by Ashley Hetherington | Apr 29, 2024 | Being Planted, Life Advice, LO Library, Perspective, Waiting
DAY 6
“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:2)
I was reaching my hand into the pantry for some trail mix when a terrible odor hit my nose. I looked to see where this stench was coming from but couldn’t find the source. So I let it be, hoping it would go away with time if I just ignored it. But a few hours later, I returned to the pantry for some peanut butter, and I smelled that terrible stench again. I then realized this odor was not going away unless I figured out where it was coming from. As I frantically searched the pantry, an old, rotten red onion caught my eye. Finally, after I threw it away, the smell of my pantry became much more bearable. It turns out things are much better when you get out the gunk.
In our own lives, we can go about our days with everything proceeding smoothly. But then we sense that something isn’t quite right. Something is a bit off . . . no matter how much we try to avoid it or act like it will go away on its own.
When we’re in a season of waiting, we can often let “gunk” filter in and clog up our spiritual and emotional lives. Whether through laziness, apathy, numbness, bitterness, or some other form of negativity, we can be tempted to relax our vigilance as we wait, so we start to let our spiritual health slide.
Being in a season of waiting doesn’t mean you do nothing. Perhaps if God is not changing your situation, He is trying to change you. Maybe He wants to rid you of your bad habit of gossiping, the lukewarm lifestyle youkeep falling into, or a lie you are believing that is hindering your ability to walk as a child of the King. Wherever the stench is coming from today, don’t be discouraged. It’s not there to stay. We get to allow God to search us and convict us of what He wants us to get rid of—and as we wait, we get to be made more like Him.
Prayer: God, I know that sometimes I miss the mark. Please reveal to me areas of my heart that are not pleasing to You and show me the gunk in my life You want to get rid of. I desire to do Your will, God. In Jesus’s name, amen.
DAY 7
“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” (Hebrews 6:12)
Everything about the vacation in Miami was perfect. After a few days of basking in the sun, I was ready to get some movement in. Knowing a beachside coffee shop was only three miles down the road, I decided to run to it and reward myself with coffee.
As I started running, I felt very accomplished. Here I was on vacation, running. I checked my Apple Watch fifteen minutes into my run to see how far I’d gone. Feeling energized and eager as the crisp morning air refreshed my sink, I keep moving my legs forward with vigor.
Suddenly, I noticed the highway in front of me, which stopped me in my tracks. That’s when I realized…I was headed in the wrong direction. I called the friend who had recommended the coffee shop and asked her where it was. She then told me how to get back on track, which was inconveniently thirty minutes in the other direction.
As I resumed my run, I felt seriously humbled. I wondered if I should even still try to run to the coffee shop. Suddenly I realized I had to decided: Was I going to be someone who gives up when things get difficult? Or was I going to keep going even when it was hard?
I know running slightly more than three measly miles to a coffee shop is a small challenge in comparison to what you might be going through today. But I still had to ask the Lord for the strength to finish strong. After much effort, I finally got to my destination and put in my order…and the barista moved slowly.
Crazy, now that I had made it, I had to wait even longer. The girl in front of me was so fed up with the wait time that she just left.
Waiting for coffee isn’t a big deal compared to the important things in life. But that morning taught me three very important things: First, to receive any promise from God, we must be willing to wait. And third, enduring and waiting are hard in the moment, but they are always worth it in the long run.
As I walked back onto the beach, with my running shoes in one hand, and my coffee in the other, I smiled. Perhaps not giving up was worth it, after all.
Prayer: God, I admit that sometimes I grow weary doing the things You’ve called me to do. Help me to stay faithful today and finish the race You have for me. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Ashley Hetherington, author of The Joy of the In-Between is a writer, speaker, content creator, Jesus lover, and founder of The Honey Scoop, a lifestyle blog that encourages and equips young women to grow their faith and reach their full potential in God. As someone with a passion for connecting with young women about the struggles of young adult life, Ashley is also the creator of a membership program, The Tree, an online community that helps young women connect with God and read the Bible. Through her writing and speaking, Ashley is a faith leader for those who want to know the Word of God and let truth transform their lives. She has a degree in journalism and interactive media studies from Miami University and resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
by Ashley Hetherington | Nov 18, 2021 | Life Advice, Wisdom
It’s time you activated the Word of God to fight the battle in your mind.
Many of us have made friends with fear.
We wake up with thoughts that we don’t want to be there. We believe lies that are so far from the truth of what God thinks about us. We crave peace and a clear mind – but it seems nearly impossible with the kinds of worries that run through our heads on a daily basis.
This is what my story looked like. I used to live in a constant state of fear, where my mind would literally loop around certain thoughts all day. I tried to get out of it with “positive thinking” and my own strength – but my mind still felt like a prison cell that I couldn’t get out of.
The Enemy put up a stronghold of FEAR in my life – and many of you are under that same very stronghold today.
It wasn’t until I began to do one simple thing, that my mind became renewed and clear. I finally started to experience the peace that God wished to give me. And that’s exactly what I want to teach you, today.
LET’S GET READY FOR BATTLE
I want you to think for a second about a battle. To prepare for battle, you get to know your Enemy. You take time to consider the tricks and tactics he might try. And you get your proper ammo ready – because you would never go into the battlefield without a weapon.
And yet, many women are standing in the middle of a battlefield right now, completely unarmed. They’re letting the Enemy, the Devil, take as many shots at them as possible. They are on the defense – instead of on the offense.
So how do you get on the offense, you ask? How do you STOP believing these lies, stop living in fear, and finally walk through this life with peace of mind that can only come from Jesus? It’s very simple: you get your weapons ready. The very weapon of the Word of God.
Ephesians 6:12 says this:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of ]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Listen – if we are fighting a spiritual battle, we need spiritual weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). And the weapon that is MOST effective in waging war against the Enemy is the very truth of God found in the pages of scripture.
Don’t believe me? Let’s flip to Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
I don’t know where you are at today with the Bible. I’m not sure if you believe that the Word of God is absolute truth. I don’t know whether you are even comfortable reading it yet, or if you have even started.
But I do know my experience. And the moment I saw that scripture actually silenced lies and fears that flooded my mind – I never looked at the Bible the same.
It showed me that the words in the Bible weren’t just pretty words written thousands of years ago. No, these words had POWER. And it was the kind of power I desperately needed in my life.
Scripture would quiet the voices every. Single. Time – where my own willpower would fail. The Word became my weapon. And I was never the same.
So no matter how comfortable you are in reading the Word today, or even if you’ve never opened the Bible before, you can still activate this weapon. You don’t have to be a Super-Christian or memorize the whole Bible to do this. In fact, I am going to walk you through a simple strategy to activate the Word of God in your own life that really helped me – so that you will finally be able to live a free and abundant life in Jesus you so desperately crave.
HOW TO USE THE WORD AS YOUR WEAPON: Keep reading to activate the Word of God in your life!
Step #1: IDENTIFY THE AREA OF ATTACK: THE SPECIFIC LIE/ FEAR/ TEMPTATION.
- First, I want you to get ahead of your Enemy, and specifically look at WHAT he is attacking. Is it your identity? Is it a certain lie that’s been planted? For me, my identity was being attacked, and I needed scripture that told me that my identity was found in Jesus and nothing else. Identify clearly the lie you are believing, the temptation you’re falling for again and again, the fear that is robbing you of joy. Write it down. And get specific. The more specific, the better!
Step #2: IDENTIFY THE TRUTH.
- What would God say about this specific lie? What would He say about this fear? If you don’t know – ask a friend in your community to speak into it. You can even ask God and say Lord, what is YOUR truth on this? And wait to hear an answer.
Step #3: FIND EVIDENCE FOR THIS TRUTH.
- Now that you know what God says about this lie, you’re going to find a scripture that serves as evidence for this truth. When we accept Christ we have the Holy Spirit inside of us, who leads us into all truth (John 16:13). What that means is you can literally ask God for a scripture to cling to – and He will often pop one up in your mind or point you to a verse in your Bible. Try it for yourself, and watch Him do it! And if you are still struggling to find a scripture to help you cling to God’s truth with this lie, you can always Google “bible verses on ___”
Step #4: WRITE THIS TRUTH DOWN ON A BATTLE CARD
- Now for the fun part! I’m going to walk you through how I specifically activate the weapon of the Word in my every day through BATTLE CARDS! I started doing this when the lies were so loud that I could barely get through the day.
To create a battle card, you’re going to take the scripture that you found, and you are going to write it down on one side of an index card.
For example, if I am struggling with fear, I can write Psalm 34:4-5:
“I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”
Once you have your scripture written down – you are going to flip over the notecard and write a PRAYER. This doesn’t have to be fancy – just a prayer between you and the Lord, where you bring your feelings to Him, ask Him for help and declare His truth over the situation. It does not have to be perfect, just make it personal. Write this prayer out on the other side of your index card!
An example of a prayer I’ve done on my battle card: “Lord, right now I am feeling anxious about the future. I know that the Enemy would want me to worry and so I turn from believing that the worst is going to happen to believing that you have amazing things ahead. Lead me, Father, I trust you. I believe that you have an amazing plan for my life. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
Step #5: TAKE THE BATTLE CARD WITH YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY, AND ACTIVATE THE TRUTH WHEN NECESSARY.
Once you have scripture on one side and a prayer on the back, you have got yourself a battle card, which serves as some serious ammo! When the thought comes up in your head during the day, whip out your battle card and first meditate on the scripture. Focus on the verse, with deep breathing if you can to quiet your mind and heart. After you’ve stopped what you are doing and meditated on the scripture, turn the card over and read the prayer out loud. When you are done, put the card back in your pocket and focus on what God has for you to do at that moment. Take it out the next time the thought comes up and battle until the lie fades away. Slowly but surely, your mind will be renewed (Romans 12:2).
LET YOUR MIND BE RENEWED
I don’t know about you, but sometimes you need to get sick and tired of being sick and tired to make a change. And I believe that’s the case for you today.
Once you start to take up the weapon of the Word to fight this battle in your mind, you will experience such fresh freedom. Your mind will finally be clear. Your fears will stop controlling you. The Enemy will not have a hold over your mind any longer.
It’s time for you to fight back today with the sword of the Spirit, the very Word of God. It’s time for you to get up again. It’s time to let the Lord fight this battle for you through His Spirit – because it’s already been won.
Slowly but surely, you’ll hear that lie again… and this time, you’ll have nothing to do but laugh.
by Ashley Hetherington | Aug 31, 2021 | Life Advice, Testimonies, Wisdom
This past weekend, my bestie Kelsey and I went for a walk at a popular park in Nashville. Just as we were beginning our walk, I saw her leap midair in excitement, yelling, “TURTLE!” We looked down to see a baby turtle, the size of a quarter, right at our feet.
Kels and I just paused and stared at it for a while – admiring his cute little head and getting way too close to it. Come to think of it, this little guy must have been scared out of his mind.
Because we were way too close for his liking, the turtle started to move away from us toward the grass. He was a long way from home. The grass looked like it could swallow him whole, and at the pace he was going, it would take him a long time to get to the river.
Kels felt some sympathy for the turtle, which I deeply respect. “Oh my gosh, should we move him closer to the water? It looks like he is about to go into this wilderness!” She said as she crouched down by the turtle, looking at him with kindness.
I, on the other hand, was already on my merry way – ready to continue the walk. My Apple Watch timer was on and I did not want to pause it because of a turtle who lost its way.
“I think we should just let nature run its course,” I responded. (Yes, looking back, I realize this was a very insensitive remark.)
Just when I was about to keep walking and hope Kelso would follow, a couple came up to the turtle and took sympathy for it too.
The guy looked at us and said, “Usually with turtles, they turn in the direction they want to go.”
The turtle had his eyes on the water. Yet he was far away. This is what led us to the grand finale, our new friend picking up this little guy, carrying the turtle daintily in his hand, and bringing him within feet of the river.
What would’ve taken the turtle hours just took him about 30 seconds with this man, who picked him up and put him exactly where he needed to be. He did not have to walk through any large pieces of grass to make his way to the place of life and abundance. It was done for him automatically.
GOD WILL MAKE A WAY
Isaiah 43:19 says:
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”
We, like this turtle, move pretty slow on our own. What could take us months or years can take God just a snap of his fingers.
When we are faced with a wilderness, a difficulty, an obstacle, we can choose to walk our way through it alone. We can choose the option of striving. In this turtle’s case, striving would have looked like taking forever to go through the tall grass, just hoping he’d make it to the water.
Or, we can accept help from the One who can make a way where there is no way. Who can get us through the wilderness and provide streams in the wasteland, just like that.
Ι don’t know what wilderness you find yourself in front of today – what looks like it is just way too difficult to walk through. You have two options. You can choose to walk through it yourself. Or you can choose to rely on God, and let Him take you there. You can choose to rely on self or you can choose to rely on the Lord.
And let me just reassure you – going by yourself is a much longer route than letting God take you there for you. What could take you ten years can take God the snap of His fingers. He is the best person for us to go to, because He can always do what we cannot.
ARE YOU STRIVING OR ARE YOU RELYING ON GOD?
Whenever I am faced with a big project, or a big goal, or a big dream… I can either try to get there on my own. Or I can try to get there with God.
I can always tell if I am relying on my own strength if I am exhausted, anxious, stressed, or staying up till obscene hours of the night.
But when I rely on the Lord to get there – I am comforted with so much more peace. What used to stress me out is actually so much easier. Because if He’s the one responsible for making a way, it’s not all on me. What a relief that is.
TURN IN THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GO
The turtle didn’t ask to be picked up, nor did the turtle work to be provided for. All he did was turn in the direction that he wanted to go.
My dear friend, you don’t have to strive. Wherever it is you want to be, you don’t have to get there on your own. In order for God to do what only He can do, you need to allow Him to do what only He can do. All you need to do is focus on where you are looking.
You don’t have to know “how” you’re going to get there. Let go of the strategies and what has been done before. He is doing a new thing! All it requires is for you to turn towards HIM, and seek Him. Fix your eyes towards Heaven and rely on Him to take you to the next destination.
And just before you start to walk into the wilderness alone, the grace of God will pick you up and put you exactly where you need to be. Without you even seeing it coming, you’ll be provided for abundantly.
God can do what we can’t. It’s about time we turned towards the direction of Jesus and watch Him do what only He can do. The water will sure taste good.
Ashley Hetherington is an author, content creator, and lifestyle blogger behind The Honey Scoop, a platform designed to add a sweet scoop of encouragement to your day. Through her Bible studies, books, and online content, she helps thousands of women grow their faith with biblical truth and practical application. Ashley has a degree in Journalism and Interactive Media Studies from Miami University. Ashley enjoys reading books, asking the question “why?”, and drinking too much coffee. She hopes to lead you closer to God and closer to the person He created you to be. Build your faith through her latest Bible study, Beauty for Ashes, which takes women on an 8-week journey to finding healing and freedom in the Lord.
