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8/11/2019 Crosswalk Devotionals

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November 29, 2012

I Know How to ManipulateLysa TerKeurst

"The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorchedland and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden,like a spring whose waters ne er fail." - !saiah #$%% &'!()

Just because something great happens doesn't mean it is from God. I knothis is true because I kno ho to manipu!ate and make great things happen.

"onest!#, I hate that ord$manipu!ate. It rubs something rough and grain#into the softer p!aces of m# heart.

%ut there it is. &nd I kno it. %ecause sometimes I do it. I manipu!ate.

I kno ho to se!! an idea I think is rea!!# great.

I kno ho to go the e tra mi!e.

I kno ho to strategi(e to make m# p!an seem !ike a great strateg#.

&nd not that an# of this is intrinsica!!# bad. )ome of these things are great*ua!ities God can certain!# use in good a#s.

%ut hat if I use these ski!!s and ta!ents outside God's i!!+ o push past

God's timing, God's direction, God's p!an to teach me stuff in the process+)ometimes I think "e !ets us push past "is better p!an to e perience theconse*uences of our headstrong attitude. %o# do I kno a!! about that. I've

-umped headfirst into something I thought I anted so much, on!# to finde treme stress, fear, an iet# and an over he!ming sense of regret.

It's great to kno ho to se!! an idea. %ut it's not great to do it outside God'si!!.

It's great to go the e tra mi!e. %ut it's not great to do it out of a desire to securehat I ant$rather than out of a desire to serve another.

It's great to strategi(e and have a p!an. %ut it's not great if that p!an stretchesme so I seek m# desires more than God's desires.

I am !earning. earning to not a! a#s push so hard. /un so fast. &nd desire somuch more.
http://lysaterkeurst.com/http://lysaterkeurst.com/


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/ecent!# I had the opportunit# to be considered for something huge. /ea!!#huge.

&nd I kne ho to secure it.

I kne the ords I cou!d use to se!! m# idea. I kne I cou!d go the e tra mi!eith m# pitch and !ook impressive. I kne a strateg# that cou!d beimp!emented and the p!an to propose.

%ut hat I didn't kno is if this as God's p!an or m# desire.

If I kne for sure it as God's p!an, a!! m# efforts ou!dn't be manipu!ation$the#'d be smart. %ut I didn't kno .

herefore, a!! m# pushing and p!otting ere manipu!ation. )o, I stopped. Ibacked off. I stepped aside.

I aited.

&nd then I doubted. It as hard to atch the opportunit# possib!# s!ip a a#.%ut I reminded m#se!f that this as a p!ace here m# trust in God has to stepin. his as one of those times hen a deeper faith cou!d be found.

I can rest in the assurance that if something is to be, it isn't up to me. It's up toGod. It's not that I -ust sit back and don't pursue things. I do. %ut I give hat Ican give ithout manipu!ation. &nd then I ait for God to give hat on!# "ecan give. )o, if "e makes it happen ithout a!! m# chaotic se!f effort, then I i!!kno it is "is best.

&nd if it doesn't happen, I i!! thank "im for saving me from m#se!f.

*ear Lord, ! am so grateful for Your e erlasting lo e and ision for my life.Help me to embrace the fact that Your plans are so much greater than mine.Humble my heart in the moments when ! try to maintain control so that ! canfully ser e You. !n +esus 'ame, men.

Related Resources:

)ometimes it's easier to fo!!o our gut response, rather than ait on God'sdirection. In her book nglued , #sa er eurst shares great isdom onembracing God's a#s, not ours. Click here to purchase a cop#.

h# not gather some friends and stud# nglued together iththe DVD and Participant s !uide +
http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/http://www.ungluedbook.com/http://www.proverbs31.org/store/product/unglued-bible-study-dvd/http://www.proverbs31.org/store/product/unglued-participants-guide/http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/http://www.ungluedbook.com/http://www.proverbs31.org/store/product/unglued-bible-study-dvd/http://www.proverbs31.org/store/product/unglued-participants-guide/


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Reflect and Respond:3o #ou ever catch #ourse!f manipu!ating past God's p!ans to secure #our o ndesire+

God ants #ou to give up #our o n agenda and trust in "is p!ans for #our !ife4)et aside some time ever# da# to ref!ect on %ib!e verses dedicated to thisparticu!ar issue. "aving this dai!# reminder of God's sovereignt# i!! he!p #outo recogni(e hen #our o n desires are taking precedence over "is i!!.

Power Verses:5sa!m 9610, 7 hose ho kno #our name i!! trust in #ou, for #ou, 8/3,have never forsaken those ho seek #ou.7 NI:;

5roverbs , 7 rust in the ord ith a!! #our heart and !ean not on #our o nunderstanding? in a!! #our a#s submit to him, and he i!! make #our paths

straight.7 NI:;


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Do "ou Ha#e $I$ Issues%Jennifer /othschi!d

"He must become greater; ! must become less." - +ohn /$/0 &'!()

In the !ate '@0s I sat ith m# fo!ks in a hospita! room in the %ascom 5a!merA#e Institute. he doctors ho had -ust comp!eted tests on m# e#es eree p!aining hat it meant to have retinitis pigmentosa. he# described ho I

ou!d s!o !# !ose m# remaining sight and eventua!!# be tota!!# b!ind. B# mindraced and m# heart e!!ed ith confusing emotions. I as si!ent in thathospita! room that da#.

& fe da#s !ater at m# ne t visit, I on!# ish I had been si!ent.

e ent back to the same room ith some of the same doctors. his time itas to he!p me get on a rehabi!itative program. 8ne doctor described ho

!arge, thick g!asses might he!p ith the !itt!e vision I sti!! had. &notherdiscussed a!king ith a cane. &nother doctor to!d me ho important it asfor me to have an oversi(ed magnif#ing g!ass and advised me to use af!ash!ight to find m# !ocker at schoo!.

he# stepped out of the room, and ith fu!! ado!escent be!!igerence I ranted tom# parents. 7I i!! not ear an# of that -unk or use that embarrassing stuff4 No

a#4 I i!! not !ook eird47

Just as I finished m# outburst, the door opened and m# ne rehab counse!or

7ro!!ed7 in. %eing !ega!!# b!ind, I cou!dn't see him e!! enough to detect hatm# mom described to me !ater.

"e as b!ind in one e#e, his face as disfigured, he as missing an arm, andhis !egs evident!# eren't functiona!. hat I cou!d detect, even ithout sight,

as that his voice as on!# audib!e b# using an apparatus that made it sounds#nthesi(ed.

Cnfortunate!# he arrived -ust in time to hear m# tirade about !ooking eird.

I as mortified b# ho se!f centered I acted. I as humi!iated b# m# o nsma!!ness and pride. I kno he as a professiona! ho most !ike!# understoodm# immature response, but he a!so as a man ho had !ost his formerph#si*ue and abi!ities, and ho probab!# fe!t 7 eird7 hen he !ooked in themirror. I as so ashamed.

I as on!# a fe da#s into !earning to !ive ith b!indness hen I received m#first !esson6 hen I am most se!f a are, I am most miserab!e. Aven toda#, as


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a DE #ear o!d oman, I sti!! fee! tinges of se!f pit#, se!f a areness and se!fabsorption.

7I don't fee! that's fair to me.773o I !ook oka# in these -eans+77I don't think she !ikes me.77I !ook eird hen I can't make e#e contact. I don't ant peop!e to notice.77I need, I ant, I ish.7

hen a big 7I7 is the center of our thoughts and fee!ings, e tru!# aremiserab!e4

5erhaps that's because 7I7 is a!so in the center of pride and sin. 8uch4

Jesus said in John 1262D that "... unless a grain of wheat falls into the earthand dies, it remains alone." &!one is a miserab!e p!ace to be.

"1ut," Fhrist continued, "if it dies, it bears much fruit." &23() he princip!e isthis6 hen it is a!! about us, e are !ike that seed that is un i!!ing to die.Fonse*uent!#, e find ourse!ves a!one in the prison of our o n se!fa areness. %ut, hen e are i!!ing to turn our big 7I7 into a !itt!e 7I,7 e arethen read# to e perience rea! !ife, satisf#ing !ife.

God is teaching me that true se!f esteem comes from being reduced$!ess ofme, more of "im. &s I am i!!ing to re!in*uish m# sense of se!f$se!f pit#, se!fa areness and se!f absorption$I am finding simp!icit# in an identit# that

comes from "is !ife in me, rather than an identit# based upon me, m#se!f andI.

oda#, !et's choose to be more fu!! of God than e are of ourse!ves.

*ear Lord, ! want to decrease so You will increase in me. 4ay ! be like aseed, willing to die, so ! can truly li e and gi e life to others. 4ay my letter "!"not be in pride or sin, but may it be found in 5hrist. !n +esus 'ame, men.

Related Resources:Do "ou Know &esus%

Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn't Make Sense b# Jennifer/othschi!d

Me, Myself and Lies: A Thought !loset Makeo"e# b# Jennifer /othschi!d

/ead more encouragement from Jennifer b# clickin' here .
http://www.proverbs31.org/do-you-know-jesus/http://www.amazon.com/Missing-Pieces-Member-Jennifer-Rothschild/dp/1415869979/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348247438&sr=8-1&keywords=Missing+Pieces%3A+Real+Hope+When+Life+Doesn%C3%82%E2%80%99t+Make+Sensehttp://www.amazon.com/Me-Myself-Lies-Thought-Closet-Makeover/dp/1415866449/ref=pd_sim_b_1http://www.jenniferrothschild.com/http://www.proverbs31.org/do-you-know-jesus/http://www.amazon.com/Missing-Pieces-Member-Jennifer-Rothschild/dp/1415869979/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348247438&sr=8-1&keywords=Missing+Pieces%3A+Real+Hope+When+Life+Doesn%C3%82%E2%80%99t+Make+Sensehttp://www.amazon.com/Me-Myself-Lies-Thought-Closet-Makeover/dp/1415866449/ref=pd_sim_b_1http://www.jenniferrothschild.com/


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Reflect and Respond:a#s to shrink #our !etter 7I76

1. ocus on someone e!se's needs. Hours i!! fee! !ess obvious.2. Grant someone e!se the attention #ou are tr#ing to get for #ourse!f.

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