enLIVEn Devotionals

Abiding in Jesus - Overflowing His Spirit

Don't Shrink Back

We strive to use our gifts and talents for the Lord and give Him our best until something difficult happens to cause us to stumble: we see someone with a “better” gift pass us by. We start to feel insecure and stuck. It’s one of the enemy’s most common tactics. We compare. We don’t mean to do it, but so many times we give in and allow ourselves to begin to dig the pit. You know the pit. It’s the “I’m not good enough; I’m not talented enough; I’m not spiritual enough; I’m not outgoing enough; I’m not (fill in the blank) enough PIT!” This thought process spirals into the next phase called, ... Read the Post

Every Day Miracles

I’m sure everyone knows the story of Esther, the most beautiful woman in all of the land who won the favor of King Xerxes; the woman who was given a royal crown and banquet in honor of her beauty; and the woman who with prayer and courage chose to stand before the king in order to save her people. Her story is amazing, and I know that I aspire to be just like her—beautiful, intelligent, and faithful to my Lord. What I find so incredible about Esther is that she was not untouchable; she was a real woman with fears and doubts about her beauty, her abilities, and her faith. She struggled with ... Read the Post

Faith or Fact

I recently had a conversation with a dear friend about a topic that many Christians have had to address. She was sharing her struggle in witnessing to a friend about Christ. She considered herself a “baby Christian” and the person she was witnessing to was very set in his non-Christian belief system. He had grown up in a communist country, and he was (understandably) bitter about religion. However, he did seem to want to engage her in debate over the shortcomings of Christians and theological conundrums in general. My friend was frustrated trying to answer his questions about the loving ... Read the Post

Exercise

Exercise. Just the word makes me tired! It brings to mind thoughts of hard work and slow progress. It reminds me that I ought to be on that treadmill I begged my husband for and now serves as a “catch-all” in the corner of our bedroom! Unfortunately, my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak! Isn’t that the way it is with anything that is significant in our lives? It takes effort and discipline to maintain our physical health. Interestingly enough, it also takes effort and discipline to maintain our spiritual health. I know this to be true for myself, but I’m not the first to figure it ... Read the Post

Fall: A New Season

Fall is my favorite season, though living in South Texas we do not get much of a fall until January. But that is another story. What I love about the fall is that everything is new again. The kids are back in school after a long summer. The trees are changing colors (okay if you are in the hill country the leaves are colorful). You pack away the summer towels and water toys, and you bring out the fall decorations. I’ve heard it said that the fall is like the New Year for women. It is time to reevaluate our priorities and goals. It’s the beginning of things that we’ve put off. It’s a new ... Read the Post

A Family's Salvation

One of the hardest things to accept as a Christian is a family member who will not accept the gift of Jesus. After years of praying for my family and sharing God’s love, I began to see God’s hand at work. My little brother began to have random people tell him that he needed to give his life to Christ. One night while escaping from a friend’s house that was being robbed at gunpoint, my brother ran to a house for help. In the middle of the house’s yard was a large sign that read, “Jesus Saves.” The owner of the house helped my brother; and the following day, the man called to check on ... Read the Post