2093 The In Between

What actually happened between the cross on Friday and Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday? 1. Jesus’ body rested in the tomb All four Gospels agree that Jesus was buried and remained in the tomb: Matthew 27:59–60 – Jesus was taken down from the cross and his body was wrapped in linen and placed in a tomb. A great stone was set in front of the tomb, sealing Jesus’ body inside. Pilate assigned soldiers to guard the tomb to ensure Jesus’ body stayed inside. He was for sure dead and his body was for sure in the tomb. This fulfills prophecy and shows that His death was real—not symbolic. Jesus fully defeated death—from the inside. He didn’t avoid death—He entered it and overcame it. This means death is no longer the final authority. No place is beyond Christ’s reach – no person is too far gone for Jesus. Even death, Jesus reaches beyond death. Redemption reaches everywhere – No failure, darkness, or distance puts someone beyond redemption. Here’s what else we know about these 3 days between crucifixion and resurrection: 2. His body was in the tomb, but His spirit was active. Jesus was actively proclaiming victory. — “Christ suffered for our sins one for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. SO HE WENT AND PREACHED TO THE SPIRITS IN PRISON – those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat.” Prison = Hades/Hell. Genesis tells us about a time when fallen angels (demons) mingled with humans bringing evil to the entire earth – that’s why God brought the flood to start over. Those demonic spirits are in the prison of Hell and Jesus went to preach to them – not to evangelize and bring them to salvation, but to proclaim victory over them. God won – they LOST! FOREVER! This was a completion of Jesus’ triumph over evil. THAT’S WHAT JESUS WAS DOING – CONQUERING EVIL. DEFEATING SATAN AND HIS DEMONS. Christ is declaring victory over sin, death, and evil. This allow us to live in victory today! Satan and his demons are defeated, and they know it! Jesus personally went to their Hell and proclaimed it! This period represents a real, sacred pause. Between promise and fulfillment – Jesus had promised his followers that he would be die and be raised again in 3 days – but in between they waited and wondered. They had the promise but no fulfillment yet. Between suffering (cross) and victory (life). These 3 days when we don’t see where Jesus is shows that God is still working—even when nothing seems to be happening. His followers were in grief and confusion. The disciples were hiding and afraid. Hope seemed lost. Here we see this silence and uncertainty is part of the story. What it means for us today: When life feels silent or uncertain – God feels absent – prayers seem unanswered – hope feels buried – GOD MAY BE DOING HIS DEEPES WORK IN THE SILENCE. Jesus shows us that waiting is part of faith. The disciples had to live through a day where God’s promises seemed broken and nothing made sense. Yet resurrection was already underway. Because of what Christ did in that time we know Death is not the end. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

There is a hill outside the city of Jerusalem called Golgotha or also called Calvary. Both words for this hill mean the same thing – “Place of the Skull”. This hill was given its name because of it s shape of a skull. Do you think that was an accident? It was here on top of this skull shaped hill that Jesus was crucified on the cross. Have you ever thought about the meaning behind this? Why there? Nothing was by accident. God was in every detail as he sacrificed his one and only son so that whoever would believe in him would have eternal life. I believe this place was strategic. The cross was on top of the skull because Jesus wants to give you victory over your mind! Did you know it’s not only your soul that has been saved, but your MIND has been saved as well. The victory was won over your mind by Jesus on the skull! How absolutely strategic. The evil one fights to take back what Jesus has claimed and most often what he gets is our mind. How successful has he been in your life lately? Have your thoughts been victorious or have they been fear filled, anxious, negative, defeated thoughts? Jesus paid a high price for your victory, why would you ever allow the defeated one to defeat you in your head? Your greatest asset is your mind. Your mind paints a vivid picture and your body responds with every emotion and energy to create the picture. Every choice you make, good or bad, was first a thought in your mind. So, of course your mind is under attack. A relentless, violent, brutal attack, and it’s happening every minute of the day. Whatever gets your mind, gets you. Your thoughts are the guide, so the important question is, who is the author of your thoughts? Scripture warns us of strongholds on our mind. 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5, “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” The word “stronghold” comes from the Greek word ochuroma. This is a Greek word used to describe a prison. The “strongholds” scripture refers to are lies that the devil has ingrained so deeply in your mind and in your belief system that they now hold power over certain areas of your life. These lies create a spiritual fortress of wrong thoughts which becomes your prison. As a prisoner to these thoughts, you begin to view life through the illusion of bondage Satan has put on your mind. Thoughts of worry. Thoughts of fear. Thoughts of anxiety. Thoughts of lack. And eventually, these tangled and twisted thoughts begin to take control of your life. Now, you can’t seem to dismiss those thoughts. You can’t just shake it off. This stronghold on your mind has overwhelmed you. And if we allow this stronghold to continue, dismissing it as who we are and what we naturally struggle with, it becomes a trap where Satan mentally seduces you and imprisons you with your own thinking. My sister, does this sound familiar? Have your thoughts become twisted and knotted with worry, fear, anxiety, or negativity? This is a strong hold and it is holding you back. Holding you back, you say … from what? Holding you back from the freedom of being who you were created to be and living the life God created you to live. Holding you back from the joy of the Lord. Holding you back from your purpose and your destiny. But remember, your mind is saved! Just like your soul has been redeemed, so has your mind. You are no longer a captive here. Any strongholds the enemy has established in your mind can and must be destroyed. You have been equipped for this battle! The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” Ephesians 6:17 gives us a list of battle gear, and the first is the helmet of salvation. Now how totally ironic is that … where was your salvation bought and secured? On a hill called Golgotha which means “skull”. And it is the helmet of salvation that protects your mind, your greatest asset. Girl, you have supernatural protection wrapped around your head to safeguard your mind from every assault of the enemy. You are covered. Those thoughts of fear, overwhelm and anxiety bounce right off. Phew, phew, phew. Nope, they’re not getting in. But, they do get in when we take off our helmet. What is the helmet again? It is the helmet of SALVATION. When we forget it’s not just our soul that has been saved, our thoughts are left vulnerable. When we start buying into the lie that says this is just who I am and how I think, we forfeit the saving grace Jesus offers over our minds. Here’s a simple step to remember when you know your mind is being assaulted: Tap your helmet. Yip, just give that sweet head of yours a little tap and say “you’ve been saved and you are protected.” Exodus 14:14 says “The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.” This is exactly what we’re talking about. The battle over your mind is real and it is vicious, but the Lord will fight for you. Stand there in your helmet of salvation and know you are protected. Any stronghold the enemy tries to use against you has been demolished! His attacks will not be successful. Your mind has been saved and it is protected. If you’ve taken your helmet off and you’ve been dancing with worries, fears and regrets, new strongholds have been established. Demolish them now. You have been given that power through Christ Jesus. Declare your mind is precious territory claimed by Jesus. Satan has no right to come marching in here! He has been banished. You’ve been saved, you don’t have to think the thoughts you once thought. You are protected, the attacks will no longer be successful on your mind. Now, keep your helmet on! The evil one is on the prowl like a hungry lion for someone to devour. He goes right for the head. But yours has been saved! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Have you been hurt by Church? Me too. Is it a reason to pull away from God? It could be, but it shouldn’t be. You know what Church is? Church is a gathering of totally imperfect people who claim to know they need Jesus. They’re not always going to get it right. They’re not always going to teach it right. And maybe they didn’t treat you right. I grew up not knowing Jesus because as a little girl, the country church where my family went didn’t quite do things right. My parents were hurt, so they stopped going. When they stopped going, my access to the Bible was cut off. From the time I was 5 to the time I was 15, I heard nothing of God. Church isn’t always going to be right. One denomination says it has to be this way, while another denomination says it has to be their way. We create division and differences and make our own rules on the path to Jesus. People are hurt in the process. Families walk away. Little girls grow up not knowing about God. So, what if instead of getting our doctrine from a gathering of imperfect people who need Jesus, or a person who has been hurt by people who need Jesus, or the Google or ChatGPT, or any other source of any kind … what if instead we look directly at God’s word for truth today. What does it take to be saved? What is required to gain salvation? What can we do to gain access to eternity in Heaven with God? What are the steps? What is the right way? How can we be sure? And have you screwed up so much for so long, you’re now out? We find our answer at the cross. Yes, the cross we just remembered on Easter. And it’s so simple, so pure, so powerful. For some reason, we’ve spent lifetimes twisting and contorting simple truths into rituals, rules and guidelines which Jesus came to fulfill and lift from us. Before Jesus, the way to God was complicated. There were rituals. There were rules. There were people who could talk to God and people who could not. There were certain clothes that had to be worn, sacrifices that had to be made, words that had to be spoken. A temple was built to house the Spirit of God. Within the temple, there was thick curtain that kept ordinary people out of the holy space where God’s Spirit dwelt. Only the high priest could access this space of God’s spirit, and only once per year. A blood sacrifice was required for that yearly entry. So many ceremonial rules and regulations. Back then, following God was scary. If you did it wrong, you would be struck dead. So of course we’re confused on how we could ever be made worthy of access to God. Of course we’re uncertain of our right to approach God with our brokenness. Of course we question if we could ever be good enough to be guaranteed God’s spirit to guide us and God’s forgiveness to cover us for eternity. But Jesus made everything so simple. We don’t have to complicate this. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, in his final breath, something happened. We often read the story and miss the life altering change that happened in that moment. But today, we’re not going to miss it. We’re going to see it. We’re going to understand it. And we’re going to receive it. Luke 23, Jesus is hanging on the cross between two criminals. Verses 44-46, “By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.” Tucked in between the miracle of the sky going completely dark from noon to 3, and Jesus breathing his last breath, is the sentence that changes everything. “Suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle.” This was the curtain that separated us from God. The curtain that only the high priest was allowed to go behind once a year to gain access to God. This curtain is what kept us out. The curtain was laws, rules and rituals. The curtain was separation and division. And that curtain was torn right down the middle while Jesus was giving his life on the cross. The fact that this curtain was torn was a miracle in itself. Scripture is very specific that this was a massive curtain that could not be torn. It was 60 feet long, 30 feet wide and it was the thickness of the palm of a hand. The palm of a hand is about 4 inches. Have you ever seen a curtain 4 inches thick? This curtain was so heavy, it took 300 priests to move it. And miraculously, when the sky went dark and Jesus breathed his final breath, that curtain was torn right down the middle! The curtain in the temple. The curtain that separated us from God. What happened? ACCESS WAS GRANTED. Access for you and I. Laws were fulfilled. Rituals and rules were torn down and the way was made for you and I, as messed up and unholy as we are, to approach God. Everything changed when the curtain was torn. Once Jesus fulfilled all the laws, then everything else could be lifted. The rituals were gone. The separation removed. Jesus changed it all. On the other side of the cross where we are now, what do you have to do to receive God’s forgiveness and salvation and be guaranteed an eternity in Heaven with him? Jesus showed us on that cross. He showed us while he hung there suffering and had a conversation with the two criminals who were being crucified with him. Luke 23: 39-43, “One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” This criminal hadn’t gone to any classes. He hadn’t joined a church. He hadn’t gone back and corrected any of his wrongs. He hadn’t cleaned himself up and fixed his life. He hadn’t memorized any scriptures. He hadn’t prayed on his knees for 30 consecutive days. He hadn’t stopped drinking or cussing. It doesn’t say he was sorry for the crimes that had brought him to his death. He had done absolutely nothing, other than BELIEVE IN JESUS. It was his belief, and his belief alone, that qualified him to be in paradise with Jesus that very day after he died. The enemy wants to confuse us and divide us. He wants to keep us feeling like what we can do will never be good enough to qualify us for forgiveness and salvation. And he’s right … nothing we could ever do would be good enough, outside of our faith. What the enemy of your soul doesn’t want you to know is the curtain has been torn. You are not separated from God by any rule or ritual. You have full access because of Jesus. And just like the criminal who had a lifetime of wrongdoing was guaranteed eternity in paradise with Jesus because of his faith, so are you and I. That’s it, Sis. Your faith. Not your perfect faith. Not your complete understanding. Not the scriptures you can quote or the rules you follow. It’s simply believing in Jesus. After that, well, Jesus has a way of working in our lives to change how we think and how we live. That happens naturally as a result of God’s spirit dwelling within us through that split curtain. But that’s not the most important thing. Your track record as a Christian isn’t anything God is counting on. He’s not counting up your failures and ready to cancel your admission to paradise. Your faith in Jesus covers you completely. Being covered changes you. But that’s just icing on the cake, baby! That’s gravy. What matters most is the fact that, just like the criminal hanging on the cross, all we need is to believe in Jesus. Do you believe? Have you told him you believe in him? You have full access and he accepts you exactly as you are! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

We know on this day that Jesus died for us – but it was so much more than that. He was beaten. He was whipped. He had a crown of thorns forced into his head. He had nails hammered through his hands. And he hung there on the cross until his final breath. But it was so much more than just that. I think that’s what I’ve missed for all these years – the depth of what Jesus REALLY did for me. It was more than the cross. 35 years ago on Easter Sunday, I knelt at an alter in a little country church in Ava, Missouri and I accepted what Jesus did for me on the cross. But now, 35 years later leading up to this Easter Sunday, I believe I’m truly beginning to understand and receive ALL that Jesus did for me beyond just the cross. There’s just so much more! Countless others in these days died on crosses as capital punishment. It wasn’t death on a cross that changed the world. In fact, on this very day, criminals hung on their own crosses on each side of Jesus. They died that day just like Jesus. It was more than the cross, more than the nails, more than the crown – so much more. Before the cross was the garden. The garden where Jesus made his decision to be our substitute. This is where the battle took place and where Jesus surrendered to his unimaginable punishment for his perfect life. On the final night of Jesus’ life, he took his friends to a garden with him. He said, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.” They’re in a garden, surrounded by beauty, all alone, and yet Jesus is saying his soul is crushed with grief. Why? Because he knew what was coming next. While his friends continually fell asleep on him, he prayed in that garden and he said, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” The cup of suffering was so much more than death on a cross – it was the absolute weight of every sin in the world. This was what was being put on Jesus, crushing him with grief in the garden. Isaiah 53:6, “The Lord laid on him the sins of us all.” The spiritual weight of every sin, every shame, every rebellion of humanity, placed on Jesus, crushing his soul. This is where the real battle was happening – before the cross, it was the garden. Remember the garden is where humanity failed, where Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan and sin entered the world. Now, in this garden, full circle, Jesus was willing to make it right again. But not just Adam and Eve’s sin, mine and yours too. Every lie I’ve ever told, every secret shame I’ve carried, every rebellious act, every hurtful thing I’ve said, every hateful, corrupted, twisted, wrong thing I’ve ever done – that was laid on Jesus in the garden on that final night. My cup of deserved punishment was taken for me. With sin comes guilt and shame. Have you ever been weighed down by guilt? Knowing you were wrong is heavy. Shame can create an unbearable darkness. Imagine for a moment the secretly kept worst thing you’ve ever done being revealed publicly – how would that make you feel? Well, that’s what was piled on Jesus. Your guilt. Your shame. And mine. The perfect Jesus was crushed by the weight of these burdens. And there in the garden as he prayed, willing to accept every once of sin upon himself, Luke 22:44 says, “He was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.” Jesus sweat blood. This is a medical condition caused under extreme mental anguish. When a person is under such extreme pressure, extreme agony, extreme stress, extreme crushing, the blood vessels around the sweat glands can constrict to the point of rupture, and blood comes out of the skin through the sweat glands. This is what Jesus was enduring in the garden. In a garden of olive trees where his friends were sleeping, Jesus was in absolute agony. Before the cross, there was a choice. Jesus was making the choice here – Not what he wanted, but what God wanted. Jesus surrendered there to the crushing weight of it all, sweating blood in the most extreme anguish. He began to drink the cup he never wanted and certainly never deserved, the cup of judgment, the consequence of sin for all humanity. The pounds of my sin were included. The weight of my guilt and shame were literally there on Jesus in that garden. And so was yours. Every ounce of what should have been placed on you was placed on Jesus, there in the garden. Have you ever experienced true dread? Maybe you’ve dreaded going to the dentist or the gynecologist. Or maybe you’ve dreaded facing the consequences for your wrong doing. Maybe you’ve dreaded going through childbirth knowing the pain you must endure. Or you’ve dreaded a surgery fearing what might happen. Imagine if you were facing a prison sentence, you would feel dread. Knowing it’s truly going to be bad – really bad. And when you really dread something, you want a way out of it. You wish you could change it. You rehearse it in your mind. You feel anxious about it. Jesus felt dread in the garden on the night before the cross. He knew exactly what was happening. He knew the weight of sin that would crush him. One by one, he was fully aware of every detail of every sin. Mine and yours. Shame. Guilt. Regret. Burden. He knew his Holy Father could not be in the presence of this sin, so he would be separated from the Father. Darkness was coming. Jesus is the light of the world, and that light would experience utter darkness. Oh how he must have dreaded what was to come. Feel that for a moment. Jesus said, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet, I want your will to be done, not mine.” That was for you. That was for me. This is what saved us. The decision made before the cross. The decision made in the garden. The decision that crushed the soul of our Jesus. The decision that caused such extreme anguish that he sweat blood. The dread that was faced with the decision to endure it all. Here in the garden is where Jesus fully surrendered. Here in the garden is where Jesus chose the cross. Here is the garden is where Jesus chose you. On this day we remember as Good Friday before Easter, Jesus would carry the weight of every burden, guilt and shame and stand in our place. He would accept the required penalty for sin – the judgment and separation from God, all so that we could receive forgiveness and relationship with God. As Jesus hung on the cross at noon, the midday skies fell dark. For 3 hours there was complete darkness all across the land. This is when Jesus says in Matthew 27:46, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Understand, what’s happening here is separation from God. Jesus is entering the darkness of your sin, your guilt, your shame, your rebellion, for you. The full weight of every sin of humanity was placed on Jesus and the justice of God toward sin was being satisfied. Isaiah 53:10, “It was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. His life is made an offering for sin.” This doesn’t mean God took pleasure in the pain of Jesus, it means the painful plan of redemption was being fulfilled. Oh my sister, if you fully understood the price that has been paid for your life, you would live so differently. The more I understand it, the more different my life looks. Jesus is hanging in the darkness of the cross and for the first time ever, he has no sense of the Father’s presence. He has no comfort and no relief. He was literally experiencing Hell. That’s what Hell is – the absence of God. The absence of his presence. The absence of his comfort. The absence of his relief. The absence of his light. Jesus is hanging there on the cross going through Hell so we wouldn’t have to. You and I have never experienced anything like this. Every step of our lives, God has been with us. We have no idea what it truly feels like to be without God. His comfort has been with us every day of our lives. His relief has always been ours. But Jesus experienced it for us so we would never have to. We would never have to go through Hell – never experience life without God. The full consequence of sin is a total separation from God and this is what Jesus is choosing in the garden and experiencing on the cross. Not because he sinned – but because he was carrying ours. 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” Your sin was placed on the perfect Jesus – Yes yours. The sin you committed yesterday and the sin you’ll commit tomorrow. It was all placed on Jesus so that his righteousness could be made available to you. What an exchange that was made for YOU. Jesus chose it in the garden and fulfilled it on the cross. A divine exchange was made for you. Jesus knew exactly what he was doing. He felt the very human emotion of dread. He didn’t want that cup of wrath, but he knew it was required to save you from that wrath. He stood in your place, drinking the cup you deserved, bearing the crushing weight of your sins on his sinless and perfect body because God said you were worth saving, and Jesus agreed with outstretched arms. Have you accepted the divine exchange made for you on that cross? It’s so much more than what we’ve made it to be today. It’s our one and only way to redemption, forgiveness, relationship, and a right standing with our Creator. The weight isn’t yours to carry, my friend – Jesus chose to carry that for you in the garden. The divine exchange took your guilt and shame and offers you perfect righteousness. And get this, all you have to do is accept it! When you accept what Jesus did for you in the garden and on the cross, then you have a promise. A promise of so much more! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

John 13: 1-17 “Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father.” Jesus knew when it wasn’t yet his time – and now he was very clear, this was his time. His final night. This was the beginning of the end, knowing in just a few hours, he would be on the cross. He was fully aware of what was next, and he was fully aware of what was important now. What was most important now was to show us how to how to lead, and how to follow. How to be important and be unimportant. How to truly love and serve. “He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.” Better translation is “Having loved his own, he had loved to the utmost” There is a love Jesus has for all people, and then there is a love for HIS OWN. His own people were the people who loved him back. You can and should love everyone, but the few who truly love you back get so much more from you. I may not know you at all, but I assure you, I love you. But some of you I have met – I have shared life with – we have memories together – you have loved me back. That love is naturally deeper. And this is what John is writing about. Jesus has a love for all people, but for the people who love him back, they are HIS OWN and that love is different. It is a love to the utmost, meaning to the extreme and maximum limit. My friends, Jesus loves you. No matter what, he loves you. If you never love him back, never acknowledge his sacrifice for you, never speak his name, he still loves you. But if you love him back, then you become his own and you experience a love to the very end like his disciples. Now, Jesus is going to show us how he loves HIS OWN – the ones who love him back. “It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciple’s feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” Jesus was not detoured from the evil he was fully aware of. He was not distracted, in fact he didn’t even allow it to steal the preciousness of this moment. That’s how you respond when someone is being a jack wagon. That’s how you treat family vacation when one is trying to ruin it. That’s how you handle a day at work when a coworker is on a mission to kill the mood. This is how you move forward when the devil is attacking. You refuse to be distracted. You don’t give it breath. You focus on what you’re there to do. You are there to love. You are there to serve. You are there to be different. Jesus didn’t stop everything and address the one who Satan was using to betray him. Jesus didn’t let it spoil the meal. Jesus didn’t even dismiss Judas from the foot washing. Jesus was totally unbothered. Satan’s gonna do what Satan’s gonna do. And some people are going to partner in his nasty plans. You don’t have to give your time, your energy, your mood or your thoughts to that. Proceed with the beautiful things God has called you to do. Continue to serve. Continue to love. Continue to give. Girl, just choose to be unbothered! Now, notice this – it says “Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. SO …. Don’t miss that this goes together. Jesus knew his position, he knew his authority, he knew his power, he had full awareness of his identity, SO he acted from that. What was his act? “So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basis. Then he began to wash the disciple’s feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” These were some dirty, nasty feet. Feet that had traveled dusty roads in sandals. Washing feet was a service offered for very practical reasons – those feet were nasty! The lowest of servants in the building were the ones assigned with this undesirable task. But guess what, here they were at the table to share this meal together and no one had washed their feet. Do you know why? Luke 22:24 tells us that the disciples entered the room that night arguing about who was the greatest. And because they were arguing about who was the greatest, no one wanted to be the lowest. If there were no lowest, there was no one do do the job of washing their feet. And there they sat at the table with Jesus with their disgusting feet because no one was willing to be the lowest. And here’s what Jesus does – knowing he was truly the GOAT (greatest of all time), knowing fully he held all the power, he chose to assume the lowest level and serve in humility. “After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’, and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.” Jesus was not referring to a ceremony or ritual here. This is about anything we can do to wash away the grime of the world for others. This is about helping was away the dust of defeat from the soul who has lost a battle. This is about washing discouragement off the depressed soul who is sitting in darkness. This is about washing away shame for the one who has been wrong and carries the weight of it all with them. This is about us truly helping others. We are quick to criticize those with dirty feet instead of washing them as Jesus has told us to do. It’s hard to throw stones if you’re busy washing feet. Every day, you’re surrounded by people with dirty feet from the journey. Those who are walking through divorce, those who are walking in grief, those who are walking in hard seasons, those who are walking in regret, those who are stumbling in darkness – and you can be the one to wash their feet. The one who smiles and encourages them. The one who sits beside them so they’re not alone. The one who prays. The one who makes them feel seen and wanted. And do you know what happens when we do? Jesus says, God will bless you. This is how Jesus spent the final night of his life. He spent it washing feet. He asks you to spend your life doing the same. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Here we are, the week of Jesus’ crucifixion. The week he very well knew was his last here on this earth. A week he knew would include more suffering than our human minds can comprehend. And guess what – he walked right into this week, facing it head on with intention, knowing what he was doing he was doing for me and you. Over and over again, Jesus shows us how to live in a way that makes it about others more than it is about ourselves. How can we take this example of Jesus in the final week of his life and live more like him? Let’s see how Jesus did it! All 4 gospel accounts of this final week begin in the same way, “Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem”. Now if you were making a triumphant entry, what would that look like? Oh girl, what would you wear? You have to be triumphant in your appearance. Make a grand entrance. Que the walk-up music, this has to be dynamic! Smoke and lights! Energy! All the hoopla for a triumphant entry – right? We really have a special way of making things about us, don’t we? We try so hard to be impressive. We have a hard time choosing what to wear for the flight home from vacation, let alone a triumphant entry for the most important and final week of your life. We overthink … you know why – because we’re thinking about ourselves. Really we are – even when we think of others, we’re typically thinking of how they receive us, how they treat us, and how they make us feel. It’s all about us. But Jesus shows us how to make a triumphant entry that’s all about HIM, without making it all about him. Now, let’s be clear. This really is all about Jesus. Everything in our Bible is ultimately about Jesus. It’s about how Jesus saved us from what we couldn’t save ourselves from. It’s about how Jesus changed absolutely everything for us. So, how do you show up and make an entrance when in fact, it really is about you? Answer: With humility! It was time for Jesus to willfully walk toward Jerusalem, knowing this was the place he would sacrifice his life. Knowing this was the place he would be betrayed. Knowing this was the place he would suffer. Knowing this was the place absolutely nothing would be fair for him, and he would endure it to make it right for us. And do you know how he makes his triumphant entry? Does he show up with chariots? No. Does he call out the band to play his walk-up song? No. Does he even ride in on a horse? No. Jesus chooses the most humble entry – riding on a donkey. A donkey was not a sign of power. A donkey was a sign of humble work. Jesus was making his entry to Jerusalem for his humble work of saving both me and you! Matthew 21: 1-6, “As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. ‘Go into the village over there,’ he said. ‘As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, The Lord needs them, and he will immediately let you take them.’ This took place to fulfill the prophesy that said, ‘Tell the people of Jerusalem, Look your King is coming to you. He is HUMBLE, riding on a donkey – riding on a donkey’s colt.’ The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.” So now we see Jesus didn’t only choose the humble means of a donkey, but he chose even lower – the donkey’s colt. The colt wasn’t as strong, wasn’t as experienced, and not as useful. It’s the equivalent today of traveling on an airplane, not choosing first class, not choosing business class, not even choosing the isle or the window – but choosing row 41, middle seat – ON PURPOSE. Who does that? Nobody does that. Especially not when you have not only the power to fly the plane, but the RIGHT to fly the plane. Jesus had the power to show up any way he wanted to. He had the right to make an entrance in any manner. He could have made it all about him, and absolutely no one would have blamed him. I mean really, do you blame the person riding in first class for getting extra leg room when they can afford it and paid for it? No, you just envy them a little bit as you walk on by and get yourself to the back of the plane. Jesus knew his assignment, and he walked in it perfectly. He rode in, entering his final week of life on a donkey’s colt, with the ultimate humility. And here’s the wild thing – God had always planned it that way. Many years earlier, God had spoken to Zechariah and told him the King would come to save the world, and he would come with absolute humility on a donkey’s colt. This is now being quoted in Matthew. And remember, when God spoke those words to Zechariah through the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, Jesus was there, because Jesus is God in human form. The trinity. With all the power in the world, LITERALLY, God planned his own entry into the world … with humility. And he planned the joy of saving his children while holding the grief of sacrificing his son. Jesus was born in humility to a virgin girl in a stable – and now Jesus would enter into his final week knowingly with that same power contained in humility. He didn’t make it about him. But let’s be clear – IT WAS ABOUT HIM. It’s all about Jesus. But do you know what Jesus made it about – HE MADE IT ABOUT YOU. Imagine going to a concert and your absolute favorite artist walks out on stage holding a sign with your name on it. And imagine every song they sing, they sing looking directly at you in the audience. THAT’S WHAT OUR JESUS DID, and he did it for you. At the end of this week, Jesus is betrayed and arrested, which he knew was coming since the very beginning. He didn’t fight it. He didn’t run from it. He endured it all with humility and a focus on us, not on himself. There, surrounded by a crowd of men with swords and clubs, being arrested and ultimately led to his death, Jesus says in Matthew 26: 53-54, “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly. But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” Jesus knew his mission, and although he knew he held the power to do absolutely anything he wanted, he chose to humbly surrender to the Father’s will – even when it was hard. Jesus shows us how to live in the hardest seasons of our lives and walk with purpose. We restrain ourselves from doing the things we could do, and focus on doing what God wants us to do. Jesus doesn’t just tell us to surrender and submit to God – he shows us how to do it. Jesus is here in his final week, holding the grief of being betrayed in one hand, and the joy of walking in his purpose in his other. The grief of suffering in one hand, and the joy of knowing his suffering was temporary but forever good in his other hand. Jesus is showing us how to hold grief and joy at the same time. When you hurt, it’s okay to hurt – but there can still be joy knowing this hurt isn’t all there is. When there’s joy, you can feel the joy knowing everything doesn’t have to be perfect and fixed to experience moments of beauty. On our final night together here in the retreat house in Hawaii, we sat together and we each shared two things – what is the sweetest thing in this season of your life, and what is the hardest. We all had something hard we’re currently in, and we all had something so sweet too. We’re holding both, at the same time. One who has lost her husband. Three who are going through divorces. Many who have hard to love children. Some who battle health issues. And yet, each who have immense awareness of their blessings straight from heaven. There’s a song called “Evidence” by Josh Baldwin that says: In every season from where I’m standing I see the evidence of your goodness All over my life All over my life I see your promises and fulfillments All over my life All over my life Help me remember when I’m weak The fear may come The fear will leave You lead my heart to victory You are my strength And you always will be I see the evidence of your goodness All over my life With humility, Jesus shows us how to take the focus off self, while holding grief and joy at the same time. He reminds us of the evidence of God’s goodness all over our life, even in the midst of a hard season. Wherever you are standing, may you humbly see the evidence of God’s goodness all over your life. In every season, may you always remember it’s never all bad. Jesus faced this final week of his life, holding the grief and weight of all the sin in the world, yet he held joy knowing it was about YOU! Saving you. Redeeming you. Making a way for you. May you humbly hold your joy and your grief, and walk your path knowing there’s a greater purpose. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

The final week of Jesus’ life shows us how he prepared for the end by living now. His final week shows us how to live, knowing our time is limited, this life is temporary, and we have a mission to fulfill. Matthew 11-15 Mark 11-15 Luke 19-23 John 12-19 Scripture: Philippians 2:5 “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” We know how the final week for Jesus ends – and so did he. He knew the cross was coming, and he knew his death was not defeat, it was victory. It was mission complete. With the example of Jesus, knowing he was about to die, knowing every detail of what was to come in his final week, what if we stopped fearing death and truly lived in the time we have? What if we truly treated each day as purposeful and valuable, knowing it takes us one day closer to our reward – an eternity in Heaven. What if we could treat our time here as important, but remember this is just the beginning. When our time is up on this earth, it’s not over, it’s just the beginning of what we were truly created for. You were created for eternity. Your soul was designed for forever connecting with your Creator. Your existence on this earth is a tiny pre-show where you grow to know your Creator and choose his path of salvation so you can dwell in your forever with him. The Garden of Eden is restored. We’re back where we belong. A perpetual paradise with God. The only way we get there is with Jesus. And what Jesus did in his final week not only makes it all possible, but his final week gives us a blueprint for living well. The final week of Jesus’ life wasn’t just about what he endured – it’s about what he demonstrated. He shows us how to live with purpose. He shows us how to love under pressure. He shows us how to surrender through struggle. He shows us how to trust God completely, even when it’s hard. Jesus Didn’t Just Die for Us—He Modeled Life for Us In His final days, Jesus compresses a lifetime of teaching into lived example. Under pressure, facing betrayal, injustice, and unimaginable suffering, He reveals what a God-centered life actually looks like. We often ask, “How should I live?” Jesus answers that question most clearly in the week leading to the cross. The cross is where He paid for our salvation. But the path to the cross is where He showed us how to live. In 1 week, Jesus would finally hang on the cross and speak the words, “It is finished” … but before he said ‘it is finished’, he showed us how to begin. To begin our journey to our final destination. Final destination is where Jesus was going to prepare things for us. That’s where God’s children are destined. That’s our promised land. And this entire life here on earth is the beginning of our journey there. You’re in the beginning – already on your way to Heaven. Now, live well, my friend. This will all be over soon. This week, study the path to the cross Jesus walked with tremendous intention. He moved forward without rushing. He was fully present in every opportunity. He sought his Father through the struggle. And oh how he loved with his life. He did more than die for us. Dying for us would have been enough. But Jesus showed us how to live. To live with eternity on our mind. To love with our entire being. And to be loved by God. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Have you ever asked God for one thing and you feel like you got something totally different? Jesus tells us, “ask and you will receive”, but maybe you’re not so sure that applies to you because you haven’t gotten what you’ve asked for. Yes, girl, ask. He wants you to ask. He answers every time you ask – it just might not look like what you thought it would. The Israelites were hungry in the desert and they asked God to supply their needs and give them food to eat. AND GET THIS – The next day they woke up to manna!!!! We know manna as this miraculous bread directly from God which sustained the Israelites where there was nothing else to eat. But let me tell you, THIS WAS NOT WHAT THEY WERE EXPECTING. Exodus 16: 13-15 “The next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew. When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. ‘What is it?’ They asked each other. They had no idea what it was. And Moses told them, ‘It is the food the Lord has given you to eat.” I propose they woke up that morning and saw this white dewy, sticky substance all over the desert ground and they really said “What in the world is THIS?” I don’t know, maybe they were expecting Sarah Lee herself to appear at sunrise baking her fresh loaves of bread, but this … this is not what they were expecting. What is this and what am I supposed to do with it? Understand, nothing like this dewy, flaky substance had ever been seen before. This was totally new to them. And quite honestly, it didn’t look like the miracle they were expecting of the God they were counting on for survival. And this is why they called it manna. Manna literally means “What is it?” For real, that’s the defintion of manna – what is it? And if you don’t know what it is, you certainly don’t know what to do with it. The Israelites expected food they recognized. God gave them something they had to learn HOW to use. Sometimes the reason we miss God’s provision is because it doesn’t match our expectations. We expect things to look a certain way, but God works in the unexpected. You can’t figure him out. You can’t predict him. Your God is continually going to show up in ways that surprise you. And honestly, sometimes it’s initially a disappointing surprise. A question of, really, what is this? What do I do with this now? Can you see how what God has given you is provision, even if it doesn’t look like the “bread” you were expecting? The confusion you currently feel is the first stage of revelation to God’s answer. In the beginning, you’re asking, “Why did this relationship end?” – later you see God’s protection in it. In the beginning you’re asking, “Why did I lose that job?” – later you see God’s great redirection. In the beginning you’re asking, “Why did this happen to me?” – later you see God’s preparation for something better he had for you next. Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean God isn’t in it. The Israelites didn’t understand this bizarre looking substance all over the ground that morning, but it was still their miracle. Now it was time to learn what to do with their miracle. And my friend, if you’ve asked God to show up for you, he has … maybe you just don’t understand what he is doing. It’s time to learn what to do with the minunderstood miracle he has given you. In studying manna, this miraculous bread from Heaven that appeared on the desert ground each morning, I’ve learned the most practical and applicable lessons for exactly where we find ourselves today. Lessons on what to do with God’s answers that you don’t understand. It is believed that this manna was like a coriander seed covered in dew. Not loaves of bread, but a seed which could become something. Not a seed to be planted, but a seed to be ground. When worked, when crushed by hand, when grinded out, this substance miraculously covering the desert floor each morning became much like wheat and could be used to make bread. It wasn’t what they expected and they didn’t recognize its potential because IT HAD TO BE WORKED. They prayed for bread and they got something they could USE TO MAKE bread. God didn’t drop baked loaves into their hands. They had to go out each morning, they had to gather this strange substance from the ground, then they had to prepare it. Now remember, they’re in the middle of the desert where nothing grows or flows. This is literally a life-saving miracle. This was bizarre and beautiful. But it was only bizarre until they worked with it – then it became beautiful. I don’t know what bizarre thing you might be facing right now, but maybe this is God’s answer to your prayers, but some effort is required from you now to see it as beautiful. You have to get out there and gather this up. You’ve got to grind this out. You’ve got to work with this. And when you do, it will become exactly what you truly need. What if the very thing you’ve been confused about… The thing you’ve been questioning … The thing you’ve been overlooking … IS ACTUALLY YOUR MANNA?!!!! What if you’ve been asking God for bread, and he’s been faithfully covering the ground in front of you every morning and you just keep walking past it because you don’t recognize it. Well, my friend, you’ll never recognize it for what it could be if you don’t work with what God has given you! If you’ve asked God, he has heard you and he is moving on your behalf – just perhaps not in a way you recognize. But it’s here. Can you see it? What will you do with it? Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Sometimes it feels like we don’t have enough. There’s not enough time. Not enough money. Not enough help. Not enough energy. Sometimes we feel like we’re not enough. We’re not good enough. Not smart enough. Not pretty enough. Not anything enough. So, we walk around looking at our life as if nothing is enough. We’re always lacking. Always in need. Always coming up short. Always feeling if we had more of this or more of that we would be better and do better, but we don’t. So we don’t. We don’t live better because we’ve blindly assumed we always need more in order to do so. All while the one thing we truly need, and already have, is God. If you have God, then you will always have what you need. He’s a good father and he takes care of his girls. So here’s what’s really happening – God designed your entire life around a relationship with him. If you have an abundance of everything, guess what … you no longer need the Almighty. When life is good and easy, you fail to recognize your total dependence on the One who has made every single detail even possible. Hey girl – you didn’t wake up today without God. God allows a need to bring you back to him. Your daily need actually creates a daily relationship with your Creator. Your need and his faithful provision forms a level of trust you wouldn’t know otherwise. In our study of the Israelites in the wilderness, they’re now free from slavery in Egypt, but wandering through a desert without provisions. Nothing grows or flows in a desert. They have a daily need and that daily need was designed by God to bring his people to him. Here, God shows up in really out of the norm ways to provide precisely what is needed. Exodus 16: 4-5, God says, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.” Yes, God gave them enough for the day only. Enough. Just for one day. Why? To build their trust and test their faith. Maybe that’s where you are today. You have enough, but it’s only enough for today. You have no idea how you’re going to make it through tomorrow. You don’t see tomorrow’s provisions here today. And what are you going to do next month? How the heck is this going to work next year? What you have certainly doesn’t look like enough and the truth is you’re freaking out a little. How will you make this work? How will you find the strength? Where will you go for what is needed later? But maybe, just maybe, in this season God is building your trust and testing your faith. Will you trust his provision is here for today and see that it is enough? Will you have faith he will do the same for you tomorrow too? See what God has done for you today and trust he will do whatever is needed tomorrow too. Maybe you’ve gotten ahead of yourself and that’s why you’re so overwhelmed. Your mind is already in next week, next month and next year. Girl, you can’t see God’s hand way out there, but you can see his hand right here. Just stay here with God. What happened when the Israelites didn’t trust for God’s provision the next day and gathered extra of this bread from heaven on the ground just in case? Verse 19-20, Then Moses told them, “Do not keep any of it until morning.” But some of them didn’t listen and kept some of it until morning. But by then it was full of maggots and had a terrible smell. Moses was very angry with them.” This break in trust and lack of faith created a rot in their provision. It went bad. And sister, the same exact thing happens to us now. When we start thinking God is not trustworthy for our tomorrow, we create a rot in what we do have. Things go rotten for us. What has grown rotten in your life? What has gone bad? Could it be because you tried to do this thing on your own? Could it be because your priorities got all out of order? Could it be because God was no longer the recognized provider? Could it be because deep down, you really didn’t trust God was going to show up and do anything for you? Could it be because you needed to know exactly what you would have tomorrow, and this need for security and certainty just turned everything bad? God wants us to depend on him daily. Honey if you have this whole thing figured out with your fool proof 10 year plan, why would you need God? Eventually you would stop seeking his hand because your hands are already full. So, he fills your hands, but he fills them with only enough for today. And that is enough. Yes, this is enough. Say it … I HAVE ENOUGH. Why does God work this way? So you keep coming back tomorrow. A daily relationship. A daily trust. A daily connection. That’s the whole point. God wants a daily connection with you. You were created to need him, so stop trying to build a life where you don’t need him for every day. I may not be exactly comfortable with the unknown. I may not see how in the world this is going to work out. I may not understand how God is going to show up tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. But, I know today he has given me enough. I have enough. So do you. The Israelites soon became ungrateful for their daily supply of ‘enough’ and started grumbling and complaining. Whining and wallowing. As a result, they sacrificed where God was leading them and settled in the desert for the rest of their lives. Their potential was unmet. Their Promise Land was unattained. All because what was enough for the day was not enough for their happiness. Read that again. What was enough for the day was not enough for their happiness. Oh sis, don’t let that be us. If it’s enough for today, will it be enough for you to be happy over? Don’t let us be spoiled brats complaining over the miraculous provision of God each day. Don’t let us complain over the job we hate while we’re not doing a darn thing to change it. Don’t let us worry over the stresses of tomorrow when tomorrow hasn’t even shown up yet and today is going unlived. Don’t let us waste what we have been given today with an arrogant assumption there will always be more. More time, more opportunities, more blessings. No, what we have is for today. You can’t save this time for tomorrow. You can’t hold back these opportunities for when you feel more ready. You can’t store up these blessings and hope to pull them out in the future. It’s here for today. Girl you have enough. Enough for today. Receive it with gratitude, don’t waste it, and trust that tomorrow will come with tomorrow’s provision. Enough. This is enough. It is enough for me to be happy. It is enough for me to be grateful. It is enough for me to work with. It is enough for me to trust God. This is a test. A test of trusting God on the daily. How are you doing with that test? Look around, God has given you everything you need for today. You have enough. Now gather up what God has given you and use it today because this stuff can’t be saved for tomorrow! You’ve got some living to do here and you have just enough to live today! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Whatever your problem is, your solution is nearby. God does not promise a problem free journey, he promises provision for every problem along the way. Look around, your solution is likely less miraculous in appearance than you imagined and actually more practical in nature. It’s the offering of the little you have which somehow becomes enough to feed thousands. It’s the marching in circles that brings walls down. It’s the singing of praise that makes chains fall off. God works miraculously through the practical. Don’t miss the solution he is offering you today as you wait for something that appears more miraculous. Yesterday we read about Moses leading the Israelites in the worship of God after he saved them from their enemies. Real worship for an audience of one broke out in the desert! Women dancing with their tambourines, praising God! Awesome – let’s see what happens next. Now the Israelites are in the desert and what’s lacking in a desert? Water. That’s a problem. Exodus 15:22-24 “Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for 3 days without finding any water. When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink.” Here we have a real problem. No drinkable water in the middle of a desert. Imagine walking from Yuma Arizona to Tuscon with no water. That’s a problem. So, God offered a solution. A solution that looked more ordinary than miraculous. A solution that required obedience and trust. The solution could not be found in complaining. As the people complained, dying of thirst and facing the disappointment of finding water that was undrinkable, the water remained as it was. God did not respond to their complaining. As God’s people complain, their problems remain. Whatever you complain about will remain about. How much are we complaining right now, and how much is it helping anything? God isn’t drawn in to our complaints, instead I believe our complainging proves we’re not ready for what he is offering. Our complaining proves the lesson hasn’t been learned and the bitterness is still within us. The bitter water represented the bitterness of the Israelites. Even after witnessing the miraculous work of God as they crossed the Red Sea and were saved from the Egyptian Army, they fall back into complaining and wanting to return to Egypt as soon as they faced the next problem. Isn’t that us … we go from praise to complaint in the same day. Whew God you are so good … to …. Oh my gosh this sucks and I hate it. From shaking our tambourine to shaking our head. God did not respond to their complaining. Mamas, how do you respond to your kid’s complaining? Are you eager to jump in and help when they’re whiny? No! That’s what time out is for. Little girl, sit yo’self over here for a hot minute and work on your attitude. After a little time out and attitude adjustment, my kids would typically come back with a different attitude and a tender voice saying “Mama, can you help me now?” My answer … of course honey, now I can help. Papa, can you help me now? I love the Message translation of the Bible because it often refers to God the Father as Papa. That’s who he is, he is YOUR PAPA. Papa, can you help me now? The people complained and the water remained bitter. Moses cried out to God, and God guided him to a solution. Maybe your complaints in the past proved you weren’t ready, but now you’re here with a better attitude, ready to seek God for help. And THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING. God says, of course my girl, now I can help. The solution – a piece of wood that would turn the bitter water sweet and make it drinkable. Exodus 15:25, “Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.” What a simple solution! But how would they have known to do this to make the water drinkable without the intervention of God? That solution was always there. The tree growing next to the water had been growing for years on purpose to be used. God has a solution for all our problems before they ever happen to us. Before they ever came to the bitter water thirsty, God had provided the tree as a solution. Yes we will have bitter water as a problem in life, but we will also have a sweet tree as provision from God. With the problem comes God’s provision, but do we not perceive it? Jesus said he is going to prepare a place for us, won’t he also provide a way to get there? And won’t he be in every detail along the way? All is prepared between here and heaven, his provision has been planted, we just need to seek God with open hearts, open hands and open eyes to see it. Complaining does not open our eyes to solutions. Only seeking God shows us his divine solutions. When Moses cried out to God for help, the Lord showed him the wood. This wood would turn the bitter waters sweet and make them drinkable. It was a practical solution for a real problem. Maybe while you’ve been seeking some miraculous magical feat, God actually has a very practical solution you’ve been overlooking. God, help me see what you’ve placed right here for a purpose. Lead me to the solution. I will stop complaining and I will seek you. Guide me. After turning the bitter water sweet and hydrating them for the next part of their journey, they continued on, led by God. And look at this: verse, 27, “After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found 12 springs and 70 palm trees. They camped there beside the river.” This was a place of extreme provision. An oasis of bliss in the middle of the desert. God was leading them there, they just needed to stop at the bitter water on the way to work on their complaining attitude. There was a lesson to learn before they could come to the place God had for them. God has provision waiting for you too, my sister. A place he is leading you. If you find yourself at some bitter waters complaining and wanting to go back to the way things used to be, maybe you’re here for a sweet little lesson. A lesson on seeking God over complaining. A lesson on provision in the practical found right by the problem. And on the other side of this lesson is a beautiful oasis you didn’t even see coming. More than enough. Abundance and beauty. A place surely worthy of your tambourine once again. You’re going to want to keep that tambourine sister. Pack your praise and keep it with you. God’s just working through this problem to bring you to a better place. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com