Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

Identify and Reframe Mistaken Messages (Overcoming Hurt)

The Bible tells us that we do not battle against human flesh but against Satan and the fiery arrows that He uses to attack us. These fiery arrows often come in the form of lies that have been rooted in our souls through pain and wounds developed from our life experiences.
 
Maybe you’ve experienced loneliness or have felt rejected. What message have you believed? It could be “People don’t care about me,” “I’m unwanted,” or “I must not matter.” Maybe you’re experiencing financial hardship. What message are you telling yourself? Perhaps, “God doesn’t care about me,” “I’m not good or gifted enough,” or “No matter how hard I try, I just can’t provide for my family. I’m inadequate.”
 
Such messages are often not true. Lies have been the Enemy’s tactic since day one in the Garden of Eden. He works to twist the truth, deceive us, and get us to believe lies about God, ourselves, and others.
 
In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve fell for a lie from the Enemy and disobeyed God’s command not to eat fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They ate the fruit and were immediately filled with shame, believing not just that they had done wrong but that they were wrong.
 
Proverbs 30:5 ESVEvery word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
 
The Enemy wants to use whatever he can to get us to believe lies, often using our losses and painful experiences. But what is the truth about your current situation? In loneliness, remind yourself that Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Remind yourself that in Christ you are a beloved child of God (1 John 3:1), chosen and wanted (John 15:16), and God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). In financial hardship, remind yourself that God will provide for you (Matthew 6:26).
 
Look over that list of losses you made from Day Two. What messages have you been believing that you know are lies from hell? What truths from God’s Word give you assurance and hope to counter those lies?
 
Ephesians 6:10-17 ESVFinally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
 
Sit with God and experience His truth intellectually and emotionally. Memorize the verses you need so you can come back to these truths and experience them when sadness, shame, or lies surface again. Experience what it feels like to be loved, accepted, and adequate.
 
John 17:17 ESVSanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
 
God, lead me to the truth. Your Word is truth.
 
Colossians 3:16 ESVLet the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
 

Grieve Your Losses (Overcoming Hurt)

The ways we sin and cope are ultimately about medicating our emotional wounds in life. Yes, we sin because we are born sinful, but we also sin because we are sinned against. We develop ways to cope with the pain others’ sin has caused us.
 
So, how do we process our losses, pain, and hurt? How do we survive without caving into our anxiety, hopelessness, and despair? Rather than coping by binging Netflix, scrolling through social media, overeating, drinking too much, or viewing pornography, how do we choose health, find a way to move forward, and thrive?
 
It begins by letting ourselves grieve. We need to feel to heal. Your emotions are real and valid. Let yourself feel them. The pain you felt in the past or are experiencing now is real. Be honest with yourself about your fears, feelings, questions, hurts, and struggles. It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to grieve and mourn. It isn’t easy, but it is necessary. Don’t run from your pain. Don’t stuff it. You can’t go around it; you must go through it, and only then can you start to get better.
John 11:33-36 ESVWhen Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
It’s okay to not have it all together and to mourn. In fact, it is healthy to do so. I’m reminded of how Jesus wept in John 11 when His friend Lazarus died. If He, God, took time to feel and grieve, how important is it for us?
I encourage you to write down the losses you have experienced. Let yourself feel those emotions. Sit with them and talk to God about them. Be honest with Him about your hurt, frustrations, and questions. Visualize Him being with you and comforting you.
God, I need to be honest with myself and with You about the ways I am coping with pain. Help me to cleanse my wounds instead of letting them fester. Help me to choose healing.

Big and Little Wounds (Overcoming Hurt)

Are you hurt? Have you been through something painful? Maybe it happened this year. You lost a job, experienced heartbreak, were repeatedly criticized by someone, or lost a loved one. Or maybe you were hurt by things that happened in the past: abuse, unmet needs, or rejection from family or friends.
Psalm 119:28 ESVMy soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!
Many things in this world can hurt us. Pain, suffering, loss and grief happen to all of us. I know, personally, how unbearable these things can feel. At school, I was bullied for my weight, for my faith, and for the music I listened to. At home, I could not measure up to my dad’s expectations and constantly faced his anger. I shut down. I started to hate myself. I thought I didn’t fit in anywhere.
Whether it’s from our loved ones, difficult circumstances, sexism, racism, or injustice, we all have wounds. Everyone is created uniquely and responds to painful events differently. Something that deeply hurts one person may hardly affect another at all.
Wounds tend to come in the form of two extremes. The first are “big W” wounds. These are caused by infrequent painful experiences of high intensity, such as sexual or physical abuse, the loss of a parent, a life-threatening situation, or divorce.
The second are “little w” wounds. These are caused by frequent painful experiences of low intensity. This type is more common; all of us have experienced these types of wounds. Maybe someone repeatedly said you’d never measure up in life or communicated that you had to perform to get approval. Maybe you were constantly bullied, controlled, or manipulated. Or maybe a parent was frequently physically or emotionally absent. Such experiences can cause little w wounds. They can affect us just as much as big W wounds.
Psalm 109:21-22 ESVBut you, O God my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me.
Identifying and addressing our emotional wounds is a crucial part of discipleship and becoming more like Christ. If we ignore our wounds, this will severely limit our ability to connect with God and others. God wants us to grow and mature in Him; He does not want us to stay emotionally stuck, stagnant, or stunted for the rest of our lives.
God, I recognize my wounds are limiting my ability to connect with You and others. Bring healing to my life and help me to grow more like Christ.

Hope In The Storm (Hope Has A Name)

I went through a time when my life and soul were in the middle of a storm. Tears obscured my vision as I tried desperately to navigate the raging waters that encircled my heart. I wanted God to take the helm, direct my path, and take me safely into the harbor.
I asked God to part the waters so I could walk through. I longed to step on dry land again where I could feel the security of the earth below me. But as hard as I prayed, I continued to face unending swells that threatened to capsize my life. During that season, I was giving up hope.
Psalm 91:1-2 ESVHe who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Isaiah 54:11 ESV“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires.
Sometimes in those moments, there are no eloquent words to say. I was lucky to squeak out a weak whisper of “Help” between the tears falling as hard as the rainstorm. Every time I felt like I could catch my breath, I was pulled under the tempestuous waves with another problem, another situation, another failure. All of my strength was spent trying to get to the surface, to orient myself before being drug down again.
That’s what the Enemy of our souls wants. He wants us to focus on the storm because if we are focused on the storm, or the problem, then we won’t be able to remember the promise and the provision. In my strength, I could keep kicking and fighting the waves, or I could reach out to the life preserver in front of me the whole time…His name is Jesus.
Luke 8:24 ESVAnd they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm.
When lightning flashes across the sky and thunder rumbles in the distance, stop and remember that this isn’t the first storm you have ever faced, and it probably won’t be the last. In the most challenging times, the Father’s love can often be felt, for his power is made perfect in our weakness.
The disciples were confused when Jesus slept in the boat during a terrible storm. They all felt like they would drown and perish in the sea. Jesus slept because he knew who his Father was. He knew that he was safely held in God’s capable hands and that nothing could ever snatch him from the protection of that mighty hand. When he needed to, Jesus stood up, rebuked the winds and the waves, spoke peace to the storm, and it ceased.
Nahum 1:3 ESVThe Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
He will do the same for you. Take heart today, my friends; Jesus is with you in the rain and still reigns. May Christ Jesus sustain you through this challenging season, restore your hope, and be the Peace in your storm.
2 Corinthians 12:9 ESVBut he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
I pray the Lord has spoken to you through these five days. I long for you to hold on to the greatest Hope of all…Christ Jesus. No matter what the world tells you, no matter what you see in the news, no matter what it looks like around you, never let go of the One who holds you in the palm of His hand. Hope has a name…His name is Jesus!God bless,Susie

In The World There Is Trouble (Hope Has A Name)

If you are anything like me, you may wonder why God allows so much suffering in our world today. I was thinking about that as I was reading the book of Job in my quiet time with the Lord. Why did God make Job suffer?
Job’s story is one of a spiritual battle. Satan approached God and told him that the only reason Job was a righteous man was because of all the blessings that God had given him. And, if those gifts were taken away, Job would turn away from God.
So God gave Satan control over Job’s life as long as he did not take Job’s life. The story’s narrative then tells us how Satan carried out his destructive plan in the life of Job and how a man who once had it all suddenly found himself left with nothing but pain, despair, hopelessness, and heartbreak.
Job 1:20-22 ESVThen Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
Job did not know about the conversation between the devil and God and could not comprehend the mystery of his horrific suffering. Job’s friends did not understand why Job’s world had been turned upside down. How many times have you been in a trial and not know why it was happening or where God was in the middle?
You see, my dear friends, God allowed Job to suffer to demonstrate that we can still worship God as God for his own sake, regardless of any secondary blessing that we might gain or lose. Against all hope, Job believed in hope because he trusted God.
James 5:11 ESVBehold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Hope is found in God’s promises – promises of a way to swing through the trial holding on to the rope of hope found in Christ Jesus. We can see so much hope in Scripture through the gift of eternal life made possible through His Son, Jesus Christ. No matter what trials, temptations, or pain we may suffer, we can always hold onto the hope God extends to us.
The next time you are in a time of testing and trial, I urge you not to lose heart. I know the world seems to be spinning off-kilter, but instead of turning your back on Christ and assuming there isn’t enough grace to cover your situation, quiet your soul and submit to the Lord’s leading.
Romans 8:28 ESVAnd we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Trust God enough to know that whatever is going on in the world as a whole, or your world, he will fulfill his purpose for you and work all things together for your good. These times we are living in will require a different kind of faith. Living for God means that we follow him no matter where the path may lead because we know that our Father loves us and, as he did for Job, he will redeem and restore all that has been lost.
Jeremiah 17:7 ESV“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.
John 16:33 ESVI have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Maintaining hope in the struggle is such a beautiful thing. Jesus warned us that we would have trouble in this life, but he also encouraged us by reminding us that HE has overcome the world.

The Blood Of The Lamb (Hope Has A Name)

They now use sheep’s blood to produce antivenom for various snake bites. You see, the lamb’s blood causes the poison that the snake injects into its victim to have no deadly power. Let’s say a farmer has a lamb bitten in the face by a snake.
The lamb’s face will swell up, but he will experience no lethal consequences because its blood will begin to produce what is needed to overcome the snake’s bite. The blood of the lamb essentially makes the bite of the snake powerless.
Satan injected sin into the world in the Garden of Eden. He attempted to steal all joy and hope from humanity through his lies of deception and his tactics of temptation. But remember what John the Baptist said as Jesus traversed the rugged pathway along the Jordan River, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
Soon after, Jesus was baptized, the hope of humanity sprung up from the waters of the Jordan and splashed into our world. Then, Jesus was taken into the wilderness, and the devil’s temptations tested that hope. Our lives can take similar paths from victory to defeat, and hopefulness to despair. It is part of the human condition to undulate like waves, up and down throughout our lives.
But in the lowest of times, when we apply the blood of Jesus, the precious Lamb of God, to our circumstances, through grace and faith, we can overcome both sin and Satan, and our joy and hope are miraculously restored.
Isaiah 40:31 NIVbut 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.
What poison is coming against you? What sin has bitten you and won’t let go? What sickness is overtaking you? What pain is trying to take you down? What circumstance is trying to steal your hope? The devil, that Serpent of Old, will sneak into the safety of your garden and clasp his fangs into your skin, injecting you with his venom that seeks to kill, steal, and destroy.
But oh, the blood of Jesus! What a beautiful flow that washes away all the consequences of our sin. In the name of Jesus, apply the blood of the Lamb into your wound and watch as it supernaturally begins to heal. We cannot save ourselves from sickness, pain, depression, confusion, or sin. Only the blood of Jesus saves us from it all!
Revelation 12:11 ESVAnd they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
When you feel overwhelmed and reeled from an unexpected bite of the enemy, know that the Lamb can reverse and cancel all the enemy’s evil schemes.
Proverbs 23:18 ESVSurely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
There is healing power in the blood!

Everything Must Go (Hope Has A Name)

I was driving the other day, and while sitting at a red light, I looked on the corner, and a young man was holding and spinning a yellow sign that read, “Everything Must Go.” I suspected this was one of those announcements from a store that is having a big sale or is going out of business. As the light turned green and I pulled away, those three words rattled around in my spirit like a nickel in a tin cup, and I asked myself, “What does the Lord want me to know about those three words?”
As I continued driving, I started to think about some issues in my life, an inventory of things that are out of season, items no one else wants, and old objects that take up the space where new things are meant to be placed. Idols, thoughts, worries, doubts, and questions remain folded on shelves and hanging on racks that should have been removed long ago. I asked the Lord to search me and show me what needs to go, so I have room for everything that will allow him to fulfill his plan and purpose for my life.
Psalm 139:1-6 ESVO Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
My dear friends, what if you looked at your bitterness and said, “No, you cannot stay because you’re taking up the place where forgiveness should be.” Or, to misery, say, “No, you have to go because this is where joy belongs. What if you spoke to despair and said, “You cannot remain here because hope must be put in your place?”
God showed me through that yellow sign that anything that no longer has value or robs you of your hope must go. As we filter our experiences through the lens of the Word of God, we may realize that we have picked up some habits and patterns we shouldn’t have. Those things steal our joy and prevent us from advancing in our walk with Jesus.
What are those things for you?
I will be honest with you; the past year has been a difficult one for me. I could fill a jar with the salt from tears of worry and weeping. Perhaps you have also faced troubles and sadness this year, and it is hard to feel hope. I like how Max Lucado describes hope in his book God Came Near,
“Hope is not what you’d expect; it is what you would never dream. It is a wild, improbable tale with a pinch-me-I’m-dreaming ending. Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed; no, it is far greater than that. It is a zany, unpredictable dependence on God, who loves to surprise us from our socks and be there in the flesh to see our reaction.”
THAT is the kind of hope that God longs for you to have. But to possess that ridiculous kind of hope, some things must be removed. It is time to tell the enemy that you have had enough and that he can’t have you any longer. You can break free from what’s no longer helpful and run to the Father; for whom the Son sets free, is free indeed.
Ephesians 3:16-17 NIVI pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
God has given you too much power and authority to stay in hopelessness any longer.
Let it go!

Hope Floats (Hope Has A Name)

Romans 8:24-25 ESVFor in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
One summer day, I was working in my garden, the July sun warming my face, and I was amazed at how much my flowers have grown since spring. It wasn’t that long ago that snow covered the ground in a blanket of white. And as time flies like the wind, blowing through the trees, rustling thick branches, and bending pointed leaves only to disappear as quickly as it arrived, the snow will soon cover the ground again.
My perennials will be buried deep in the cold, hard ground in the winter months. The bulbs are there in the dormant season and are quietly laboring to grow even more extensive and deeper root systems—preparing themselves for the right time and season to break forth from their hidden home and bloom.
Lamentations 3:24-25 ESV“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
Some of you feel like you have been praying for something, a need, healing, or a dream, but it hasn’t come to pass. The hope you felt the first time your knees touched the ground and your lips uttered your request waivers each day that prayers go unanswered, so you think it is dead. But I am here to tell you that it is not dead; it’s just sleeping.
Solomon tells us in Proverbs 13:12, “Hope deferred makes a heart sick.” Prayers for salvation for a family member that goes unanswered, the search for a new job that seems to go nowhere, the battle with cancer that lingers, the arms that ache for another baby lost in a miscarriage—all can make our hearts sick as we eagerly hope for something and it keeps getting postponed.
1 Peter 5:10 ESVAnd after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
You see, it’s easier to worship God in summer’s glory, with its vibrant colors, when the sun’s golden fingers caress your face. But can you learn to trust him in the cold and gray of winter when the sun hides for days, and the frigid wind stings your cheeks?
Allow God to prepare for you what you have been praying for. Stay close to him, pray, read his Word, and allow him to work while you wait. God is doing miraculous things in the secret place so that you can continue to grow and expand your roots, anchoring them into the soil of his love and grace.
Psalm 130:5 ESVI wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
His timing is perfect, and he is working all things together for your good. As it is written in Isaiah 60:22, “When the time is right, I the Lord will make it happen.” Be blessed in your winter season, my friend. Let God do what he needs to do in the invisible so that you will be fully prepared for what he has planned for you when your spring arrives.
Our unfulfilled desires, unanswered prayers, and deferred hopes can lead us to a rich encounter with Christ Jesus. Like a balloon that escapes a child’s hand and drifts away, allow your hope to float to the Lord, who alone is the fulfillment of all that we pray and long for.
Philippians 1:6 ESVAnd I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.