In Conclusion: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Posted on May 31, 2021May 23, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

God Knows the Whole Enchilada

Week 13 (May 31 – June 6, 2021)

In Conclusion:
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

LISTEN

Please remember that according to Psalm 139:

God Knows You
God Knows What you Do
God wants to Bless You
Anywhere you are, God Is
His Hand Guides, His Strength Supports
His Night shines as Bright as Day
You are God’s Masterpiece
He’s got a Plan for You
He Thinks Precious Thoughts about You
He Repays on Your Behalf
He Repays on Your Behalf Again
He wants you to Allow Him to Search Your Heart

“Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”

Look up, dear ones, and see yourself as Your Heavenly Father sees you. As only God knows the whole enchilada, YOU ARE “FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE!” – Psalm 139:14

Have a great summer break, young friend!

Blessings!

Sister Hope & Kristi

Something to Remember this year: God Knows the Whole Enchilada!

Believing God (by Beth Moore)

God is who he says he is

I am who he says i am

he can do what he says he can do

i can do all things through christ

God’s word is alive and active in me

Search Me, O God

Posted on May 24, 2021May 23, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

God Knows the Whole Enchilada

Week 12 (May 24 – May 30, 2021)

Search Me, O God

LISTEN

Verses for Meditation

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

– Psalm 139:23, 24 (NLT)

After deeply crying out his heart to God against his enemies, David’s heart seems to soften a bit as he takes an introspective look at himself. Do you think that he might have thought, “Was I truly thinking those kinds of awful thoughts about others? Am I really that bitter and mean? Do I actually hate and seek vengeance on those who’ve hurt me or told vicious lies against me? O Lord, what is the state of my heart? Is all this terrible stuff in there? How did I get to this place? I am so offensive. I must be such a stench to You, O God.”

Just saying, he might have had these kinds of thoughts.

Then in his shame and remorse, he humbly looks to God and cries out, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” How sobering! David looks as if he has come to the point of, “I need You, God. I want You to use Your pure heart detector and probe throughout my body. I need You to check me out as only You can ascertain the true nature of my heart and mind. Only You can diagnose exactly where I’m sick and write up the necessary prescription to alleviate the toxic symptoms. Only You can lead me in the way I should go.”

What about the state of your heart? Do you ever stop and, in truth, listen to what you say and do to yourself and to others? If you knew that God was in the room with you right now, how would your words and actions be different? What would you say differently? Think differently? Do differently? [We speak this to you as we speak it to ourselves]. The real truth is that God is in the room with you right now, and He knows the whole enchilada about you. And He is holding out His tender hand towards you and saying to you, “Take-hold my child, I want to lead you along the path you should go because I love you so much.”

Think About It

Do you know your heart?
How would you do on a “heart” test right now?
Are your thoughts anxious or fearful or worried?
Would you, like David, consider giving God permission to examine your heart and lead it in the way that it should go?

Praying for You

(Please personalize)

Father, search the hearts of our wonderful young people and know their souls. Examine them and know their anxious thoughts. If there is anything that offends You, anything that is unhealthy or harmful, point it out to them, O Lord, and lead them along the right path, the path of everlasting life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great week, young friend!

Blessings!

Sister Hope & Kristi

Something to Remember this year: God Knows the Whole Enchilada!

Believing God (by Beth Moore)

God is who he says he is

I am who he says i am

he can do what he says he can do

i can do all things through christ

God’s word is alive and active in me

He Repays on Your Behalf Part 2

Posted on May 17, 2021May 18, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

God Knows the Whole Enchilada

Week 11 (May 17 – May 23, 2021)

He Repays on Your Behalf Part 2

LISTEN

Verses for Meditation

²¹O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
²²Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.

– Psalm 139:21, 22 (NLT)

As we can see, David is still quite upset with those people who mean him no good. So upset that he actually would say that he hates them. In our angry language, “hates their guts!” If you’ve read the story of David’s life, you would remember that after he had done so much good to ensure certain victory for Saul, Saul himself tried to kill him. And as if that were not enough, he sent his men after David to torment him. David was constantly on the run from Saul and his mighty men.

Have you ever had someone torment you so much that you really wanted to hide from them? And when they rang your doorbell, you wanted to pretend as if you were not at home? Have you ever felt as if you really hated someone?

We’re sure that most of us can relate to this unhealthy feeling on some level.

Although you may feel a total dislike for someone, we want you to remember, once again, that God has commanded all of us to love one another – even those who have done wrong to us (ridiculously hard, we know). We believe that the only way you can learn to love those who are not nice to you is to decide to walk in true obedience to God’s Word and daily ask for His help. You can’t accomplish this great feat alone. It’s hard enough to love those who love us: we definitely need help to love those who are not always nice.

Again, we say that you must be wise and set up appropriate boundaries so that you can live healthy lives. But, you must leave payback to God – for Him to give justice as He sees fit – in His time and in His way. Most of the time, there is that feeling that God takes too long. We all must learn to trust that He knows what He’s doing.

Think About It

Have your friends ever hurt you? How did that make you feel?
Has someone hurt you that you knew didn’t have your best interest at heart?
Do you tend to take matters into your own hands, or do you seek God and wise counsel?
What wise decisions can you make today?

Praying for You

(Please personalize)

O Lord, teach our young people to hate the things that You hate: things like poor attitudes and behaviors, prideful hearts, disrespect, ingratitude, and so on. Help their hearts to be grieved when they see themselves or others walking in disobedience to Your Word. Teach our students to cling only to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great week, young friend!

Blessings!

Sister Hope & Kristi

Something to Remember this year: God Knows the Whole Enchilada!

Believing God (by Beth Moore)

God is who he says he is

I am who he says i am

he can do what he says he can do

i can do all things through christ

God’s word is alive and active in me

He Repays on Your Behalf

Posted on May 10, 2021May 9, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

God Knows the Whole Enchilada

Week 10 (May 10 – May 16, 2021)

He Repays on Your Behalf

LISTEN

Verses for Meditation

¹⁹O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers!
²⁰They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name.

– Psalm 139:19, 20 (NLT)

From the scriptures above, we can imagine that David is quite upset with his enemies and wants God to give them what he thinks they deserve. Can any of you relate to his mindset?

We want to remind you right away that God has commanded all of us to love one another – even those who have done wrong to us (extremely hard, we know). We don’t mean that you should be unwise and not set up appropriate boundaries, as you cannot live healthy lives without proper limits, but we are not to revenge others for their misdeeds to us. For example, maybe you should not decide that you need to “beat them up!”

God said for us to leave payback to Him. And God is not like man. He knows how to administer discipline, rebuke, and punishment adequately. But, He also knows better than we do when to show compassion and give grace.

You see, God knows us all intimately. He knows our deepest hurts, our thoughts, our inadequacies, our motives…, and He also knows that about our “enemies.” You have to learn to trust God to handle the difficult people in your lives. You must look to Him for guidance and direction as to the appropriate steps to take in relating to them.

Think About It

Can you relate to David’s sentiments with someone in your life right now?
What exactly are you feeling at this moment?
Have you taken the time to talk truthfully to God in prayer about what you are sensing?
Have you sought wise counsel from your parents, a pastor, a Christian counselor or a godly friend?
Have you considered what boundaries you need to set up at this time in your particular circumstance?

Praying for You

(Please personalize)

Father, sometimes these wonderful young people can have bad thoughts against those who have hurt them. There are also those who may say evil things about our young people and use their names thoughtlessly. It is especially at these times, O Lord, when we ask that You place a hedge of protection around each student and comfort each child in Your Mighty arms – letting them know that You will repay on their behalf – in Your own time and in Your own way. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great week, young friend!

Blessings!

Sister Hope & Kristi

Something to Remember this year: God Knows the Whole Enchilada!

Believing God (by Beth Moore)

God is who he says he is

I am who he says i am

he can do what he says he can do

i can do all things through christ

God’s word is alive and active in me

Precious Thoughts About You

Posted on May 3, 2021April 25, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

God Knows the Whole Enchilada

Week 9 (May 3 – May 9, 2021)

Precious Thoughts About You

Verses for Meditation

¹⁷How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
¹⁸I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up,
you are still with me!

– Psalm 139:17, 18 (NLT)

This week, meditate on God’s Word: “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!” And drink it all in.

God is constantly thinking precious thoughts about you. Because of His deep love and care for every concern in your life, you are always on His mind. The number of treasured thoughts He thinks about you are too many to count. They cannot be numbered! They outnumber the grains of sand!

Wow! We can just imagine the creative thoughts God thinks about you:

“I (God) wonder if my child knows that he/she is My son or daughter…? I question that he/she realizes that he/she is:

Beloved of God
Heir with My Son, Jesus
Chosen by Me
Fearfully and wonderfully made
The apple of God’s eye
An overcomer
Healed by His stripes
God’s workmanship
His masterpiece
Complete in Christ

And so on and on and on and on…, so many priceless thoughts God has of you.”

You will never truly appreciate, on your own, God’s deep love and care for everything that matters to you. O young friends, although God knows the whole enchilada, you are so precious to Him in so many ways. You cannot count the exact number of ways.

Think About It

Do you really believe that God is always with you? Always?
Can you imagine some of the precious (treasured, valued, wonderful) thoughts He thinks about you?
Are these the kinds of thoughts you think about yourself?

Praying for You

(Please personalize)

Precious Lord, You think that all these young men and women are so special. You think numerous, uncountable, treasured thoughts about them: wonderful thoughts that outnumber the grains of sand on the vast beaches. And no matter where they are, You are with them. You are, indeed, with each precious child. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great week, young friend!

Blessings!

Sister Hope & Kristi

Something to Remember this year: God Knows the Whole Enchilada!

Believing God (by Beth Moore)

God is who he says he is

I am who he says i am

he can do what he says he can do

i can do all things through christ

God’s word is alive and active in me

He’s got a Plan for You

Posted on April 26, 2021April 25, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

God Knows the Whole Enchilada

Week 8 (April 26 – May 2, 2021)

He’s got a Plan for You

Verses for Meditation

¹⁵You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
¹⁶You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

– Psalm 139:15, 16 (NLT)

As each microscopic cell was being formed, God was watching and supervising. He took His time to form not only your tiny little fingers but the precise fingernails to protect the delicate tips of your fingers. He joined forces with organs and fluids to form complex systems. You are so sophisticated that He took the time to match your hair color with your eyes and skin tone. And even in the dark womb, He could clearly see every pore on your moist skin.

Yes, God saw you long before you were born, and He wrote a script that only you could perform. Young friends, your loving God knows the whole enchilada, and He has a wonderful plan for your life.

Doesn’t it make sense to trust the “Man” with the plan – the One who drew the blueprints?

Think About It

Who else but God knows the exact number of hairs on your head?
Why would God take so much time and effort to form you with such distinction?
If He has a plan for your life, doesn’t it make sense to ask Him precisely what that plan is?

Praying for You

(Please personalize)

Father, You watched each young adult as he or she was being formed in his /her respective mother’s womb. You saw each child before they were even born. Every day of their lives was recorded in Your book. Every moment was thought out before a single day had passed. O Lord, You truly know these young people. You truly know all about them. Guide and direct their unique paths this week, and continue to reveal to their hearts, Your great love for them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great week, young friend!

Blessings!

Sister Hope & Kristi

Something to Remember this year: God Knows the Whole Enchilada!

Believing God (by Beth Moore)

God is who he says he is

I am who he says i am

he can do what he says he can do

i can do all things through christ

God’s word is alive and active in me

You are God’s Masterpiece

Posted on April 19, 2021April 10, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

God Knows the Whole Enchilada

Week 7 (April 19 – April 25, 2021)

You are God’s Masterpiece

Verses for Meditation

¹³You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

– Psalm 139:13, 14 (NLT)

These two verses really stand out by themselves in this Psalm. Let’s take a moment to drink in what they say about you.

God made every delicate internal capillary, vein, artery, muscle, fiber, bone, organ, system, etc., in your precious body. Then, He carefully put all these vessels, tissues, nerves, systems, and so on together in the warm, secure environment of your mother’s womb. He further decided to leave you in there for nine months (or close to it) for you to properly complete your intricate growth process and then…, Voila! Out pops a beautiful baby boy or girl: a wonderfully complex little person with everything set out just perfect; God’s marvelous, amazing, incredible masterpiece!

If you did not know it yet, we’re here to let you know it now: You are special! You are a one-of-a-kind treasure! You are God’s work of genius, of which He is so very proud. And because God made you, He knows the whole enchilada about you, and He thinks that you are the cream of the crop – His Masterpiece!

Think About It

How do you really see yourself?
Are you more concerned about how others see you or about how God, your Maker, sees you?
What does “fearfully and wonderfully made” mean to you?
What do you have to change in your thinking to see yourself the way God sees you?

Praying for You

(Please personalize)

O Father, You made every delicate part of our wonderful young persons’ bodies. You formed them and attached them to their respective mothers’ wombs. Thank You for making them so wonderfully complex. You have done beyond marvelous with everything about them and in them. Thank You, Lord. Thanks for perfectly forming each priceless child. Thank you that each young person is a masterpiece. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great week, young friend!

Blessings!

Sister Hope & Kristi

Something to Remember this year: God Knows the Whole Enchilada!

Believing God (by Beth Moore)

God is who he says he is

I am who he says i am

he can do what he says he can do

i can do all things through christ

God’s word is alive and active in me

His Night Shines as Bright as Day

Posted on April 12, 2021April 10, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

God Knows the Whole Enchilada

Week 6 (April 12 – April 18, 2021)

His Night Shines as Bright as Day

Verses for Meditation

¹¹I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—
¹²but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

– Psalm 139:11, 12 (NLT)

Have you ever felt as if you wanted to hide from the world? Did you ever desire to find a place that no one knew about and just escape from all the “madness?” Have you ever thought that it would be a cool idea to be alone in the stillness of nature and simply think with no one to ask questions or tell you what to do?

Before Covid19, I’m sure that there were times when we all felt like this.

We would like to share with you that you are never alone. Even in your worst moments, you cannot hide from God. He has the ability to show you the light when everything around you seems so dark.

Young friends, we encourage you to look to the One who knows the whole enchilada and still has a never-ending love for you: a love that seeks to light up your deep darkness. God wants to shine a bright light into your murky night today. To Him, the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to Him. In other words, if you permit Him, God will make sense of your dark times and lead you to the light of day.

Let Him do that for you, won’t you?

Think About It

Do you feel anxious today? God wants to shine a light into your night.
Do you feel overwhelmed? God wants to shine a light into your night.
Is there something in your life that you just can’t figure out? God wants to shine a light into your night.
Will you choose to let Him shine a light into your night today?

Praying for You

(Please personalize)

Father, no matter where our young friends may go, they cannot hide from You. You can see them clearly, even in their bleakest places. When they are in such spots, O Lord, lead them into the glorious light we pray, Your bright light. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great week, young friend!

Blessings!

Sister Hope & Kristi

Something to Remember this year: God Knows the Whole Enchilada!

Believing God (by Beth Moore)

God is who he says he is

I am who he says i am

he can do what he says he can do

i can do all things through christ

God’s word is alive and active in me

His Hand Guides: His Strength Supports

Posted on April 5, 2021March 29, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

God Knows the Whole Enchilada

Week 5 (April 5 – April 11, 2021)

His Hand Guides: His Strength Supports

Verses for Meditation

⁹If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
¹⁰even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

– Psalm 139:9, 10 (NLT)

What a promise for us! No matter where we are or what is going on in our lives, God’s mighty hand is able to guide us and His strength – support us.

Call on God today!

Question and Answer

What is going on in your life today that feels too big for you to handle?

Ask God’s hand to guide you and His strength to support you.

Are your assignments extremely challenging and your time mega limited?

Ask God’s hand to guide you and His strength to support you.

Are you disappointed, sad, lonely, or confused?

Ask God’s hand to guide you and His strength to support you.

Are you physically ill and weak in your body?

Ask God’s hand to guide you and His strength to support you.

Got it?

Wherever you are today, God wants to direct your steps and care for you. His hand longs to guide you and His strength to support you, and although He knows the whole enchilada, He continuously loves you.

Let Him be your guide and support today.

Think About It

What do you really have to be concerned about if God wants to guide and support you in every aspect of your life?
What is there in your life today that should you surrender to God?
Why is it so difficult to surrender your issues to God?

Praying for You

(Please personalize)

Lord, no matter where my young friends are today, may they know that You are there to lead and guide them. May they understand that Your strength is always available to support them. Strengthen each child where they are weak, and may they truly comprehend, if they ride the wings of the morning, if they dwell by the farthest oceans,even there, your hand will guide them, and your strength will support them. Thank You, Lord, for Your guidance and strength. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great week, young friend!

Blessings!

Sister Hope & Kristi

Something to Remember this year: God Knows the Whole Enchilada!

Believing God (by Beth Moore)

God is who he says he is

I am who he says i am

he can do what he says he can do

i can do all things through christ

God’s word is alive and active in me

Anywhere You Are, God Is

Posted on March 29, 2021March 29, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

God Knows the Whole Enchilada

Week 4 (March 29 – April 4, 2021)

Anywhere You Are, God Is

Verses for Meditation

⁷I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
⁸If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

– Psalm 139:7, 8 (NLT)

Isn’t it both kind of awesome and kind of scary to think that wherever we are, God is right there?

Awesome: from the point of view that He is with us when we are sick; when we are afraid; when we are uncertain; when we are lonely; when we are hurt; when we are…, etc.

Quite Scary: from the point of view that He is with us when we are blaming others for our own actions; when we are too critical of people; when we are not so nice; when we are doing things that we really should not be doing; when we are not doing the things that we should be doing; and so on.

Anywhere we are, God is! And though He knows the whole enchilada (good and bad), He always loves us. He is right there for us – encouraging us to do what’s right in His sight.

Think About It

How do you think your actions would change if you truly realized that anywhere you are, God is?
Do you think that it would make a significant difference? Why or why not?

Praying for You

(Please personalize)

O Lord, may our wonderful and talented young people sense Your divine presence with them today. May they know that You are with them wherever they go. May they appreciate that You are with them in the tough decisions they have to make. You are with them in the good times. You are always with them.

Help them know that You are delighted to assist them if they would only choose to ask You and seek after You. Open their eyes to see that they would not have to go far, for You are in their presence. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great week, young friend!

Blessings!

Sister Hope & Kristi

Something to Remember this year: God Knows the Whole Enchilada!

Believing God (by Beth Moore)

God is who he says he is

I am who he says i am

he can do what he says he can do

i can do all things through christ

God’s word is alive and active in me

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