confidence Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Tabetha’s Devotions

May 25, 2018

An Intelligent Failure

1 John 2:1
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

If I were writing 1 John 2:1 it would come out a little more like this…

Hey, I really hope you don’t find yourself doing things wrong. However, when you do, don’t try to hide it or pretend you didn’t screw up. It’s OK! Admit you are wrong, learn from it and move on. Jesus has you covered. He is there to help. He died for your sins. You will be forgiven.
~1 John 2:1 (Tabetha Version)

God knew we were not going to be perfect. He knew we were going to need Jesus to help us out of our sin. He also knew that Jesus dying wasn’t going to keep us from screwing up.

I have a philosophical question for you…is it failure if we learn from it?

I was reading a devotion this morning. The author was saying trying to get across how to fail successfully. He used a quote from inventor Charles Kettering that suggested we must learn to fail intelligently. He said, “Once you’ve failed, analyze the problem and find out why, because each failure is one more step leading to the cathedral of success.”

I love this idea of learning to fail successfully. Kettering went on to explain in order to do so one must do three things. (1) Face defeat, don’t fake success. (2) Learn all can from the mistake. (3) Never use failure as an excuse to not keep trying.

So, to answer my own question, no I don’t think it is truly failure if we learn from it. To stay in the light with Jesus (1 john 1:7) does not mean to not make mistakes. It means to own up to them, learn from them and start again.

Remember Jesus is always there to be our advocate. He will give you sound advice even when you screw up. So don’t be a failure. Be an Intelligent Failure!

May 18, 2018

I Hope

Romans 5:5
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

I am drawing a blank today. I prayed and prayed, but nothing is coming to me.

A writer’s worst nightmare!

I had actually picked the verse above a few days ago and set it aside. I am staring at it and still nothing is coming, or is it?!

I think I am living this verse right now in this very moment. I am praying and hoping that God will tell me what I am suppose to blog about. I am hoping for some words of wisdom to pass on.

I am HOPING!

Hope is such a teeny tiny little word, but has such a BIG meaning. I wake up in hope and I go to bed in hope.

I hope for a good day.

I hope for a message from my children.

I hope for one more day with my mother and father.

I hope I remember everything when I leave for work.

I hope for green lights and no trains or accidents.

I hope for something good for dinner (my hubby does all the cooking).

I hope for enough energy to do my workout after work.

I hope for a relaxing evening.

I hope for a good nights sleep.

These are just a few things that pop through my mind as I go through my day. I have bigger hopes and dreams also, but the important thing is I have hopes. I do hope. When I continue to hope, God doesn’t let me down.

Do all of those things always come to pass right then?

No, but I never give up hope.

Hope is what gets me through each moment, even the ones I hoped would never come. My hope is what sustains me because God’s love has been poured out into my heart through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to me.

Hmmm…I hope this blog has encouraged you to keep hoping. I also hope to see you again on Monday.

*Hugs*

Tabetha

May 9, 2018

I Will Be Strong Tomorrow, but Not Right Now

1 Corinthians 12:9
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

I remember my brother’s funeral like it was yesterday, instead of 23 years ago. I remember standing tall and stiff. I remember saying over and over again, “I am an army wife. I must be strong. I cannot cry. I have to support my mom and dad.”

It was a very difficult day for all of us. My brother had been taken away in a very brutal way and much too young. He left a wife and two beautiful daughters behind.

No one ever wants to get a phone call saying your loved one is dead. I can’t explain how hard it is to hear the person on the other end of the phone tell you they were murdered.

For me, it was like the wind was knocked out of me and at the same time the world just stopped spinning and fell away. I couldn’t feel my body at all. I remember having my newborn in my arms and my friend quickly grabbing her then turning to me and setting me down on the couch.

It was in that very moment, I knew without God, I wasn’t even going to be able to take my next breath. I had no strength for anything.

At the time, I lived 12 hours away, but I don’t even remember the drive home.

When I reached my parents house and saw my parents faces, I could only mutter a quick prayer of “God, get us through this!”

The voice I heard came back with, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

I knew from that moment on, it was not going to be easy. I was going to be very hard. The days to come would even seem impossible to get through at times. However, I knew I was going to get through them. I knew God was going to go through them for me.

Yes, you read that last statement correctly. He was going to get through them for me and not just with me. He had already been down that road watching a group of people murder His son. He knew the pain I was going through.

In one of my weakest hours, he was my strength. It wasn’t easy at all, but there was hope for the sun to shine again. That is what got me through. Everything was going to be OK, just not right now. And that was OK too.

May 7, 2018

I Need A Hero!

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.

I don’t care if you are Team Marvel or Team DC. In this day and age, we are all looking for a superhero! There is so much destruction around us. You can’t turn on the TV, read a newspaper of even check your social media without being pounded with bad news from around the world.

I woke up this morning and in my devotion I stumbled up the Isiah 1:17. As I read this verse, Do Something from Matthew West popped into my head.

I woke up this morning
Saw a world full of trouble now, thought
How’d we ever get so far down, and
How’s it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to Heaven
I thought, “God, why don’t You do something?”
Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”
He said, “I did, yeah, I created you” (now listen)

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something, yeah
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
Oh, it’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

I laughed because I couldn’t help but look in the mirror and see my lightening bolt across my chest (Yes, I am Team DC, but I still love me some Marvel)! I quickly put my hands on my hips and recited “God created me!”

I don’t need to look for a hero. God created me. Not only that he armed me!

I recently heard a lady tell a room full of women, “Jesus is our shield and our rock! We can defend off those pesky little darts Satan is throwing at us. But don’t you ever forget you also have a ROCK to throw right back at him!”

So, go ahead! Take the Superhero Stance! Recite after me! “I am a Superhero! God created ME!”

April 30, 2018

I. Can’t. Do. It!

Jeremiah 17:7
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

I. Can’t. Do. It! I stomped my feet and told the Lord! I am not capable. I don’t have the will power. I am too old. I can’t try again. I can’t go through this again. I won’t do it because I. Can’t. Do. It!

What was God’s reply? I know you can’t! But I can!

I have no confidence in me and my abilities. I don’t have the strength to do many things in my life. That is OK. I don’t have to have confidence in me. I have to have confidence in God. I must learn to rely on his strength.

Need some more proof? Here are a few more verses in the bible to convince you.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29

My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. Psalm 119:28

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10

Buy those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Psalm 22:19

So, no I can’t do it! But God can! i just have to have confidence in him and rely on his strength to get me through.

Tag: confidence

An Intelligent Failure

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I Hope

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I Will Be Strong Tomorrow, but Not Right Now

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I Need A Hero!

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I. Can’t. Do. It!

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