Me: God is good!
Prodigal: All the time!
Here is a video devotion about Proverbs
Proverbs 4:20
My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ears to my words.
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Women Lovin’ Jesus
Author Archives: Jennifer Van Allen
Breathtaking Insight
Prodigal: I was thinking I need to relax more.
Me: Really?
Prodigal: Yes, but I need to thank God in the process.
This is from the book Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster
We are tempted to believe there is nothing we can do. If all human strivings end in moral bankruptcy (and having tried it, we know it is so), and if righteousness is a gracious gift from God (as the Bible clearly states), then is it not logical to conclude that we must wait for God to come and transform us? Strangely enough, the answer is no. The analysis is correct–human striving is insufficient and righteousness is a gift from God–but the conclusion is faulty. Happily there is something we can do. We do not need to be hung on the horns of the dilemma of either human works or idleness. God has given us the Disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving his grace. The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that he can transform us.
Sometimes you think what you do does not matter, but do not forget to be in God’s presence and do not forget the power of fasting in God’s presence.
Romans 11:6
And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
A Name
Prodigal: What is God doing?
Me: I don’t know all God is working on, but He is working.
What is your name? It depends on who is calling you? Maybe you are called mommy, or daddy? Maybe you are dear, or honey? When the doctor calls, your ears hear your full name. When you hear which name someone is using, then that can tell a lot about the roles that exist between the people.
The Lord has been known by many names. In the bible we see different references for the names we know Him by. One name was used in Daniel alone. This name was Ancient of Days. We find this in Daniel 7.
Daniel 7:9 NKJV
“I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire.
Study light.org commentary discusses that this name Ancient of Days is about stressing the eternity of God. Oxford dictionary states that eternity means unending time. Ancient of Days is our Lord showing us that He is beyond time. That time has no impact for our God. He is not concerned as the days turn to years. He is not worried that task will not be completed. The clicking of the clock is just a background noise with no pressure on His actions.
How does an eternal Father make a difference in our limited lives right now? We may have an expiration date on earth, but our prayers to the Lord do not. Prayers that reached the Ancient of Days is the one thing that will continue with Him, even long after they leave our lips.
1 John 5:14 NKJV
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
Daniel 7:9 gives a good visual of who our mighty God is? What if our prayer today was focused on this Lord who is eternal? Let’s take the time to reach out to Him. When we do, the words that flow from our spirits, can be spoken with a peace. A peace that they are given to the One who can hold our desperate cries.
Our Father holds on to those heartfelt words, knowing that time itself will erase some of the pain of our prayers, and the other ones may be tied to time that only He understands.
Ancient of Days is just another name in the role that our Savior has with us. When we have that time alone, what will change knowing that our Lord has a name that is beyond the passage of time.
Ancient of Days, the God with no limits on time, please help us not be stressed with our limited time. Allow us peace, comfort, and perseverance when we feel overwhelmed with to do list, and deadlines.
Proverbs 3:34
Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Women Lovin’ Jesus
Prodigal: The quilt is getting bigger all the time.
Me: You work on it piece by piece, just like life.
This is a video devotion about Proverbs
Proverbs 4:19
The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Changing Direction
Prodigal: I sure I’m surprised how nice this walk has been.
Me: Sometimes the greatest things happen when you don’t expect it.
It was early in the morning. The sun was out, and the heat of the day had yet to start on this summer morning. I had my phone, and ear buds. I was planning to feed my self spiritually during a brisk walk.
I had just started the sermon, and was listening to the introduction. I passed by a paved parking area. There are on the ground were two puzzle pieces. They looked like they belonged to a child puzzle that was about 50 to 100 pieces. I immediately thought, how disappointing. Some child will try to put together a puzzle only to find two pieces are missing, and the task cannot be completed.
I soon forgot about the puzzle pieces as I quickly continued my walk, and the sermon began to dive deeper into biblical truth. What a great joy! The sun was shining, and the message was being received by my spirit. I felt God’s hand guiding me with the knowledge that was shared by the pastor. Time seemed enjoyable. I was not in a hurry to pass to the next item on my list, or was I bored withunfulfillment. It was just what my body, and spirit needed.
I had turned around, and started walking back toward where I started halfway in the sermon. As the sermon was finishing, I was close to the parking lot again. As I was leaving, I saw another puzzle piece from the same two that were lost. It was a little farther away from the first two pieces that I saw.
This time though, my thoughts were different. I am listening to this sermon, and finishing up taking in God’s word. God was showing me my spirit guidance. He was taking this sermon, His word, and applying it to my life. He was connecting it all like little puzzle pieces. I began to see what He was trying to teach,and show me. Maybe looking at these puzzle pieces was not about sadness. Instead they were about hope. He was showing me that I just had to connect them with God’s word, and spirit to understand what I was learning.
God was giving me pieces to the puzzle this morning. It was all supposed to be connected, and not separately understood. In order to grow in God’s purpose for my life, and understand His ways, my spirit had to bring together the connections.
I began my walk with sadness, and two puzzle pieces on the ground, and when I finished there was one more puzzle piece. That last piece with God’s spirit had turned my sadness to joy.
God is connecting pieces for you, just like He was for me. There may have been sadness when you saw one or two pieces, He gave you. Wait on a couple of other pieces that God will show you, and joy will come to you too.
Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.
Jeremiah 32:17
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Reviewing Style
Prodigal: Look at all the styles!
Me: Yes, they are pretty.
Prodigal: So many to choose from.
Me: Which should you choose?
This is from the book Bold Love by Dr. Dan B. Allender and Dr. Tremper Longman III
What in the world is going on in our penchant for honesty and openness? Our day is so full of hypocrisy, pretense, and deception that we crave a sincere relationship with another person. One sad byproduct of this legitimate craving is an undisciplined tendency to let people know when we are hurt or offended. Obviously, there is a place for rebuke and honesty, but not as the primary staple of building or maintaining loving relationships. My friend was assaulted, at least in part, due to misapplication of material that I had taught on “bold love.” It alternately breaks my heart and terrifies me that I might unleash a style of interaction that will harm others.
Bold love is not reckless or cruel. It is not beating up another in the name of sharing or intervention. Bold love is courageously setting aside our personal agenda to move humbly into the world of others with their well-being in view, willing to risk further pain in our souls, in order to be an aroma of life to some and an aroma of death to others. Boldly loving another with the energy of Christ (Colossians 1:8-9) would never have produced the destructive confrontation that was thrust upon my friend.
Love the way the Lord wants us to love is to make sure we have no personal agenda, and we are humble. This is really really tough. Thinking someone owes us something, making sure we look good from all this. Making sure that we win the argument. Making sure we don’t have to give to much. These are all agenda’s the Lord may ask you to humble, and surrender.
James 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Women Lovin’ Jesus
Prodigal: I am moving as slow as molasses this morning.
Me: Just keep moving, and I reckon you will get there eventually.
Here is a video devotion on Proverbs
Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines even brighter unto the perfect day.
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Before God
Prodigal: God has made wonderful things.
Me: Yes, he has, and one of them is you!
This is from the book Men of Faith: Jonathan Edwards by David J. Vaughan
I have been before God; and have given myself, all that I am and have to God, so that I am not in any respect my own: I can challenge no right in myself, I can challenge no right in this understanding, this will, these affections that are in me; neither have I any right to this body, any of its members: no right to this tongue, these hands nor feet: no right to these senses, these eyes, these ears, this smell or taste. I have given myself clear away, and have not retained anything as my own. I have been to God this morning, and told him that I have given myself wholly to him. I have given every power to him; so that for the future I will challenge no right in myself, in any respect….
This have I done. And I pray God, for the sake of Christ, to look upon it as a self-dedication; and to receive me now as entirely his own, and deal with me in all respects as such, whether he afflicts me or prospers me, or whatever he pleases to do with me, who am his.
Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
Mark 9:37
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Open The Door
Me: I was looking for you, I missed you.
Prodigal: Sorry, I got distracted, and went off on a walk.
Me: I want to share something with you.
This is from the book Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster
Isaiah 57:20 says, “The wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.” The sea does not need to do anything special to produce mire and dirt; that is the result of its natural motions. This is also true of us when we are under the condition of sin. The natural motions of our lives produce mire an dirt. Sin is part of the internal structure of our lives. No special effort is needed to produce it. No wonder we feel trapped.
Our ordinary method of dealing with ingrained sin is to launch a frontal attack. We rely on our willpower and determination. Whatever may be the issue for us–anger, fear, bitterness, gluttony, pride, lust, substance abuse—we determine never to do it again; we pray against it, fight against it, set our will against it. But the struggle is all in vain, and we find ourselves once again morally bankrupt or, worse yet, so proud of our external righteousness that “whitened sepulchers” is a mild description of our condition.
When we despair of gaining inner transformation through human powers of will and determination, we are open to a wonderful new realization: inner righteousness is a gift from God to be graciously received. The needed change within us is God’s work, not ours. The demand is for an inside job, and only God can work from the inside. We cannot attain or earn this righteousness of the kingdom of God; it is a grace that is given.
We must accept the gift of grace. We must surrender before we can accept.
1 Samuel 17:39-40
David fastened on is sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these.” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Women Lovin’ Jesus
Me: I glad that you could join me today.
Prodigal: We could use some encouragement to begin our day.
This is a video devotion about Proverbs
Proverbs 4:17
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org