June 10, 2024 Flipping the Script on Hard SeasonsRUTH CHOU SIMONS Lee en español "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison ..." 2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV) Recently, a massage therapist told me (after recognizing how immovable my shoulder was and how tense the base of my neck felt), "When you repeatedly operate out of alignment, you're training your body to compensate for the injury with further damage." Upon further research, I found the spine can go out of alignment because the nervous system (brain and nerves) gets stuck in a stressed or tense state. This sounds not unlike what can happen with our emotions and anxious thoughts. Fear and worry often get us so wound up and stressed that our thoughts begin to fall out of alignment with what God says is true. If we're going to realign the stories we tell ourselves with the true story of God's Word, we have to know what He says about these right-now days of our lives. We'll never flip the script on the stories we tell ourselves unless we're given truer, more reliable stories to replace the ones we rehearse in our minds. The truth about who God is and who we are in Him changes everything about how we think about "right now." Here's what the Bible says about your "right now" and what it looks like to flip the script, aligning yourself with truth: Your hard season is ultimately light and momentary. "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison ..." (2 Corinthians 4:17). When Paul wrote this verse, he was preaching to his own heart, flipping the script on his circumstances! And in doing so, he was encouraging his readers and leading them back to the hope of the gospel. Your hard season is refining you. "... for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that ... your faith-more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire-may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7, ESV). The writer of this scripture, Peter, was helping believers rewrite the narrative of their situation to align with God's plan for them and change the stories they were telling themselves about the difficult things they endured ... for a little while. Your hard season is producing endurance. "... we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance ..." (Romans 5:3, ESV). Perhaps Paul, who wrote Romans, knew his readers would struggle to persevere - so he gave an alternative to floundering in suffering: reason for rejoicing. Are you letting how you feel about your current season tell stories that drive you to depend on God or that drive you away from Him? Are the stories you're repeating in your heart and mind informed by truth, God's character, and who you are in Christ? If not, return to the Word of God, and see what He has to say about your present troubles. Let's begin to flip the script on our hard seasons, shall we? Lord, help us align ourselves with what is true, believing that our "right now" circumstances are a powerful tool in Your hand. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS In her newest book, Now and Not Yet, bestselling author Ruth Chou Simons reminds us that it’s OK not to like the "right now" we've been given, but we don’t have to like it to lean in. In Now and Not Yet, learn to embrace the biblical truth that "someday" is made up of thousands of "right nows," discern how the difficult parts of life are a unique gift, stop feeling trapped when you are not where you want to be, and live faithfully in the tension between what is and what is not yet. Get your copy today! ENGAGE Connect with Ruth on Instagram or on her website, and find beautiful, biblical artwork and resources at GraceLaced.com. Enter to WIN your very own copy of Now and Not Yet by Ruth Chou Simons. To celebrate this book, Ruth's publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We'll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, June 17, 2024.} FOR DEEPER STUDY Psalm 77:11-12, "I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds" (ESV). What scripts are you rehearsing about your current season or circumstance? What's one truth you can meditate on to help you flip the script on your current season? © 2024 by Ruth Chou Simons. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Flipping the Script on Hard Seasons –  Encouragement for Today – June 10, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

June 10, 2024 Flipping the Script on Hard SeasonsRUTH CHOU SIMONS Lee en español "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison ..." 2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV) Recently, a massage therapist told me (after recognizing how immovable my shoulder was and how tense the base of my neck felt), "When you repeatedly operate out of alignment, you're training your body to compensate for the injury with further damage." Upon further research, I found the spine can go out of alignment because the nervous system (brain and nerves) gets stuck in a stressed or tense state. This sounds not unlike what can happen with our emotions and anxious thoughts. Fear and worry often get us so wound up and stressed that our thoughts begin to fall out of alignment with what God says is true. If we're going to realign the stories we tell ourselves with the true story of God's Word, we have to know what He says about these right-now days of our lives. We'll never flip the script on the stories we tell ourselves unless we're given truer, more reliable stories to replace the ones we rehearse in our minds. The truth about who God is and who we are in Him changes everything about how we think about "right now." Here's what the Bible says about your "right now" and what it looks like to flip the script, aligning yourself with truth: Your hard season is ultimately light and momentary. "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison ..." (2 Corinthians 4:17). When Paul wrote this verse, he was preaching to his own heart, flipping the script on his circumstances! And in doing so, he was encouraging his readers and leading them back to the hope of the gospel. Your hard season is refining you. "... for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that ... your faith-more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire-may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7, ESV). The writer of this scripture, Peter, was helping believers rewrite the narrative of their situation to align with God's plan for them and change the stories they were telling themselves about the difficult things they endured ... for a little while. Your hard season is producing endurance. "... we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance ..." (Romans 5:3, ESV). Perhaps Paul, who wrote Romans, knew his readers would struggle to persevere - so he gave an alternative to floundering in suffering: reason for rejoicing. Are you letting how you feel about your current season tell stories that drive you to depend on God or that drive you away from Him? Are the stories you're repeating in your heart and mind informed by truth, God's character, and who you are in Christ? If not, return to the Word of God, and see what He has to say about your present troubles. Let's begin to flip the script on our hard seasons, shall we? Lord, help us align ourselves with what is true, believing that our "right now" circumstances are a powerful tool in Your hand. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS In her newest book, Now and Not Yet, bestselling author Ruth Chou Simons reminds us that it’s OK not to like the "right now" we've been given, but we don’t have to like it to lean in. In Now and Not Yet, learn to embrace the biblical truth that "someday" is made up of thousands of "right nows," discern how the difficult parts of life are a unique gift, stop feeling trapped when you are not where you want to be, and live faithfully in the tension between what is and what is not yet. Get your copy today! ENGAGE Connect with Ruth on Instagram or on her website, and find beautiful, biblical artwork and resources at GraceLaced.com. Enter to WIN your very own copy of Now and Not Yet by Ruth Chou Simons. To celebrate this book, Ruth's publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We'll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, June 17, 2024.} FOR DEEPER STUDY Psalm 77:11-12, "I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds" (ESV). What scripts are you rehearsing about your current season or circumstance? What's one truth you can meditate on to help you flip the script on your current season? © 2024 by Ruth Chou Simons. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Flipping the Script on Hard Seasons –  Encouragement for Today – June 10, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

Historical Events 1865 - Richard Wagner's opera "Tristan und Isolde" premieres in Munich, Germany 1916 - Great Arab Revolt begins against ruling Ottoman turks 1990 - French Open Men's Tennis: Andres Gomez of Ecuador wins his 1st and only career Grand Slam title; beats American Andre Agassi 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 1995 - French Open Women's Tennis: Steffi Graf beats Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 7-5, 4-6, 6-0 with pivotal 32-point game in 3rd set; Graf's 4th French title 1996 - 30th Music City News Country Awards: Alan Jackson wins 2018 - Actor Vince Vaughn arrested for drunk driving and resisting arrest near Los Angeles More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1861 - Pierre Duhem, French naturalist, philosopher and historian, born in Paris (d. 1916) 1861 - Joseph Cuypers, Dutch architect (St Bavo, Haarlem), born in Roermond, the Netherlands (d. 1949) 1863 - Louis Couperus, Dutch poet and writer (Eline Vere), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1923) 1929 - Edward O. Wilson, American sociobiologist, world’s leading authority on ants, born in Birmingham, Alabama (d. 2021) 1934 - Nicolas Roussakis, American composer, born in Athens, Greece (d. 1994) 1979 - Lee Brice, American country singer and songwriter (Love Like Crazy, Hard to Love), born in Sumter, South Carolina More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1247 - Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, Spanish Archbishop of Toledo and advisor to Alfonso VIII, dies (b. c. 1170) 1967 - Frank Butler, American actor and screenwriter (Road to Bali, China), dies at 76 1986 - Merle Miller, American biographer (b. 1919) 2008 - Dieuwke de Graaff-Nauta, Dutch politician (State Secretary for the Interior 1986-94), dies at 78 2009 - Norma Shaw, English lawn bowler (World Outdoor C'ship gold 1981; Indoor C'ship gold 1997), dies at 72 2021 - Neno, Portuguese soccer goalkeeper (9 caps; Vitória de Guimarães, Benfica), dies from a heart attack at 59 More Famous Deaths »

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