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August 30, 2024 Helped by HiddennessDR. ALICIA BRITT CHOLE Lee en español "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:52 (NIV) It was late spring in the Ozarks, and the threat of crushing cold snaps had passed. My husband is the family gardener. But, oh, I do love weeding. Especially after a rain, there's something so satisfying about getting to the root of things. So there I was, on my knees, under a 100-year-old walnut tree. Winter's weather had compressed autumn's offering into a thick blanket of now decomposing leaves. Peeling back layer after layer, I cleared the way for new growth when, much to my surprise, I discovered that something had already been growing! Underneath the thick, leafy camouflage was a stunning flower! It was bent over, as though humbled by hiddenness, but its strong stem was hosting something beautiful. Death had concealed it.Time had buried it.No one was looking for it.Which is the perfect environment for growth. What seemed to smother the flower was protecting it, granting it undisturbed space to be and to become. Such is the gift of hiddenness.Unseen. Uncelebrated. Underestimated. Protected.Obscure. Out of sight. Overlooked. Protected. I paused to ponder the contrasts. Life under death. Growth under barrenness. Beauty cultivated not on display but in obscurity. Without that blanket of decomposing leaves, the flower couldn't have survived the freeze. What hid it ... helped it. What delayed its visibility ... preserved its potential. I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, this is what the Father did with His Son. Like that hidden flower, close to 90% of Jesus' days were spent hidden. In the Bible, we see Jesus' birth, followed by hidden days.We see Him circumcised on the eighth day, followed by hidden weeks.We see Him dedicated at the temple on the 40th day, followed by hidden months.We see Him visited by magi around the age of 2, followed by hidden years.We see Him asking insightful questions in the temple at the age of 12, followed by almost two entirely hidden decades. Then, at the age of 30, Jesus stepped out of anonymity and into debated and documented, celebrated and scrutinized history. So what might the Father be doing in the seemingly obscure spaces of life? Our key verse, Luke 2:52, grants us insight: God is growing us. In Jesus' hidden years, He "grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52), mentally, physically, spiritually and relationally. So perhaps when we feel unseen and unapplauded, overlooked and underestimated, we, too, can take courage. When we consider how the Father choreographed the life of His Son, it becomes clear: God doesn't hide us to punish us. He hides us to protect us. In fact, I believe that hidden years are the surprising birthplace of Christlike, indestructible strength! Father, You know my tendency to mistake the unseen for unimportant and to become discouraged when my dreams are delayed. I look to Your Son. Help me, my God, to trust Your heart and make peace with Your pace. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS "How do I enjoy where I am while I long for what's missing?" Our next Circle 31 Book Club pick tackles just that! Starting September 1, we're reading Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years...and Yours by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole together. Jesus Himself experienced longings on earth, and He met each one with God's unchanging Truth. His power and example help us enjoy this present moment, even while the desire for what's missing remains. Join us in Circle 31 as we read Anonymous together. Check out Alicia's other works, like The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain and 40 Days of Decrease: A Different Kind of Hunger. A Different Kind of Fast. ENGAGE Alicia would be honored to stay in touch with you! Instagram is where she’s most active. She reads (but can't always respond to) every email at frontdesk@aliciachole.com. And if you'd like to receive her monthly newsletter or sign up for a free, seven-day devotional called GodPrint, click here. FOR DEEPER STUDY Luke 2:48-50, "When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.' ‘Why were you searching for me?' he asked. ‘Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?' But they did not understand what he was saying to them" (NIV). By the age of 12, Luke 2:48-50 tells us Jesus knew who He really was, but He was 18 years away from acting on it. What might have grown in Him as He waited? What might grow in you as you wait? Share with us in the comments! © 2024 by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Helped by Hiddenness – Encouragement for Today – August 30, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer to Feel Excited AgainBy  Alisha Headley Bible Reading"...but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect ..." – Romans 12:2 I've been asking God for something I've been excited about for almost two years. I have begged God more times than I can remember. God seemed silent, and I felt forgotten. My hope began dwindling as each time I got a glimpse of hope for what I was asking for, the rug seemed to be pulled out from underneath me. Being so excited about one thing that hasn't come to fruition yet has made me less excited about other areas of my life, too. I stopped being excited about life, and in a sense, I stopped living. But then I read today's Scripture verse. Allowing God to transform me into a new person by changing the way I think. I was so focused on the outcome I wanted, as it was all I was thinking about, that I lost my focus on God and His goodness. Nothing in life excited me because the one thing I was excited about wasn't happening for me. Today's verse teaches us that when we allow God to transform us into a new person by changing the way we think, it is then that we align our will with the Lord's will. And His will for us is always good, always pleasing, and always perfect. When we do allow God to transform us, our desires will become His desires, and He brings excitement back. When you focus on God's goodness and begin walking in His will for your life, which is always good, you will begin to experience that excitement again. New things will excite you as God transforms you into a new person by changing the way you think about your situation. New thinking will bring new excitement again. The excitement for life has returned for me as I've allowed God to change my thinking about my situation, and I've submitted my will and desires to Him. I still haven't received what I've been asking for, and my situation hasn't changed, but my way of thinking has changed. My perspective on my situation has changed. My heart has changed and is softer, and I am overwhelmed with peace, knowing that God is good no matter the outcome. His ways are higher than my ways, and His will for me is always better than mine. I will continue to keep praying, but with a new excitement and anticipation for God's will to unfold. Let's pray: Dear Father,We are so sorry for having the wrong way of thinking when it comes to you and your will for our lives. We repent for focusing on the things that we want rather than focusing on you and your will, which is good, pleasing, and perfect for us. Remind us, Lord, that what we may think we need in this life might not be what you have for us. For us, what you have is far greater and even more perfect. Help us to be patient, Lord. Help us trust you when we are waiting. Forgive us for wanting something so badly that we lose sight of you. Help us be excited again about our desires while also aligning our desires with yours. Give us a fresh set of eyes as you transform us into a new person, allowing us to change the way we think. You are good all the time, and we thank you for being a good Father who "delights in us" (Psalm 14:11). Thank you for igniting in us a new excitement again as we align our will with yours. We love you, Lord, and look forward with excitement as your perfect will unfolds in our lives. In Jesus' mighty name, we pray, amen. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Westend61 Alisha Headley is a writer + speaker who has a desire to meet the everyday woman in her everyday life with biblical truth. Stepping into her true calling, she left the corporate world behind as a former-financial VP to love on her family as a stay-at-home wifey + dog mama, while also being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Healing from a chapter of life consumed with lies she once believed about herself, she is inspired to point women to Christ to experience the freedom + power to overcome those lies with the truth written in God's word. In her free time, Alisha enjoys road trips around the country, working out so she can eat her favorite foods, and creatively styling her outfits with a craft for fashion. Alisha is a proud wifey and dog mama living in Scottsdale, Arizona. You can follow her blog by visiting her website or connect with her on facebook + instagram. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer to Feel Excitement Again – Your Daily Prayer – August 30 appeared first on GodUpdates.

August 30, 2024 Helped by HiddennessDR. ALICIA BRITT CHOLE Lee en español "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:52 (NIV) It was late spring in the Ozarks, and the threat of crushing cold snaps had passed. My husband is the family gardener. But, oh, I do love weeding. Especially after a rain, there's something so satisfying about getting to the root of things. So there I was, on my knees, under a 100-year-old walnut tree. Winter's weather had compressed autumn's offering into a thick blanket of now decomposing leaves. Peeling back layer after layer, I cleared the way for new growth when, much to my surprise, I discovered that something had already been growing! Underneath the thick, leafy camouflage was a stunning flower! It was bent over, as though humbled by hiddenness, but its strong stem was hosting something beautiful. Death had concealed it.Time had buried it.No one was looking for it.Which is the perfect environment for growth. What seemed to smother the flower was protecting it, granting it undisturbed space to be and to become. Such is the gift of hiddenness.Unseen. Uncelebrated. Underestimated. Protected.Obscure. Out of sight. Overlooked. Protected. I paused to ponder the contrasts. Life under death. Growth under barrenness. Beauty cultivated not on display but in obscurity. Without that blanket of decomposing leaves, the flower couldn't have survived the freeze. What hid it ... helped it. What delayed its visibility ... preserved its potential. I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, this is what the Father did with His Son. Like that hidden flower, close to 90% of Jesus' days were spent hidden. In the Bible, we see Jesus' birth, followed by hidden days.We see Him circumcised on the eighth day, followed by hidden weeks.We see Him dedicated at the temple on the 40th day, followed by hidden months.We see Him visited by magi around the age of 2, followed by hidden years.We see Him asking insightful questions in the temple at the age of 12, followed by almost two entirely hidden decades. Then, at the age of 30, Jesus stepped out of anonymity and into debated and documented, celebrated and scrutinized history. So what might the Father be doing in the seemingly obscure spaces of life? Our key verse, Luke 2:52, grants us insight: God is growing us. In Jesus' hidden years, He "grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52), mentally, physically, spiritually and relationally. So perhaps when we feel unseen and unapplauded, overlooked and underestimated, we, too, can take courage. When we consider how the Father choreographed the life of His Son, it becomes clear: God doesn't hide us to punish us. He hides us to protect us. In fact, I believe that hidden years are the surprising birthplace of Christlike, indestructible strength! Father, You know my tendency to mistake the unseen for unimportant and to become discouraged when my dreams are delayed. I look to Your Son. Help me, my God, to trust Your heart and make peace with Your pace. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS "How do I enjoy where I am while I long for what's missing?" Our next Circle 31 Book Club pick tackles just that! Starting September 1, we're reading Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years...and Yours by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole together. Jesus Himself experienced longings on earth, and He met each one with God's unchanging Truth. His power and example help us enjoy this present moment, even while the desire for what's missing remains. Join us in Circle 31 as we read Anonymous together. Check out Alicia's other works, like The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain and 40 Days of Decrease: A Different Kind of Hunger. A Different Kind of Fast. ENGAGE Alicia would be honored to stay in touch with you! Instagram is where she’s most active. She reads (but can't always respond to) every email at frontdesk@aliciachole.com. And if you'd like to receive her monthly newsletter or sign up for a free, seven-day devotional called GodPrint, click here. FOR DEEPER STUDY Luke 2:48-50, "When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.' ‘Why were you searching for me?' he asked. ‘Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?' But they did not understand what he was saying to them" (NIV). By the age of 12, Luke 2:48-50 tells us Jesus knew who He really was, but He was 18 years away from acting on it. What might have grown in Him as He waited? What might grow in you as you wait? Share with us in the comments! © 2024 by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Helped by Hiddenness – Encouragement for Today – August 30, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.