I had been away for a few days and wanted to walk out to the pond to see how the fish were thriving. When I stopped on the edge of the bank, the small brim scurried over to where I was hovering over and frantically swam back and forth. They knew momma Shuff was going to give them some bread.  But…momma Shuff had already checked the pantry for bread, and we were out. I watched them swim excitedly awaiting their food, and said, “I’m sorry. I have no bread.” I felt so bad. I walked away feeling empty. I had nothing to give.

Do you ever feel that way in life?

I.  Feel.  Empty.

I have nothing to offer.

I know I have.  Sometimes exhaustion gets the best of you, or you’re going through a dry spell in your walk with Christ.  Maybe you give and give at work or elsewhere and when you come home your demeanor is complete depletion. This leaves you with the feeling of emptiness.

Friend, you aren’t the only one who notices your feeling of barrenness, others around you do as well, especially those you love.

I want to encourage you and remind you that when you are a child of God, you are filled with:

• Hope
• Joy, one that is wonderful and heavenly that cannot be explained
• Peace
• The power of God
• Praise
• Glory
• Honor
• Laughter
• Grace
• Knowledge
• Understanding
• Pure
• Blameless
• Many good works
• And above all…you are filled with CHRIST.

Giddy-up!

Your challenge is to:  when you are feeling depleted, get in the word of God.  Listen to worship music to lift your spirits. Go on a walk or simply enjoy nature.  Pray. Thank God for the ability to give and give, yet know that He will fill you up with all that you need and more.

Here are just a few verses that will confirm what you are filled with:

I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 ERV

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NIV

God’s power protects you through your faith, and it keeps you safe until your salvation comes. That salvation is ready to be given to you at the end of time. I know the thought of that is exciting, even if you must suffer through different kinds of troubles for a short time now. These troubles test your faith and prove that it is pure. And such faith is worth more than gold. Gold can be proved to be pure by fire, but gold will ruin. When your faith is proven to be pure, the result will be praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ comes. You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a wonderful and heavenly joy that cannot be explained. 1 Peter 1:5-8 ERV

When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion (Jerusalem), We were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal]. Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; We are glad! Psalm 126:1-3 AMP

Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that’s not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything. Colossians 2:8 MSG

Be sure you are not led away by the teaching of those who have nothing worth saying and only plan to deceive you. That teaching is not from Christ. It is only human tradition and comes from the powers that influence this world. I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority. Colossians 2:8-10 ERV

“ I, the Lord, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. Psalm 81:10 NASB

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NASB

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV

This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you will see the difference between what is important and what is not and choose what is important; that you will be pure and blameless for the coming of Christ; that your life will be full of the many good works that are produced by Jesus Christ to bring glory and praise to God. Philippians 1:9-11 ERV

Blessings to you and yours,

Stephanie

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