February 1 Jesus…Our Ointment for the Pain
“JESUS ANSWERED HER, ‘IF YOU KNEW THE GIFT OF GOD … YOU WOULD HAVE ASKED HIM AND HE WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU LIVING WATER’” (John 4:10).
When I cried as a little girl, my daddy would always comfort me with the words, “Don’t cry, then you will feel better.” But, I did not feel better when I just tried to stop crying. My heart still felt sad…or mad…or bad.
I bless you to know that Jesus would not ask you to stop crying. He does not mind if you cry, as long as you come to Him. He cares about your heart. He wants you to sit on His lap, so that He could give a Gift—a sip of His Living Water. It will flow deep down into your heart…and make it better.
Whenever you feel sad…or mad…or bad, run to Jesus and ask Him for a sip of His Living Water.
I bless you!
February 2 Do Not Become a Slave to Sin.
“DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT IF YOU CONTINUALLY SURRENDER YOURSELVES TO ANYONE TO DO HIS WILL, YOU ARE THE SLAVES OF HIM WHOM YOU OBEY, WHETHER THAT BE TO SIN, WHICH LEADS TO DEATH, OR TO OBEDIENCE WHICH LEADS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS?”(Romans 6:16 AMP).
Do you know that if you always listen to someone to do his will, you will become a SLAVE to that person? You have an enemy. His name is the father-of-lies. He tells lies…AND HE WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE THEM! Two of the things the father-of-lies would like you to believe is that you are not loved and that you are not lovable.
If you always listen and believe the thoughts of the father-of-lies that you are unloved and unlovable, you will become his SLAVE. He will control you with these lies for the rest of your life, until you ask Jesus for the Truth.
I bless you to know that Jesus stands ready at all times to tell you the Truth. All you need to do is ask Him, “Jesus, am I unloved? Jesus, am I unlovable?” Then listen for His answer. He will tell you the Truth. Then, the father-of-lies will leave you alone.
I bless you!
February 3 The Holy Spirit Makes Alive
“THE Did you know that the Holy Spirit, God’s Gift to us, could do something very special? HE CAN MAKE THINGS THAT ARE DEAD, COME ALIVE. He can change darkness into Light. He can change hatred into Love. He can change evil into Goodness. He can change sadness into Joy! He can change lies into Truth. He can change hopelessness into Hope. Do you know of something that is dead in your heart or the hearts of those around you ? All you need to do is ask God’s Gift—the Holy Spirit—to make things alive for you, and He will show you a miracle. I bless you! February 4 May You Love God Enough to Obey Him “WHOEVER HAS MY COMMANDS AND OBEYS THEM, HE IS THE ONE WHO LOVES ME. HE WHO LOVES ME WILL BE LOVED BY MY FATHER, AND I TOO WILL LOVE HIM AND SHOW MYSELF TO HIM” (John 14:21). God wants to be loved by us…and God tells us how He wants to be loved. God wants to be loved by our obedience. And then He will SHOW Himself to us. Do you wish you could see God, feel God’s Love and hear God’s Voice? Start loving God by sharing your thoughts, feelings, and opinions with Him and asking Him what He wants you to do with each thought, feeling, and opinion. Then obey what He tells you to do. I bless you, Child, to love God enough to obey Him…and He will show Himself to you. I bless you! February 5 Allow Jesus to Love You “WHOEVER HAS MY COMMANDS AND OBEYS THEM, HE IS THE ONE WHO LOVES ME. HE WHO LOVES ME WILL BE LOVED BY MY FATHER, AND I TOO WILL LOVE HIM AND SHOW MYSELF TO HIM” (John 14:21). Child, I bless you to know that when someone is mean to you, it is not his or her meanness that is causing you to feel so bad, sad, and mad, but what you believe about yourself as a result of what that person said or did to you. Sometimes, someone’s meanness makes us feel unloved or unlovable. Jesus wants you to tell Him when someone is being mean to you…and especially when you feel unloved and unlovable because of someone’s meanness. THIS IS OBEDIENCE. If you obey the Lord Jesus, He will let you see Him. Child, when you obey Jesus, He will show you how much He loves you. And you will feel better. I bless you! February 6 God Can Do More than what You Can Imagine “NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DO IMMEASURABLY MORE THAN ALL WE ASK OR IMAGINE, ACCORDING TO HIS POWER THAT IS AT WORK WITHIN US, TO HIM BE GLORY” (Ephesians 3:20). Many times, I would ask God to do something for my heart, and then I would imagine His answer. But God has never given me the answer I imagined. He has always done MORE. Child, I bless you to know that God can do MORE than anything you can ever imagine. Think of a problem you have in your heart: maybe that you are not good enough…or that you are not noticed…or that you are not special. Then, imagine God’s answer for your heart. God is going to surprise you. He will do MUCH MORE than anything you can ever imagine, BECAUSE HIS POWER IS AT WORK IN YOUR HEART. I bless you! February7 See with the Eyes of Your Heart “I PRAY ALSO THAT THE EYES OF YOUR HEART MAY BE ENLIGHTENED IN ORDER THAT YOU MAY KNOW THE HOPE TO WHICH HE HAS CALLED YOU” (Ephesians 1:18). Child, I bless you to know that your heart has eyes. God wants you to see with the eyes of your heart. God wants you to look with the eyes of your heart when you feel hopeless…to see His Hope that is available to you. He wants you to look with the eyes of your heart when you feel unloved…to see His Love for you. He wants you to look with the eyes of your heart when you feel that you are not good enough…to see what He thinks of you. Learn to look and see with the eyes of your heart. I bless you! February 8 All Authority Has Been Given to Jesus “THEN JESUS CAME TO THEM AND SAID, ‘ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME’” (Matthew 28:18). I bless you, Child, to know that Jesus rules over everything in Heaven and on earth. He has ruled in your past, rules in your future, and rules right now. Nothing and nobody is above Jesus. No badness, sadness, or madness can hold up against Him, not even loneliness, or shame, or rejection. Know that if you place anything that hurts your heart under the rule of Jesus, it will obey Him. And Jesus will make you feel better. I bless you! February 9 God Provides a Way out “AND GOD IS FAITHFUL; HE WILL NOT LET YOU BE TEMPTED BEYOND WHAT YOU CAN BEAR. BUT WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED, HE WILL ALSO PROVIDE A WAY OUT SO THAT YOU CAN STAND UP UNDER IT” (1 Corinthians 10:13). I bless you, Child, to know that God provides a way out when you are stuck in any way: when you do not know what to do…when you are trapped in sadness, badness, or madness. Do not take your own way out. Wait for God. Ask Him to show you HIS WAY OUT. I bless you! February 10 God Made You for Himself “AS GOD HAS SAID: ‘I WILL LIVE WITH THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM, AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE’” (2 Corinthians 6:16). One day I asked God, “God, why did You make me?” And God answered, “I made you for Myself. I want to share things with you like My Love…My Truth…and My Hope. And I want you to share things about yourself with Me like your love…your dreams and desires…and your heartache. We are meant to be together. I made you for this relationship. Nobody and nothing can take the place of our relationship. It is very special.” I bless you, Child, to start having that special relationship with God. He is waiting for you and cannot wait to share His Love, Hope, and Truth with you. You can start right where you are. Tell Him what is going on in your life, right now. He wants to know. I bless you! February 11 May You Experience the Love of Jesus “MAY YOU EXPERIENCE THE LOVE OF CHRIST, THOUGH IT IS TOO GREAT TO UNDERSTAND FULLY. THEN YOU WILL BE MADE COMPLETE WITH ALL THE FULLNESS OF LIFE AND POWER THAT COMES FROM GOD” (Ephesians 3:19). I live in the mountains and I love to take a walk each day on one particular road that forms a complete circle. During my walk, I always talk to Jesus about everything and everyone in my life. Sometimes I have specific questions. Sometimes I feel hopeless. Sometimes I talk to God about mean people. Sometimes I walk around the whole circle crying. Sometimes I laugh. Whatever happens in my life, I share it all with Jesus on my walk around the circle. Do you know what? I have noticed that Jesus has been walking with me around the circle. There is this one spot in the circle where Jesus told me that everything I did mattered. Then there is the other spot where He told me He wanted me to obey Him. One time He showed me that I was very special to Him. Another time He told me that I was accepted. The whole circle is marked with spots where Jesus met with me. I have EXPERIENCED THE LOVE OF JESUS on my walks…and this filled me with Joy, Hope, and Love. Child, may you, too take walks with Jesus and experience everything He wants to tell you. I bless you! February12 Your Worth Is Established by God “BUT HE WAS PIERCED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS CRUSHED FOR OUR INIQUITIES; THE PUNISHMENT THAT BROUGHT US PEACE WAS UPON HIM, AND BY HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED” (Isaiah 53:5). Dear Child, Jesus was pierced…for you. He was crushed…for you. The Father did this…for you. That is how much you are worth…to Him. I bless you! February 13 God’s Love Surpasses Knowledge “KNOW THIS LOVE THAT SURPASSES KNOWLEDGE—THAT YOU MAY BE FILLED TO THE MEASURE OF ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD” (Ephesians 3:19). I bless you, Child, to understand that God’s Love is BIGGER than anything that can ever happen to you on this earth. Be assured that God’s Love is GREATER than anyone’s words of anger, hatred, or jealousy that would ever be spoken to you. Be comforted that God’s Love is MORE than any badness, sadness, or madness that lives in your heart. May you be filled with God’s Love, Child, until you are filled up. I bless you! February 14 Love Rejoices with the Truth “LOVE IS PATIENT, LOVE IS KIND. IT DOES NOT ENVY, IT DOES NOT BOAST, IT IS NOT PROUD. IT IS NOT RUDE, IT IS NOT SELF-SEEKING, IT IS NOT EASILY ANGERED, IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS. LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH. IT ALWAYS PROTECTS, ALWAYS TRUSTS, ALWAYS HOPES, ALWAYS PERSEVERES, NEVER FAILS” (1 Corinthians 13:1-7). Child, what do you do when someone fails you: when someone does not do the right thing? Do you stop doing what is right, too, and follow the father-of-lies? What do you do about the evil thoughts the father-of-lies throws at you:the beliefs that you are not good enough…that you are not loved…that you have no purpose? Do you try and fix these painful thoughts yourself? Do you become angry…selfish…rude? Do you run away and hide. Do you pretend to be OK? Do you blame your mother or your father? I bless you, Child, to do what is right. Ask the Perfect Father to show His Love to you: that you are special…that you have a purpose…that you are not alone. Then, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MEET EVIL WITH LOVE THAT WILL NOT FAIL. I bless you! February 15 Created in Christ Jesus “FOR WE ARE GOD’S WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED IN ADVANCE FOR US TO DO” (Ephesians 2:10). I bless you, Child, to stop focusing on who you are NOT…and start focusing on WHO YOU ARE. Stop being the person you are NOT…and start being the person you are. Child, focus on what you LOVE TO DO…and HOW YOU WOULD LOVE TO DO IT if nobody was around to watch you. Remember, God already knows who you are and what you love to do. Now it is your turn to find that out, too. Let God show you the true you. Let God show you what you can do best. AND YOU WILL BE HAPPY!
I bless you! February 16 Hope for Hopelessness “WE KNOW HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US, AND WE HAVE PUT OUR TRUST IN HIS LOVE” (1 John 4:16). “IF YOU OBEY MY COMMANDS, YOU WILL REMAIN IN MY LOVE…” (John 15:10). Jesus wants us to trust in His Love by listening to His Voice, moment-by-moment. Precious Child, I bless you not to listen to the father-of-lies when he tells you that everything is hopeless—that nothing will ever get better again. Those thoughts are not true. Instead, ask the Lord Jesus to tell you the Truth. Learn to only listen to Him. And you will hear Him say, ”There is always Hope! Things will get better again, soon. I am with you. I will make everything work out.” I bless you! February 17 There Is a Way out. “AND GOD IS FAITHFUL; HE WILL NOT LET YOU BE TEMPTED BEYOND WHAT YOU CAN BEAR. BUT WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED, HE WILL ALSO PROVIDE A WAY OUT SO THAT YOU CAN STAND UP UNDER IT” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Precious Child, did you know that to feel hopeless is to believe that there is no way out of your problem…to believe that you are stuck in a dead-end…to believe that you are trapped with no answer. God wants you to know that He is faithful. HE ALWAYS PROVIDES A WAY OUT. To Him there is no such thing as hopelessness. To Him there are no dead-ends. I bless you, Child, to always ask God to show you His way out. He promised that He would. I bless you! February 18 A New Lifestyle! “DON’T YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU OFFER YOURSELVES TO SOMEONE TO OBEY HIM AS SLAVES, YOU ARE SLAVES TO THE ONE WHOM YOU OBEY—WHETHER YOU ARE SLAVES TO SIN, WHICH LEADS TO DEATH, OR TO OBEDIENCE, WHICH LEADS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS?” (Romans 6:16). Dear Child, the Lord Jesus wants you to know that you always have a choice, each moment of each day, to decide how you are going to behave. When you are disappointed, you can decide to blame someone for your disappointment, or ask God to help you feel better. When you are sad, you can decide to ignore your sadness, or ask God to take it away. When you feel rejected, you can decide to sulk about it, or ask God to show you His Truth. I bless you, Child, to live your life for God, obeying Him, moment-by moment, a hundred times a day. Obedience leads to holiness. Remember, you ALWAYS have a choice. I bless you! February 19 It Is for Freedom that Christ Set Us Free “IT IS FOR FREEDOM THAT CHRIST HAS SET US FREE…” (Galatians 5:1).
Precious Child, God wants you to know that it is for freedom that Jesus has set you free: freedom from feeling helpless…freedom from feeling hopeless…freedom from feeling bad…freedom from feeling small…freedom from feeling guilty…freedom from feeling afraid…freedom from feeling alone…freedom from feeling invisible…freedom from feeling different…freedom from sin. Child, today I bless you to throw your arms wide open and take the freedom that Jesus holds out to you. I bless you! February 20 Jesus, the Much More of Your Salvation “FOR IF, WHEN WE WERE GOD’S ENEMIES, WE WERE RECONCILED TO HIM THROUGH THE DEATH OF HIS SON, HOW MUCH MORE, HAVING BEEN RECONCILED, SHALL WE BE SAVED THROUGH HIS LIFE!” (Romans 5:10). Precious Child, Jesus wants you to know that He came to this earth to bring you MUCH MORE! What is it you need? Jesus can give you MUCH MORE! What is missing in your heart? Jesus offers everything your heart needs…and MUCH MORE! Do you need confidence? Jesus offers MUCH MORE! Do you need comfort? Jesus provides MUCH MORE! Do you need love? Jesus wants to give you Love…and MUCH MORE! Ask Him for MUCH MORE, right now. I bless you! February 21 Be Released from Condemnation “BECAUSE THROUGH CHRIST JESUS THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE SET ME FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH” (Romans 8:2). Dear Child, I bless you to stop blaming yourself. Maybe your daddy has criticized you. Maybe your mommy has found fault with you. Maybe your sister has said bad things about you. Maybe a friend has pushed you away. Child, know that the father-of-lies will use all of these as opportunities, long after they happened, to tell you that your heart is bad…that everything is your fault…that you are to be blamed. Understand that blame falls under the father-of-lies’ Law of Sin and Death. But the Lord Jesus has brought you a new law: the Law of Life. I bless you child to take the blame in your heart and place it under Jesus’ new Law of Life. And the blame in your heart will lift and go away. I bless you! February 22 Go through the Right Door “I AM THE DOOR: BY ME IF ANY MAN ENTER IN, HE SHALL BE SAVED, AND SHALL GO IN AND OUT, AND FIND PASTURE” (John 10:9). I bless you, Child, to know that Jesus is the door. He is calling you to go through Him to be saved from anything and everything. He wants you to go through Him, every day, in and out…in and out…in and out. When you feel unimportant, Child, you need to go through the Jesus-door and tell him about your heart, so He can tell you that that you are very important. When you feel blamed, you need to enter through the Jesus-door, so He can take away the blame. When you feel lonely, you need to go through the Jesus door, so you could be with Jesus. And you will find rest for your tired heart. I bless you! February 23 Jesus, the Tree of Life “I AM THE VINE; YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. IF A MAN REMAINS IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT; APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING” (John 15:5). I bless you, Child, to stay connected to Jesus—the Tree of Life—at all times. Know that the Perfect Father is the Root of the tree that keeps the tree tall and healthy. Jesus is the Trunk or Stem of the tree that sucks up all the sap and water from the Father. And you are the branch. Precious Child, the branch needs the sap and water that comes out of the roots of the tree and up the stem. You are the branch. You need the sap from Jesus: His Love…His Hope…His Truth. He gets it from the Father. Without the sap, the branch will dry up and fall off. Remember, you are the branch. Make sure you stay connected to the Tree. Don’t fall off. I bless you! February 24 Take up Your Cross “AND ANYONE WHO DOES NOT TAKE HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME. WHOEVER FINDS HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT, AND WHOEVER LOSES HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE WILL FIND IT” (Matthew 10:38, 39). Beloved Child, Jesus wants you to take up your cross…and follow Him. This means that He wants you to take responsibility for your own feelings…not the other person’s faults. Jesus wants you to be honest about the anger in your heart…and not focus on the other person’s meanness. He wants you to admit that you are scared…and not try to hide it from Him. Jesus wants you to tell Him when you hate someone…and not pretend that everything is OK. And He will give you what you need. I bless you! February 25 Look for God with All Your Heart “YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART” (Jeremiah 29:13). Dear Child, God wants you to look for Him when you are happy…and when you are unhappy. God wants you to know that you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart, because God wants you to find Him. So, never give up looking for God. Look for Him everywhere: in your room…in the kitchen…outside. He is waiting for You. He wants to show Himself to you. “I WILL BE FOUND BY YOU,’ DECLARES THE LORD, ‘AND WILL BRING YOU BACK FROM CAPTIVITY’” I bless you! February 26 Doing Whatever Is Right in Your Own Eyes “You shall not do according to all we do here [in the camp] this day, every man doing whatever looks right in his own eyes” (Deuteronomy 12:8). I bless you, Child, to know that God does not want you to do what is right in your own eyes. God wants you to ask Him for what is right before you do something. More importantly, God wants you to ask Him what is right before you believe anything…especially your own thoughts. Will you obey God? If you do, He will change your life. I bless you! February 27 God Is Your Covering “HE WILL COVER YOU WITH HIS FEATHERS, AND UNDER HIS WINGS YOU WILL FIND REFUGE; HIS FAITHFULNESS WILL BE YOUR SHIELD AND RAMPART.” (Psalm 91:4). Precious Child, I bless you to know that God wants to be your protection…your blanket…your hiding place. Are you afraid? God wants you to come and hide under His wings. Do you sometimes feel naked and exposed? God wants you to come to Him, so He could cover you with His Feathers. Do you feel there is nobody to protect you? God wants you to know that if you come to Him, He will show you that He can protect your heart from feeling lonely, scared, and lost…no matter what happens to you and no matter what anyone tell you. I bless you! February 28 The Covering of Hiding “THEN THE EYES OF BOTH OF THEM WERE OPENED, AND THEY REALIZED THEY WERE NAKED; SO THEY SEWED FIG LEAVES TOGETHER AND MADE COVERINGS FOR THEMSELVES” (Genesis 3: 7). I bless you, Child to be careful about the hiding places you use when you feel mad, bad, or sad. For a very long time, I hid from my own heart whenever I felt bad, mad, or sad. I locked myself up in my room and I covered my ears. I did not want to see and hear my own heart cry. But this did not make my heart feel better. It made me feel worse. Instead of hiding from the pain in my heart, the Lord Jesus asked me to look at my heart and allow Him to see it, too. One day, when I felt scared, angry, and sad, I did not try and hide. Instead, I showed my heart to Jesus and asked Him to help me. And He did! Do you know what happened? Because I looked at my feelings and showed it to Jesus, I started feeling better. I was set free. I bless you, Child, to stop hiding from your pain, but to show it to Jesus, so you too can be set free, too. I bless you!