Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Vital Ingredients

When I buy vitamins, I read the labels carefully. Due to some weird lab results, I have to watch out for one a days that contain potassium. 

The other day, I found myself reading labels in the aisle at CVS. I'm a woman. Always have been. Always will be. So needless to say, I buy women's vitamins. Without fail, every bottle stressed the importance of three things that the company considered vital ingredients for my health as a woman. Man friends....you share one out of the three, but I will pass on the testosterone, thank you very much! 

My distinctly female vitamins contain ingredients to promote and support
  
heart health, bone health, and memory. 

Aren't those the very same vital ingredients that I need to promote and support my spiritual health? Let's look at them in backward order.


Memory is one of the most important things to keep sharp when we're fighting a spiritual battle. Each and every one of us is going through something today. If you're not, trust me, you will be facing a challenge, a trial, or a circumstance soon. It's life on an imperfect planet Earth. It's tough. It's not always fair. Sometimes the pain of it all is excruciating. One of the most successful weapons you and I have against despair over our situations, is remembering what God has done for us in the past. 

When David was greatly distressed, he "encouraged himself in the Lord." (1 Samuel 30:6 KJV) Encouraging oneself is remembering, recalling, having memory of past deliverance, provision, and help, from the One Who calls Himself, "an ever-present help in time of trouble." (Psalm 46:1) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) The same God who brought you out before, will bring you out again. Sit a spell and call to remembrance what God has done for you thus far.

 "Thus far has the Lord helped us." (1 Samuel 7: 12) 
      








Bones surround you. Lifeless bones of situations and relationships and life. When you look around, all may seem lost. You may seem lost. Have you ever been just sick and tired of being sick and tired? I've been there friend, when I hear you say, "I'm just so tired." 

Tired of. Tired from. Nothing left to give. Dry.

Can these bones live?

"Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! I will make breath enter you , and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 37: 4-6) 

Be assured today, sweet one, that nothing is utterly dead until God says it's utterly dead. Nothing is hopeless or beyond repair. You may be set in the middle of a deep valley today, but if God has set you there, like He did Ezekiel, His Spirit is right there with you. (Psalm 23: 4)  He is asking you the same question. "Can these bones live?"  He wants to hear what you think. He wants to test your faith. He wants to know if you believe Him. 

"O Sovereign Lord, you alone know."  

You alone. 

God alone.




The Heart is literally the heart of the whole matter. Girlfriend, in a world that is bombarding you with the compulsion to be perfect, it's no wonder you're exhausted. All around us is the pressure to be the perfect wife, the perfect mom, the perfect employee who brings home the bacon, and fries it up in a pan. Let's not forget the perfect face, the perfect body, the zillions of programs and exercises and guidelines and strategies to do it all, be it all, look all that, and collapse in our beds and do it all again tomorrow.  

Can I assure you today that there is only One Who is perfect? The Lord Jesus Christ. 

And you have His heart. He loves you with His whole heart. He loves you so much that He promises to give you a new heart...a heart like His. He's not concerned with your earthly perfection. "He knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." (Psalm 103: 14) How freeing is that?

The standards of God are nothing like the demands you are feeling from the world around you. The pressure's off because...

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 
(1 Samuel 16: 7)

I want to close this out but I don't quite know how. I wish we were sitting across from one another, sharing an iced Mocha. Women are hurting terribly. We're under attack from an enemy who wants no less than our destruction. I think it's because we are the nurturers, the caregivers, and the force behind the generation after us. We can beat him. We don't have to let him destroy us, or the ones we love. We have been put here, today, in this place, for such a time as this, and we can stop the madness, in Jesus' name, and with His Holy Spirit's power.

Our lives and the lives of our precious loved ones depend on it.





39 comments:

  1. Proverbs 4:20-22 says, My son (and daughter), attend to my words; incline thine
    ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them
    in the midst of thine heart. For they are life to those that find them,
    and health to all their flesh.

    Thanks for the great reminder Donna!

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  2. Don't you just love when Jesus inspiration comes in the most random places-- even in the aisle at CVS! Love your creative thoughts on this... Thanks for the reminder of the importance of healthy heart, bones and memory! Blessings to you :-)

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  3. great post. I was encouraged.

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  4. Inspiration from the vitamin bottle, God is so creative. Thanks for the encouragment.

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  5. Visiting from Women in the Word Wednesday's. Thank you for the nice post, it is quite encouraging.

    http://lawyergirlruns86.blogspot.com/2012/05/women-in-word-wednesday-2012-summer.html

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  6. nice...love the wisdom you found in the bones, the heart and memory...makes for a great metaphor as well for the things we need to cultivate in our life...because those challenges are always coming...

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  7. Now I think I need to take vitamins. Such an encouraging post. I love the verses and the way God can use anything to glorify himself. Even One-a-days. :)

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  8. EXCELLENT - love the way you related everything to the Word of God... I'll never think of vitamins the same again --:) Wonderful post!

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  9. you are one of the most encouraging bloggers i know, friend. don't stop.

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  10. Oh, Donna. I cried and cried. The Lord gave this to you for me. He really did.

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  11. Thank you for this. We all needed to hear this, I needed to be reminded of the truth while I'm surrounded by lies.

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  12. This is a beautiful post and so encouraging! Thank you so much for linking up with Wisdom Wednesdays!

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  13. Such a fun way to look at the matters of faith! Well done! Abundant blessings to you on your faith journey!

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  14. Admire your strength and belief ~ very inspiring ~ thanks, namaste, ^_^

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  15. Excellent post, Donna! It is so easy to allow ourselves to be discouraged, focus on past mistakes, compare ourselves to others...the list goes on. Love the Scriptures you shared and the analogy you used.

    Blessings,
    Joan

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  16. Thanks for the great post! I'm a new GFC follower from a blog hop and would love if you followed me at http://iheartpears.blogspot.com

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  17. Creative manner/approach. Yes, the vitamin needs are an every-day concern. But our Father's blend to our heart and all other areas of of our body and mind is highly important. Be attentive, ready for battle, protecting and keeping others who don't have enough "Vitamin" [named Jesus]in their system, need some of us who will encourage and share Him with them in any way possible... and although I'm NOT a mocha person, I would be pleased to share the spice chai with someone and hold hands and hearts at the same time.

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  18. Thank you for sharing at Tell me a Story and it is amazing how a visit to CVS can preach a sermon.
    Such good encouraging words you hsve shared.

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  19. Very touching and well written post. As I get older, the memory part becomes more challenging. Perhaps it's because, as you say, there's other things competing for my time and energy. Thanks for sharing. (Visiting from B&BB blog hop.)

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  20. Great post! Love love this! Hopped from BB&B

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  21. I enjoy how you used these three health needs and equated them to our spiritual health. Very clever and insightful. Thanks for sharing on B&BB. I'm praying that you'll be blessed this week with special spiritual vitamins : )

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  22. Good word....all 3 vital ....and all 3 a constant need to maintain!

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  23. What an encouraging post! I especially needed the "get over trying to be perfect" part. That's something I need to revisit often! Thanks!!

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  24. Thank you for sharing...i've been one of those worn out, exhausted and discouraged women lately ND I found your words encouraging.

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  25. New follower from weekend hop. Your blog is very inspiring and has lots of great scripture. I am passing it on to my mom for her to enjoy as well ;)

    Love for you to follow back when you get a chance!

    http://naptimeshopper.blogspot.com

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  26. wonderful post!!Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop Big Hugs xo

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  27. just listened to one of your audios. not only are you a gifted writer, you are also a gifted speaker!

    janelle

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  28. This is such a great post and I think so many hearts were blessed by this!

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  29. Its amazing how God can reach us in the every day life. Thank you for a great post and for sharing it at WJIM.

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  30. Very good analogies. I will remember this when shopping for vitamins. My spiritual vitamins..
    Blessings,
    Linking from A Holy Experience from http://underthecoverofprayer.wordpress.com
    Can't link directly with blogspot.
    Jan

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  31. Gail said it best; beautiful job on this inspiring post. Thanks for linking up :)

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  32. Oh Donna, this has been sitting in my overwhelmed email inbox for days and I'm so glad I finally got the opportunity to be blessed by your words. This is beautiful and inspiring. I hope you don't mind if I share it around the social media world. :) Always praying for you, sweet friend!

    ~Rosann

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  33. Powerful and true! Thank you for this.
    --Happy to be stopping by from Inspire Me Monday
    Chels from Garden Me

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  34. Great analoagies...thanks for sharing on the NOBH

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  35. Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Jay

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