© 2018 Lysa TerKeurst
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To anyone who has ever tried to give love without being embraced in return, I understand. But that’s exactly why we must know the One who will always fully embrace us and never hold back. My greatest prayer is that as you read these pages you’ll know even more deeply that you are loved, cherished, and so intimately cared for by your Heavenly Father.
CONTENTS
A NOTE FROM LYSA
Part 1: Embracing the Pursuit of Him and His Direction
1. GIVING MY FIRST MOMENTS TO GOD
2. THE PINEAPPLE PRINCIPLE
3. STOP READING YOUR BIBLE
4. GREAT SERMONS AREN’T PREACHED, THEY’RE LIVED
5. IS THIS THE RIGHT DECISION?
6. AN AGENDA THAT WILL NEVER SATISFY
7. PREPARING FOR ADVENTURE
8. INTERRUPTED BY JESUS
9. IF YOU’RE FEELING OVERLOOKED AND UNAPPRECIATED . . .
10. I’M SCARED TO PRAY BOLDLY
11. FOLLOW ME
12. HEARING GOD’S INVITATIONS
13. A LIFE WITH EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT
14. YOUR UNIQUE CALLING
15. REST AND REASSURANCE
16. SPACE TO EXHALE
17. CHASING DOWN OUR DECISIONS
18. READ THIS BEFORE MAKING THAT DECISION
19. PARALYZING FEAR
20. THE MOST NONFRANTIC WOMAN I’VE EVER MET
21. THE TWO MOST POWERFUL WORDS
22. ANALYSIS PARALYSIS
23. FIVE QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN MAKING A DECISION
24. GOD, I’M WORN OUT
25. IN THE FLOW
Part 2: Embracing the Fullness Found Only in Him
27. WHAT HOLDS THE KEY TO YOUR HEART?
28. THE MOST SEARCHED-FOR ANSWER
29. IF ONLY I HAD . . .
30. THE SEDUCTION OF SATISFACTION
31. THE PATHWAY TO HUMILITY
32. WHAT ARE YOU MISSING?
33. WHERE BROKENNESS RUNS DEEP
34. CONSUMED BY CRAVINGS
35. PHYSICALLY OVERWEIGHT AND SPIRITUALLY UNDERWEIGHT
36. AN UNDIVIDED HEART
37. SHOCKED BY MY OWN ADVICE
38. THE VALUE OF EMPTINESS
39. SATAN’S PLAN AGAINST YOU
40. WHEN THE END GOAL SEEMS TOO HARD
41. REPLACING OLD LIES WITH NEW TRUTHS
42. TURNING NORTH
43. HOW MUCH WILL THIS CHOICE REALLY COST ME?
44. THE COURAGEOUS CHOICE
45. TELLING MY FLESH NO
46. WHY DO I HAVE SO MANY ISSUES?
47. IF ONLY WE KNEW
48. THE REAL PEACE WE NEED
Part 3: Embracing Him in the Midst of Hurt & Heartbreak
49. I HAVE TRUST ISSUES
50. IS GOD GOOD?
51. IS GOD GOOD TO ME?
52. DO I TRUST GOD TO BE GOD?
53. THE CRUSHING TIMES
54. WHAT I NEVER NOTICED ABOUT JESUS
55. DEALING WITH DEEP GRIEF
56. WHY ISN’T GOD ANSWERING MY PRAYER?
57. A LITTLE MAD AND A LOT CONFUSED
58. THE STING OF DISAPPOINTMENT
59. WHY WOULD GOD LET THIS HAPPEN?
60. WHAT MAKES REJECTION SO AWFUL?
61. IF YOU EVER FEEL LONELY, READ THIS
62. THE GIRL CALLED LOSER
63. YESTERDAY’S HURTS IN TODAY’S RELATIONSHIPS
64. THERE’S A LADY AT THE GYM WHO HATES ME
65. BECAUSE I AM LOVED
66. ALONE IN A CROWDED ROOM
67. THREE THINGS YOU MUST REMEMBER WHEN REJECTED
68. THE BEST WORST THING
69. A BETTER PLACE TO PARK
70. WISDOM TOGETHER
71. WISDOM AND HUMILITY
72. I’M REALLY AFRAID
73. HOLDING ON TO TRUTH
74. PRESSING THROUGH THE PAIN
75. DEVASTATED BUT NOT DESTROYED
Part 4: Embracing His Call to Be Transformed
76. THE BEGINNINGS OF A MIRACLE
77. IS MY PAIN TALKING?
78. GETTING UNSTUCK FROM MY THINKING RUT
79. THE ROOT OF MY ROT
80. I QUIT
81. RECEIVING GRACE
82. THE TREASURE OF THROWN-AWAY FOOD
83. GIVING GRACE
84. SOMETHING TO CONSIDER WITH CRITICISM
85. I HAD THE PERFECT COMEBACK
86. GOD, GIVE US SELF-CONTROL
87. WHAT TO DO
WITH TOUGH RELATIONSHIPS
88. YOU DON’T LIKE ME
89. COMPARISONS STINK
90. HER SUCCESS DOESN’T THREATEN MINE
91. I WANT WHAT SHE HAS
92. BUT, LORD, I CAN’T DO THAT!
93. FEELING GUILTY?
94. EVEN WHEN I FALL SHORT
95. THE FRIENDSHIP CHALLENGE
96. THE SCRIBBLED TRUTH THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
97. GETTING PAST MY PAST
98. PUSHING PAST AWKWARD
99. LIFE-SAVING TRUTH
100. CALLED TO FREEDOM
A PRAYER FROM LYSA
PERSONALIZED SCRIPTURES
NOTES
INDEX
TOPICS
DEVOTIONS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT PROVERBS 31 MINISTRIES
A NOTE FROM LYSA
Hi friend,
What an honor it is to meet with you through the typed-out encouragement found in these pages. I want to be that friend who comes alongside you no matter what situation you may find yourself in. I pray you feel the loving embrace of Jesus become more and more real with the turn of every page.
I know it’s not always easy for God’s voice to rise above all the chaotic noise competing for your heart’s attention. The fears. The worries. The hurts and betrayals. The struggle you’ve begged God to take away that’s screaming at you right this very minute. The seemingly easy and perfect lives others post about that pierce your heart with fresh reminders of your hard realities. Your doubts when you have to make a decision that makes almost every path seem increasingly unstable while the Lord seems shockingly quiet. Your secret sorrows that you haven’t dared whisper to anyone else about.
Your imperfections feel like neon signs welcoming others’ judgments and opinions. Maybe they are real rejections or just simply perceived ones. Either way, every insecure thought is laced with toxic comparison, disappointment, and discouragement.
I know each of these scenarios well because I face them too. And I have to confess that none of this is easy. But the Lord has been so faithful to draw me closer through it all. I think we underestimate how much courage it takes to actually release our desire to fix everything and make the choice to fix our eyes on Jesus.
That’s what these devotions are about. They’re a glimpse into my own personal journey as I’ve set out to live the “embraced” life. One where I not only receive His embrace, but I return His embrace. Embracing His grace, His wisdom, and His rest. Embracing His love, His Word, and His plans. Even embracing the parts of His plan that I find horribly difficult in the moment but completely necessary in the end. Parts that ask me to sacrifice and lay down my own desires and fleshly responses.
You’ll quickly realize that I don’t do any of this perfectly. But I’m making imperfect progress toward living embraced and embracing at the same time. And something tells me this is how you want to live as well.
If that’s true for you, you’re in the right place. Rest assured, I’ll have tissues and a whispered “Me too” for the hard moments. But you can also count on me for a laugh, slight eye roll, and a “have mercy” for the other everyday moments we’ll face.
So if you’re ready to start this journey, let’s link arms. Fix our gaze on the only One who can direct our steps. And turn the page together.
Sweet Blessings,
Part 1
Embracing the Pursuit of Him and His Direction
1
GIVING MY FIRST MOMENTS TO GOD
Teach me your way, LORD,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
—PSALM 86:11
It is very early in the morning. Though my body begs me to go back to sleep, my soul stirs to get up and talk with Jesus.
And though I can’t physically see Him, I know He is present.
I open my Bible to the book of Psalms and pray through the verses I read to start my day. The more I do this, the less I hear the ongoing naggings of this world. A beautiful melody of God’s truth rises up, and my worries fade in their light.
His perspective on what troubles me overshadows my anxiety. This time alone with God prepares me for what I will need throughout the day. He’s equipping me to handle what is ahead with His gentle boldness, quiet strength, and loving grace.
In Psalm 81:10, God instructs me, “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”
He will give me what to say. What to say in happy moments and in aggravating moments. What to say when I feel insecure and what to say when I am confident.
He also reminds me that sometimes it is good to keep my mouth closed and say nothing at all.
Psalm 84:1 reminds me that God’s dwelling place is lovely. So I ask for Him to dwell in me richly. I want it to be evident that I’m a girl who spends time with Jesus and that He’s working on me—shifting a wrong attitude, guarding my words, and whispering constant truths into my heart.
I want it to be evident that I’m a girl who spends time with Jesus and that He’s working on me.
Psalm 86:11 prompts me to request, “Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”
Each of these verses leads my morning prayer:
Lord, may nothing separate me from You today. Teach me how to choose only Your way today so each step will lead me closer to You. Help me walk by Your Word and not my feelings.
Help me to keep my heart pure and undivided. Protect me from my own careless thoughts, words, and actions. And keep me from being distracted by MY wants, MY desires, MY thoughts on how things should be.
Help me to embrace what comes my way as an opportunity . . . rather than a personal inconvenience.
And finally, help me to rest in the truth of Psalm 86:13, “Great is your love toward me.”
You already see the ways I will fall short and mess up. But right now, I consciously tuck Your whisper of absolute love for me into the deepest part of my heart. I recognize Your love for me is not based on my performance. You love me . . . shortcomings and all.
That’s amazing.
But what’s most amazing is that the Savior of the world would desire a few minutes with me this morning. Lord, help me to forever remember what a gift it is to sit with You like this. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I’m now ready to face today. Armed with truth. Surrounded by love. Filled with gratitude.
Dear Lord, I love You. All that I’ve expressed above is the desire of my heart. I confess that sometimes my actions and reactions betray my love for You. Please forgive me. Thank You for Your grace that enables me to recognize this new day as a new chance to walk closer with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
2
THE PINEAPPLE PRINCIPLE
Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
—JAMES 1:21–22
I love fresh-cut pineapple. I love the way it tastes. I love that it has no fat grams. And I love that it can be served at any meal—breakfast, lunch, or dinner—as the perfect, healthy side dish. I love fresh-cut pineapple. I love the way it tastes. I love that it has no fat grams. And I love that it can be served at any meal—breakfast, lunch, or dinner—as the perfect, healthy side dish.
The problem with fresh pineapples is that they are slightly complicated. To hold up a fresh pineapple and look upon it longingly can be quite frustrating when you haven’t a clue how to properly cut it open. So, for years I would walk by the fresh pineapples in the grocery store produce section, heave a sigh, and head straight to the canned fruit aisle. The canned version was fine in a pinch but honestly didn’t compare to the fresh. It simply teased my taste buds that greater possibilities existed.
Then one day a friend I was visiting asked me if I’d like a snack. I gasped when she brought out a real pineapple.
With ease she turned the fruit on its side and chopped off the top and the bottom. Then she sat it upright on its level end and proceeded to cut sections from each side, starting at the edge of the core. She then shaved off the outer skin, chopped the fruit into bite-sized pieces, and handed me a whole bowlful.
I was amazed. That’s it? That’s all there is to it? You mean for years I’ve missed out on the goodness of fresh pineapples because I couldn’t figure out how to do that?
For years, I took the same approach with studying the Bible as I did with the pineapple. I looked at biblical truth from afar. I didn’t feel equipped to open it and study it on my own. Instead of reading the fresh truth for myself, I only read books that talked about the Bible. Just like that canned pineapple, my experience with learning God’s truth teased me that greater possibilities existed. But since I had no idea how to get them for myself, I avoided the Bible and settled for whatever I could glean from other people.
Then I attended a Bible study in which the teacher modeled how to open up the Bible and study it for ourselves. Each week I watched her dig into Scriptures with a passion and hunger for truth that I’d never known. The way she put verses into context and brought out the meanings from the original text amazed me.
Slowly, I decided to try it for myself. I started getting into God’s Word so it could get into me. I no longer wanted to simply settle for learning facts about the Bible when it was meant for so much more. I wanted God’s Word to interrupt me, change me, and satisfy me. And that meant not only reading and studying the Bible but also developing the habit of living out its message in my everyday life.
I started getting into God’s Word so it could get into me.
The apostle James addresses this in our key verses: “Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:21–22).
The more we make a habit of applying God’s Word to our lives, the more it becomes part of our nature—our natural way of acting and reacting. Knowing God’s Word and doing what it says not only helps us while going through heartbreak and trouble, it also brings more satisfaction to our souls than anything else ever could.