Author Archives: Denise Boggs

Something Needs to Change?

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“Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts and see if there is any wicked way within me…” Psalms 139:23-24

When we pray this prayer it is usually when we know something needs to change at the heart level.  No real change occurs outside of trust and relationship, for these are two of the most important functions of the heart.  In a relationship with another, you must be willing to change and trust that God will work in the other person by showing them what needs to change.

The rules that govern the heart are established early in life. Like hinges and locks on a door need to be changed because they get rusty and affect how the door opens and closes, the rules that open and close the doors of the heart need to be looked at and changed so the door of the heart can open freely again.

Is there someone who you have shut out by closing the door of your heart?  Is the Lord pressing upon you to change your attitude by opening the door and fellowshipping with them again?  Or, is there someone in your life who you will crack the door open just enough to say, “What do you want?” It may be the time to open the door and say, “I am sorry I was wrong for locking you out of my life, please come over and let’s talk things out.” Change is possible when your turn to God and ask Him to create within you a pure and clean heart, removing all the rust of resentment so the door of your heart will open to those you love.

“Search me Lord, and know my heart,”

You Can Begin Again

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I’ve been thinking a lot recently about a dear pastor of a Church I visited several times.  He made an impression on me.

His story is filled with up, downs, crashes and triumphs.  He built a small church of a few dozen members into one of the nation’s mega-churches.  He’s always found himself at odds with his Baptist denomination.  He left Austin’s most liberal Baptist church and formed a church that mostly stays out of politics and social issues and focuses on serving singles, divorced people and other people who have often been bruised and battered by churches.

But it’s not really the Pastor that I want to talk about.  I’ve never even met him, although I’ve heard him preach and speak in person and on tape many times.  It’s his core message that’s at the core of today’s devotion: “No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, with God’s help, you can begin again.”

You can begin again.  It’s a really simple statement.  You can’t come through the womb again (at least not physically – although those who teach some brands of psychology and spirituality believe you can come close!), and you can’t quickly undo the financial and legal issues you’ve created or been caught in, but with God’s help, your life—your essence—can begin again.

My Pastor friend spent much of the last few decades explaining the Biblical basis for his message and trying to convince thousands of congregants that it’s really possible to start over.

His life is his example.  When his high-stakes financial deals crashed, he started over.  When his church couldn’t afford to build on the valuable land they’d essentially been given, he sold it for a profit, moved up the hill and built a campus that now includes a sanctuary called the Home for Hope.  When his wife of decades upon decades died, he took a break from church and from life.  Then he found a new love.

Now, Parkinson’s disease has weakened his voice and slowed his body, but his work lives on in his archive of recordings and his books, both new and old.  In a situation where some people would end their ministry, this Pastor has begun again.

Would you like to begin again—again?  Do you need to start over?  You see, when the things of life come tumbling down, you can start over.  And if they crumble and tumble again, you can start over again.

God wants what’s best for you.  If you’re not getting the very best that life has to offer from this day and everyday, begin again.  You can either start from scratch or just scratch today’s plans in favor of something that brings you closer to God. No matter when you start or whether you start over, it’s the destination that matters.

Today, either start over in a new direction or stay on the course you’ve carved out for yourself, but be sure your path is wide enough to include God’s presence, too.

Hope That Has Been Appointed For Us

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“We who have fled to Him for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope that has been appointed for us” (Hebrew 6:18).

When I read this verse I am reminded of a specific time when I ran faster that ever before to the Lord as my refuge.  I didn’t leave that refuge until I had the strength and hope that had been appointed just for me; it actually had my name on it.

The situation in my life at the time looked hopeless.  In the natural world it looked like our son’s life was over.  There was nothing the doctors could do.  Then God said, “Watch this!”

During that time, I can say the only strength I had came from the Lord.  I did not have natural strength.  During times of prayer, I would fall into the arms of Jesus and I could actually feel Him lift me up, refill me with encouragement, and then set me back down in the hospital room all charged up again.  All my strength, faith, and hope came from Him.  He was my refuge, my fortress, my rock, and the firm foundation I stood upon.  I literally felt the strength of the Lord surging through my spirit, soul, and body.  It was a supernatural strength.  My faith was in God and Him alone.

Sometimes God allows us to go through things so that as we stand back and see with our own eyes His handiwork, we will trust Him.  When He was creating a miracle in our son, all natural hands had to be removed as He worked the miracle.  I learned in that situation, as I watched God work, there are times we must take our hand off and watch Go d work.

Guaranteed to Change Your Life

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Twenty or so years ago I was introduced to a prayer that was guaranteed to change your life and your marriage.

WOW! Did I ever need a guarantee like that. I immediately began to pray this prayer for my husband and me.  Our life was such a mess at that time, like a cluttered closet.  I didn’t know where to start and he wasn’t interested at all in cleaning closets. I had heard the old saying that prayer changes things, so I began to pray and trust God to clean out our cluttered closets.

Today, 20 years later, as I read the Amplified version of this prayer, I am amazed at how this prayer had been answered in our lives.

God’s Word contains God’s plan and it will accomplish His purpose. I have realized I can have a good idea of what I think needs to change in my life or my husband’s life.  It may be a good idea, but if it didn’t originate in the heart of God, it doesn’t have the power of God behind it. God’s Word has His power behind it, and His power changes things.

Pray this prayer and insert your name first and then your spouse and watch God do the work:

“Since the day I heard it, I have not ceased to pray for ____________that (I, he, she) will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That ____________will walk worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of Christ.”

Colossians 1:9-11

Joy Comes in the Morning

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“Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

awaken my faithIn Psalm 6:6-8 the psalmist says, “I am weary with my groaning.” Some people weep outwardly, but most weep silently, choosing to walk through dark valleys all alone. Silent weeping will cause a night of sorrow to turn into months or even years of sadness, like a dark, sleepless night that you think will never end.  But just as the morning sun comes up to announce that the night is over, and a new day has begun.  When the first feeling of joy returns to your soul, you know the night of sorrow has come to an end.  Joy comes every morning; be careful not to miss it.

A major part of healing is grieving the losses. When we have experienced losses, they must be properly grieved in order to be released.  This is why we don’t have peace; we are trying to cope with buried pain from the losses in our life.

For years of my life, instead of releasing a person, or relationships that ended, I was holding on to the sadness trying to figure out a way to cope with the painful emptiness.  I had so much pain and I was running hard, trying to keep it from catching up with me.

In Jeremiah 6:14, the prophet gives us understanding of why many people are inwardly weeping.  They have been hurt by the actions of others and have not received complete healing.  They are saying “peace, peace” when there is no peace.  Look at every area of your life where you are not experiencing peace.  The amount of peace in your life is directly related to the amount of healing you have received.  The painful events like separation and divorce create many losses that must be grieved.

Ask the Lord to walk with you through the pain and give you the ability to release all you have lost.

Trust In The Lord and Rejoice

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“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” Psalm 5:11-12

When you completely trust in the Lord your spirit will rejoice at all times. He is working everything out, so you can be at peace and rest.  He is working both the good and the bad things together for your good.

“The joy of the Lord is my strength.” Neh. 8:10

You can ever shout for joy, because your eyes have not yet seen, and your ears have not yet heard all He has prepared for you. What God has planned for you is so glorious that you can shout for joy. No matter what you experience each day you can rest in the fact that tomorrow is a new day and joy will come in the morning.   The Lord is your source for joy.

“… weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

It is a personal choice that you make each day; so choose this day who you will trust.

Choose today to enter into the joy of the Lord, and you will receive strength to face whatever comes your way.


Are We Hurting Our Children?

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“Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet… and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse”  (Malachi 4:5-6).

kids are watching us

A model is a smaller version of an item.  A model car is a smaller version of a real car.

Our children are models, a smaller version of us.  They are like mirrors that we can look into and see ourselves.  We demonstrate certain behaviors in front of our children and they act out what they have learned.  Therefore, our children typically become like us.  If we are not careful in how we live our lives, that can be a very painful reality.

Certainly, most parents work hard to raise their children in a way that will honor God.  We certainly hope their lives are filled with joy and happiness, and that as they grow older they will find meaning and purpose in the Lord.

As we are raising and giving discipline to our children, we expect them to listen.  We want them to do what we say.

They may follow our instructions, but unfortunately, they may also do as we do.  They watch us and follow our example.  If there is inconsistencies between our instructions and our actions they will be confused.  Are you showing the example of Christ?

Read Malachi 4:5-6 again.  Look at your children, and then look at who you have modeled your life after.  Ask the Lord for help to make a change.

“Like a sparrow in her flying and a swallow in her wandering, so the curse without a cause cannot come” (Proverbs 26:2).

For a closer look at living in the image of Christ (and raising children) you might find our teaching on Burden Bearing to be interesting.

Where Do I Turn When Trouble Hits?

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“For in the time of trouble He shall hide me…” Psalm 27:5

Place of peaceAre you going through a time of trouble?  There is a place where you can find safety and rest.  It is the Secret place of Psalm 91:1.

The Secret place is the set apart place where you personally meet with God.  If you follow the Lord as He calls you to the Secret place when life is going well, then you will know where to run to when troubles come.  The Secret place is a hiding place, a shelter from the storm when it is raging. When you are safely hidden in the Secret place it is like being in the eye of the storm, where it is calm even though the storm is raging all around you.

Noah knew the shelter of the Secret place.  He must have been in the Secret place many times, because he was able to build a safe shelter on earth to take his whole family into when the flood came.  Since Noah had been with the Lord for many years before the flood, he knew exactly where to go for safety.

Many years ago I discovered the Secret place where I meet with God daily.  In times of trouble I know ahead of time where to go.  I run to safety into the Secret place of the Most High.  When my son was in a coma, although I sat by his bed and I was present in the situation on planet earth, my spirit was dwelling with the Lord.  It was during the darkest nights here on earth that I experienced the greatest comfort from the Lord.  Had I not known where the Secret place was ahead of time, I might not have known where to run to.

It is the Lord himself that takes you there; He lifts you up and sets you on high. Safe under the shelter of His wing, resting in His presence hid away and comforted in His arms. Ask the Lord to take you to the Secret place.  Then you can easily find your way back in time of trouble.

Holding on to what God Has Promised

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“…We who have fled to him for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before us. Now we have this hope as a sure fast anchor of the soul…”(Hebrews 6:18-19).

faith to move mountainsWhat are you hoping for? By faith you hope, or hold onto what God has promised.  Hope is the anchor for your soul and is what keeps you stabilized when everything around you is unstable.

A good sea captain knows he must drop the anchor when he wants his boat to stay steady, anchored in a certain place.  We must throw out our anchor and to stay where God has placed us.

When things get tough, like Hebrews 6:18-19 says, we take refuge in Him.  We run to Him for strength and encouragement so we can stabilize and stay steady when things get tough.  When we run to Him, He teaches us how to remain steadfast.  As we obey His instructions, He strengthens and encourages us by His Spirit.  Take refuge in the Lord and you will be steadfast, unmovable, and anchored as you hold on and wait for what He has promised you.

WHO DO I TRUST

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“O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.” Psalm 7:1

We can trust in God because He is always faithful. We trust Him because we trust what He says in His Word.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

trust in GodGod’s track record has been recorded and He has been faithful to do what He says He will do all through the ages.  He has always come through.  When we trust others based on their track record we have a hard time trusting them.  Everyone makes mistakes and we have a tendency to focus on their mistakes. We want others to trust us because we have good intentions, but we only trust them based on their past behavior.  A person may have good intentions to do what they say, but many times it cannot be accomplished.

Trust is established over time.  Trust the fruit that is being produced in a person’s life over a period of time, not an isolated event.  Just like fruit on a tree is produced over time, fruit is produced in a person’s life over time through their relationship with God.

In Philippians 2:13 Paul says; “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

The fruit or evidence that God is working in a person’s life is the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy and peace found in Galatians 5:22-23.

Once the fruit of love is evident you know God is working. You can count on it because God is working in and through that person. That person may still let you down but God is working in them and you can trust Him.   He is the only one that can be trusted to come through. He is the only one who is steadfast. So wives trust God at work in your husband. Husbands trust God at work in your wife. Instead of looking at their failures try looking at how God is working in their life and trust in what He is doing.

The Path: Look past the natural into the supernatural and trust in the Lord with all your heart.