great things grow out of dark places … part 3

War broke out in Heaven. Michael and his Angels fought the Dragon. The Dragon and his Angels fought back, but were no match for Michael. They were cleared out of Heaven, not a sign of them left. The great Dragon – ancient Serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, the one who led the whole earth astray – thrown out, and all his Angels thrown out with him, thrown down to earth. Then I heard a strong voice out of Heaven saying, Salvation and power are established! Kingdom of our God, authority of his Messiah! The Accuser of our brothers and sisters thrown out, who accused them day and night before God. They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness. They weren’t in love with themselves; they were willing to die for Christ. Revelation 12:7-11 {MSG, emphasis mine}

Did you have a chance to watch yesterday’s video? If there’s an area of your life you’re struggling with, I pray, I pray, I pray you take the time to watch it and let God begin to chisel into every {secret} area of your life.

At the beginning of this short series, I asked a few questions:

• Are you sitting in darkness and shame?
• Maybe there’s something you’re hiding from?
• Something you don’t speak of aloud?
• And because of it … you feel you’re all alone in a corner?

Many of us have been there. Heck! for that matter, many of us are there right now!! And we desperately want to know how to, and desire to, overcome!

But how do we do it? How do we find the path from paralyzing shame and darkness to victory and light?

I believe we need to speak truth into our situations. And it starts with talking about our situations. Even if it’s to one single person. And uttered in a barely audible whisper.

It’s a step.

A step into the light.

A step into His light.

Friends, God can’t heal what we keep in the dark. <– click to tweet

God can’t bring His light into our dark places if we let the enemy continue to keep our thoughts and actions held captive with his lies and games.

Revelation 7:11 tells us the enemy was defeated “by the blood of the lamb and the bold word of their testimony!”

The next part of that verse says, “They weren’t in love with themselves; they were willing to die for Christ.” For me, that verse poses a bold question. Am I so in love with myself that I don’t trust God with my situation? I don’t trust God to heal my dark places? Am I so in love with myself that I have the gumption to think I can deal with my pain and not seek His face?

Or am I willing to die to myself and let God come in, shine His healing light, and lift me out of my despair?

Matthew Henry says, “The servants of God overcame Satan: By the blood of the Lamb. By the word of their testimony, by a resolute, powerful preaching of the eternal Gospel and by their courage and patience in suffering for that preaching. They loved not their lives unto the death: their love for their own lives was overcome by strong feelings of another nature.” {bolded emphasis mine}

How do we overcome? We overcome by:

The blood of the Lamb. Trusting in His desire to love us, nurture us, and guide us through our despair.

The word of our testimony. Speaking and bringing out of darkness what the enemy wants us to keep hidden. By our courage and patience in the suffering we’ve endured and trusting {preaching} the eternal Good News of our Lord and Savior!

Friends … great and beautiful things … grow out of dark places! Join me in believing this truth today?

Friend, could I have the privilege of covering you in prayer? Are you in the middle of a struggle or situation that has you feeling alone? Do you need courage to speak aloud of your dark place? Do you desperately desire God’s light to shine in your situation? If so, I’d be honored to lift you in prayer today. If you’re not comfortable leaving a comment, please email me at tracie @ tmstier.com.

Father God,

Thank you for your great love, for your tender mercies, for your healing light, and for your sacrificial blood of the Lamb. Lord, I ask that you send your sweet Holy Spirit to touch the inner most hurt of those who read these words today. May they feel your presence and love enter into their pain today.

Thank you Lord for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ precious and mighty name I pray, amen.

This is part three in a three part series:
Part one
Part two

Posted in encouragement, overcoming, series

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great things grow out of dark places … part 2

The average statistic says to keep someone’s attention while watching a {somewhat} unsolicited video it shouldn’t be longer than three minutes.

Well … Ima gonna break that rule big time, cuz the one I’ve got to share with you today is just over eleven minutes!

But friend … if you’re struggling with something today … if you need God to touch you, or to reveal Himself to you today {or anyday}, I urge you to take the time to watch this crazy, amazing video.

If we learn to trust God with our secret, dark, and painful places … He promises to nurture us, to be faithful to us, to meet us where we’re at.

And here’s the thing … He’s God. He already knows what’s going on. We can’t keep anything from Him anyway. So instead of hiding, how ’bout we let go and surrender it all to Him and let Him chisel …

{if you’re reading via RSS or email, please click here to view a life-changing video}

I’ll be sharing the rest of my thoughts tomorrow … please stop back and join me!

This is part two in a three part series:
Part one
Part three

Posted in encouragement, overcoming, series

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great things grow out of dark places …

They won the victory over him because of the
blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.
Revelation 12:11 {GW}

Are you sitting in darkness and shame? Maybe not literally. But maybe there’s something you’re hiding from. Something you don’t speak aloud? And because of it … you feel you’re all alone in a corner?

Can I whisper some truth and encouragement to you today?

We have an enemy that wants nothing more than to kill, steal, and destroy! That’s not the encouraging part … that’s the truthful part.

There is a spiritual battle being fought over our lives each and every day. Wars are being waged for our souls!

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 {ESV}

Satan wants nothing more than for us to sit alone in a dark, empty corner of depression. He tells us:

• we’re the only one
• people will judge
• we’ll lose the ones we love
• and on and on the lies go

He leads us to believe–if we ever speak aloud the things we’re hiding and ashamed of–these things are truth.

Let me throw a word picture your way …

Do you know what lives and the very bottom of the abyss layer of the ocean? Creepy, ugly things. Those are the things that thrive WAY down there in the darkness.

You know what grows in our dark, lonely corner? Creepy, ugly things.

God didn’t create us to live in a dark, lonely corner.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 {ESV}

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 {ESV}

To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:79 {ESV}

For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.  1 Thessalonians 5:5 {ESV}

We are not of the night or of the darkness! Jesus came to bring us out of darkness. He came so we could walk in the light … His light. He desires to shine His light into our dark places.

I’m pretty passionate about this topic and gots me lots more to say about it. Join me tomorrow as I share my thoughts on how we can allow God to shine Light into our darkness?

This is part one in a three part series:
Part two
Part three

Posted in encouragement, series

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you are perfectly loved

You don’t have to be perfect, because you are perfectly loved.

Won’t you click over and join me at the MODsquad today as I share some timely thoughts and encouragement?

Posted in encouragement, guest post, modsquad

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for the mourning momma & those who judge

I was in a situation recently where my parenting skills were being judged. And it got me thinking of all the other momma’s out there who might be mourning and parenting mourning children.

Join me over at the MODsquad blog today as I share my thoughts.

Posted in encouragement, guest post, modsquad, parenting

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