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Hey sweet devotional reader friends!
You have no idea how much I have loved serving you with encouragement from God's Word and other moms. I do not know most of you personally, but you all have a special place in my heart just the same. I have prayed for you and cheered you on in my heart, and I will continue to do so, as best I can! I am so sad to lay this app down, but in doing so I am trusting God to continue to work in your lives and give you a hunger for truth as you walk your own journeys. I speak for myself and the entire TruthBytes team when I say that we would LOVE to continue to encourage you on our own blogs and social media. You can find all of us by going to the "About Us" tab on the home page of the app or by clicking here. We would like to share a few devotional recommendations with you - apps and books that have encouraged us personally and we know you will love as well. First Songs of Christmas Pursuing the Christ: Prayers for Christmastime (aff) FirstFive App She Reads Truth Website My Utmost For His Highest (aff) Streams in the Desert (aff) The One Year of Praying God's Promises (aff) May God bless you richly as you pursue Him! We hope to see you around. Stefani & the TruthBytes for Moms team
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 As we conclude our study of Psalm 145, I thought we could pray the three verses together to the Lord.
Father God, as David once said these same words to you thousands of years ago, we humbly pour out our praises to you, “He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The LORD protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. I will praise the LORD, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.” Psalm 145:19-21 (NLT) Thankfulness can be challenging when you are in the middle of trials or turmoil. When you wish you could hit the pause button in life, or hit replay or stop. In real life we don’t get those options, but we do have a God who sees every detail of our situation and cares for us. We need to remind ourselves that God is constant and steadfast even when our circumstances are not. He will sustain us and be there for us. We praise His mighty name because of WHO He is, not because of WHAT He does or doesn’t do for us. I have multiple friends who are currently walking through dark times. My heart is heavy for them, and I can’t control any of their situations or make anything better in their life--only God can do that. But what I can do is PRAY, and that matters! Prayer gives us peace as we loosen our grip on a situation and surrender it all to Him. God is good. It is a simple statement, but it is true. That is why we praise His holy name, because of who He is and who He will always be! “Father, please fill us with your wisdom and a heart of thankfulness. Help us to be women of God who walk out our Christianity with a love for you, our families and the world. Amen.” - Johanna P.S. This is the last devotional we're going to be sharing here. What a wonderful, powerful week to end with! Don't delete your app quite yet - stay tuned for a list of resources coming tomorrow morning! <3 Stefani  “When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:16-18 (NLT)
These last couple of months have been one trial after another. I can easily handle one trial, but when you get hit with a hurricane of trials for months on end, it can quickly leave you feeling unraveled and undone. As my children grow older, they see firsthand if I walk out my faith and trust in God, especially my teenager. He has asked deep and challenging questions. Those questions have led to us to have multiple discussions about the goodness and sovereignty of God in the midst of hardships and trials. While it is not “fun” to go through hard times, God strengthens us and He asks us to lean on Him so we can be strong in Him alone. Are we bravely walking out our faith with honest authenticity for our children to witness? Or are we crumbling under the weight of the trials with doubt, unbelief and anger? Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV) Let us not forget that God is with us every step of the way. Our teenagers see God in us best when we show them God’s strength shining through us. He is there IF we call out to Him, that’s not my promise to you; it is the Lord’s promise to you my friend. Let us say these promises of God together: • God will satisfy me, my family and every living thing • God is righteous in all He does • God is filled with kindness • The Lord is with me and all who call out to Him in truth • I will trust in the name of the Lord Most High “Thank you Lord, for you are God, and worthy to be praised! Help me to trust in You and help my children see God in me on the good days and the hard days.” - Johanna  “For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The LORD always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.” Psalm 145:13-15 (NLT)
How thankful I am that you are with us today. We are heading into day five of reading Psalm 145 together. If you’ve missed any other days, no worries. But if you desire to read from the beginning you can go back and start with Monday. The verses above are a poetic song of praises to the Lord from David’s very own lips. He acknowledges God’s everlasting kingdom and how the Lord will help all those who need it. Lamentations 5:19 says, “You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation” (NIV). Throughout the Bible you will see Scripture confirm over and over the eternal reign of the Lord, and that our physical world is only temporary. As believers in Jesus, one day we will meet with our Maker with his arms outstretched waiting for us to enter His eternal Kingdom. What peace washes over me when I remember our world is only temporary but God is eternal. I can truly put my trust and faith in Him alone. What are you struggling with today, momma? What situation in your life challenges you to put your FULL trust in God alone? Can you thank the Lord despite the fiery trial you are in? The Lord God Almighty is our hope today, friend. His promises are secure. He is our eternal Rock. Let’s look to the Lord and praise His name while resting in who He is, no matter what we are facing today. - Johanna  “All of your works will thank you, LORD, and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign.” Psalm 145:10-12 (NLT)
David, the inspired writer of this passage is passionately poetic and honest. I love reading any passage in Psalms because it is as if I am peering into a private journal of a person who loves the Lord immensely. Let us be lovers of the Lord and His Word. In the verses above, David is praising the King of all kings, he is declaring the power and might of the amazing God that made him victorious in so many battles. David recognized that although he was King of Israel, God was King of his entire life. Isaiah 40:28 says, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable” (ESV). There are times, when I meet a person who does not understand Jesus or why one would need a relationship with the Savior, I want to shout from the mountain tops the goodness of the Lord and how He meets our needs. What an amazing God we serve. No one can fathom or understand the complexities of the Lord, but we can get a glimpse of His deep, unfailing love for us in the love letters He sent us, the Holy Scriptures. Father God, we praise your mighty name! We declare your power and might to all generations. We will sing of your goodness to our children and generations to come! Give us a hunger and thirst for You that no person can ever quench. In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen. - Johanna  “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness.” (Psalm 145:4-6 NLT)
What a beautiful day it is. Do you know why today is such a special day? It’s not because of some grand event in my life or that my child just aced a test he’s been studying for weeks in preparation for, but it is a grand, beautiful day because we are all still breathing and able to praise the Lord! He is great, my friends. Can you not see it? If you can’t see it just yet, please let me brag about my Maker for a little bit. He found me and saved me from a life without Him. I found His salvation in Jesus Christ when I was 4 1/2 years old. He was there when no one else could be. He has never left me nor forsaken me, even when I felt He had. His Holy Spirit is living in me, and He talks with me. He loves me and delights in me. (It took me decades to believe it but know I know it!) Nothing I ever do can separate me from His great love for me. When I ask for forgiveness, my Lord forgives my sins, as far as the east is from the west. And what is most amazing about all of that is this: He will do the same for you! He loves you, yes you! He will show you so much love you will not even understand or comprehend it. Open your mind and heart to hear His voice; open the Bible and read the book of John. Find Jesus there in the pages of His deep, vast, wide love for you. It’s so hard to wrap your mind around God’s goodness and His love for us, but spread the good news! He is a God of all miracles--He raised Jesus from the dead! He created the world with the power of His words. Great are his deeds, and with great excitement I love sharing how much He loves you and cares for every detail in your life. I am thankful for the Lord and I am thankful for you. - Johanna  “I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.” (Psalm 145:1-3, NLT) For the next several days we will be focusing on Psalm 145. We will be able to savor and take each verse in small TruthBytes day by day. Today, we are focusing on the first three verses. If you flip through your Bible or open your Bible app, it will say that this specific passage is “A psalm of praise from David.” Oh, how I love David’s poetic praises to the Lord. Even before he was King of Israel, he was an authentic example of how we need to approach the Lord in all situations, whether in joy, mourning, grief, or with immense thanksgiving and praise. David is a truth-teller. When we glimpse into this precious psalm of praise, David is sharing his deep love for the Lord while praising His Holy name. Our Maker. Our Savior. Our Almighty, Strong Tower. Great is His Name, dear sisters. Let us humble ourselves and thank the Father right now, in this very moment, for laying down the most immeasurable sacrifice-- His Son Jesus. How great is your name, oh Lord! You are mighty to be praised! Let’s play the worship music louder than usual, sing songs of praises with our children, text our friends the verse above and then say aloud this verse, "Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things" (Psalm 107:8-9 NIV). - Johanna  Friends, God is faithful, no matter what. I hope we can all remember to praise Him, no matter the circumstances. I can tell you that God really does hold us close in the middle of the fiercest storms.
I wrote the first two devotionals for this week two days after we found out my husband had cancer. During that time, I felt sheltered in the very heart of God. I am only sharing this to say: these devotionals on praising God through the good and bad times are not the glib words of a girl who saw everything turn out miraculously, although that was eventually the case. No, I know, without the shadow of a doubt, that it is possible to praise God with reckless abandon, even when life is upside down and your heart feels torn apart. And I know God extends the same grace to each of us. We simply have to accept it. And part of that acceptance comes by choosing to praise Him, no matter what. I am trusting Him to continue to faithfully work in your life as we prepare to close down the app and end our devotional journey together. Let’s take some time to praise God together. Lord, we praise You and honor Your glorious name. Your works are awesome. It is through the greatness of Your power that enemies submit to You and bow at Your feet. The whole earth will bow to You and sing You praise. You are glorious! We will declare Your awesome works to everyone around us. It is You who makes a path through troubled, impassable waters for us and we rejoice in You for it. We bless You and praise You for caring for our souls and keeping us alive in You! You don’t allow our feet to be moved, but hold us in Your strength. You have tested us and refined us as silver. You allowed us to feel trapped, but You have rescued us. You brought us safely through fiery trials and carried us through to complete fulfillment in You. And so we thank You and commit our lives to You anew, Jesus. We will declare what You have done for our souls. Even as we cry to You for help, we will praise You in the presence of others. We will not regard our own prideful thoughts above Your words Lord, but will choose to follow You. You heard our prayers, and we bless You for Your faithfulness and Your mercy! We praise You, Jesus! (based on Psalm 66) Stefani P.S. Don't forget to go to the "About Us" tab and follow our team members before the app is removed from app stores and no longer available. We would all love the privilege to continue encouraging you in Jesus!  Are you ready to make a joyful shout to God? Let us each begin to intentionally make His praise glorious, no matter what. There is so much we can thank God for in the mundane days, the good times and the hard seasons. He is worthy of our praise no matter what, and a heart of gratitude is a gift we can give back to Him for His greatness.
Let’s take some time to reflect on why we can praise Him, no matter what. “Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; make His praise glorious.” (Psalm 66:1-2 NKJV) Praise is never about us. It’s not about showing the world how God has blessed us, but declaring that He is glorious. “Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the river on foot. There we will rejoice in Him.” (Psalm 66:5-6 NKJV) The purpose of the Red Sea crossing was to strengthen the faith of God’s people, and that purpose remains the same today. God wants to build our faith deep and high and wide. Sometimes He stretches our faith in the physical realm, and other times He stretches it in the area of overwhelming grace or peace. “Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard, Who keeps our soul among the living, and does not allow our feet to be moved. For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined…We went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment. I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows, which my lips have uttered and my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.” (Psalm 66:8-10, 12b NKJV) Take some time today to be still before God. Ask Him to fill you with a heart of praise and gratefulness, regardless of your outward circumstances. And then praise Him out loud! And then do it again tomorrow and the next day and the next day. We can never praise Him too much. “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue.” (Psalm 66:16-17 NKJV) Praise is acknowledging the gift of God’s answer, no matter what the answer may be. You can praise God for hearing and answering your prayers, and you can trust your soul to Him because He knows how to care for it in the best of ways. He is carrying you in the palm of His hand, and you can always praise Him from there. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.” (Psalm 66:18-20 NKJV) Don’t let the praise and thanksgiving fade away with November. Now is a better time than ever to pull out that gratitude journal or chalkboard, intentionally giving thanks for every good and perfect gift from our Father. Stefani  “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.” (Psalm 66:18-20 NKJV)
Unconfessed and prideful sin cuts the line of communication between us and God. If we give our own sinful thoughts higher regard than the words of God, He will turn His ear from us. Our God is gracious and ready to hear our prayers and lift us up out of the miry clay, but we need to be willing to drop the sticky clay of our own wisdom and humbly ask His forgiveness when we go our own way. The phrase “the Lord will not hear” sounds harsh and unlike the loving God that we know, but it is actually another reason to praise Him! Like a wise and loving parent, He gently uses discipline to guide us back to unhindered communion with Him. Jeremiah reminds us of God’s heart towards us: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV). God’s heart is not against us when He is silent. And so we can thank Him for guiding us, even when it doesn’t feel good. Christmas is coming, and with it lots of good cheer, baking, and a whopping potential for selfishness and overwhelm. Take some time right now to ask God to keep your heart focused on Him through the Christmas season. Don’t let the praise and thanksgiving fade away with November. Now is a better time than ever to pull out that gratitude journal or chalkboard, intentionally giving thanks for every good and perfect gift from our Father. We can start with the words of David: “But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.” Stefani |
AuthorsMeet the moms behind the TruthBytes app here. Archives
December 2018
CategoriesThe TruthBytes for Moms app is available in Google Play and the App Store. You can also subscribe to the devotionals via email below.
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