Courage and Hope for Every Day

Carolyn Larsen

Description

When we get out of bed in the morning, we don't know what the day ahead holds. It could be routine. It could be amazing. It could be devastating. No matter what happens, one of the biggest influences on the direction our days take is our own attitude. We can live in fear, worry, and anxiety, or we can choose to live with purpose, trusting God in every circumstance.Compact and beautifully designed, Carolyn Larsen's Courage and Hope for Every Day offers you 180 inspiring devotional readings that will help you remember God's presence in your days and see your world from a positive perspective. These short, to-the-point readings illuminate God's promises and show you just how they apply to your everyday life.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 29 mars 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493434343
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2019, 2020 by Carolyn Larsen
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.revellbooks.com
Combined edition published 2022
ISBN 978-0-8007-4097-9 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4934-3434-3 (ebook)
Previously published in two separate volumes:
Words of Courage for Women © 2020
Words of Hope for Women © 2019
Ebook edition created 2022
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Scripture quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and post-consumer waste whenever possible.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Words of Courage for Women
1. The Source of Courage
2. Perfect Love
3. Guarded
4. The Love of a Father
5. Just for This Time
6. The Hardest Thing
7. Courage to Face Temptation
8. God’s Restoration
9. What’s Your Goal?
10. Peace and Courage
11. World-Changing Courage
12. Courage to Love Others
13. Courage to Heal Relationships
14. Courage to Share Your Faith
15. Focused on God
16. Love Song
17. Courage When You’re Discouraged
18. Be Prepared
19. Courage While Waiting
20. Uniquely You
21. Taking On the Big Guy
22. Courage in the Dark
23. The Rubber Meets the Road
24. Take a Risk
25. Courage to Forgive
26. Courage to Walk Away
27. Courage to Let Go
28. Courage to Ask
29. Courage to Grieve
30. Courage to Not Judge
31. Fueled by Love
32. Power from Vulnerability
33. Courage to Be Still
34. Courage to Share Your Life with Others
35. The Future
36. Courage to Love Yourself
37. You Matter to God
38. Showing Kindness
39. Standing Bare before God
40. Never Alone
41. Controlling Yourself
42. Painful Times
43. Prayer
44. Deep Thoughts
45. Stay Focused
46. Just Believe
47. In the Wilderness
48. Loving When It’s Hard
49. God-Honoring Conversation
50. Courage to Stand Strong
51. Your Shining Life
52. A Powerful Presence
53. Courageous Honesty
54. Coal or Diamonds
55. Courage to Try New Things
56. God Asks You to Pray
57. Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
58. Courage to Answer
59. Complete Trust
60. Courage to Rejoice
61. Controlling Your Thought Life
62. Growing in Godliness
63. Courage to Praise
64. A New You
65. Never Changing
66. In the Tough Times
67. No Fear
68. Work to Do
69. Nothing in Return
70. On Guard
71. Courage to Honor God
72. The Only Salvation
73. Courage When Things Look Hopeless
74. Brave Changes
75. According to His Will
76. Brown Sugar Giving
77. Trusting God to Provide
78. Waiting for God’s Timing
79. It’s Not Over
80. Eternally Alive
81. Jumping Out of the Boat
82. The Power of Change
83. Courage to Obey
84. Greatest Faith
85. Courage to Face My Sin
86. Courage to Be You
87. Courage That Makes You Creative
88. Greatest Commandments
89. Guard Your Heart
90. A Step at a Time
Words of Hope for Women
1. Hope of Heaven
2. Hope Comes from Trust
3. True Joy
4. Hope in Fighting Temptation
5. Hope in God’s Comfort
6. Ask and You Shall Receive
7. Promised Refuge
8. Hope in What Jesus Says
9. Jesus Cares
10. Hope for the Future
11. Hope for Better Times
12. Hope for the Helpless
13. Hope of Forgiveness
14. Hope for Growth
15. Hope for Guidance
16. Hope in Your Advocate
17. Hope for Knowledge
18. Hope for the End of Pain
19. Conqueror in Hope
20. Hope That God Hears
21. Part of the Big Picture
22. All You Need
23. Hope When All Seems Hopeless
24. A Life of Blessings
25. Life’s Guidebook
26. Hope in a New Attitude
27. Growing Older and Wiser
28. Hope in a Strong Finish
29. Hope for the Growth of the Kingdom
30. Hope of Purpose
31. Hope through No Prejudice
32. Firewall of Hope
33. Hope in Being Heard
34. Hope in Closeness
35. Hope in Secret Giving
36. Hope in God’s GPS
37. Blessed Hope
38. Reflecting Jesus’s Love
39. Hope of a Clean Slate
40. Don’t Be Afraid
41. A Humble Heart
42. A Servant’s Heart
43. No Half-Hearted Searching
44. Hope in Another’s Prayers
45. Hope in the Stillness
46. Hope in Weakness
47. Over-the-Top Power
48. Hope in Grace-Filled Speech
49. Life Dreams
50. Hope in Silence
51. Hope for Contentment
52. Hope from Living Water
53. Hope in God’s Power
54. Hope of Loving a Difficult Person
55. Hope of Family
56. Clothed in Love
57. All In
58. Hope for Rescue
59. Hope in God’s Nearness
60. Stay Alert!
61. Lavished with Blessings
62. True Love
63. Hoping for What You Don’t Have Yet
64. Hope for Victory over Death
65. The Feast Is Coming!
66. Getting through Stress
67. Hope for When You’re Tired
68. Heartsongs of Music
69. Hope for a Purposeful Life
70. Hope for Restoration
71. Hope for Wisdom
72. Hope for Peace
73. God’s Best
74. Serving Jesus
75. Hope for Defeating Fear
76. Blessings of Obeying
77. Hope for Sure Feet
78. Hope for Equipping
79. Material Blessings?
80. Hope in Nourishment
81. Hope from Discipline
82. Hope for the Faithful
83. Hope in God Showing Up
84. Hope in Your Importance to God
85. Where Is Your Treasure?
86. Praise to Almighty God!
87. Hope in Keeping On
88. Hope in His Protection
89. Hope in Community
90. Hope for a Rich Life
About the Author
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Back Cover
Words of Courage for Women
1 The Source of Courage

Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The L ORD , the L ORD himself, is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
I SAIAH 12:2
W hy does fear take root in your heart? Are you afraid you can’t withstand temptations or that you won’t be able to stand against Satan’s attacks? When you invite Jesus into your heart, he becomes your strength to stand against all frightening things. He becomes your shield against danger and your defender against all enemies.
God promises in his Word to always be with you. Read that again: always ! He’s the source of your courage. Allow his strength to fill your heart so you can face whatever is before you. Never doubt his power because, after all, he promised it to you.
What can you do when anxiety threatens to paralyze your heart? Push the fear away by focusing on God. Read Scripture. Remind yourself of how he has strengthened and protected you in the past, and remind yourself that his powerful presence is still with you. Step confidently into your day, and refuse to cower in fear.
Start each day by renewing your courage through the quietness of prayer and through rest in God. Ask him to fill your heart with an awareness of his power and presence and to bolster your courage through that knowledge.
2 Perfect Love

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 J OHN 4:18
F ear is an interesting emotion. Even when you try to have courage, fear wiggles its way into your heart, similar to the way water manages to leak through the smallest opening. A little anxiety is certainly normal because life does have its tense moments and . . . you’re human. However, all-consuming fear and trust in God’s love cannot exist in your heart at the same time. If you truly believe that God loves you, why are you afraid?
God’s love is perfect. What does that mean to you? Perfect love is deep, pure, constant, steady, forgiving, trustworthy, dependable, protective, sacrificial, and a multitude of other adjectives. Perfect love . . . there is nothing wrong with it and nothing to criticize about it. Grasping, believing, and trusting in God’s perfect love for you helps push away fear because you know God is protecting you and guiding your decisions and steps. He loves you perfectly, so there is no reason to fear. Take courage in his love. Ask God to help your love for him grow deeper so that you have a greater understanding of his care for you.
3 Guarded

You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
P SALM 139:5
Y ou’ve probably seen photos of celebrities out in public, surrounded by security guards they’ve hired to protect them. They have a wall of guards around them to make certain no one gets too close. The guards protect their employer on all sides and constantly evaluate the crowd for any situation that might bring danger to them.
Maybe you can’t afford to hire bodyguards to protect you wherever you go. But here’s some news: you have the best bodyguard imaginable—God! The psalmist says God is in front of you and behind you. Nothing and no one gets close to you without God knowing about it. And not only is he protecting you in front and in back, but he also has his hand on your shoulder, guiding your steps and making sure you don’t fall, much like a loving parent who helps a child cross a busy street.
It is amazing to know that God loves you so much that he protects you, guards you, and guides you. He cares about what happens to you every moment of the day. When anxiety begins to rear its ugly head, remember that you are well guarded. Trust your Bodyguard!
4 The Love of a Father

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sons h ip. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
R OMANS 8:15
N ot every human father is a good father, and if you haven’t had a good father, that may influence how you perceive God as Father. If that’s true for you, read the followin