Contact Me →

Christina Cook Lee

Media Producer - Author - Blogger - Songwriter

restoration

Not wasting our trials

By Leave a Comment

Topic: Restoration

Focus: Not wasting our trials

Genesis 50:20 (NKJV) But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

There is a story in the Bible of a boy who seemed to have it all. He was the apple of his father’s eye and he knew it. His name was Joseph. He had eleven brothers, and from the way the story is told, Joseph kinda enjoyed using his position as ‘the favorite’, to ‘rat’ on his brothers.

Joseph’s father loved him so much, he did special things for Joseph—like making him a richly ornamented coat of fine materials, much nicer than what his other sons had, and similar to what royalty would wear. This really bugged Joseph’s brothers a lot.

When Joseph had a couple of dreams hinting that he would become his brothers and his parents ‘superior’—Joseph’s brothers were ‘over it’. They wanted to kill him and get him out of their lives.

A day came, when all of the brothers were out tending their father’s sheep. Joseph’s brothers were seriously plotting about how they could get rid of him. One of the brothers who loved Joseph, was worried about him. He talked the others into putting Joseph in a pit, instead of killing him–thinking he would come back later and let him go.

Instead, Joseph wound up getting sold to some traveling merchants as a slave. Joseph’s brothers told their father he had been killed by a wild animal. They even soaked his beautiful coat in some animal blood to make their story more convincing. Joseph was only seventeen at the time.

(Read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

Link to New Strength Audio Version
New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

For a lot of years, Joseph’s brothers may have had some pretty mixed feelings about what they had done. The Bible doesn’t directly say that they became depressed and turned to drugs and alcohol, but you can imagine they probably had a hard time swallowing their shame, when they saw how their father grieved for the son he had lost.

Getting rid of their brother didn’t make their father love the brothers any more than before. Now they had to live a lie and deal with their guilt. God couldn’t have been pleased with what had been done, but He always likes to take a sorry story to a good ending.

For a total of 13 years, Joseph spent time in Egypt, as a servant and in prison. Through those years, his brothers had no idea what had happened to him. It turned out that even while Joseph was a servant and in prison, God blessed him.

One night the Pharoah had a perplexing dream, and Joseph was given the opportunity to give the Pharoah an interpretation. God revealed to Joseph that the dream meant there would be seven years of plenty, and then a widespread famine that would also last seven years. Joseph advised Pharoah to harvest and store food during the seven years of plenty before the famine hit, so he could save his nation. The Pharoah was so convinced Joseph was right, he made Joseph his right hand man—a Governor.

During the years of plenty, everything was done just as Joseph had recommended. When the famine came, Joseph’s brothers showed up in Egypt, wanting food. They didn’t recognize Joseph at first, but the bottom line is—Joseph’s dreams were right. Joseph’s family was in a position of desperate need. After a series of events, Joseph finally told his brothers who he was, forgave them—and because of his position—he was able to provide a new life for his father, his brothers, and their families.

This account has been used throughout history, to show what can happen when someone who has been wronged is willing to forgive. Ongoing ‘issues’ in your life may be tied to a situation in your past that didn’t go well–and was never really resolved. It’s so easy to believe that things can’t improve if they have been let go for a long time.

Declaration: I will find new strength in no longer allowing evil to triumph in my circumstances. I release my will in the situation that concerns me, to the will of God. I believe He is able to bring my sorry story to a good ending…and possibly save lives because of it.

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.

Burying anger

By Leave a Comment

Topic: Anger

Focus: Burying anger

Colossians 3:8 (NKJV) But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

If you’re still having trouble with anger and not finding the strength to avoid outbursts and thoughts that are of an angry nature, you’re not being hard enough on your flesh.

In Colossians chapters two and three, some practical points are given that relate to the concept of being dead to ourselves and alive in Christ. Several things are listed that we are told we should ‘die to’ and ‘put off’. One of those things is anger.

If we think about anger and its negative effects on our relationships and our own personal peace, there should be no reason why anyone would want to cultivate it. The word ‘cultivate’ suggests encouragement and growth—even enablement.

If anger is something we are told in the Word of God to dispose of—yet we are harboring it—we have held something back from the altar. If we have at some time said or sung, “All to Jesus, I surrender, all to Him I freely give”—yet we have held onto anger, then we lied.

‘Anger’ can be a sin. It can be a defect in our character that we make excuses for and try to justify and defend. People sometimes claim to be angry about things that are unrighteous or the unrighteous acts of others. It can appear to be a holy kind of attitude, but the Bible says not to judge. It says to let God be the righteous vindicator and the righteous judge. People get ‘being angry’ confused with ‘being righteous’. So, even when we think it’s okay to have righteous indignation—we should be careful that what we are feeling isn’t the result of being ‘judgmental’.

If we become angry about something, we should stop and trace the ancestry of our anger—being willing to spend some time figuring out where the anger came from. Often the root of our anger isn’t even a distant relative of righteousness. More often than not, anger is closely related to selfishness.

(Read more below)

Now, you can listen and/or read!

Link to New Strength Audio Version
New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

People conveniently ‘classify’ anger as though it is something more acceptable than sin. They may call it a condition or a disorder or any number of things other than sin. Anger isn’t a ‘condition’ or a ‘disorder’. When anger relates to a judgment we have made and consequently reacted to in an unholy manner, it is willful disobedience to the Word of God. If we have been told to put anger off, then we shouldn’t be putting it on whenever we think we have a right or reason to do so.

Colossians 3:12-17 says, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father through Him.” (NKJV)

Anger can be a destructive roadblock to a full and lasting recovery from depression and dependency. You can’t make a place for anger in your life without alienating someone who you should be willing to forgive, release, and bless.

Being alive in Christ means completely putting away all of our old behavior and the wrong habits of our sinful nature. Burying that behavior and those habits should be part of the ceremony. If you picture yourself digging a hole and throwing anger into the hole and burying it, how would you then go back to something that is supposed to be dead and dig it up so you could bring it back to life? Making the decision to bury anger is something God will help you do. Search your heart and soul right now for any remains of it in your life and throw it in the hole. See yourself burying anger and leaving it behind, once and for all.

Declaration: I will find new strength by burying my anger. As I let go of the remains of my anger, I will be able to make better progress. The part of me that had not fully died to anger will now be newly resurrected in Christ.

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 power in hallowing the Name of the Lord

By Leave a Comment

Topic: Live and let live

Focus: The power in hallowing the Name of the Lord

Romans 14:13 (NKJV) Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

One of the most humbling things to contemplate is the number of people who we may have caused to stumble or fall because of unrighteousness on our part. I’m sure I don’t remember all of the evil I have done in my lifetime, but there are still things I wish I could forget.

It’s bad enough knowing I did things that were displeasing to God—but even more so, that I corrupted other people by my bad example.

There is no way to go backwards and undo the acts I committed—what’s done, is done—and as far as even knowing how many people I influenced in negative ways—or who they even were—there isn’t any way to trace all of my tracks.

The only thing I can do is plead the mercy of God. Part of pleading His mercy involves acknowledging that His love and forgiveness are the only things we have to stand on.

Ezekiel 36:23 (NKJV) says, “And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.”

Nothing but the precious and perfect blood of God’s own Son, Jesus, can excuse or cover my guilt. He is my only hope.

Repentance is powerful and so is restitution. Repentance is always possible—restitution may not be, in a physical sense.

(Read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

Link to New Strength Audio Version
New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

Even if it were possible to go to every person I had ever wronged and ask their forgiveness, true restitution can only come through the mercy and grace of God. Not that I should excuse myself from the responsibility of making things right whenever and wherever I can, but I should also trust the saving power of Christ that rescued me, to also rescue the souls who I may have caused to lose their way.

Just as my influence for evil had a powerful effect on them—so can my prayers. Who else could pray more effectively for someone who is lost, than the person who led them astray?

Even though I know my prayers can make a difference, it takes commitment to continue standing in prayer for the ones who may be a long way behind in the distance.

How will people who I don’t even see anymore know that the Lord is their God if I hallow Him? I may never know the answer to that question in detail, but if my heart is contrite before the Lord, I can plead for the boundless mercy of God to stretch to wherever they are to find them in their need.

Hopefully, by this time you and I have made a considerable amount of progress in our own individual recovery. Of course, we still have to continue committing ourselves each day to stay on the right track, but at this point we should be able to focus a considerable amount of our time and attention on interceding for those who are lost…especially the ones who may have been lost with us—or because of us.

Recognizing how great God is and the power His great Name carries, should give us the motivation to exalt Him. Praising Him for His awesome ability can break bondages of all kinds.

When we believe—all things are possible! And when we praise—nothing is impossible!

Think of the ones who are lost that you can’t reach and say to the Lord, “Save them all!” Keep saying it. Say it with authority in the Name of Jesus. Cheer God on like a cheerleader. Tell Him you know He can do it. Tell Him you believe He will do it. Bless His Name…His great Name.

You may not get to see it happen, and hopefully, you won’t try to take any credit for it, when it does…but when we pray and ask God to honor His Name in the lives of those who are lost because of our influence—He will.

Declaration: I will find new strength by hallowing the Great Name of God and His Son Jesus, through the boldness of the Holy Spirit in me. I will stand on the power of His Word and put my faith in the redeeming blood of the Lamb.

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.

Staying close

By Leave a Comment

Topic: Restoration

Focus: Staying close

Jeremiah 33:3 (CEB) Call to me and I will answer and reveal to you wondrous secrets that you haven’t known.

As you walk through this day and everyday, keep in mind that there are answers to the mysteries you face. You never have to feel you don’t know enough to make it through your journey. The Lord has always known the answer to every question in your mind.

Right this minute, God is at work preparing the way for you to succeed. He is way ahead of you. He has gone before, to work out detailed arrangements for your benefit. What you see in front of you may not look like a well-planned agenda, but it is. Much effort has been put into the restoration that has already taken place, and even more will be added to your future—assuring that everything, yes everything, will work together for good in your life because of your love for the Lord.

Whatever you have need of, your heavenly Father, is able to provide. There is no reason for you to feel you lack anything, because He owns it all. If you are missing anything important, just ask.

Isaiah 65:24 (NIV) says, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”

You have spent a lot of time laboring in physical and emotional ways. You have worked ‘overtime’, trying to make things work out the way you thought they should in your life. The Lord wants you to lie down and rest. He wants you to stretch out in green pastures and spend some time looking at a body of beautiful, sparkling water—in other words, He wants you to live in tranquility.

(Read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

Link to New Strength Audio Version
New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

Almighty God gave you your life. You weren’t an accident at all. Your life was planned from the foundation of the world. Everything God saw in you was ‘good’, because He is the one who made you. Some people He made have accomplished amazing things in their lives. You have as much potential as any other person He has ever made.

Being a child of the living God is an honorable thing. Don’t be afraid to admit you belong to Him. Belonging to the God of the universe entitles you to many blessings. You have a wonderful destiny…if you choose to accept it.

Your heavenly Father wants to lead you all of your days. He wouldn’t dream of guiding you in the wrong direction. Any time you’ve ever stepped off the path, it was by your own choice—not His. He has always wanted you right by His side, so He could tend to your needs as they arise.

By staying close to the Lord, you won’t ever have to worry again about whether you’re lost. He wouldn’t dream of letting you become distracted or bewildered, as long as you don’t get too far away from Him.

This life has taken you through some dark alleys and narrow hallways. You will still have to pass through some places that you might not recognize. At times you will be walking in the dark—shuffling your feet and wondering where you’re headed. Remember, when that time comes, that the Lord is with you. You may hold His hand. He will not allow true danger to overtake you. He will always watch out for you with kindness and favor, if you stay close. You don’t have to be afraid.

You’ve learned from past experience that ‘not everyone is your friend’. There are those who would seek your destruction, but they will not succeed. Anyone who tries to harm you will be confused as you are able to find comfort and sustenance in the presence of the Lord…no matter what kind of schemes they try to perform.

At a time when others lack—you will be provided for. You will have more than enough for yourself—with plenty left over. The goodness and faithful love of the Lord will pursue you all the days of your life. Because of the Lord’s great love for you, you will remain in His house, as a member of His family, for the rest of your life and for all of eternity.

It’s so important that you continue to walk in right ways. God wants you to succeed. He bids you walk in the paths He has created for you—but He will not force you to stay on the right way—you have to choose it.

People smarter than you have wandered away from God—but following Him isn’t a question of intelligence. If it were, a lot less people would have become deceived and disoriented when they were so close to home.

Declaration: I will find new strength by holding onto the promises God has given me about my future. Any time I want, I can call out to Him for help. I never have to become lost again. If I stay close to the Lord, I won’t lose this battle—He will help me win it.

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.

Regeneration

By Leave a Comment

Topic: Restoration

Focus: Regeneration

Jeremiah 31:3b-4a (NKJV) Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt…

You might have doubts about what God can do with you now. Maybe you don’t see yourself as having a much potential anymore. Your mind might still be going back to times when you had real purpose—or maybe you never reached a point where you actually knew what your true purpose was.

Every day you live is a gift from God—something He gave to you. He doesn’t make mistakes, so each day of your life was planned and ordained by Him. He knew you’d be living today and He knew you might be wondering about some things concerning what you’re supposed to be doing with your time and your gifts.

You might not feel gifted, but because you were made by God, Who is more than a genius, you are amazing. The most sophisticated computer is not capable of doing what you can do.  People give so much respect to technology these days, but God created the minds that conceived the most complex technical systems in the world. He has all of that intelligence and more. The Bible says that in the end times, people would increase in wisdom and understanding, and that’s what we are seeing right now, for sure—but the mind of God is way beyond anything we can observe in human intelligence.

(Read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

Link to New Strength Audio Version
New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

The mind of God is continually creative. He not only spoke all things into existence in the first place, but He is able to constantly regenerate all that He has made.

The Lord’s creativity is never ending, and so is His love. Unlike human love, which sometimes gives out, the love of the God never stops. It doesn’t matter how many times we fall or fail—He always cares enough to pick us up and put us back on the right way. He can make any broken part of us like new again.

If your senses are dull and you have trouble imagining a good future or feeling motivated—He can change that. He has inspiration and power to spare and just waits for His children to ask Him to lend a hand.

Throughout your life, God has been allowing you to experience many unique things. You haven’t always understood why some of the things even happened. Some of it may not have been God’s perfect plan—but He can still turn all of it into something good for you (Romans 8:28).

What you have to keep remembering is that even though you aren’t capable of comprehending His creativity and compassion for you—it is real and true. That’s why He’s been able to stand by you through the hardest times. Even though you may have been in a place that looked like failure to you—God didn’t see it that way. The reason He didn’t is that He knows the beginning from the end. At your worst moments, He was able to see that those moments would contribute to the greatness that would be yet to come, if you yielded your heart to Him.

Remember He is at your side right now—hoping you are ‘getting’ this. His power led you to these words that He knew would bring encouragement to your heart and mind.

Parts of your mind were locked up a long time ago. You’ve opened up somewhat, but there are still areas you need to release so that God can manifest Himself more fully to you. He wants more of you than you have given Him so far. His love for you is so powerful. He wants to be with you constantly. He wants to dwell with you. He wants every waking moment of your day to be lived with consciousness of His presence. When you lie down to rest, he wants you to know you are held in His arms.

There is no limit to the love He has for you. He is completely fascinated with you and He wants you to be completely fascinated with Him. He made you in His image. Let your mind go. Try to imagine the closeness He desires to have with someone He made for His own pleasure.

Part of you is afraid of Him. Holy fear is a good thing. The Lord is high, and greater than any power in the universe—but the real reason He made you, was to be His friend.

So, live in a new awareness of His presence. Know that He is hoping for your attention today and everyday. Give Him the liberty to do what He wants to do in your life…and get ready to be surprised.

Declaration: I will find new strength as I become more aware of the everlasting love of God.

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.

Looking ahead

By Leave a Comment

Topic: Restoration

Focus: Looking ahead

Psalm 30:11-12 (NKJV) You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Whether your loss is a person, a position, or a thing…God knows. He not only knows, but He cares. He not only cares, but He is able to restore.

You may say, “How can He restore something that is gone?” Well, I have to say in some cases—He won’t. He may not restore the exact person, position, or thing you lost—but He will fill you in a way that will change your pain.

You may say, “Well, that’s a cop out—I want what I had back.” And of course, you do. It’s not easy to lose someone, or part of yourself, or something that meant a lot to you—and know whatever you lost will never come back to you.

The fact that you’re reading and seeking is a good sign. You are hopeful of receiving comfort and encouragement. That’s a huge step. You may still have raw places that ache in the night when everything is quiet and you’re trying to rest, but rest won’t come.

Be patient. God is at work. He has been working and He will continue to work on your behalf, until you are whole.

(Read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

You may not be at the point where you are ready to dance and sing. Your loss may be in the too recent past for you to feel like you are ‘stable’ enough to do either of those things, but I want to give you a word of encouragement. There is hope ahead. You’ve no doubt heard the saying, “God never closes a door without opening a window.” It’s not a Bible verse, but the saying makes a good point. God is going to do something wonderful for you…He won’t necessarily give back what you had, but He will give you more of Himself to heal the hurt.

God is able to fill us in ways we can’t even imagine. We think we are as filled as we will ever get when we have had a great victory and are on a mountaintop, but when we suffer a devastating loss that looks irreparable in our eyes—He can fill us again, no matter what.

Filling the empty place is something God is good at. He holds nothing back. It is we who hesitate to allow Him to do what He longs to do for us.

The Lord doesn’t enjoy seeing you struggle. He allowed your loss, it’s true—but as permanent as it may seem—you will not be left alone. As you are able to receive Him into your vacancy—the Spirit of the Lord will fill you. The Grace of God is sufficient for you and He is more than enough.

Isaiah 61 foretold the ministry of Jesus. It predicted that He would be filled with the Spirit of the Lord God. It said Jesus would be anointed to bring good tidings to the poor. He would heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and open the prison of those who have been bound. …He would come to comfort all who mourn, …to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they would be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He would be glorified.

There is so much more to your loss than you know. It is the Lord’s desire to fill you completely. The loss you have experienced is an opportunity to receive not only comfort from the Lord—but the Lord, Himself, as a replacement.

True, you lost a precious part of you…but nothing is as precious as the Lord and His love for you. He is everything you lost, and more. He is the all-becoming one. He is the first and last–the beginning and the end of all things. There is nothing He cannot become for you, if you will give Him permission.

Can you invite Him into the gaping hole? Can you give Him permission to enter that private place of personal pain? Will you say to Him, “Come”? He is waiting.

Declaration: I will find new strength by inviting the Lord to fill the place of emptiness, left by my loss. I know He is able to fill me. I know He is willing to fill me. By an act of faith and my own will, I say, “Come.”

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.