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Christina Cook Lee

Media Producer - Author - Blogger - Songwriter

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Finding that Christ really is ‘enough’

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Topic: Loneliness

Focus: Finding that Christ really is ‘enough’

Maybe you’ve had the experience of pouring all your time and attention into a person, only to come to the realization that no matter how much of yourself you invested into that person, the feeling wasn’t mutual. There was something missing. It’s possible you were hoping that by giving of yourself—the other person would reciprocate in some way, or at least show some kind of appreciation.

As human beings, we spend so much of our time, attention, and energy on relationships. How we get along with people seems to have everything to do with our happiness, our peace of mind, our hope, our motivation, how we think, what plans we make…but, should it really be that way? Should ‘people’ be the reason we live and move and have our being? If our life is structured completely around people—no wonder we become depressed and dependent.

By design, God meant for us to draw our satisfaction completely from Him. It was His plan that everything in our life would be an ‘off shoot’ of our relationship with Him. Yet, it’s so common for us to get things turned around. So often, we make our plans without giving much thought toward whether we want what God wants. The really strange thing is how many times we can repeat the process and still not realize that we have it all wrong.

When Christ is the source of our happiness, peace of mind, our hope, our motivation, how we think, what plans we make—everything takes on a different perspective. He says, “Apart from Me—or without Me, you can do nothing.” So, no wonder we feel empty after we’ve poured so much of ourselves into a person or a project when the true motivation was not from Christ. We are left at the end of our efforts with a hollow feeling of disappointment that might even cause us to question our life and purpose.

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New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

John 15:5 has a lot of truth for us, if we want to take the time to see it. That hollow feeling of disappointment doesn’t come up when you are living out your purpose because you are one of the branches connected to the vine. That lonely, isolated feeling just doesn’t exist when you embrace the knowledge that you are part of a huge, living being. You are one of many branches—not some lone ranger out there on your own. You are connected to a source of life that will never die. Your energy and sustenance will never give out when it’s coming from God and not from you. God Himself, in the form of Jesus Christ is the vine you are growing out of—and you are not the only branch.

When we live our life embracing the truth—that everything we are and ever will be comes from Him and is for Him—we live with the knowledge that our life definitely does have purpose and we will most certainly produce meaningful fruit.

Everyday takes on a different tone when we think of it as a new ‘mission’. Our existence becomes a lot more interesting when we live in constant fascination of what the Branch Manager is going to instruct us to do next.

When we see our relationships as ‘assignments’ from God—it’s a lot less crushing when we don’t get recognition or praise from people for our efforts. In fact, we can delight in just the opposite. Our reward is in heaven.

God sees each and every act we do—and He is the One who will give us our reward. In fact, we should never expect to get credit from people for something we did for Christ—that is, if it was truly Christ we were doing it for…

Declaration: I will find new strength by gaining a better understanding of my role as one of the many branches connected to the One True Vine.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

The fight for your soul

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Topic: Fear

Focus: The fight for your soul

Romans 12:21 (NIV) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Evil takes on many forms. Fear is evil. Our thoughts can be focused on fearful subject matter—but we can be going along with our day not even conscious about how much of our time and energy are being sucked up by negative thoughts—which are really based on fear.

Looking at ‘fear’ as the equal to ‘evil’—and ‘good’ as the equal to ‘God’s Word’, let’s go to Romans 12:21 and do a little word substitution. Let’s say it this way: “Do not be overcome by fear, but overcome fear with God’s Word.”

I took a few moments and jotted down the top ten things that came to my mind in regard to fear. My list might be different from what you would list as your top ten fears, but what I am suggesting to you is to take the time to have a look at what kind of fears bother you the most. When you’re aware of your fears, you have a better opportunity to control the influence that fears of different kinds may have over your life. The way to not be overcome with fear is by having something to remind yourself of, when you become absorbed with fear of a certain nature.

Death of a Loved One—Romans 8:38-39 (KJV) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rejection—John 15:18-19 (NKJV) If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

(Read more below)

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New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

Failure—Romans 8:37 (NKJV) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Poverty—Philippians 4:19 (NKJV) And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Fatal Illness—Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Being Attacked—Psalm 23:4-6
 (NKJV) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Being Alone—Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Dark—Isaiah 50:10 (NIV) Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on their God.

Being Disabled—1 Corinthians 10:13 (MSG) No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

Inability to Overcome Depression—Jeremiah 29:11 (NCV) “I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.

Declaration: I will find new strength by taking authority over my fears with the Word of God. I will take comfort knowing I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

Living in the presence of God

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Topic: Joy

Focus: Living in the presence of God

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Being in a condition of depression and dependency is something like having your eyes covered with a blindfold. What you are feeling is real to you. It isn’t some imaginary trip. One of the hardest things about it is having the ability to see your own progress. Sometimes, you struggle to see the light of day. Putting one foot in front of the other requires true effort. At times, you want to just huddle down and stay under the covers. The problem with that is—you can only stay in bed so long before you begin to feel pain from that, too. Your joints hurt and your head aches. Your body wasn’t meant to be in a horizontal position for long periods of time. It hurts to get up and it hurts to stay down. So what is the answer? You can’t stay in limbo.

If this describes the kind of day you’re having today—try to take just a baby step—even if it hurts. Whisper the Name of, ‘Jesus’. Even mouth the words of a song. These are things that are precious to the heart of God. Any attempt to press your hand into His will bring a positive response from Him.

You are on the path of life. Some days will be harder than others. Even the great saints struggled periodically. Think of it like the weather. Some days are gray—but they are not all gray. If a dark day comes along, just remember that tomorrow is another day. Take whatever steps you can and make any progress possible.

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New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

I believe the words David wrote in Psalm 16, were a statement of faith. The context of verse 11 alludes to the fact that David was leaning hard into God as his refuge. It seems that others around him were taking steps toward false gods. It’s likely David was in a place of physical challenge when he wrote this psalm. He refers to the fact that in the flesh there might have been reasons for him to feel insecure about his own safety. He was at a place where he knew his only possible hope was in the Lord. Through an act of his own will David begins to remind himself of God’s faithfulness to him in the past. He praises God for the counsel he receives continually. He makes declaration of receiving his instruction from the Lord in the night—even though it is quite possible he wasn’t feeling these things at the time. Nevertheless he was reminding himself of God’s ability to give him counsel and instruction when things looked impossible. David knew from experience that the most important thing he could do at a place of such extreme challenge would be to keep his eyes steady on God.

David chose to be glad and rejoice. It wasn’t the natural thing for him to feel or do in his present conditions.

David chose the right thing. He could have looked at his circumstances and gone further into a pit of darkness. Present circumstances are always temporary.

Every single step we take on the path of life is a choice. We must consciously choose to move toward the presence of God. We must choose to keep His hand in ours. God is willing for us to move in His direction—it is we who must make the choice to do so. As we make even a tiny step—the weight of our condition lifts ever so slightly. As we reach our hand toward His and make that important contact—we are rewarded with ability to grasp onto Him and receive the strength we need to make the next step.

There is joy to be had and eternal pleasures—as hard as that may seem to believe today. Your faith is secure. You have not been abandoned. The path is lighter just ahead. Keep your hand in His—He knows the way and He is able to lead you when you can’t see it on your own. This is just one day of the journey. They will not all be overcast.

Let your mind go to a time of victory when you felt stronger. Encourage yourself as David did. According to the Word of God, you are moving toward joy. Remind your mind that you are heading in the direction of everlasting pleasure.

Declaration: I will find new strength today by remembering that this is only one day of the journey. This darkness is temporary. As I keep putting one foot in front of the other and hold onto God—I will keep moving forward. By choosing to stay in the presence of God—my joy will be renewed. I will move toward the everlasting pleasure God has promised me. I will not turn back.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

True rewards

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Topic: Humility

Focus: True rewards

Proverbs 22:4 (AMP) The reward of humility and the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

If we read all of the words of Proverbs 22:4 in any translation, the words that probably stand out most and motivate us are: reward, riches, honor, and life. Everyone is interested in getting those things, aren’t they? Those words sum up the American dream.

We live to earn rewards, get honor, and have riches—right? And we get them by doing things better than anyone else. By staying up late and getting up early and working harder than the rest—right?

Well, in the kingdom of God—it seems those things may come to us in a much different way than we may have learned in our modern society. According to this scripture, the reward of riches and honor and life in ‘kingdom’ terms are the result of a life lived ‘upside down’ and ‘inside out’—compared to what we know.

We know salvation comes by grace through faith, according to Ephesians 2:8. Admission to heaven can’t be earned by our works.  It’s clear—God has promised us Salvation as a free gift, but anyone who studies the words of Jesus in His sermon on the mount will notice the emphasis He gives to ‘reward in heaven’.

The apostle Paul makes many references to our reward in heaven and also that some will receive more rewards than others. Solomon, Daniel, John and others write about rewards in heaven—so there is plenty of material in the Bible on the topic of ‘rewards’, if you want to study it out.

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New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

For now, let’s assume we all agree that there will be rewards in heaven. But, what I would like you to consider—is the possible concept that the way you will receive rewards in heaven is based on the way you live your life on earth. If that is the case—what kind of things do you think would qualify for rewards? Those who win souls, those who have used the talents and abilities God gave them, those who suffer for the sake of the Gospel. The list can go on and on…

Many of the things we think of that relate to reward potential have to do with works…and clearly there will be some rewards given for what we ‘did’ with our time, our money, and our actions. However, the verse we have been contemplating is talking about something that is ‘invisible’ in a sense. It is talking about the condition of ‘humility’ and a ‘reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord’. These are ‘unseen’ things about our character that only God knows for sure.

Some things you do or the way you do them—might cause people to remark how humble you are or what reverence you have for the Lord—but what does the Lord say about you? He is the one who sees us behind our masks and behind all of the things we do for outward appearance.

So, if all that would be true… What if you were to think of ‘humility’ and ‘the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord’ as ‘currency’, what would be in your spiritual bank account right now? You say, “What?”

Let me break it down. What if you earned a spiritual penny for every ‘invisible’ act of kindness you did on earth? What if you earned more spiritual pennies for minutes you lived in ‘unseen’ contemplation of the greatness of God—as an act of heartfelt worship? In those terms…what is in your spiritual bank account?

I’m saying—maybe we need to spend less time on outward acts of the flesh and more time being ‘invisible’—doing things that are not seen. Truthfully, it’s not that hard to do things that are kind and generous. It makes us feel good when we get thanked and noticed for our deeds. But, what if all of that was worth ‘nothing’, and the only things that really counted were the things that were ‘unseen’. How much different would we live?

Declaration: I will find new strength by considering my motivation in everything I do. As I live, I will ask myself, “What is my true intention?” I will begin investing more of myself in the ‘unseen’—not with a heart that is motivated by heavenly reward, but with a heart that is truly filled with absolute love and reverence for the Lord, Who alone is worthy of worship.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

Turning Point

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Topic: Hope

Focus: Turning Point

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When you’ve been through a lot of stuff and it seems like the stuff you keep going through will never stop, you can read a verse like Jeremiah 29:11 and think maybe it was written for somebody else. Maybe it wasn’t about you. Maybe the promises of God are for other people and not you. It is not an accident that you are reading this.

Lately, you have spent a lot of time wondering about what kind of future you could have at all—knowing the mess things are right now. You have said to yourself, “I don’t see how God could ever use me. I have failed too many times and I can’t seem to change.” You have looked at people God uses and you have thought He would never be able to use you the way He uses them. You have felt like everything you dreamed might happen in your life has been ripped away from you and the poverty of your soul right now is like nothing you have ever experienced. Your heart has been broken into so many pieces, so many times—and it seems like it just keeps happening over and over. You can’t see the end of the situation you are in. It’s like you are trapped and there is no way out. When you think of trying to move ahead, you feel like there is nothing to move ahead for…everything you ever cared about is like a pile of ashes. All of your fire is gone–and you are burned out.

All of these feelings have caused you so much grief that you mourn over ‘what might have been’ and the loss of your innocence. Disappointment hangs over you like a dark cloud. Your shoulders feel the weight of your burden. At times, it’s hard for you to even hold your head up.

Well, I want you to know I have good news. What I have just given you is a description of absolute despair. It’s the same description given in Isaiah 61. ‘Good news’ is what the Word of God says will come to those who have experienced and felt all of the things I just described. If you related to the level of desperation in the paragraphs above—keep reading, because NOW comes the blessing.

(Read more below)

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New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

I am declaring that today is a turning point for you. You have reached a crossroad. The past is not like the future. Your broken heart is being healed. The prison gates are opening and you are being set free from the things that have bound you. God is taking care of all those who have caused you harm and pain. He will deal with them and you will not have to defend yourself anymore. The Lord has His arms around you. He has seen your tears and has so much compassion toward you for all you have suffered.

You have looked in the mirror and have not liked the sight of yourself. You have taken on the ‘look’ of one who has been tortured—but that is changing. Keep watch of what you see in your mirror, because God is changing that. You will see a difference in your appearance. He is giving you a new beauty. He is restoring your health. Others will see a difference in you and will ask you what you are doing. A transformation is taking place in you that is literally affecting your blood and how it flows through your veins. Life itself is in the blood and your blood is being renewed.

You have been in a season of mourning that has stolen your smile. Laughter has become a thing of the past. But, that is changing, too. The Holy Spirit is filling you. You will find yourself smiling because now your heart is healing. The pieces of your life are being put back together in a new way. Not like before, but better. Laughter is coming to you again. You will laugh and laugh and laugh. As you laugh, more healing will happen to you. So laugh.

A new song will be on your lips and in your heart. A song of gratitude to God for what He is doing–that you thought was not possible. The song in your heart will bring even more transformation–and you will stand stronger than ever and be bold in your faith. Everything that was broken is being mended in ways that will surprise you. Family relationships that seemed hopeless are being healed. Soon, you will start to see a steady stream of blessing coming from people you don’t even know. You will not have to rebuild your life alone. You will have help.

You are walking into a future where the shame of your past will not haunt you—just the opposite. Your shame will be your servant. It will become a source of blessing. Instead of shame, you will have double the amount in honor. Your mind will be clear and sharp. You will be used by God as one of His priests. You will bring help to others who are lost and broken. As you walk in the restoration God is doing in your life—you will know everlasting joy. You will never again have to lie. The truth of your transformation will be your story. Your testimony will bring new life to you and to others and the Lord will receive glory and praise.

Declaration: I am walking out of the past and into the future. My future is filled with new strength and blessing. All of my shame is being turned into honor because of the good plan God has for my life.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

Moving toward Jesus

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Topic: Honesty

Focus: Moving toward Jesus

1 Peter 3:12 (NKJV) For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and His ears are open to their prayers:
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

In the book of Luke, chapter 19, Jesus was passing through the city of Jericho, a center of power and prosperity. A man by the name of Zacchaeus lived there. Zacchaeus was a supervisor in tax collection for the Roman government in city of Jericho. Zacchaeus was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short, Zacchaeus knew he wouldn’t be able get close to Jesus, or even see Him because of all the people. So Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore-fig tree so he would be able to see Jesus when he passed beneath the branches. When Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was, He looked up into the tree and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Zacchaeus climbed down and gladly welcomed Jesus to his home. All the people who were around Jesus saw this and began to grumble among themselves, “He is going to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

In this story, we see Zacchaeus, a man who was of small stature and rich–but unpopular because of his position and influence. During these times, the Roman government demanded heavy taxation on commerce in Jericho and Zacchaeus was the guy who was the overseer of this money collection. Zacchaeus must have been doing this work for a number of years to have become wealthy. He must have cooperated with the Romans to get his job. The Roman government was very oppressive—and for that reason, Zacchaeus was unliked by the citizens of Jericho.

Zacchaeus must have been getting tired of what he was doing. He had learned that even though he had accumulated a lot of material wealth—he didn’t have any friends. Most likely, he was lonely and lived an isolated life. All that he had was beginning to seem meaningless. Zacchaeus was experiencing a desire for change in his life. In fact, the name Zacchaeus means pure in heart.

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New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

It could be that Zacchaeus’ life hadn’t turned out the way he thought it would. Maybe he never meant for things to become what they had. Possibly one thing led to another and before Zacchaeus knew it, he was ‘trapped’ in a life of treachery and deceit—doing things for his own gain at other’s expense. It might have been hard for him to sleep at night, knowing that his life of luxury was made possible because of the unfair financial burden he was able to impose on people who were at his mercy in the marketplace. It is further possible Zacchaeus had been hearing about the miracles Jesus was performing. When Zacchaeus learned that Jesus was coming to his city, he wanted to ‘have a look at him’.

The tree Zacchaeus climbed produced a fruit that was fed to pigs. It was considered an ‘unclean’ tree by the Jews. Zacchaeus was so eager to see Jesus that he was willing to climb that tree. He abandoned his pride in order to get where he could be as close as possible to Jesus.

In Bible commentaries, it is pointed out that Jesus knows Zacchaeus’ name without a formal introduction. He doesn’t just look up in the tree and say, “Hey you, come down here”. He knows Zacchaeus, and He calls Zacchaeus by his name. He not only tells Zacchaeus to come down, but publicly announces that it is His choice to spend personal time with Zacchaeus at his home. Jesus reveals to everyone present that because of Zacchaeus’ faith, He is forgiving him of his sins and has chosen to save him. Because of these events, Zacchaeus is so overcome with emotion that he repents of wrongdoing and commits to make restitution for his past.

This story is a classic example of the fact that no matter how far in sin you may have been in the past, Jesus wants to have an encounter with you that leads to a close, personal relationship. He doesn’t want you to be in a place of hiding. He wants to bring everything into the open and set you free.

Declaration: I will find new strength by continuing to move toward Jesus by living a life of honesty and openness.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.