Devotions that will Exchange Weakness for Strength

Devotions That Will Exchange Weakness for Strength

Diane K Hiltz Chamberlain

Copyright by Diane K Hiltz Chamberlain

Smashwords Edition

Acknowledgement

I thank Jesus Christ, for these beautiful words that He has given me over time! If it wasn’t for His wisdom; then there would be no words to write. Jesus is the main source, for everything in my life and I know that just as these words have healed my heart and soul; they will also touch your heart in a very special way.

Through time, I have come to see that Jesus’ words are the only remedy and cure, for what ails me; whether it’s a physical or emotional need. His words also have a way of soothing the mind, from the cares and worries that attempt to take over our thoughts, while going through times of distress.

In addition, I would like to dedicate this book; to those who are going through very difficult moments of pain and heartache, in their lives. Our circumstances have a way of leading us down dark and dismal paths that can allow us to feel, as though we will never be able to press on in life; but when we use God’s words of hope to become medicine, to our hurting souls and spirits; then once more, we can see a glimpse of light; that can keep us focused on a powerful God, rather than a weak circumstance.

Introduction

Are you looking for the key that can unlock the circumstance; that has been attempting to keep you in bondage? Have you tried everything on your own; only to find yourself still at the bottom of your pit of despair? Come and find renewed hope and a way that will lead you out of your wilderness of despair, through Author Diane K Chamberlain’s devotional e-book…Devotions that will Exchange Weakness for Strength. The devotional writings within this book were first given to the author, as she faced overwhelming moments of pain and heartache and became the tools that would cultivate her heart and produce new and lasting growth.

Devotions that will Exchange Weakness for Strength is filled with 99 inspirational devotions that will shed light, on the darkest moment of despair; while replacing weakness, with a greater strength that can only be found through Jesus Christ. The devotions can be used on a daily basis or they can be used as a means of inspiration, for a specific need. As the author found her own way of escape, during the deepest darkest moments of trial; she is now sharing these beautiful words; that were truly inspired by God; as a means of also reaching out to others, who live in despair.

Table of Contents

Completely Connected to God

Powerful Words of Promise

Leaving a Dormant Life Behind to Discover New Growth

Imitating Christ

New Strength through a Humble Heart

Where is Time Taking Us?

Rising Above Despair to Focus on the Prize

Never Alone in a Lonely World

What We Allow Is What We Become

Holy Ground

Words that can keep the Clutter Away

Words of Strength that become Weapons in our Lives

Should we suffer as a Christian?

Is God Seen through your Circumstance?

God Didn't Bring Us This Far To Leave Us

Where Are You God?

A Remedy for Heartache and Pain

God Holds the Keys to our Prison Cell of Despair

Do Our Actions Reveal the Desire of our Prayer?

Is It Well With Your Soul?

Exchanging My Weakness for His Strength

God Can Exchange Darkness for Light

God Walks Us through Despair

When the World Walks Away...God Remains

Do We Have the Welcome Mat Out for Jesus?

Pressing On through Past Moments of Despair

Is Our Circumstance Putting Out the Light of God's Presence?

Praising God in the Midst of a Circumstance

Looking for the Hand of God

Grace...God's Riches at Christ's Expense

Laying a Broken Spirit before God’s Throne

A Heart that Loses to Find God's Heart

Seasons that Bring about God's Best

Refreshment for a Weary Soul

A God that is Greater than Fear

Injustice...a Battle that Should Be Left in God's Hands

Are We Renting Out Too Much of our Heart to Satan?

If it hadn’t been for God

Do We Depend on God or the little gods?

Do We Listen With Our Hearts?

A Faithful God

God Can Pick Up the Broken Pieces

Are We Wearing a Temporary Sign that says...Christianity?

Never Alone

Being on God's Side Doesn't Mean there will never be a Battle

Focusing On God's Love Rather than Man's Rejection

God...a Crutch of Strength

Drawing Strength from God Rather than the Problem

Are we placing our Faith in our Problems or God?

God can unlock a Discouraging Heart and Free Us

We Succeed Because of an Undefeated God

God Can Only Have Control When Our Minds Walk Away from the Affliction

A Mighty Warrior that is Greater than the Worst Battle

Letting Go of the Questions to Find the Answers

God's Strength is Made Perfect through our Weaknesses

I'd Rather Have Jesus than Anything

God is Always There

New Mercies for Each New Day

Negative Thinking Can Detour God's Blessings

Faith that can take Us Away from our Circumstances

In God's Eyes...We're all Worthy

Finding Shelter with God

God's Perfect Love Casteth out Fear

Jesus Didn't Lift Us Up to Let Us Down

How Are We Going to Gain God's Strength If We're Leaning on Our Own?

Excess Baggage

Struggling through the Dark

Do We Know God or Do We Just Know of Him?

True Peace is a Sign of a Heart That's Been Given Completely to God

God Will Stand in the Gap for You

Remembering God's Faithfulness

God's Timing is Always Right

Discovering God's Will through Adversity

A Life of Dread Only Takes Us down a Pathway of Despair

Are We Connected with God's Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding?

Mistakes Don't Mean Defeat

God Will Make a Way

Have Our Words of Faith Withered in the Wind?

Weakness that Produces Strength

Weakness is Only the Beginning of God's Best

God Accepts Us for Who We Are

Whose Footprints are We Walking In?

A Close Relationship Will Lead Us unto the Right Pathway

A Grateful Heart through Heartache

Do We Have the Right Connection?

Losing to Win

Loving Arms that Become a Place of Refuge

A Shelter of Hope

No Other Power but God's

Only God Knows the Way

This Too Shall Pass

Moments that Produce New Growth

Preparing for a Storm

Too Close to Evil is Not Good

A Temporary Moment of Affliction

Reaching for Hope Rather than Despair

God's Footprints Become a Place of Security

How Do We Perceive Our Problems?

Whatever We Perceive We Receive

Completely Connected to God

We can feel distant from God, when we are experiencing difficult times in our lives. Sometimes the circumstance itself can make us feel this way but what other reason could cause us to feel so far away from God; at the time we need Him the most?

In I John 2:15, it reads...Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Not only do we miss out on God's love, when we are connected with the world; but I believe this verse could be also telling us; that when we are trying to get through a difficult moment and we are turning to the world for the answers, then how do we expect to hear from God? We can't turn to God one moment and then turn away from God and live as the world does. When we do this, then we aren't completely plugged into God; so when we truly need Him the most in our lives; we only find that He has become distant, instead of right where we need Him.

One thing that also caught my attention with this Bible reference is If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. If we are trying to find the answers to our needs from God, while living our lives for the world, then how do we expect to find what we need, to get through the rough moments, when we have plugged ourselves into the wrong source? We can't hear God's voice, when we are connected to the world.

When we accepted Jesus into our lives; we made an agreement with Him, that we would be completely devoted to Him and let Him work out our lives according to His will. We agreed to lay our old lives down, so a new life could sprout up within us; but how are we going to allow God to have full reign of our hearts and lives, if we are caught up into the world too. If we truly want to hear God's voice within our spirits, then we need to remain plugged into His love and will for our lives, at all times. We can't have both; we will either choose to remain completely connected to God or the world; but the choice we make will either allow us to be set free or remain in bondage. We need a relationship with God that will keep us away from the worldly life. When we are bonded to God, then we will always know His voice and discover His will for our lives. May we continue to remain connected to God at all times and may you truly find God's very best for your life!

Powerful Words of Promise

What character in the Bible can you best relate to? Tonight, I'm getting ready to watch a movie on Moses. In one way, I feel that I can relate to Moses because Moses had many things stripped from his life, so that he could give His all to serving God.

I would like to share a couple verses in Exodus 6:10-12, which reads...Then the Lord said to Moses, (11) Go, tell Pharaoh King of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country. (12) But Moses said to the Lord, If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips? It's so easy to serve God, no matter what it may be, if everything is on our side but what about the moments when life gets a bit tougher? Do we think on our own terms and admit to failure before we have even tried? In this reading; Moses was already accepting failure. He said to God; if the Israelites won't even listen to my words, then how can I expect Pharaoh, King of Egypt to accept my words?

We can become so involved in what we see through our own eyes, that we forget how powerful God can be. If God says that He will work through us and our circumstances, then we need to trust Him completely. I guess we get so caught up in the worldly way of thinking; that we have convinced ourselves of failure, before it even happens.

We may feel stripped of many things in our lives, due to the surrounding circumstances but we need to remember that God's words aren't just ordinary words; they are powerful words of promise, which He uses to give us renewed hope, so we can continue to press on.

Can you imagine what Moses felt, when God asked him to speak to Pharaoh? I'm sure that he felt alone at first but as Moses agreed to obey God and move forward with God's will; he began to grow through the experience and learn to trust God in a greater way. We need a persistent faith, when it comes to working with God. This kind of faith will allow us to never give up; but instead, travel on with God, no matter how grim the circumstance may seem at the moment. Whether you serve God in some way or you are disabled or going through great moments of heartache; we all need to remember to never give in; no matter how the pathway may appear before us. When we can have a faith like Moses and continue on, no matter what we think or feel, then in the end, we will begin to see new growth and a greater faith in God.

Leaving a Dormant Life Behind to Discover New Growth

Today as I was resting; I looked out the window and across the road, as a light breeze was hitting the pine trees, causing the old needles to fall from the tree branches. In order for these trees to continue to grow, they must shed the old needles, so next spring; there will be room for the new branches to sprout.

Tonight, as I was thinking about this; God was taking me to a scripture in His word, which is found in II Corinthians 5:17, which reads...Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Even though this scripture speaks about a new life in Christ; I also feel it can relate to our everyday lives. When we are allowing the old clutter of the past or the clutter of our problems to remain intact, then where is there going to be room for new growth? When we become a new creation in Christ, then this means that we are allowing the old habits and problems from the past to leave, so the new things God has for us can move in and change our lives into something new.

Life doesn't just mature on its own. Our lives become like the seasons of a year. First they sprout forth new buds and blossoms in the spring, so by summer, we can enjoy the artistic display of God's hand at work. Once fall comes, the leaves turn color and fall to the ground, so they can take a long winter's nap, before repeating the cycle all over again. What if these moments didn't exist? Then there would never be beauty and new growth surrounding us each day of the year. In a similar way; if we don't go through the moments, when we shed the old ways and allow the past to fall to the ground, then how are we going to experience