Devotions With Deanna

6 Ways to Maintain Your Peace of Mind

1. Change your thought life.

2. Focus on God, the character of God.

3. Learn what your triggers are and how to effectively deal with your triggers.

4. Time to Move Forward

5. Time to Develop Relationships

6. Be patient with yourself.

Scriptures to Help Anxiety

Psalm 43:5 – “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.”

Psalm 86:7 – “In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.”

Proverbs 12:25 – “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”

Matthew 6:31-34 – “Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For you heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Philippians 4:6-8 AMP – “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]. Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].

Philippians 4:19 – “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 – “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

God’s Path – Your Relationship

The last four weeks we have briefly discussed different aspects of our path we are all own. Even though we are uniquely created by the Creator of the universe, and He has a particular plan for your life, we all share similarities. And we share things in our Christian walk that are similar. One of Satan’s goals is to get you to think you are all alone and to isolate you from your Brothers and Sisters in Christ. My prayer is that you were able to get a glimpse of how similar our Christian paths really are. Each one of us will have times of passion or suffering. Each one of us will have to adjust our attitude. Each one of us will have to learn to trust God. Each one of us will have to humble ourselves. You are not alone. Praise God!

"All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (MSG)

Scripture Reading– Psalm 25

Matthew Henry Commentary. “He (David) begs direction from God in the way of his duty, v. 4, 5. Once and again he here prays to God to teach him. He was a knowing man himself, but the most intelligent, the most observant, both need and desire to be taught of God; from him we must be ever learning.”

Following the example of David, our prayer needs to be “Teach me Your ways God! Jesus Christ is the way and the truth – help me learn Jesus Christ.” When we are in doubt we need to pray earnestly that God will make it plain to us what He wants us to do.

As you continue to walk along this path designed by God specifically for you, it is good to remember that His path is spot on. You cannot go wrong by following His path. Psalms 25:10 in the Amplified Bible says it so beautifully, “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and steadfast love, even truth and faithfulness are they for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.”

Do you want to travel on a smooth path? Yes, there will be bumps along the way, but I encourage you to remain teachable. Make your daily prayer to be like David’s in Psalm 27:11 (NKJV), “Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.”

Then get ready for God to lead. When He leads, your path is filled with light. When He leads, your path is guarded. When He leads, your path drips with abundant riches, joy, and peace.

In closing, it would be wise to apply Proverbs 4:23-27 (MSG) to our daily lives – “Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.”

The PATH of God is not a roadmap, it is a relationship!

Life Application Questions

1. If you have ever felt like you were alone in a situation, was there a scripture that helped you realize you were not alone? Was there something someone said to you that helped you realize you were not alone?

2. Are you on God’s path for your life? If so, how did you get there? If you are struggling, ask someone you trust to pray for you in this area. Remember – you are not alone!

3. What one thing could you do differently this week that will help you travel on a smooth path?

Your Humility

Scripture Reading – Philippians 2

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

Pride is defined as a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc. King Nebuchadnezzar is an example of how damaging pride can be to a person’s spirit and mind. To get a good visual of the suffering of the King, read Daniel 5:18-21 in The Message Bible.

Hopefully, this is an adequate description of pride that makes us not want to travel down that path. Pride is to be avoided, at all costs. Pride breeds disunity.

Humility, on the other hand, is to be sought after, at all costs. Humility creates unity. It is the path that Jesus Christ has for each one of us. According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, humility is defined as a prominent Christian grace (Rom 12:3; 15:17,18; 1 Cor 3:5-7, 2 Cor 3:5; Phil 4:11-13). It is a state of mind well pleasing to God (1 Pet 3:4); it preserves the soul in tranquility (Psa 69:32,33), and makes us patient under trials (Job 1:22).

Paul encourages the Philippians to practice humility. To walk in that humility, you have to have the mind of Jesus Christ as stated in Philippians 2:5 (NKJV), “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

If you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and you have confessed Him as Lord of your life, you have the mind of Jesus Christ in you. Let that sink in, the mind of Jesus Christ, the son of God, is in you. It is no wonder the enemy of our soul has targeted our minds.

1 Corinthians 2:16 (AMP) says, “ For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.”

Jesus Christ is our perfect example of humility. I encourage you to continue to study his life and his teachings on humility. The Book of John has several scriptures referring to Jesus’ ministry here on earth, which include John 5:19, 30, 41; 6:38; 7:16, 28; 8:28, 50.

“Humility is the only soil in which the graces take root; the lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure. Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with others; it is the root of all, because it alone assumes the right attitude before God and allows Him as God to do it all.” ~ Andrew Murray

Life Application Questions

1. Having the mind of Christ is obviously necessary if we are to walk in humility. Are there certain scriptures that you meditate on to help you? Do you struggle in this area?

2. Another aspect of humility that Jesus Christ demonstrated very well is serving others. Who is serving you? Who are you currently serving? Is there someone or a place that you would like to start serving?

3. Commit to praying this next week for any of these areas you are struggling with and for your strengths as well.

What trust should be: 1. Trust should be with your whole heart. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” 2. Trust should be from your youth up. Psalms 71:5 “For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth.”

Trust leads you to being compassed with mercy, enjoyment of perfect peace, enjoyment of temporal and spiritual blessings, enjoyment of happiness, rejoicing in God, fulfilment of all holy desires, deliverance from enemies, safety in times of danger, stability, and prosperity.

Trust in God will also keep you from fear.

Psalms 56:3-4 “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”

Psalms 56:11 “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ”

Hebrew 13:6 “So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Trusting in God leads to:

Total Confidence

Total Dependency

Total Transparency

Life Application Questions

1. Who or what are you putting your confidence or trust in? Does trusting God come easy to you? Why or why not?

2. Do you depend and rely on God for every aspect of your life? What areas do you struggle with? Commit to praying for each other in these areas.

3. Who is looking up to you and possibly watching you and how you handle life’s circumstances? Is there something you can do differently?

"This is the day which the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)

Check Your Attitude – at the Door!

Scenario 1 ~ You wake up with every intention on reading your bible but as soon as your feet hit the floor, you realize you overslept. You frantically call a random mechanic for your washing machine that is spewing water everywhere. You missed an important phone call. Your family pet died. Your lawn needs to be mowed. And yes, it all happened in one day! There is a chance that you may have found yourself in the above scenario (or one similar) and there is a chance that your attitude was just plain negative.

Scenario 2 ~ You wake up, but before you place your feet on the ground, you thank God you are alive, you praise Him for His gifts and you ask Him to go before you this day, because it is the day that He has made. You realized you overslept, but instead of getting upset, you thank God for the extra minutes of sleep and wonder if the few minutes late will be for your protection from an accident. Your washing machine is leaking water everywhere. No problem you think. You silently pray, Lord, is there someone local that I can trust and really needs the money right now or who would you like me to call for a repair job? Are you getting the picture?

The word “attitude” is not found in the King James Version or the New King James Version of the bible. Attitude is defined as the state of mind toward something. It is a choice and you can choose to have a positive or negative attitude on any given day. As we examine our particular path that God has laid out for us, we have a choice to either have a positive or negative attitude along this path. We can always go to the Word of God to help us with our attitude or our state of mind.

An Attitude of Humility

As a Christian, our attitude should mirror the attitude of Jesus Christ. In Philippians 2, we see Paul exhorts the Philippians to embrace the attitude of humility. Paul then gives a perfect and greatest example of Christ’s humility by His incarnation and crucifixion. Paul continues in Chapter 2 giving his own example of humility as well as Timothy’s, and Epaphroditus’s example of humility and sacrifice. We will talk more on humility in a few weeks.

An Attitude of Peace

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things.” - Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

Life Application Questions

1. What is your attitude today toward the path that the Lord has you on? Share your favorite scripture or scriptures that help you maintain a positive attitude. If you find yourself struggling with a negative attitude, please ask you Survival Sister to agree with you in prayer that God will help you make some positive changes.

2. Who do you relate better to, Martha or Mary? Why?

3. Do you have a good system in place to help set priorities or do you struggle in this area of your life?

If I were to ask you what your passion is, your answer may include whatever drives you, excites you and or motivates you to get up in the morning. According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of passion is to have a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something.

Acts 1:3. "To whom also he shewed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3 (KJV) Passion (NKJV) = suffering

In Acts 1:3, we see Jesus Christ showed Himself alive after His passion. The word takes on a different meaning. According to Strong’s Greek Lexicon, passion comes from the Greek word pascho, which means to experience a sensation or impression (usually painful): feel, passion, and suffer. Jesus was seen alive after He suffered and died on the cross. The path God had laid out for Jesus was a path of suffering. But Praise God Jesus came out alive!

Let’s look at three things that we can learn from scripture that apply to Jesus Christ’s suffering and the path He was on.

Isaiah 53:1-12

Mark 14:3-8

Acts 3

“When you suffer and lose, that does not mean you are being disobedient to God. In fact, it might mean you're right in the centre of His will. The path of obedience is often marked by times of suffering and loss.” ~ Chuck Swindoll

Life Application Questions

1. Looking back on a recent time of suffering in your life, can you see how God was in the midst of your situation or has used your time of suffering for His glory? Feel free to share your experience with someone this week to offer encouragement and hope. If you are struggling to see God in your situation, ask someone in your inner circle for prayer in this area of your life.

2. In what ways are you honoring Jesus Christ for what He has done for you? In what ways are you not honoring and need prayer for?

3. Who are you sharing your faith with? How are you sharing your faith?

Now that I have shared some details of my journey, I want to talk today about how God shall direct your P.A.T.H.’s along this journey. The definition of journey is “an act of traveling from one place to another.” As Christ followers, our destination at the end of our life will be heaven. The word path is defined as “the course or direction in which a person or thing is moving.” We are free to choose whichever path we want. Even if we choose the wrong path, God will pursue you and lead you home.For the next several weeks, we will be studying different scriptures all over the bible as we examine our P.A.T.H.s, our Passion, our Attitude, our Trust and our Humility.

Your P.A.T.H

Scripture Reading – Proverbs 3

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Scriptures to Meditate: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 32:8 (NKJV)

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)

“Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.”Proverbs 16:3 (NKJV)

“[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while [b]effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and [c]delight.” Philippians 2:13 (AMP)

Life Application Questions:

1. Has God shown you His plan for your life? Were you aware of that plan prior to this devotion or did you learn something new this week from meditating on scripture? Feel free to share what God has revealed to you about His plan for your life. Commit to pray for each other’s purpose.

2. Discuss some of the actions and consequences you discover in Proverbs 3. Which ones do you struggle with or would like prayer for this next week?

3. In what ways are you acknowledging the Lord? In what ways are you struggling in acknowledging the Lord? Commit to pray about these areas.

God's Restorative and Rescuing Nature - A Personal Testimony

The month of September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month. Today, I want to share a very personal testimony that I have shared previously on just my podcast Devotions with Deanna and on rare occasion, I will share with a client that is struggling with suicidal thoughts to give them hope for their future.

Today I am taking a risk and being very vulnerable with my audience, as I share part of my testimony in overcoming suicidal thoughts. I am reminded of one of Brene’ Brown quotes, “Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.” So here goes!

Suicidal Thoughts No Longer Have a Hold on Me

God Reveals and Rescues

God Restores

God Reminds

God Can and Will Rescue and Restore You

Is the darkness enveloping you? Do you feel like you are suffocating or drowning? Do you feel all alone in this dark place? Is your mental anguish intense and painful? Are you having suicidal thoughts? Or do you know someone that is in this place?

I want to encourage you to reach out to someone for help. Get on your phone and call the suicide hotline number listed here and below (1-800-273-8255), your local pastor/chaplain or a local Christian counselor. There are sincere people in this world that do care and desire to help you along the way. Yes, I know it is hard to trust people, but when your life is at stake, you will be very surprised at how compassionate people can be. Don’t trust God? I get it. I have been on a lifelong journey learning how to trust Him.  I don’t always understand His ways, but I have learned He is trustworthy. It is okay for you to trust Him to get you to the right person that you feel safe enough to ask for help.

Today, I want to talk about Deception and How to Avoid It.

Webster defines Deception as “the state of being deceived or misled or the act of deceiving or misleading. And Deceive as “to lead into error; to cause to believe what is false or disbelieve what is true; to impose upon; to mislead; to cheat; to disappoint; to delude; to insnare.” 

Here are five questions to ask to penetrate the disguises of a false teacher or someone you suspect is being deceitful.

1. Have their predictions come true? Or do they revise them to fit what is already happened?

2. Does any teaching utilize a small section of the bible to the neglect of the whole?

3. Does the teaching go against what is said in the bible about God?

4. Are the practices or teachings meant to glorify the teacher or Jesus?

5. Do the teachings promote hostility toward other Christians?

Steps to Avoid Deception

1. Know your Bible.

2. Regular Bible study on your own is the only way to really know the word of God. It is your responsibility to lay a strong foundation against deception. You Version Bible App; Daily Audio Bible; International Bible Study groups such as Bible Study Fellowship or Community Bible Study.

3. Apply your knowledge of the scriptures to that which is unusual or “extraordinary”.

4. Ask questions. There is nothing wrong with having a healthy skepticism. Always confirm what you hear, see, or read by going to the scriptures for the answers.

5. Learn to go to God on your own. Deception can happen when you look to someone else for the answers and not God. No one can study the Bible for you. Studying the Bible for yourself is how your faith will grow.

Our Ultimate Goal: To possess, to take hold of and have a firm foundation that is strong, true, and able to withstand the attacks of the enemy and to discern that which is false. How? By self-examination, prayer, watchfulness, and diligent study of God’s Word.

The great news is that God designed things so that you don’t have to live in deception and sin forever. He provided His Truth, His Word to lead and guide us through life here on earth.

Charles Spurgeon defines discernment as “not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.”

Discernment was requested by Solomon in 1 Kings 3:9-14; prayed for by the psalmist in Psalms 119:18; sought by Daniel to have is vision interpreted in Daniel 7:15-16; denied to the unregenerate or one who is unrepentant in 1 Corinthians 2:14.

1 John 4:1-6 - John gives us the reason for discernment, the basis for discernment, and the evidence of discernment.

Life Application

The late A. W. Tozer had some wise counsel on “How to Try the Spirits” (adapted from, Moody Monthly [12/79], pp. 51-55 - He posed seven tests to apply to any teaching:

(1) How does the teaching affect my relationship with God? Is He magnified and glorified, or diminished?

(2) How does the teaching affect my attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ? Does it magnify Him and give Him first place? Or, does it subtly shift my focus onto myself or some experience?

(3) How does the teaching affect my attitude toward Scripture? Did the teaching come from and agree with the Word? Does it increase my love for the Word?

(4) How does the teaching affect my self-life? Does it feed self or crucify it? Does it feed pride or humility?

(5) How does the teaching affect my relationships to other Christians? Does it cause me to withdraw, find fault, and exalt myself in superiority? Or, does it lead me to genuine love for all that truly know Christ?

(6) How does the teaching affect my relationship to the world system? Does it lead me to pursue the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life? Does it lead me to pursue worldly riches, reputation, and pleasures? Or, does it crucify the world to me?

(7) How does the teaching affect my attitude toward sin? Does it cause me to tolerate sin in my life or to turn from it and grow in holiness? Any teaching that makes holiness more acceptable and sin more intolerable is genuine.