Thursday, June 11, 2026

Lord, What Am I Missing?

Understanding Spiritual Emptiness and Emotional Unrest in Your Walk with Christ

God has blessed us in ways we can’t even begin to count. Just waking up this morning is mercy on display. We’ve got another day to praise Him and acknowledge His goodness. And most of us do—we’re grateful. We really are. But if we’re honest, gratitude doesn’t always silence that inner ache. There are times we still feel unfulfilled, unsettled, and aware that something feels missing but we can’t name it. We look for scripture that explains the emptiness, the loneliness, the numbness that can show up even in a blessed life. And somewhere in that unsettled place within, we find ourselves asking, “Lord… what am I missing?”

Jesus Christ is the answer—we know this for sure. But what often feels missing is not Christ Himself, but how to truly live from the wholeness He already gives. Paul’s prayer and God’s desire for each of us is found in Ephesians 3:16–17 (NLT): “16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”

This verse speaks directly to the condition of our souls. Roots determine what nourishes the whole tree. God tells us our roots are meant to grow down into His love, but sometimes they grow into other things—places, people, expectations, and desires that were never meant to sustain us. And when that happens, God begins the process of pruning. The hard part is that we are often so focused on what we’re holding onto that we don’t realize we’re being pruned for our good.

Jesus said in John 15:2 that the Father prunes every branch that bears fruit so it can bear more fruit. As we walk with God, He lovingly begins to reveal attitudes, habits, and priorities that may be slowing our growth or pulling our hearts in directions He never intended. And while it doesn’t always feel comfortable, this process is not punishment—it is the careful work of a Father shaping us to look more like Christ. Sometimes what we call restlessness, dissatisfaction, or emptiness is not something to ignore or dismiss. It can be God’s gentle interruption, calling us to grow deeper, surrender something we’ve been holding too tightly, or return our focus back to Him.

So maybe what we’re calling emptiness is not emptiness at all. Maybe it’s God’s invitation—pulling us away from what can’t sustain us and drawing us back to the place where real life is found in Him. Because when God starts pruning, He is not taking from us to leave us lacking; He is removing what cannot carry the weight of where He is trying to take us. And in that process, He begins to rework our desires, realign our focus, and bring us back to the simple truth we often overlook in the noise of life: we were never meant to be fulfilled apart from Him. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

What You Have to Do For YOU

Keeping Your Eyes On God's Purpose In A World Full Of Distractions

Believers are being pulled a thousand different ways these days. We're told we should get on certain bandwagons and that God won't be pleased if we don't. Yet many believers sense that something isn't quite right. They feel pressured to adopt opinions, causes, and positions without taking the time to seek God's heart for themselves. As a result, many are unsure how to navigate everything that is happening around them. The reality is that we have to be extremely cautious about the opinions of others, no matter who they are or what position they may hold. In the grand scope of our individual lives, what matters most is how we're responding to our fellowship with Heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

You Will Answer For Your Own Life

Hebrews 4:13 (NLT) tells us, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” When everything is said and done, you alone will stand before God to give an account of the life you have lived. This truth makes it even more important that we live in a way that pleases Heavenly Father. We must be careful to walk in His love, follow His leading, and embrace the purpose for which He created us. In doing so, we discover the meaningful and fulfilling life that can only be found in Him.

God Has A Purpose With Your Name On It

Ephesians 2:10(NLT) tells us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” God has a plan for your individual life, and this plan fits beautifully into His Plan for the entire universe. Rather than dabbling in areas we have no business and being concerned about things that have nothing to do with God’s agenda, the priority in our minds and the focus of our hearts should be to seek God for His plan for our individual lives.

God's plan for your life will not be fulfilled accidentally. It requires intention. It requires seeking Him, listening to His voice, and remaining committed to what He has placed before you. Too often people become consumed with everything happening around them while neglecting the very thing God is asking of them personally. Wonderful things happen when we walk in His purpose. If we want to do that, we must learn to focus our attention on Him and place our confidence in what He has said.

We can’t afford to allow anyone to distract us from our relationship with Heavenly Father. Faith requires focus. Faith does not respond to whims. It responds to a fully persuaded belief and trust in God's Word.

Don't Let Distractions Steal Your Focus

When Abraham and Sarah received God's promise, Sarah initially laughed because it seemed impossible. Both of them were well beyond the years of childbearing and could not fully understand how God would accomplish what He had spoken. Abraham is known as the father of our believing, not because he saw immediate results, but because he continued walking with God until his faith matured.

God knew that even though it would take time, Abraham and Sarah would continue trusting Him until the promise came to pass. Sarah gave birth to Isaac when she was ninety years old. They refused to allow the reality of their circumstances to dismantle their confidence in what God had said. Taking our cue from them, we must not allow the craziness of our times to weaken our faith in God's faithfulness.

Don't Let The Noise Pull You Away

Just as he was from the beginning, satan is a master of deception. Many believers have become so consumed with everything happening around them that they can barely focus on their walk with God. Yet our faith is required. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that without faith it is impossible to please Him. Through His precious Son, Jesus Christ, God has promised healing, restoration, provision, peace, and eternal life. Many of us have been praying for these things for a long time. We have battled illness, financial pressure, loneliness, disappointment, and sorrow. We want God to move in our circumstances, yet sometimes our hearts and minds become distracted by everything except Him.

Jesus Christ said in Mark 7:6 (NLT), “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’” As God's children living in a time when we have unprecedented access to His Word, we should never allow this statement to describe our commitment to Him. God is not looking for people who merely talk about faith. He is looking for people who will trust Him enough to walk it out.

Get Clear About What You're Believing For

What you have to do for yourself is get clear about what you are believing God for. Then pursue Him in prayer. Not through endless repetition, but through genuine fellowship, trust, and obedience. God already knows what you need. He already knows how He intends to bless you. The question is whether we are willing to remain aligned with Him while we wait.

Stay Ready While You Wait

We become impatient. We become distracted. We allow ourselves to be pulled into debates, controversies, and endless distractions, while forgetting that the eyes of God are upon us. He sees our diligence. He sees our faithfulness. He sees whether we are preparing for the very things we claim to desire. He sees whether we’ll remain anchored in our conviction when it seems like nothing in our circumstances is changing.

Abraham and Sarah demonstrated this kind of commitment without the privilege of having the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. Through Jesus Christ, we have been given that gift. We have access to God's guidance, comfort, wisdom, and power every single day. Therefore, we must rein ourselves in, regain our focus, and give our attention to what God is doing in us through Jesus Christ. In a world filled with noise, confusion, and competing voices, this remains one of the most important things we can do. It is not only pleasing to God, but it is also essential to becoming the person He created us to be and living the life He planned for us long ago. ■

“What You Have to Do For YOU”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2026. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

The Lord Will Fight Your Battles

In the beginning of Numbers 12, the siblings of Moses criticized him because he had married an Ethiopian woman. Miriam, a prophetess and his sister, and Aaron, the priest and older brother, had worked alongside Moses in carrying out the assignments God had given Israel. They had seen miracles with their own eyes. They had witnessed the power of God move through Moses repeatedly. Yet even with all of that, jealousy still found room to grow in their hearts. Numbers 12:1-2 (NLT) says, “While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They said, ‘Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?’ But the LORD heard them.” That last sentence carries serious weight. Whatever the deeper issue was, they allowed it to carry them into a place where they opposed what God had established, and the Lord Himself stepped in to address it.

Sometimes people around us can become uncomfortable with the favor of God on our lives, especially when our obedience begins producing fruit they cannot deny. Perhaps Miriam and Aaron disliked the influence Moses’s wife had on him. Maybe they felt overlooked. Maybe pride had slowly worked its way into places they had not guarded properly. Whatever the deeper issue was, it moved them into a dangerous place where they forgot who had established Moses in the first place. This chapter is a reminder that spiritual maturity does not exempt people from battling envy, offense, pride, or insecurity. If those things are not dealt with honestly before God, they will eventually come out through words, attitudes, and behavior that work against His purpose.

The Bible teaches us repeatedly that God’s Will is not something to play with casually. Proverbs 19:21 (NLT) says, “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” That truth has to stay planted in our hearts because life will constantly present situations that tempt us to try to move ahead of God, resist His direction, or interfere with what He is building through somebody else. Many of the hardships we face come from poor decisions, emotional reactions, disobedience, or flesh-driven choices. Those things can delay us and create unnecessary struggles, but there are moments when a person crosses into dangerous territory by fighting against what God Himself has established. That kind of opposition carries consequences far beyond hurt feelings or temporary conflict.

One thing that stands out in this story is that Moses did not defend himself. He did not gather evidence. He did not launch a counterattack. He did not sit around trying to destroy the people who were speaking against him. Numbers 12:3 (NLT) says, “Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.” Moses understood something many believers still struggle to learn: every battle does not belong to us. Some battles belong entirely to God. When people attack your obedience to God, your calling, your growth, or the assignment on your life, there are times when the wisest thing you can do is stay in position and allow the Lord to deal with it His way. Flesh always wants revenge, validation, and immediate justice, but wisdom understands that God handles matters better than we ever could.

What happened next was not small correction. God stepped in openly and dealt with Miriam and Aaron Himself. Numbers 12:6-8 (NLT) says, “And the LORD said to them, ‘Now listen to what I say: If there were prophets among you, I, the LORD, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the LORD as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?’” That question still speaks today. Why are people so comfortable dishonoring what God has chosen, established, or anointed? We have to be careful that personal feelings, wounded pride, competition, or offense do not move us into opposition against something God is employing for His glory.

There is peace that comes from knowing God sees everything. He sees betrayal. He sees manipulation. He sees jealousy, false accusations, disrespect, and hidden motives. Nothing escapes Him. That does not mean we never speak truth or establish boundaries, but it does mean we stop carrying burdens that belong in God’s hands. Exodus 14:14 (NLT) says, “The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Sometimes the greatest act of faith is refusing to let bitterness reshape your heart while God handles matters in His own timing. The Lord knows how to defend His people. He knows how to correct what is out of order. He knows how to preserve the purpose attached to your life, even when opposition rises from people you never expected would stand against you. ■

“The Lord Will Fight Your Battles”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2026. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

When the Outside Doesn’t Match the Inside

Looking good on the outside means nothing if the heart and mind aren’t right with God.

A lot of us have experienced disappointment in dating. We’ve met people that seemed compatible in the beginning. They checked all the right boxes, said the right things, carried themselves the right way, and for a moment it felt promising. But after a while, certain things started surfacing that didn’t line up with who they first presented themselves to be. Some people can look good on the outside, sound good on the outside, and even know how to play the part, but inwardly they are something totally different. That kind of disappointment can hit deep. It can make us question our judgment, our choices, and sometimes even wonder if there’s really anyone out there for us.

More Than Looks and Chemistry

A person can be attractive, charming, well dressed, and still not have the spiritual substance to build a lasting relationship. Romans 8:5 (NLT) tells us, “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.” God shows us there are people who are driven by the flesh, and there are people striving to be led by His Spirit. Folks that are dominated by the flesh may still seem nice on the surface, but they don’t have the kind of foundation that can hold a relationship together when life gets hard. They’re focused on their own agenda instead of growing spiritually and becoming who God has called them to be. And if we’re honest, no relationship truly flourishes when Jesus Christ is not the head of it.

God Never Meant for Us to Pretend

Romans 3:23 (NLT) tells us plainly, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.” None of us are perfect, and none of us should carry ourselves like we’ve already arrived. Every last one of us has issues God is still working on. But through Jesus Christ, we are supposed to be growing, maturing, and allowing God to shape our hearts daily. God’s desire is that we partner with someone who pushes us closer to Him, not further away. Real love isn’t just chemistry and attraction. Real love helps both people grow spiritually, mature emotionally, and become stronger in Christ together.

Some people are too consumed with themselves to build the kind of relationship God intended. When everything is centered around ego, selfish desires, emotional games, and personal agendas, the relationship eventually begins to crack under pressure. That’s because real love cannot survive where selfishness rules. God’s love is the glue that makes relationships last. His love is patient, loyal, compassionate, forgiving, and unselfish. It doesn’t keep score over petty things, and it doesn’t walk away the moment life gets uncomfortable.

Not Everyone Will Be Comfortable with The Light God Place in You

If you belong to Jesus Christ, His love is already living in your heart, and the light of Christ should be evident in the way you think, love, speak, and carry yourself. But everybody is not going to be comfortable with that light, because light exposes what darkness tries to hide. Some people will be drawn to your relationship with God, while others will resist it because they don’t want to grow, change, or surrender their own ways. And instead of forcing connections that continually pull us away from peace, wisdom, and spiritual growth, sometimes the wisest thing we can do is let go and trust God enough to walk away.

When Our Inside Matches Our Outside

There is somebody out there for you. God already knows the details of your future, and He knows who is truly compatible with the purpose He has placed on your life. But while we’re asking God to send someone genuine, we also have to examine ourselves honestly. Because just as it hurts to meet somebody whose outside doesn’t match their inside, it’s just as damaging when we are the ones carrying that same mismatch. Some people know all the Christian language, all the church mannerisms, and all the right things to say, but inwardly their hearts are still full of pride, selfishness, bitterness, and emotional chaos. We have to be careful not to be that person.

Ephesians 1:3 (NLT) says, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” God has already blessed us with everything we need through Christ to live an abundant life and build a fulfilling relationship. But we still have to do our part. We have to make sure our hearts truly belong to God, and that what people see on the outside is backed up by who we really are on the inside. ■

“When the Outside Doesn’t Match the Inside”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2026. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.