Home
Categories
EXPLORE
True Crime
History
Society & Culture
Comedy
Science
Technology
Business
About Us
Contact Us
Copyright
© 2024 PodJoint
Loading...
0:00 / 0:00
Podjoint Logo
MT
Sign in

or

Don't have an account?
Sign up
Forgot password
https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/42/7f/2c/427f2ca3-f2a9-ab7d-7605-b5e1b949071d/mza_4377119678197757283.jpg/600x600bb.jpg
BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
Pamela Crim | Daily Devotional for Women
100 episodes
1 day ago
Devotionals do not have to be boring … we make them fun, applicable and powerful each and every day. Pamela will get you fired up for life and lather the love of Jesus on you … and make you giggle. Download a new episode of the Big Life Devotional podcast each weekday.
Show more...
Christianity
Education,
Religion & Spirituality,
Society & Culture,
Self-Improvement
RSS
All content for BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women is the property of Pamela Crim | Daily Devotional for Women and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Devotionals do not have to be boring … we make them fun, applicable and powerful each and every day. Pamela will get you fired up for life and lather the love of Jesus on you … and make you giggle. Download a new episode of the Big Life Devotional podcast each weekday.
Show more...
Christianity
Education,
Religion & Spirituality,
Society & Culture,
Self-Improvement
Episodes (20/100)
BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1845 It’s Payback Time

What has been taken from you? What have you lost? Where are you hurting? This space in your life is an invitation for God’s presence as you have never known before. Now, you will be restored.



Joel 2:25 “The LORD says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts.”



Locusts are insects much like a grasshopper which bring great destruction. They show up in masses and consume all that is living. In this scripture God is speaking to his people who had just endured years of hardship. Years of loss. Years of destruction. Now he is saying, I’m here to give back to you what you lost.



Four kinds of locusts are mentioned. The swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts and the cutting locusts. I wonder, what has swarmed and overwhelmed you? What has hopped in and walked all over you? What has stripped you of your confidence and your peace? What has cut you deep and left you wounded? This is your locust.



Whatever loss it has caused will now be repaid. Whatever hard times you have endured, good times will be multiplied. If you will remain faithful, if you will continue to trust in God, he will right every wrong in your life. He will bring it full circle. You may not know how and you will not know when, but he will work on your behalf and make it so.



Do you believe that?



What have you lost? How many years have you spent hurting or stressing over that which has happened to you? I assure you, it has not slipped by God without his notice. He has not been amiss in your pain. He has not been absent in your suffering. He knows it all. He has seen it all. He has heard you. And through it all he has had a plan to restore you. A plan to rebuild you. A plan to take all that isn’t right, and make it right. More than right.



Will you let God do that in your life? That’s a genuine question, because often after a season of destruction, we lose our trust. We become jaded and cynical. We’re just waiting for the next thing to fall apart, the next thing to go wrong, the next delivery of bad news. Expecting it. Accepting it. Believing that life is against us and God has forsaken us.



But a new season is here. A season of the tables turning and wrongs being made right. A season of restoring that which was lost. A season of repayment. Oh yes, repayment!



But understand, you’re not the one getting anyone back. God’s not calling you to get back at those who hurt you. It’s not ‘get even’ time. It’s restoration time.



For restoration to fully take place we have to stop replaying the story in our head of how bad it was. How wrong they were. How innocent you were. Will you release that story for an opportunity to live a new story? A story of wholeness? A story of purpose? Will you let God do the repaying and you do the releasing?



You must quit tearing down that which God is now ready to restore. You are being restored.



Various translations of this scripture say “I will repay you, I will restore you, I will give you back, I will make up to you what you have lost, what has been devoured, that which has consumed you.” Oh there it is … that which has consumed you.



Have you ever been consumed with something? Something that has taken your peace, filled your thoughts, plagued your happiness, and seeped it’s way into every corner of your heart and mind? I certainly have been. I’ve been consumed. I’ve been hurt to the point of believing it would never be okay again. And I was wrong.
Show more...
1 day ago
13 minutes 50 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1844 Up In the Air

What uncertainties do you face? It is NOT uncertain to God. He knows it all. From beginning to end he knows every detail concerning you and he is taking all things in consideration for your best future.



What things about your future are still up in the air? Up here in the unknown where you don’t have control and can’t quite see what’s coming? Yes, that’s “up in the air”. Well, that’s God’s air and it is as it should be!



You don’t see it all. What you see is the tiniest sliver of the whole. There’s still so much hidden from you, but not from God. Hebrews 4:13 says “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.”



You don’t know what’s around the corner, but God does. He will not be surprised by anything and he is preparing you for everything. You can trust that.



Never once in all of history has God been shocked. Never has he said, “well, I didn’t see that coming.” Girl, you may be shocked, but he isn’t. He knew it was coming before it was even created … and he’s made a way through that which has shocked the crap out of you. He’s even using this shocking thing to work as part of a good thing.



It’s like baking soda in a cake. Baking soda alone is unfavorable. However used in a cake, it brings the rise. Without it, you have flat cake. And without some seemingly unfavorable ingredients in your life, you have a flat life. You want to rise … well there are special ingredients for that and they don’t seem so awesome when singled out.



There may be a lot of things about your future that are up in the air … but remember that’s God’s air. That’s God’s domain. It all falls under God’s power. You can rest assured in that today. You can find peace in that shelter.



Everything is all coming together for your ultimate good. Every detail is aligning to bring you closer to who God intended you to be. All that you can see, and all that you cannot see, is under the authority and direction of your creator, guided with great precision into your life.



Just like in a movie, every character is for a specific role. If there’s an interruption in the scene of a movie, it’s part of the bigger scene. If there’s a plot twist it’s for the purpose of a bigger story in the movie. Even that which seems random isn’t random at all. And so it is with your life. None of this is random. Everything is by great design. Every thing in your life has the fingerprints of God on it because he’s in the middle of it.



If we only knew the behind the scenes action happening on our behalf. All the opportunities being aligned. All the details being fit together. All the goodness in store. All the divine connections, infinite moments, and heavenly assignments being aligned specifically for us. But we don’t. All we know is we woke up to a Thursday, and for the majority of us, it’s just a day we’re trying to get through until the weekend. We don’t see how today is hand crafted and specially designed as part of our bigger picture. We don’t see how God has orchestrated the events of today to bring us to a better tomorrow. We just have to trust it.



We must show up today with a deep faith knowing that all we think we know is nothing. That there is greater. That there is bigger. That there is so, so, so much more. And it’s all working together. It’s all be whipped up for us. Mixed together so we don’t have a flat life.



Psalm 46: 1, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”

Show more...
2 days ago
12 minutes 20 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1843 Don’t Be Jealous

My mentor’s name was Mr. Winton. He was my mentor for the last 20 years of his life and his wisdom helped change mine. One of his greatest lessons was a lesson on envy. He told me “Pamela, you’re truly successful when you can celebrate the success of others as much as you celebrate your own.” It’s taken almost all of those 20 years for me to understand and live that lesson.



My second mentor was Jim Rohn. I listened to his teachings called “The Art of Exceptional Living” on repeat for 2 solid years. Jim taught me, “If you help enough other people get what they want, you can have everything you want.”



My third mentor was Zig Ziglar. Zig taught me, “To get what you want, help others get what they want.”



And you know what … all 3 of my mentors were right. My focus on self would only hold me back. My jealousy of others would limit my own potential. I’m created to love, celebrate and champion others, and so are you!



But that’s not easy. There’s a whole lot of our flesh that gets in the way and makes us feel threatened by the success and happiness of others. But I’ve come to fully understand that my God is not limited on blessings. What he gives me does not take from you. My success does not have to come at the cost of yours. Your happiness doesn’t have to suck from mine. This competition we’re secretly in only hurts all of us.



Proverbs 14:30 “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”We may be rotting from the inside out and not even realize it. The source of the destruction … envy. A feeling of discontentment because of what someone else has or does. And I don’t care how sweet and kind you are my darling, seeds of envy and jealousy have been planted in your heart somewhere along the way.



And it may sound like this:



Her husband is so loving and attentive … I sure wish mine was like that.



Her children behave, they don’t draw penis’ on the wall or eat their buggers in public – that must be nice.



She’s on the same diet and somehow she lost 15 pounds this month – what the what … I’m still stuck on the first 3 pounds. That’s so frustrating.



Her life just seems magical … and mine just seems miserable.



You don’t wish her harm, but hey let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she had a really bad hair day when you were looking top notch for once.



This is all completely normal. We all battle these fleeting thoughts and feelings. AND IT’S ROTTING OUR BONES. From the inside out, it ruins the fullness of who we were created to be. It’s crippling us.



Let me ask a few questions:• Could envy and jealousy be the root of your anxiety?• Could that tinge of jealousy be responsible for your unhappiness?• Could those fleeting thoughts of “gosh if she posts one more positive thing on facebook today I’m gonna barf” be a thief of your own joy?



Answer: YES YES and YES.



We all battle it – some more graciously than others. And here’s the big kicker – thoughts of jealousy and envy aren’t always targeted towards “her”. They’re often targeted towards him. Yes, him. All you married ladies listening, you may be jealous of your husband. This jealousy is eating away at you and your marriage from within.



Why does he get to get dressed every day and just walk out the door and leave this mess behind?Why does he get to have a fulfilling job?Why does he get to go out to lunch?Then he comes home and does nothing.How dare he complain when I ask him to take out the trash.
Show more...
3 days ago
17 minutes 9 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1842 Living Well Today

Do you want to live well today? Of course you do. No one woke up this morning and said “ya know, I want to royally jack up this day of living.” No one intentionally woke up, realized it was Tuesday and said “I think I’ll just waste today.” No, none of us. However, many of us have unintentionally jacked up days in the past. We’ve wasted precious days before. How do we make sure that doesn’t happen again today?



We all have a desire within to live well. The question is, how do we do that in the middle of real life unfolding here and now?



Today we’re whipping out the New King James version of the Bible and reading 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”



Within this scripture are 3 keys to living well today. Let’s break it down sister!



* Be steadfast. Steadfast comes from the root word sit. To be steadfast, we must be seated and be settled in the truth.



We live very unsettled lives in an unsettled world. We are tense and uptight and anxious, always stirred up about something. God says sit down, settle down, be relaxed.



Did you know you can be working and still be relaxed? God never intended for us to go through the days of our lives so unsettled. Don’t you know you are way too blessed to be stressed? Stress is the plan of the enemy. Have you fallen into his trap?



As long as you are stressed and anxious, you can never be seated in truth. You can never be steadfast in knowing who you are and whose you are.



Today, take a seat in what you know to be true. Resist the temptation to be constantly stirred up and upset.



You are chosen.You are forgiven.You are blessed.God is good.God is for you.He’s working all things together for good.Settle into that. Sit down into that truth today.



* Be immovable. Like a solid rock.



James 1:6 says “The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, being blown and tossed by the wind.” That’s what our doubt does, it causes us to be seasick. We’re constantly tossed around and stirred up on the inside. We stress over making the right decision, then we stress over the decisions we made, then we go back and forth, tossed around like a little boat on a big stormy ocean. And God says STOP IT. Be immovable.



Stop doubting God.Stop doubting his plan for you.Stop doubting your ability to walk in his plan for you.



Girl, your doubt is making you sick. Be immovable. Let your yes be yes, let your no be no. Have boundaries. I will do this, I won’t do that, and I will be immovable in my commitments.



So, we are steadfast meaning we are seated in truth. We are immovable and no longer tossed around by doubt. And finally our scripture today gives us the third key to living well.



* Always abounding in the work of the Lord. Abounding means plentiful and abundant. So this is saying to be abundant in your work.



For you today this means GO THE EXTRA MILE. Stop doing the minimum. I bet there’s some areas in your life, like there are some areas in my life, that have started to pile up because I’ve been doing the minimum. That’s what creates a mess!



We’re just doing the minimum. Then we’re so overwhelmed because we’re so behind. We’ve just been getting by when God says be abounding in your work. Stop doing the minimum, go the extra mile.



Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do,
Show more...
4 days ago
13 minutes 29 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1841 God, What Do I Do?

Wouldn’t you just love to know precisely what to do next? A clear yes or a clear no from a God who’s plans are specific and promised to be good. How exactly do you get that? Can you get that?



Do you remember the Magic 8 Ball back in the 80’s? You could ask it a question and it would appear with an answer. There were 10 positive answers such as, “It is certain. Yes, definitely. Without a doubt.” There were 7 negative answers such as, “Don’t count on it. My sources say no. Very doubtful.” Then there were 5 very non-committal answers everyone hated such as, “Cannot predict now. Ask again later.”



How many of us could confess to standing in the mall with a rhinestoned denim jacket with shoulder pads and consulting the Magic 8 Ball for love advice. “Should I date Tim? Will I marry Danny?” And how many of us would also confess to shaking that thing and asking again until we got the answer we wanted?!!!!



Now here we are, all grown up, still insisting on only the answers we want.



Question: “Should I leave this job I hate?”Answer: “You should be faithful with the job you have while you actively pursue a different job.”



But, I don’t like that answer! I want to be a miserable hag at this job and let everyone know how much I hate it until the day I up and quit! To which God says, “My sources say NO!”



Did you know God actually directed the Priests of the Old Testament to use a material object to determine his will? Yes, for real. They were much like holy dice or the divine version of the Magic 8 Ball. But stay tuned, because we’re also going to see a very clear command that we are NOT to use these things for ourselves now.



In Exodus 28, God speaks with Moses and gives him detailed instructions on making the clothing for his brother Aaron and Aaron’s sons who would be God’s priests. Verse 15, “With great skill and care, make a chestpiece to be worn for seeking a decision from God.” The chestpiece was made of fine linen and folded to make a pouch that was 9 inches square. Verse 30, “Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord.”



The Bible is not clear on specifically what the Urim and Thummim are, but several times in scripture, we read of the Priests consulting them for God’s divine guidance in exactly what to do. The best guess is they were stones or jewels which would light up within the chestpiece and cause a glowing of some sort to indicate God’s answers to the questions presented by the Priests in his holy presence.



“Where should we go next? What should we do now? Who do we choose?” These were all questions asked of God through the Urim and Thummim. When God answered, his answer was to be obeyed without hesitation. This was God’s chosen way for seeking his guidance in the decision making process.



So, where is our Urim and Thummim today? Is this what astrology, numerology, crystal balls, horoscopes and tarot cards are? How about fortune-tellers, palm readers, and mediums? Can we seek God’s answers in material objects or humans with seemingly mystical powers?



God’s word is actually unmistakably clear about this. Deuteronomy 18: 10-11, “Do not let your people practice fortune telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells,
Show more...
5 days ago
19 minutes 33 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1840 Do Your Prayers Matter?

Do your prayers actually make a difference? Really, do circumstances actually change because of your requests made to God?



God knows everything, right? He has seen the end from the beginning and everything he plans will come to pass without a single thing able to stop him. What he wills to happen will happen.



So, why should we even pray? What good is it?



I’ve wrestled with this question a lot. Why would Philippians 4:6 tell us to “pray about everything”, yet God says in Isaiah 46:10, “I can tell you the future before it happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” I struggle to understand the balance of this partnership between my prayers and God’s unshakable plans. Does me praying about it really change anything?



I turn to God’s word, and while I don’t understand it, I find my answers. Answers that have always been there for me to find if I would seek them. Answers that don’t make it all make sense in my human mind, but answers that prove my prayers matter, and so do yours.



God’s answers to my questions came in 2 Old Testament true stories.



Proof that your prayers matter #1: Numbers 14



God’s people have been ungrateful and disobedient in the wilderness. They’re blaming God for the things they don’t like. They’re complaining about miraculous provision they’ve grown tired of. They’re seeking a God they can see by building a golden calf idol and worshiping it. And finally, God has had enough and he says to Moses in verse 12, “I will disown them and destroy them.”



God’s plan was revealed. Destroy them all. But Moses pleads with God for the people. He asks God to spare them instead of destroy them. And he does 2 very important things in his prayer.



1. Moses acknowledges the truth of who God is. He speaks God's own words in prayer. Verse 17, "Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, 'The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion.'"

2. Moses intercedes and prays for their forgiveness. Verse 19, "In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people." Notice, Moses isn't making excuses for the people. They have been wrong, really wrong. But Moses is pleading to God based on who GOD IS.



And here’s what happens as a result of Moses’ prayer: Verse 20, “Then the Lord said, ‘I will pardon them as you have requested.'”



God did not destroy them as he had planned. He did not disown them. He sustained them for the rest of their lives in the wilderness. They forfeited his promise of their Promised Land, but God’s plan to destroy them changed when Moses prayed.



Moses’ prayer mattered, and it mattered on a large scale. There were over 600,000 men in the wilderness who were 20 years old or older. Doing the math, that means with women and children, there were somewhere between 2 and 3 million people that were forgiven, saved and sustained because of one man’s prayer.



I know you’re only one person, but you are one person that matters on a grand scale. Within you are prayers that can change the lives of more people than you can possibly imagine. Will you pray for them?



Will you pray for them, not because of who you are or who they are, but because of who God is. Because God is gracious, he is kind, he is patient. Because God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but he wants everyone to come to a place of being made right again ...
Show more...
1 week ago
19 minutes 15 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1839 Why God Stops

God’s desire is to speak to you and guide you. He has beautiful plans for your life, and his desire is in no way for you to miss those plans because you’re stuck in confusion. The example of the Israelites shows us God does speak and God does guide, but when we reject what God is saying and where he is leading, our ears become closed to what God has to say and our feet grow stuck.



Will you listen? Will you go?



How about when it scares you? How about when it doesn’t make sense? How about when you don’t want to?



Your willingness to listen and follow in obedience determines exactly how many of God’s good plans get forfeited here.



Our Bible tells us that God had spoken to his people in clear and powerful ways as he lead them out of slavery Egypt. They were daily recipients of a miraculous show of provision and protection. But just when they were on the threshold of God’s promise, they stopped. They stopped moving forward. They stopped trusting. They stopped being grateful. And when they stopped, God stopped.



Opportunities were cancelled. Destiny was forfeited. Promises were left unfulfilled. And NONE of that was God’s will, it was his peoples’ choice.



Now you and I have a choice. Will we stop trusting God when it gets hard? Will we stop moving forward when we can’t see where it leads? Will we stop being grateful when it’s not exactly as we wished? God still has opportunities aligned for you. He still has a destiny that is beyond your wildest dreams. He has promises spoken over your life from the day he first imagined you. And all of that is on the line with your choices.



What you do here matters.



In Numbers 14, we read of God’s people making the choice to listen to the voice of fear over the voice of faith. The enemy they faced on their journey seemed impossible to conquer, and in their fear, they forgot the God who had already proven his ability to do the impossible. The Lord says the Israelites’ leader, Moses, in verse 11, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?”



They just couldn’t see how God would fulfill his promises. They couldn’t imagine they could ever be made strong enough. They couldn’t believe the battle could be won, the victory could be theirs, and their journey through the wilderness would end with their promised land of prosperity. So they stopped. And when they stopped, God stopped.



There, on the threshold of everything they had ever wanted, and everything God had promised, they stopped and they remained. Against God’s desired blessings for them, against his best plans, against his preferred future, he addresses their complaining and their refusal to move forward in verses 30-31. The Lord says to the people of Israel, “You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. I will bring your children safely into the land and they will enjoy what you have despised. But as for you, you will drop dead in this wilderness.”



And guess what … that’s exactly what happened. The opportunities were cancelled. The destiny was forfeited. The promises were dismissed. God’s people stopped, so God stopped.



For the rest of their lives, they wandered in the wilderness falling so short of the overflowing abundant life that had been available to them.



Could that happen to you? Absolutely it could, my sister. God is serious about listening to him and walking in obedience with him. When you stop, he stops.



Show more...
1 week ago
16 minutes 1 second

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1838 The Spoken Blessing

Numbers 6: 24-26, “May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.”



This is a very specific blessing given by God himself. The Lord told Moses to tell his brother, Aaron, and his sons, to speak these words over God’s people on the journey to their destiny. Words of encouragement, words of hope, words of goodness, words that would give strength to keep going.



And maybe that’s precisely what you need today. Maybe you’re here today exhausted. Maybe you are frustrated. Maybe you feel uncertain or anxious. Or maybe you’re questioning if this is as far as you can go and this is as good as it will get. Well, let me tell you what happened last night.



My husband and I left our little island in the Florida Keys on Saturday morning to begin our travels. Where are we going? Around the world … literally. And yes, we’re taking you with us. The next several months will take us to Hawaii and Bali and Italy, but first, we’re driving to Illinois to take our dog to the family that absolutely spoils him rotten for us.



We’ve been driving for 2 days, so we roll into the Nashville, Tennessee area late yesterday evening. Our accommodations for the night are a horse barn. No, legit, a horse barn. But don’t feel sorry for us, it’s one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen where I can sit in my King size bed and look through a massive glass wall onto the horses in their stalls below.



(And before you get all huffy thinking we’re somehow miraculously wealthy hosting this free podcast with no advertisements, I can assure you I got it for the price of your local Holiday Inn – you just gotta know how to travel right!)



So, back to the part of the evening that was 100% targeted towards you. I’m sitting in this barn bed overlooking the horse stalls, and I’m studying my Bible. This week I’m studying the Old Testament book of Numbers where the journey of the Israelites is being led by Moses. I get to chapter 6 and I read the specific blessing God gives to Moses for Aaron and his sons to speak. As I’m reading it, the Holy Spirit told me, “This is what my girls need to hear tomorrow morning. Speak these blessings over them. Tell them this is for them.”



So, my fellow daughter of the Most High, this is for me and you specifically today. Receive every word of this blessing.



May the Lord bless you and protect you.May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.



How many times is the word “you” said in this blessing given by God? Count them. 6 times. Bless YOU, protect YOU, smile on YOU, be gracious to YOU, show YOU his favor, give YOU his peace. The Lord is being very clear this is about YOU. Yes, YOU.



He says, “Stop dismissing yourself from my blessing. Stop thinking you’re not good enough for me. Stop shrinking back as if you don’t matter. This is for YOU.”



Will you receive his blessing today?



A blessing is like a gift. It can be given, but it does nothing if it’s not opened. You’ve been living your days without opening the gift, my sister. This is FOR YOU. God himself has this for YOU.



Right now, would you humbly say, “Yes, Lord, I receive your blessing intended for me.”



I believe the enemy of your soul would love to make you all prideful and arrogant, thinking you don’t need God’s blessing. But, if he can’t do that,
Show more...
1 week ago
20 minutes 38 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1837 God Will Help

Grab your Bible, open up to the tiny book of Haggai, and join Pamela forthis unscripted Bible Study as part 2 of ‘Rebuild This Temple’. Now,GOD WILL HELP!



Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamelaOr Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crimFind out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Show more...
2 weeks ago
19 minutes 17 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1836 Rebuild This Temple

(Hint – This isn’t just about a building, this becomes about your BODY!)



This is an unscripted episode with only teaching points below



Temple: God’s dwelling place



(Moses build God’s tabernacle as the portable temporary dwelling place for God during the Israelites journey. Now they have settled in their Promised Land and it’s time for the permanent temple.)



Instructions for building the temple were given to King David by God, and his son Solomon was chosen to build the temple precisely as God had instructed.



1 Chronicles 28: 19, “Every part of this plan,” David told Solomon, “was given to me in writing from the hand of the Lord.”



GOD IS VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE BUILDING OF HIS TEMPLE!



300 tons of gold + 637 tons of silver + precious stone and jewels



$94 Million for 1 ton of gold today = $28 billion, 200 million



The temple stood for 400 years before being destroyed in 2 Kings 25.



70 years later, the Israelites begin to rebuild the temple (Ezra 3). The alter is built so they could make sacrifices for the atonement of their sins. (Much like our cross today.) Then, the foundation is laid where the old temple was destroyed.



AND THEN AFTER 2 YEARS ALL BUILDING STOPS.



As the building stops, hardship hits.



Haggai 1: 2-11



• EXCUSES SOUNDING SPIRITUAL



• MISPLACED PRIORITIES



• Don’t wait for a crisis to reorder your priorities.



WHEN GOD IS NEGLECTED, NOTHING WORKS RIGHT.



GOD IS SERIOUS ABOUT THE BUILDING AND CARE OF HIS HOUSE. NOW, THROUGH THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, HE DWELLS IN HIS PEOPLE.



1 Corinthians 6: 19, “Your body is the temple that houses the Holy Spirit.”



IT’S TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THE CARE OF THIS TEMPLE!



WARNING: IF GOD IS NEGLECTED IN THE PROCESS, NOTHING WILL WORK!!!!



GOD SAYS, REBUILD THIS TEMPLE!



It’s time for temple training, my sisters!



HAGGAI 1:14, “So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm and they began to work on the house of their God.” – Lord, spark our enthusiasm to work on our temple to honor you again.



Start with the cross.Build the foundation.Continue consistent, faithful work.



You are of tremendous value!!!!!!



Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamelaOr Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crimFind out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Show more...
2 weeks ago
21 minutes 30 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1835 God Is Doing More

Sometimes hearing about God’s provision isn’t enough, you need to experience it for yourself. Sometimes reading about God’s movement, his power, and his presence isn’t enough, you need to feel it for yourself.



And unfortunately, experiencing and feeling these things for yourself isn’t the sweet blessed moments you imagined. You find God’s movement in the hardest times of your life. You experience God’s power in the space between a rock and a hard place. God’s provision is in the week beyond the stretch of your last paycheck. His presence is in the dark times where you don’t see how it’s ever going to be okay again. It’s the storm, it’s the battle, it’s the odds stacked against you, it’s the outnumbered, outmatched, unprepared and unable moments. This is where you see, feel, and experience God.



And maybe that’s exactly where you are today. You’re staring down the impossible and wondering how in the world you’re ever going to get through this. Well, this is where you get a front row seat to the movement of God! This is where you see things that change you forever. This is where you walk away never being the same again.



You would rather avoid the hardship, but Jesus loves you so much he will lead you right into it, then show you who he really is while you’re going through it.



The disciples of Jesus had a moment like this. A moment where they felt the pressure. They faced the impossible, and they were called upon to act in faith. The moment comes when they had a crowd of hungry people all around them, and nothing of significance to offer. But Jesus has the ability to take what is not enough and make it more than enough. He has the ability to use anything offered in availability to him, and work his divine multiplication to create an abundance.



Most of us are familiar with the story of the “Feeding of the Multitude.” We fast forward to the miracle so fast in this story, but let’s sit for a bit in the disciples’ reality before the unfolding of the miracle.



The reality was they were pressured to do something they could never do. A crowd of 5,000 men, plus women and children, had gathered to hear Jesus. They had been there all day and now they were getting hungry. Knowing they could never feed them, the disciples remind Jesus of the time and tell him to wrap this shindig up and send them away to get food for themselves. But Jesus wasn’t done here.



Sometimes we’re asking God to wrap things up in our own lives. Lord, let this be over. Let this be the end of this struggle. Fix this, and fix it right now please. I’m over it, I’m ready to move on already, but God won’t seem to allow me step out of this. Things aren’t just getting better. Nothing is being fixed right now.



Well, why is that? Could it be because he has more work planned here? Could it be because he’s been intentionally setting the stage for something bigger than you have planned and moving on now would cause you to miss this miracle?



As the disciples are hurrying Jesus along, telling him they can’t feed all these hungry people, Jesus isn’t budging. The disciples are stressing, but Jesus is calm. The disciples feel pressured, but Jesus sits in perfect peace as if to say “you’re not going to believe what I’m about to do next!”



God’s timing is perfect. It’s perfect the people have been here all day to hear Jesus. It’s perfect it’s now dinner time and the crowd has no food to eat. It’s perfect the disciples are right where they are and they get to see how little there r...
Show more...
2 weeks ago
17 minutes 47 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1834 What’s Required Of You

Wouldn’t it be nice to know what God wants you to do today? Like specifically, Lord, if you would be clear and tell me, I would do it.



But, would you really?



Today, we’re going to study a tiny scripture tucked away in a tiny book of the Old Testament which you may have never heard, but when you do, it will be so undeniably clear what God is asking of you. And when it’s this clear, then you’re left with only 2 choices: Yes, Lord, I will … or no, Lord, I won’t.



I absolutely love that we can trust God so much to give him a blind all-in yes. If it’s what God is asking of us, we know it is best. If it’s an invitation from God, we know it will be for the ultimate good.



Not all yeses are this easy. Just yesterday I called my red-headed Mama and I said to her, “Mama, I need you to clear your schedule for a weekend in September.” She said, “Oh really, why?” I said, “I’m not telling you, don’t you trust me?” She hesitated, remembered all the crazy adventures I’ve drug her into and said with great hesitation, “Sometimes …..”



Sometimes she trusts me. But sometimes she doesn’t. Sometimes she doesn’t want to go where I’m inviting her. Sometimes she thinks my ideas are crazy and she would rather sit them out. All while I know what I’m inviting her into is something she will love … but she hesitates.



Okay, I know you want to know what I invited her to, because actually, I’ll be inviting you too. I’m working on our September Retreat for this year and I’m thinking of going old-school with it. Yes, taking it back to where our retreats began so many years ago. A big ranch adventure retreat in Oklahoma! Think summer camp style with bunk houses, high ropes courses, canoes, horse back riding, camp fires, teaching sessions, and over 100 of the funnest and happiest Jesus girls you’ve ever met. Think cabin colors, paint fights, Thrift Store Formal night and hilarious games. I invited my Mama because she’s the funnest and happiest person you will ever meet, and I’m inviting you too because girl, I really want to meet you! (If you want to receive texts with retreat opportunities, text the keyword RETREAT2025 to 205-709-2582.)



Now, back to God’s invitation. Do you trust him enough to offer an all-in yes before you know the details? He has a plan of action for you today, will you follow it?



Here it is – Micah 6:8, “The Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: To do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”



Three things:



* Do what is right* Love mercy* Walk humbly with God



This is not some great mystery. God has made his requirements for you undeniably clear. And guess what, you CAN do this today! Wherever you are, whatever and whoever you’re dealing with, you can do this.



* Start with doing what is right.



How in the world do you know what is right? Well, you don’t have to figure that out on your own. Jesus promised each believer a helper, an advocate. This helper will always be with you. This advocate will always come along side you to guide you. My friends, that’s the Holy Spirit. That’s the gift you have been given.



You already have the right way inside of you. The next right step is already known and already aligned, and to go even further, you have a holy guide for your lifted foot. You are literally being supernaturally guided to do what is right. Listen to that guide.



Show more...
2 weeks ago
22 minutes 55 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1833 Tap Into Unlimited

Maybe you’re facing this new week and you already feel overwhelmed and unequipped. Maybe you feel like you never have enough of everything you need and you’re always struggling to just keep going. Is that you? Are you wondering how you’re ever going to do all you need to do? Where will you get the energy? When will you have the time? You’ve counted and it just doesn’t seem to be enough. There’s not enough money, not enough people, not enough strength.



But, here’s your truth today as you face a week you feel not enough for: When God is your direct source, you will not run out!



God, you are my source. In you I find strength. In you I find resources. In you I find help. In you I find my next steps. And you never run out. Ever. Your supply is unlimited, overflowing and eternal – I’m tapping into you!



When God so clearly spoke to me in January 2013 and said, “Start hosting a daily devotional,” I was only willing to make a 1 week commitment. Lord, I’ll do this, but only for 1 week. Why? Because #1, I was sure after 5 mornings of me trying my best at this thing, God would surely see I wasn’t the best pick for this and he would move on to someone else. And #2, I was certain I would quickly run out of new ideas and devotionals. So, God, I’ll commit to hosting this devotional thing for 1 week, then I’m off the hook.



Y’all, over 3,000 live devotionals later and I’m still not off the hook! And here’s the crazy thing … the 2 fears that have been holding me back are my 2 greatest blessings in moving forward. #1, I’m still not the best pick for this, but every morning I’m humbled to know he still chose me. He doesn’t need me to be perfect, he just needs me to show up. My friend, I’m telling you if you will be consistently available for God, he will do things in and through you that you could never imagine in your wildest dreams. Consistently available.



But #2, because I absolutely knew I had maybe 5 total devotional ideas in me, I know with over 3,000 now that is FAR BEYOND ME. I’m not the source of this. And once I realized I’m not the source, the pressure was relieved! It’s not up to me to produce on my own. It’s up to me to tap into the source and let it flow.



I don’t know what you’ve been trying to do on your own and perhaps failing miserably at, but I’m pretty sure God is telling you you’re not the source. I don’t know what you’re doing that you think it’s all on you so the burden has become overwhelming heavy, but I feel a stirring in my spirit to tell you God’s got you, just tap into him.



Yesterday I studied the final 3 tiny chapters of the Old Testament. Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. Each are visions and messages given by God to specific prophets. And while these visions are over 2,500 years old, they are given by an eternal God who saw you in this very day of life on the day the vision was given. There’s something here for you. Are you ready to receive it? Maybe you’ve been waiting your whole life to receive this, and here it comes.



I’ll read the scripture which may seem a little confusing, then we’ll dig deeper to understand the vision and apply it in precisely the way God has planned for you today.



Zechariah is a prophet of God and the Lord is speaking to him through an angel who is showing him visions. Zechariah 4: 2-7, “‘What do you see now?’ the angel asked. I answered, ‘I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks. And I see two olive trees,
Show more...
2 weeks ago
18 minutes 17 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1832 This Is Your Lifeboat

Grab your Bible and let’s dive deeper into the story of Jonah to see howGod works through the things we want to avoid to change our heart!Enjoy today’s unscripted Bible study time from Jonah 2.



Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamelaOr Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crimFind out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
Show more...
3 weeks ago
18 minutes 25 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1831 You’re Being Impulsive

We all likely have heard the story in the Bible about Jonah and the whale. First, let me ask, do you actually believe it? Sometimes it’s hard to be a person of deep intelligence and faith at the same time because some things just don’t make sense. How did this real man end up in the belly of a real whale, and survive for 3 days? There are stories in the Bible that are known as parables and those are nothing more than teaching points made practical by made up stories. But let’s be clear, this isn’t one of them.



Jonah lived 700 years before Jesus. He was a prophet of God. The book of Jonah in the Old Testament tells his story. Then Jesus reminds everyone of his story in Matthew 12:40 and says, “For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.” Jesus is saying, “Yes, as unbelievable as that was, it really happened … and now, something totally unbelievable is going to happen with me too.” Jesus would be crucified on the cross and he would hang there for all to see he was dead, his body would be put in a secure tomb, and three days later women would come to the tomb and find the stone had been rolled away and Jesus was no longer there, for he had risen.



It really happened. These are not made up stories. However, because they seem nearly unbelievable, faith is required here.



Did you know there was recently a lobster diver off the coast of Cape Cod who was swallowed by a humpback whale? For real. It happened. He was on the news being interviewed from the hospital. Now that man has a testimony! How absolutely incredible!



But, my guess would be it didn’t feel incredible while it was happening. Here this guy is swimming around on the bottom of the ocean catching lobsters and all of a sudden things just go dark. He never saw it coming. He initially thought he had been eaten by a shark, but in the darkness he realized he wasn’t injured. If it were a shark, he would have been shredded. So where was he? He could feel movement of his surroundings so he knew whatever he was in was moving in the water. He starts moving around as violently as he can. Hitting, kicking, desperately doing everything he can to get out of whatever he’s stuck in. And then, the whale surfaces, shakes his head and spits him out! INCREDIBLE!



None of that felt incredible while it was happening. And really, that’s the thing about a testimony … going through it is not incredible. It’s dark. It’s scary. It’s likely the opposite of what you were hoping for or had planned for your day. But girl, when you make it out …. hallelujah! That’s your testimony.



This man’s recent testimony reminds us Jonah and the whale is a real story. Yes, it happened … but have you ever asked WHY it happened?



Why was this prophet of God swallowed by a whale? Do you know? We don’t have to guess because scripture tells us plain and clear. Jonah 1: 1-3, “The Lord gave this message to Jonah, ‘Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I see how wicked the people are.’ But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.”



Well, there’s the problem right there. Jonah was running from God. Running from God ended him up in the belly of a whale for a couple days where he could get his head and his heart right and try again in obedience to God.



Girl, have you been running from God? Maybe you don’t really think so because you have valid reasons for doing the things you’re doing and not doing what you’re not doing.
Show more...
3 weeks ago
18 minutes 20 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1830 This Is Your Forty

Forty. It’s a significant number in the Bible, often representing new life, growth and transformation. That’s exciting and fantastic, but dig deeper. That goodness always came AFTER a time of trial, hardship and sacrifice.



The fear-filled and disobedient Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, then God led a new obedient generation into their Promised Land.



Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days by the devil. After that temptation, Jesus began his ministry on Earth and changed eternity.



It rained for 40 days, flooding the entire earth. All life outside of Noah’s ark was eliminated. Then the waters receded and life began again from only that which had been saved.



The giant Goliath taunted God’s people for 40 days. Then, the little shepherd boy David slays the giant with his slingshot and a rock and wins them victory and freedom.



Forty. 40 days, sometimes 40 years. But then, completion, then renewal, then victory.



The next 40 days is known as Lent. It’s the time between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, leading up to Easter Sunday. This is our time of sacrifice and hardship, leading to new life, growth and transformation. Oh yes, God wants to do a work in YOU! We love the promise of transformation, but resist the refining work of the trial. But, God says this work he wants to do in you is entirely too valuable to be cutting corners!



The transformation is coming, and it’s coming THROUGH the trial. The hallelujah is on it’s way, right behind this hardship. The strengthening happens because of the sacrifice. Now, Sis, face your 40!



Don’t let the next 40 be like your last 40. It’s time to go deeper. It’s time for full heart surrender. It’s time for sacrifice. It’s time for repentance. On the other side of this 40 is that new life, that growth, that transformation only God has seen. God wants to do a work in you! Will you submit to the process?



I didn’t grow up in Church. I only knew Easter as the special weekend where Mama made me a pretty dress and I sat quietly with old people for 1 hour while some man in a suit talked about things I didn’t understand … then we ate a feast at Grandma’s house. I most certainly didn’t know about Lent. I’ve had to do some studying to understand what all of this means. So, just in case you come from a background like me, let me give a quick rundown on what this season of 40 days means.



In the early days of Christianity, before someone could be baptized as a Christian, they were to spend 40 days and 40 nights preparing. During this time, they were to sacrifice comforts and really consider if they wanted to commit their life to Jesus. This time of preparation was modeling the preparation of Jesus for 40 days in the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil. (Matthew 4)



Now, many Christian churches baptize as infants, so the 40 days of Lent is used as a time of renewal and re-commitment to Christ and the life he has called us to. So, to put it simply, that’s what this time is … This is your renewal and re-commitment to Jesus. A time specifically dedicated to focusing on Jesus.



How many of you would confess you struggle with focus? Your mind is busy, your days are over-filled, and you are scattered. To focus, the excess must be eliminated, and only the source of our intention can remain. BUT HOW? How exactly do you put all of life on hold so you can focus on Jesus? I mean it would be really great if we could each go to our own private retreat where we have absolutely no worries and no obligations so 100% of our time can be spiritual. The truth is,
Show more...
3 weeks ago
17 minutes 53 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1829 Winning Your Heart Back

Recently God has lovingly asked me to adjust my conversations with him. Out of neglect, my prayers have become mostly a list of ways I want God to move and act. God, do that, then do this. I’m continually suggesting his next move. I push my preferred destiny on the one who holds the ultimate preferred destination for my life, as if I know better and he needs my help.



Is that what you do too?



Something I’ve noticed on my journey with God is he allows me to be wrong. He allows me to do it wrong. Then, with time as my trust in him grows, he begins to show me a better way. Now, he’s showing me Luke 6:45, “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” This heart was really full of supreme ideas and suggested ways. This heart was full of a need for control and everyone under my control to play nice, just the way I wanted them to. And from my heart, everything I said to God just flowed.



“God, fix this. God, change them. God, stop her.”



But, in a surrender of my heart, God is changing the words that flow from it. He’s simply asked me to give him more praise. Recognize his extraordinary power and my complete dependence on him. See his hand in everything, and trust him wholeheartedly. Give him credit and stop assuming my goodness was the force behind any of this. He is the force, I am not. He is the Creator, I am not. He is the healer, redeemer, provider, restorer, I AM NOT.



And when my heart knows that, then what I say flows from that. I’m in a season where God has asked me to practice words of awe, wonder and praise over requests, pleas and demands.



As God has been dealing with me on this change of my heart, he leads me to a tiny book of the Bible I’ve never studied, Hosea. I must admit, it’s a bit confusing because it starts out like this, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go and marry a prostitute.” Immediately my brain flips a switch that says, “Skim over this, it’s not applicable.” Some of the Bible is a hard read. I can’t pretend to understand it all, and if it were my book, I would have left a whole lot of that out. But it’s not my book. It’s above me. My guess is, it’s above you too.



Good, it keeps us humble and it keeps us seeking. I think that was God’s plan.



As I leaned into God’s word in the book of Hosea, there were things that started leaping off the page at me. Warnings and promises revealed, and to my surprise, they do apply to me. I bet they apply to you too.



The Lord is speaking to his people. He refers to them as his bride. Don’t let that trip you up and don’t let the enemy twist that. Know that it means you are chosen, you are cherished, and you are adored. But as the Lord is speaking to his bride, he shows us there is a problem … she fails to recognize all God has done for her.



Hosea 2:8, “She doesn’t realize it was I who gave her everything she has.”



She has become ungrateful. She has become so busy with her blessings that she fails to honor the bless-or. She treats her provisions as if she earned them. She receives without acknowledgment or gratitude and only expects more. She takes it for granted.



SHE IS ME.



Is she you too?



When we fail to realize it was God who gave us everything we have, we face an awakening that comes only through hardship. God says in verse 13, “I will punish her for all those times she forgot about me.”



The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Honey, if you can’t be trusted with your blessings,
Show more...
3 weeks ago
18 minutes 40 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1828 Don’t Stop Now

Have you ever questioned if God hears your prayers? Oh honey, he hears you.



But if he hears you, why isn’t he answering you? That’s a tough question. We often misunderstand the answers. There’s more than just yes, there’s also not yet, and no because I have something better for you. Now, today, we’re going to read about an experience Daniel had with an angel. Maybe this is a story you’ve never even heard, I know I certainly hadn’t. God wants us to hear this now so we can understand there’s more happening than what we can see, and we play a role in the outcome!



To set the stage, remember Daniel was a man of God who had visions and could interrupt dreams. With faith, he had survived the lion’s den as angels had shown up and sealed the lion’s mouths to protect him. Now, in Daniel chapter 10, he has had a vision that he could not understand and it was disturbing to him, so he he’s prayed to God for 3 weeks for understanding.



Now, after 3 weeks, this is what happens, verse 4-14:



On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.



Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.



Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.



Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”



Here’s what we need to know … what is happening behind the scenes in the spiritual realm is a full on battle! Behind every scene, the angels and demons are fighting. The demons are fighting to delay you, distract you, discourage you, overwhelm you, depress you, and destroy you. All the time. Every time. But God’s angels are battling them to protect you, deliver you, encourage you, strengthen you and move you forward.



It. Is. Real.



You can’t see it, but it is constantly happening. Paul knew that for sure and he wrote in Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”



This angel, who looks like a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist and a body that looked like a precious gem with eyes that flamed like torches and a voice that roared has been in battle for Daniel. The battle was over the answer to his prayer.
Show more...
3 weeks ago
18 minutes 26 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1827 Do It Anyway

As a little girl, I knew absolutely nothing about God. I wasn’t raised in church. Sadly when I was a toddler, my parents were hurt by church and simply never went back for 15 years. The only thing I knew about God were the pictures in our family Bible.



Did anyone else have a massive Bible with foil edges and full colored pictures somewhere in their home as a centerpiece decoration? It really wasn’t to be touched, but to look pretty on the table in the foyer. But I loved to sneak in and look at the pictures.



One of those pictures was of a man in a robe, surrounded by lions. The lions appeared to be tame and the man appeared to be quite calm and in complete control. I had no way of knowing why this man was surrounded by lions, perhaps he was some sort of circus performer.



It literally took me over 40 years to actually study the story in my own Bible to understand the scene … and understand maybe that’s not what the scene really looked like at all. Maybe the lions weren’t tame, maybe they were ferocious and pacing the floor for attack. And maybe the man in a robe wasn’t in charge at all. Maybe there was something unseen in the room achieving the impossible.



And what if, in the middle of your hardest times, there’s something unseen in the room with you too. Something holding back the threat, something shielding you with divine protection, something doing the absolute impossible for you … but you just can’t see it.



Today, consider maybe that’s precisely what is happening. God has sent his angels to stand guard over you during this. No, he didn’t magically eliminate the problem, but in the middle of the problem, he is protecting you from the dangers.



This is a story of Daniel. If you remember from an episode earlier this week, Daniel is a man of God with the gift of interpreting dreams and messages from God. He’s faithful in every way and earned a high position in the King’s house. A few Kings had come and gone during Daniel’s time, and now there was a new King, King Darius. This King loved and respected Daniel above everyone else and planed to place him over the entire empire.



That of course makes others very jealous. What do jealous people do? They cause problems.



Now Daniel didn’t have a single skeleton in his closet. He was faithful and good in every single thing he did, so his enemies could find absolutely no fault in him. So what did they do? They made something up!



Let’s pause right there … My sister, it doesn’t matter how much good you do, your enemy will find something or create something against you. Always. Don’t be shocked by it. And don’t play pitiful over it. Have you ever heard Mother Theresa’s poem called ‘Anyway’? These were the words inscribed on the walls of her children’s home in Calcutta:



People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;Forgive them anyway.



If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;Be kind anyway.



If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;Succeed anyway.



If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;Be honest and frank anyway.



What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;Build anyway.



If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;Be happy anyway.



The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;Do good anyway.



Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;Give the world the best you’...
Show more...
4 weeks ago
21 minutes 7 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
1826 Redeem the Time

I recently heard adulthood is a never ending perpetual cycle of waiting for life to calm down, then you die.



Is that you? Right now life is busy and hectic, it’s uncertain and stressed, it’s not what you envisioned it being at this stage … but when it calms down, whew doggies look out, you’re gonna live! You’re going to start really living one day. You’ll sit and sip your coffee in pure delight. You’ll have time and energy. You will be proud of yourself and walk with confidence. Oh yes, that day is coming, that day when life calms down and gets better and you can be truly happy, and when it does, you’re going to live!



No. You’re. Not!



The very heartbeat of life is a rhythm of ups and downs, when it calms down your ride is over sister. We’re saving up our happy for an imaginary destination in this life that doesn’t exist.



Right here, right now, this is where you can live. Yes, this season of life, this one with it’s chaos and messes, disappointments and circumstances far short of perfection, this is where living happens. In the absence of calm is where you find the living.



It’s a nasty ploy of the enemy to convince you that sometime in the future you will have the time, energy and resources to do the things you want to do with your life. When life calms down and things get better … then.



The truth is, we’re living perfectly good days of life in survival mode, in the absence of a crisis. Hey listen to me, that crisis may come and you may need to just get through it, but if your life is free of an absolute undeniable crisis today, then you better be living!



The enemy’s plan is to kill, steal and destroy. Never lose sight of that. Has he been killing your happiness, stealing your joy, destroying your TODAY with a focus on another day? Oh how he tricks us into missing today because of the worries of tomorrow, or missing today because of the hopes that somehow a future tomorrow will be better than the one we ended up with today.



Ephesians 5: 15-16 NKJV, “See then that you walk circumspectly (carefully and intentionally), not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”



Redeeming the time … what an interesting phrase. The specific Greek word used here for time didn’t just mean day after day, it meant a specific portion of time where something should happen. THE TIME is a season of opportunity we must redeem.



My sister, today is part of your season of opportunity and you’re supposed to be redeeming this. THE TIME is now. Do something with it. Don’t let this just pass. How are you using this specific time for the glory of God? How are you using this time for things of eternal impact?



You can’t wait for better days. Here’s how we know for sure this is THE time we’re called to live intentionally – because indeed, the days are evil. There’s a whole lot of crazy, scary crap going on out there. That’s absolutely no surprise. This is THE TIME for you to live intentionally and redeem the time. How are you going to show Jesus in this?



The NLT puts it like this, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.”



How do fools live? They miss opportunities. They don’t show up for life. Be careful how you live and make the most of every opportunity. Today is full of opportunities … what will you do with them? What if your response to today’s opportunities determine tomorrow’s offering? Yes,
Show more...
1 month ago
15 minutes 14 seconds

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women
Devotionals do not have to be boring … we make them fun, applicable and powerful each and every day. Pamela will get you fired up for life and lather the love of Jesus on you … and make you giggle. Download a new episode of the Big Life Devotional podcast each weekday.