prompters for reflection and writing. You might choose to do something else, such as have a conversation with God. I love to do that, and if that’s the direction you take, I know you’ll be blessed.

I pray that God will speak to you in specific ways on specific days through this book. My hope is that you will finish with an improved understanding of what a great God we have, and that you will be inspired to know him and trust him more and more each day.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. And may he show you that you have the power to be still, grateful, strong, and courageous, if you keep your eyes on him.

Twila Belk

PART ONE

The Power to Be Still

Being still is born out of relationship.It comes from knowing and trusting I AM.

1

Fix Your Thoughts

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8–9 NLT

Be still. That’s easier said than done, isn’t it? Sometimes I wish I could flip on a little “be still” switch to pacify myself, especially when I have days like today. Right now I’m struggling to gain control of my churning insides.

I’m currently dealing with several major life stressors—undergoing treatment for an aggressive breast cancer, caregiving for my husband who has a rare and progressive muscle disease, carrying a huge burden of financial responsibilities, handling concerns about my youngest son’s circumstances, and facing a looming book deadline. Add to that, in the last couple of days, both vehicles stopped working, my faithful recliner broke, and wasps are entering the house through the bathroom vent.

Then this morning, after putting in many hours on a special project for a person I greatly respect, I received a harsh email rather than a thank-you for my hard work. Reading that email, while being physically and mentally exhausted, pushed me into a not-so-good place. I turned into an emotional mess. Although the person apologized a few hours after sending it, my memory naturally wants to replay the narrative again and again, which agitates my spirit more and more.

And here I am with the task of telling people how to be still. Seriously?

I’ve learned over the years that God likes to give me plenty of opportunities to become well-versed in my topic. And this is one of those times. So after much consideration, I decided I need to change topics. I want to be well-versed in something else! (Perhaps I’ll change it to “How to be happy with a million dollars while living in the Caribbean and looking great in a bikini.”)

For now, I’m reverting to self-talk mode. “Breathe in. Breathe out. Calm down, Twila. It’s time to remind yourself of the sermons you so readily give to others.” In other words, I’m giving myself a pep talk to practice what I preach.

And one of the important truths I like to remind people of is this: whatever we focus on becomes magnified.

If I keep my attention on my problems and heartaches (or hurtful words), they become overwhelming to me and tend to control my life. But if I fix my thoughts on God, he becomes magnified in my heart and mind, and I’m reminded of who he is and what he’s able to do. My attitude changes, and my unsettled spirit quiets down. It takes resolve, but it’s so worthwhile.

Philippians 4:8–9 encourages us to think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. If we put that kind of thinking into practice, peace will be ours.

Lord, when the pressures of life become too much for me, and my circumstances are the foremost thing on my mind, I become stressed and overwhelmed. Would you help me to fix my thoughts on you? I want you to be magnified, not the stuff I’m going through. You are excellent and worthy of praise. You are able to calm my agitated spirit. You are the giver of peace. Thank you for being with me.

POWER STATEMENT

I have the power to be still. Rather than dwelling on my circumstances and letting them overwhelm me, I will fix my thoughts on God.

REFLECTION AND RESPONSE

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (NLT). What have your thoughts been fixed on lately? What current issues are keeping you from being still?

2

Cease Striving

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10 NASB

The words in Psalm 46:10 are familiar to many of us: “Be still and know that I am God.” The New American Standard version uses the words “cease striving” rather than “be still,” which means to let go or relax.

Months ago, on a day when the heaviness of life and responsibilities seemed particularly oppressive to me, I realized I had to let it go—cease striving for control—and relax in God’s capable hands. I had a conversation with him that went like this:

“I’m feeling weary of the battle, Lord. Weary of trying to keep my head above water. Weary of trying to hold it all together. I can’t do it on my own. I don’t know what the answers are, Lord, but I know who the answer is. I must rely on you. You are the one who holds things together.

“Circumstances are beyond my control. I can’t control my income. I can’t control the bills. I can’t control the health issues. I can’t control how I feel. I can’t control what other people do. I can’t control anything. But I can