Melanie Talevski

Brought Near

It seems like I’ve been seeing it everywhere: license plates from different states parked on neighbor’s driveways, the smell of freshly grilled hamburgers, laughter floating over the neighborhood, even the pictures on Facebook are overflowing with family reunions and visits to friends. It’s summer and the sense of gathering, community, and welcoming of friends and family from afar is abundant.

Is there anything greater than being together? Summer ushers in a special time of those who are close in our hearts but far in location being brought near for enjoyment, friendship, quality time and connection.

A couple weeks ago we had the privilege of having my dear friend and her family visit us here in Colorado. There is nothing like the time to visit with a friend and family who live far away. We found ourselves surrounded by laughter, dinners on the patio, swim times, and walks at sunset to the park. Our hearts were knitted together fresh and anew, and for the first time the kids met each other in person and formed an immediate connection. Being near to one another brought feelings of the Kingdom and how life should be. Saying goodbye to such friends of our hearts is always heartbreaking. I’m thankful one day we will be able to be near those we love all the time! No distance or time will separate us.

In reading my Bible this morning a verse stuck out to me: Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the precious blood of Christ.”

Isn’t that awesome news? We were brought NEAR near by Christ.

We had once been so far away, so lost.

Our hearts knew we needed the Savior but there was nothing we could do on our own. No plane to board, no roadtrip to take that would bring us close.

No, it was only by the precious blood of Christ that we were brought near.

His blood was the only thing that could reunite us to Him.

And when His blood was shed, He was declaring, “Come home. Come sit with me, laugh with me, eat with me, be with me.”

What an invite.

He’s inviting us near, casting off all our sin, shame and guilt.

He’s saying, “Come be with me. Forever.”

The blessing of His presence is that He is always with us and we can know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we are never alone. We are brought near (link to a guest blog I wrote on this subject: https://mailchi.mp/a99cf8d6cc55/agapes-encouragement-blog?fbclid=IwAR01ECk6_yXTn49HyQHGPhICimpHoeLgCZiwUO_vb6Q9gLPGEq-8_m56HUY ) .

Friend, perhaps you have never realized all Christ has done for you, I invite you today to say this prayer to accept all he offers, to be brought near to him for eternity:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I have done wrong, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn away my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. Because of your sacrifice I am brought near to you eternally. Thank you for that! I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name, Amen.

Or perhaps you have already accepted His sacrifice— may you draw comfort from the fact that He is near, never to leave. No matter what we face He is near and forever will be.

Let His lavish love rest upon you today— soak it all in like a good summer gathering with family & friends— He loves you! He has done all to redeem you, bring you back to Him, and call you friend. Our job is to accept Him, draw near to Him, linger in His presence and be filled with the love of God. Once filled up, He will show us how to share this love with others.

My prayer for you:

Lord, fill my friend’s heart and summer with your lavish love! May he/she walk in the nearness that you have made available through the gift and sacrifice of your son. May he/she fully accept you as Savior and Lord and continue to walk in the blessing of your presence all our days here on this earth and for all eternity! Thank you for bringing us close, never to let us go. May the truth of that sink into our hearts, into our minds and bring your peace that passes understanding no matter what season or challenge we face. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Until next time,

PS. Here are a few of our summer adventures! California vacation, swim days, mountain hikes, and the list is just starting! Enjoy your summer, friends!

Keeping Pace with the Holy Spirit

Anyone who hikes, runs, or walks knows the importance of “keeping pace”. Yes, timing and challenging yourself to “achieve more” is a hallmark of such sports but even more vital is the ability to keep pace as to avoid burn out.

In these days it’s not unlikely to face burn out or a fizzling of physical or mental conditions because of the constant hurried state and busyness of the world. The Holy Spirit wants to help with that!

How do we “keep pace” in this life to avoid burn out? I may not be the best example of this as I have always been an achiever, happiest when I get things done and get to put a check mark on my to do list. But God is teaching me, changing what I thought was “productive” and gently teaching me by the power of the Holy Spirit what a “productive” life looks like with Him and how to “keep pace” with the Holy Spirit.

I was hesitant in using this phrase “keep pace” because the first thing that can spring to achievers minds is: I need to hurry up, do better, and go faster! Raise your hand if you thought that, I know I did. But what if all we know about “hurry up, strive, and achieve” was not exactly right? What if we allowed the Holy Spirit to turn that limited mindset on its side? I believe we would experience freedom.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Romans 8:14

So today would you open your heart and mind to see things from a different perspective? We ask the Holy Spirit to help facilitate this process as I know He definitely is with my own process too.

What if instead of achieving more, hurrying more, we took a look at what the Bible says is to be our focus…

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.
Matthew 22:37-38

That’s right the best thing we can ever achieve in this life isn’t (gasp) working ourselves for the cause of Christ (a healthy version of that comes later) but the first goal is to: LOVE THE LORD.

How does that change how your day would look? how would that alter your “to do” list?

What about the second command (which actually houses 2 commands)?

And the second (command) is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:39

I think that we often get carried away with the “hurry up, strive, serve, check those to do’s” and fail to fill up with the main thing: the Love of God. It is only in constantly receiving this love that we can give this love both to others and to ourselves.

So to “keep pace” with the Holy Spirit– to stay in stride with the Holy Spirit– it may look a bit gentler than you and I think.

This “keeping pace with the Holy Spirit” more than likely will be a bit more slow, gentle, and restful than you first thought. It may be less of “hurry up, go go go” and more of a
“rest, recharge, soak”. If we are to continue on this journey that eventually leads us to our eternal home we got to “keep pace” with the Holy Spirit and His gentle way.

I don’t know about you but slowing down or surrendering can be one of the hardest things. I remember even as a young child fighting rest time with all I was, so much so my mom would often have to bear hug me until I finally gave in and slept. It’s something about our nature: do more, be more, have more.

But God’s nature, and through the giving of His son, He says to us, “I have done all. I am all, I have all.” And when we have Him, we can rest.

I hope this message speaks to your heart today, especially as the summer season is upon us. It is naturally a time we allow more rest and more activity alike, but in all your summer ventures may you ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in His pace this summer, which may very much in fact be a slower pace than you expected. I know it is for me!

When we slow, make room for the Lord and loving Him more fully– great adventures, avenues and doors can open for us. Things we didn’t even see on the horizon come into play in a great way. Things will emerge that will cause us to go “ah-ha! that’s why the Holy Spirit encouraged me to clear my schedule or say no to the regular hurry scurry.” We will never regret listening to the Holy Spirit and following His way. It’s the best way!

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Isaiah 30:21

So I encourage you friend to keep gentle pace with the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to be the Guardian of your time, energy, and life and show you His paths for you this summer.

Lord, we invite you into our lives this summer. We want to hear your voice. We want to see your pathways. We make room for you. We tune our ears to the Holy Spirit and say yes to His pace, His way. Gentle our busy hearts. Still our busy minds. Help us to focus on the greatest thing we could ever do: love you with all our heart. And when we are filled with your love help us to show that love to others (as we do to ourselves). It’s going to take discipline on our part to say no to the hurry and yes to you. May your Holy Spirit gently nudge us, close doors not meant for us, and lead us on your pathways we pray. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Until next time,

Want to read more encouragement on this topic?

Living the Gentle Life

PS. Gentle pathways are some of the best adventures! The absence of hurry and “do more” allows space for the moments life is really made of. Here are a few pictures of our gentle God-led adventures over the years.

Living the Gentle Life

How do you cope when burned out? Withdraw? Control? Anger? Anxiety?
At times of extreme burnout I become “Sargent Melanie” and it is not very pleasant. It’s often a fruitless grappling at control and nobody is happy when this mode gets activated (me included). Thank God, He’s teaching me to rely more on His Spirit and less on my very ineffective “Sargent” mode.

What about you? What’s your mode you default to when stressed or burnt out? Regardless of how we cope, one thing we have the same as children of God is: gentleness is truly at the root of who we are. Whether it is buried under a deep forest of problems, or thorny briar situations—We have this character, the gentleness of our God, ingrained in each one of us.

There are many passages in the Bible that talk about gentleness and compassion in regards to Jesus:

And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed the sick.
Matthew 14:14

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Mark 1:41

And Jesus saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
Mark 6:34

God has always been full of compassion and nothing has changed.

Jesus says the same yesterday today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

He was compassionate then and He is compassionate now.

There are those who use this character trait of God’s to try to take advantage of Him. “Oh, because He’s so kind and compassionate, I don’t need to serve or I don’t need to change my life” they may think or say. No, the opposite is true. The goodness of God leads people to repentance (Romans 12:4). His gentleness leads them in a deeper walk with Him.

When we truly experience His gentleness and goodness, we crave more and more. And when we crave for more and more, we spend time with Him more and more. And when we spend time with Him more and more, we’re transformed. And when we’re transformed, we are changed into the likeness of our Savior.

It’s a process that many have abandoned or forgotten– “what we behold is what we become”. Who we spend time with is who will be like! What we focus on will become a major source of our life.

The enemy’s plan is to distract the Christians of this age until Jesus’ coming. They may not be deep and dark distractions (although those do occur as well) but these distractions are more of a general low hum of distraction. He’s tricky and is trying to distract followers of Christ from the gentleness of God which leads to repentance and transformation in our lives. To absorb, understand and delight in God’s gentleness takes quietness, peace and rest, and ample time in His presence. This, my friends, will take prioritizing.

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and everything else will be added to you as well.
Matthew 6:33

For where your treasure is there your heart is also.
Matthew 6:21

It’s time for us, as followers of Christ, to push away distraction and prioritize the Kingdom. It is in this prioritizing of Jesus and His gentle love towards us that we find transformation for our lives.

Have you found the gentle love of Jesus? Have you accepted it? Have you allowed it to transform and change your life? Have you allowed it to rock your world and turn everything right side up?

Oh friend, how He wants to touch and change our lives so we are living the Christ-following life, the “good life”. It’s the life full of the gentleness of Jesus as the root of all we do, of all we are. Would you allow Him to touch your life today? All you need to do is whisper your “yes” and the door is open for Him to come in (https://agapelife.org/next-steps/)

God calls us and leads us by His Holy Spirit. His gentle Holy Spirit leads us further into the gentle love of Christ where we experience His love. This love transforms and changes us and we become like Him.

Before we finish, would you let me pray for you?

God, I lift up my friends in Christ today. May you encourage them and fill them with your love and gentleness this week. May they begin to know, like Ephesians 3 says, “How wide and deep and long and high is your love”, God. May you speak to them by your gentle Holy Spirit and show them your path to living a gentle life. I ask that you would help them break out of burnout mode and ways they used to cope and instead lead them in your gentleness that transforms their lives as they prioritize you. May they behold you and become like you this week. I ask these things in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

So friend, I bless you as you begin to live the gentle life. Live gently, not of your own strength or determination– but as you link arms with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to fill your life with God’s love.

Until next time,

P.S. Read more about “The Love That Was There All Along”: https://melanietalevski.com/2022/06/18/the-love-that-was-there-all-along/

or “The Night Love Lit the Sky”:

https://melanietalevski.com/2021/12/24/the-night-love-lit-the-sky/

Also, you can access all of my other encouraging blog posts anytime at https://melanietalevski.com/blog-2/

Let them speak to your heart today!

His Faithful Promise

My all-time favorite attributes of God are: His faithfulness, His love, and His generosity. I think this verse sums it up nicely:

Often we think about the goodness of God (another favorite attribute) or the mercy of God—but the faithful, loving generosity of our Lord is completely amazing when we take the time to fully absorb it into our spirit and everyday life.

This morning I took a moment to look out the window just as the sun was rising (and that is not super easy to do on this daylight savings time week!) But to take a moment to acknowledge another day has dawned, is amazing to say the least. We often become susceptible to just accepting the miraculous events that happen each day, but when we take a moment to truly see that moment for what it is, we realize the amazement that comes with the start (and close) of each day.

Something about sunrises, sunsets, star gazing— it all takes our focus off the world just beyond our nose and puts our focus on our amazing creator God. He’s been faithful, loving and generous since the beginning of time and He always will be (Heb 13:8).

Not only does God say, “I am a generous, loving, and faithful God” but He says that His promises will extend to us as we become like Him— generous, loving, faithful.

Just like planting seeds to start a garden, the promise is true. What we plant is what we will reap.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
Galatians 6:7

My husband knows this principle well as it applies to the garden. In previous years when preparing for a garden, he does not simply plant a small variety of seeds, no he plants expecting a huge harvest! Partly he realizes that only a certain amount of seeds will make it to be a large plant, but he also realizes the promise in the Bible of sowing and reaping.

Our generous God not only promises us we will reap what we sow, but He also demonstrates it to us through His own actions. He doesn’t just say “this is my promise” but His character and actions show us His promise every day. The main faithfulness, love and generosity of God came through His selfless giving of His son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for our sin. May our eyes to be opened daily to His faithful, loving, generous promises to us (wake up with the sunrise tomorrow— I promise you it will help your perspective during the day).

Our God is faithful, loving and generous and He draws us to Himself. He provides, protects, and fulfills His promises for our lives. What an awesome God! And now, as we continue to walk with Him on this discipled life, we become more like Him. We reflect Him— we become generous, loving, and faithful.

I encourage you, my friend, plant the seeds today that you want to see harvested in your life. Plant the seeds of God’s faithfulness, love and generosity in your children’s lives, grandchildren’s lives, friendships, and relationships. You won’t regret following after God in these areas!

What are you sowing? Is it matching what you want to reap? Often times we have heard in regards to friendship “looking for a friend? Be one!” The same principle applies to what we sow… looking for love? Sow love! Looking for friendship? Sow friendship! Looking for an abundance in finances? Sow finances into the kingdom! It works with any and every principle.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
Malachi 3:10

Let’s take the challenge this spring to:

1. Acknowledge and thank God for His attributes of faithfulness, love and generosity! Ask God to open our eyes so we can see this daily!

2. Follow Christ’s footsteps and grow as His disciples by becoming like Him: faithful, loving, generous. (Remember the saying about “who you surround yourself with is what you become?” Surround yourself with God and godly friends. Soak up more of God’s faithfulness, love and generosity by fellowshipping with Him and it will begin to transform you!)

3. Sow in our own lives and the lives of others. Ask ourselves what we want to reap and plant that. Plant as God speaks to us and be generous in all things knowing we can never out give God! In fact, He is waiting for us to put Him to the test.

So, get those seeds ready and start to prepare the soil. It is time to plant and sow generously!

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
2 Corinthians 9:6

My prayer for you this week: God, I pray for each of my friends here. May you speak to their hearts. If they have not seen or experienced your faithfulness, love or generosity lately, I pray their eyes would be opened to you and your love for them. Speak to them about who you are and how you love them. Rub off on them as they spend time soaking in fellowship with you. Help them transform into followers of Christ and take on your attributes of faithfulness, love, and generosity. Help them not just see these attributes but to experience them, become them and to sow them into your Kingdom where they will affect many and plant a wonderful garden that will spring forth to produce a beautiful harvest! We entrust all this to your care. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Get ready for a wonderful garden & bountiful harvest my friend!

Until next time,

P.S. Here are a few snapshots of our gardening over the years.

Strength in Surrender

Surrender. Gosh, that is a scary word isn’t it? I don’t know about you but in my generation we were taught to fight, to not give in, to be strong. Surrender seems to be a word we never ever would want to utter from our lips. Am I right?

But today I want to talk to you about the STRENGTH that comes through surrender.

Believe me, this is a very personal topic God has been teaching me full time for awhile now. As a first born, (mostly) type A American girl, I like to have my list. I sometimes think I came out of the womb several weeks early only to get a head start on my list and productivity for the day. There is no slacking around for this girl.

While being organized, having a to do list and achieving goals can all be good things, they can also stand in the way especially when a difficult season comes around. I’m talking about the kind of season that, no matter how you try, no matter what angle you go at it, you just simply cannot control or change it.

This type of season has occurred for me in different ways and different forms over the years, but the most helpless I ever felt was after the birth of my third child. My body basically “wigged” out (for lack of a better word). I was constantly facing panic attacks and wasn’t able to control one thing about myself or my health. I learned very quickly, that I was not in control; the control I always thought I had over myself was an illusion.

Thank God, I have since recovered mostly from that season and now am in a season of trusting God with other matters in my life that I am finding I have no control over.

How helpless we can feel when the “control” we thought we had manages to show up as a smoke screen, just an illusion of control. It happens to all of us in one form or another: lack of control over a loved one’s decisions, lack of control over health of ourselves or someone in our family or friend, lack of control over our world and what it is coming to, lack of control over work situations, and the list could go on and on.

But friend, we have the ultimate strength of God on our side when we surrender in prayer.

I have been finding myself more and more praying in my prayer language (Romans 8:26, 1 Corinthians 14:2, Jude 1:20). Sometimes it is so hard to find the words to pray over situations. But the Holy Spirit knows how to pray every time! I also use this book as a good resource: “Prayers that Avail Much” by Germaine Copeland.

Seriously, get a copy! It will change the way you think and pray.

When we surrender, yes even sometimes full out kneeling down in a submissive pose before the Lord, we are able to receive strength to go on.

We know trying to control and grip tight isn’t working, but neither do we want to be passive and give up and give in. Surrender, especially to God, is actually a great in-between compromise and coping mechanism… no, this surrender is not a waving of the white flag, but rather, an acknowledgement with hands lifted high “this is out of my control— I am spinning my wheels and getting no where. I have to lay this down”. And how we as Christians lay it down is through PRAYER.

Here is a simple example of surrendering all through prayer (although I also recommended prayer from book and also prayer in the Holy Spirit!):

Also, we have all heard the serenity prayer, which can be a good place to get started.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Reinhold Niebuhr

When we come to the place that we realize we are not able to fix a situation, a person, in our own might, it is humbling and also can be very helpless feeling and anxious producing. But, like in the words of a friend of mine:

This friend of mine and I were talking about two family members of hers that she has been praying years for. She selected a promise from the Word and just prayed it over and over no matter what things looked like at each family gathering or meetup. She continued to pray and pray. With tears in her eyes she told me about how one has come to the Lord and the other family member has been delivered from an environment of darkness and is coming towards the light again.

Hallelujah! What an example she is to me of the strength that comes from surrendering in prayer. When we pray, it’s a surrendering of our control, our agenda, our plan and putting our faith in the one who is worthy and able to carry it all: our Savior God.

My prayer for this week: Lord, may we never cease to remember you are the one in control. May we continue to keep our eyes on you and your promises no matter what situations, people, health, etc. may look like at the moment. May we be encouraged to know you keep your promises and your power is at work in our lives and situations and you can change things! Help us to continue to wait on you, surrender to you, and pray to you.

Three things to remember in the time you feel a debilitating lack of control:

1. Keep yourself submitted to God. Let go of trying to maneuver, change or dictate what needs to be done.

2. Prayer!

3. Keep eyes focused on Him not the situation.

Friend, I encourage you… as I encourage myself: do not give up hope! Continue to receive His strength for your situations by surrendering to Him in prayer daily, moment by moment. Hold onto His promises— write them out, pray them, declare them over your situation. Stand strong upon the word. Be willing to put in the work. Stay patient and wait (this is often the last step before BREAKTHROUGH comes). You will receive the BREAKTHROUGH. Keep holding fast. Not in your own striving, determination, work, but in deep soulful surrender to the Lord.

Just think of the testimonies we will have to tell as we continue to hold fast!

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.
Hebrews 10:23

Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
1 Thessalonians 5:24

Before you go… here are some of my other articles to encourage you on this topic:

All About Holding onto Hope in the midst of a dark season: https://melanietalevski.com/2020/04/21/a-tiny-steady-light/

Encouragement and Infusion of His strength https://melanietalevski.com/2020/12/26/an-infusion-of-strength/

Leaning into God and receiving His grace in our time of need https://melanietalevski.com/2022/03/12/pockets-of-grace/

Until next time,

Melanie

PS. An inspiring song to encourage you in your surrendering in prayer:

And an old time favorite hymn:

The Precious Blood of Christ

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
1 Peter 1:18-19

The blood of Jesus paid for us to become alive in Him! And this precious blood never loses its power! Amen!

Growing up at our church there was hardly a Sunday that went by that we did not mention or sing about the blood of Jesus. Remember some of the old songs? “Oh the Blood of Jesus” and “Power in the Blood of the Lamb”? Those songs are chock-full of the power available to us who believe!

Sure, it’s easy to sing or casually mention, but may we never cease to remember the power in His blood, the power in His name. I don’t know about you but I want to fully tap out the benefits in His name (although they are unlimited and never run out)!

In Exodus 12, God’s people, the Israelites, quite literally covered their homes and doorframes with the blood of a sacrificial lamb. God gave them specific instructions to do this to be protected from the plague of the death of firstborn. If they wanted their firstborns to survive, they were to follow this command. And follow it, they did!

The godless people in this story, the Egyptians, did not have the power of the blood of the lamb in their lives. They faced every plague, illness, problem imaginable including the loss of their firstborn sons. But none of these things touched God’s people, the Israelites, as they tapped into the protection given to them by the blood.

The sacrifice of lambs and animals in Old Testament ceased to be necessary when Jesus, once and for all, the only truly spotless and pure one, died and shed his blood for our sin. His blood COMPLETELY COVERED us. Then. Now, Forever.

I encourage you to study what the Bible has to say about it! Here are some verses for further study:

Scriptures on the Blood of Jesus:

1 John 1:7, Revelation 12:11, Colossians 1:20,

Hebrews 9:14, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 10:19

Scriptures on the Name of Jesus:

Luke 10:17, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:13

Scriptures about the power given to us as believers in Jesus Christ:

Luke 10:19, Matthew 16:19, John 14:12, James 4:7, Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20

This protection, deliverance, peace is available to us as believers. It’s here ripe for the taking! Just like the Israelites who applied the blood on the doorpost, there is an action involved with applying the protection of blood of the Lamb to our lives.

We have an enemy who would love to render us ineffective, powerless, distracted. No! We will not stand by and be stolen from. We are to apply, even plead, this blood of the Lamb over our lives in His authority (Matthew 28:18-20). We are to proclaim it no matter what storm rages in our lives. We must know and believe deep down, without a doubt, that God’s protection is there for us, whether we feel it or not.

Believe in His promises. Speak it aloud. Remind yourself and your family daily. They are covered. No matter what evil comes their way, ultimately they are safe and secure, protected by the precious blood of the Lamb.

Pleading the blood of the Lamb can sound like this: Lord, I plead the blood of Jesus over myself and my family. I ask for your protection, peace in our bodies, spirits, souls. We plead the blood of Jesus over our property, children, everything belonging to us. We believe your promise that we are blessed, protected and healed. We believe that we are above and not below (Deuteronomy 28:13) and everything we put our hand to propers because of the Spirit of Jesus in us and the authority Jesus has given us in His name. We will see miracles happen in our lives as we follow you, God, and your provisions and protection are with us all our days.

There is no magic or secret code to say to “activate” the protection of the blood in our lives, but we must SPEAK OUT IN FAITH to the situations that come against us. We must speak from the authority given to us in Christ.

The good news is these promises, this protection and blessing of the Lord, is ours. A favorite missionary friend of ours says, no matter what things look like at that moment we can hold on, be confident and secure because “WE WIN!” We know that is our destiny with Christ and can truly be a part of our day to day living.

A blessing for you…. I bless you, dear friend, with courage that comes from walking with God and the Holy Spirit. I ask God to make you confident and secure in proclaiming His promises, the truth and power of the blood of Jesus, in your life and in the lives of your loved ones. I pray that you would fully experience the Power of the Blood and how it redeems us from sin and spiritual death. I pray that in times of the storm you would not grow weary but look to His strength and protection provided by His precious name and precious blood. All you need is completely covered in Him. May you see yourself like the Israelites… They were not exempt from living in this land, but they lived in the light and protection of Almighty God and He showed up for them and delivered them just as in fact He is doing for you. Continue to believe and speak out the power of His blood into your life daily. May you be protected and blessed in every way. I bless you in your coming, your going, everything you put your hand to will be blessed (Read more of the Blessing in Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

Until next time,

P.S. One of my favorite singers about the blood of Jesus is Nick Blount, also known as “Nicodemus” in “The Gospel Bill Show”.

Here’s a more recent favorite song about the blood of Jesus. It speaks to me every time I give it a listen.

Completely Covered

What I am about to tell you is the grandest news that has the power to transform your life! Ready for it? You are covered.

The phrase “I’ve got your back” originated from a time of war: “I got your six” was a phrase used during WW1 between pilots who flew the biplanes. When a pilot would advance upon an enemy to attack (and often would have to attack from the back to shoot out the pilot) the other nearby pilot would tell him “I got your six”, with “six” describing the position behind. So it would quite literally mean “I got your back”. The comrade would cover the pilot as he went in to shoot the enemy.

Did you know the Holy Spirit has a message for you as a believer today? He whispers to you “I got your back”.

And unlike the mere human form of “covering someone’s back” when the Holy Spirit covers us we couldn’t be in a better place!

When we live for God and aren’t afraid to be bold and stand up for Truth it can often make a target on our back. The enemy would like nothing more than to shoot us down. Remember John 10:10?

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

But don’t forgot the second part of the verse–

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

This life is provided by His Son– by the sacrifice of Jesus’s blood for us.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13

We, friends, are brought close by the blood of the Lamb. If we belong to Christ, if we have accepted Him as Savior and have confessed our sin, He completely covers us. Completely hides us. Keeps us safe.

No, that doesn’t mean we won’t hear the storm raging. It doesn’t mean the rain won’t pelt down. It doesn’t mean that we are instantly delivered from the horrors of this world… but it does mean we are COVERED. We are safe in the ark, much like Noah, when the rest of the world scoffed and followed their own pleasures, those who chose the Lord (Noah and his family) survived and rode out the storm. They still were “in the storm” but they were completely covered, safe, and protected, delivered (see Genesis 6-8).

The same is true of us. This world sure can get stormy, can’t it? Values and morals have been thrown to the wayside and it seems sickness, lack, and devastation has hit everywhere. Come quickly Lord Jesus! But as we await our Savior, we do not need to live in fear, worry, or terror… we are covered by the Blood of the Lamb.

During a difficult season of my life I remember thinking, “Why didn’t God spare me from that?” In my own limited mindset I believed that “true” deliverance or protection would mean not even having to walk through pain or hardship, but the truth of the matter is, even when I felt terrified, alone, and like I would not make it through, God was protecting me, faithfully delivering me.

I was scared by the storm all around, but truthfully, I was safe and secure inside the “ark” where no thing was able to steal, kill or destroy me. It sure felt like I was being destroyed at the time, but in actuality, I was feeling the effects of this world and terrified by it, but I was truly in the Father’s hand and He would not let anything separate me from Him or His power. I was, and am, completely covered! And you are too!

Let the Holy Spirit minister to your heart through the word about the power of Jesus’ blood and how you are, without a doubt, covered by God’s protection. He will bring you through— just like Noah who, with his family, arrived safely on the dry ground after 40 days and 40 nights in the storm.

You are protected.

You are completely covered.

He’s got your back.

There is more available on this topic in my blogs:

He Will Bring You Through

Safe, Secure, and Held

My Prayer: God, we thank you that we are completely covered in you. You have our back! I pray for my friends, that in the times of the storm they would not grow weary but look to Your strength and protection. May they know and believe without a shadow of a doubt that all they need is completely provided in you and through your Holy Spirit. May You help us be inspired to be like Noah, who lived in the light and protection of you, Almighty God, and You showed up for him and delivered him just as in fact you are doing for us. We look to you for our deliverance and protection! Amen.

Be encouraged this week- you are completely covered! You are His!

Until next time,

More Than Meets the Eye

In the winter I find myself taking some of the most breathtaking walks. Lately, getting our puppy out on a walk happens just as the sun is setting, turning the skies to brilliant hues of pink and light purple.

In its own way, winter is beautiful and becoming, while also frigid and bare. But underneath ground, especially beneath the tall trees that lay against the backdrop of pure white snow, much is going on. Roots are stretching, deepening, growing. They are doing the vital work for ultimate growth for spring. Perhaps there is no visible, noteworthy growth to be seen… but it is happening in a deep and wonderful way in which spring soon enough will show.

Often there is more going on than meets the eye, isn’t there?

That sure was true of my tenth birthday party! Like any kid I was thrilled to be entering the double digits. I was excited to hear of birthday plans (my parents always threw great parties at our home) but somehow we hadn’t quite gotten around to talking about it that year.

So imagine my shock when “SURPRISE” was yelled and all my friends and family jumped out from their hiding places at our home one evening. I hadn’t seen it coming! They pulled off a grand surprise (and yes, I think everyone should have at least one surprise birthday party)!

The last thing I expected that night was a party at my home. It had been a routine Sunday with church in the morning, a playdate in the afternoon and then coming home. But so much more was going on under the surface… from the playdate “distraction” to the returning home “just on time”– everything had a purpose. It was just more than my eyes could see!

The same is true for us, friend. There is so much going on behind the scenes spiritually! So many wonderful plans and purposes, better than we ever could imagine!

Don’t let your eyes deceive you. What is going on in the natural and what you can see with your physical eyes is not the ultimate truth.

Scripture says,

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18

It’s true! What we can see with our eyes is fading, ending, short-lived. What we see with our spiritual eyes is permanent, indestructible, timeless.

So how do we train our eyes to see more than just what meets the eye? We sharpen and train to see with the eyes of the spirit. The Holy Spirit can help us “see” the things to come (John 16:13). He will guide us and lead us in all truth. We keep our hearts tender towards Him, walk in His path, and we will have those spiritual glimpses into what is going on behind the scenes… where the real truth is!

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”
John 16:13

How can we actively participate with what’s going on behind the scenes spiritually? 1) Prayer! Prayer gives us insight into God’s plan. 2) God’s Word! It is through His word our minds are renewed and we are able to know His will (Romans 12:2). 3) Walk by faith! When we walk with the Father we can see things not as they are but as they will be (Hebrews 11:1).

So I encourage you this week, friend, to look BEYOND what your natural eyes see. Look beyond the situation that tries to press up close and intimidate. Look beyond that situation that tries to tell you you won’t make it, you aren’t worth it, it’s not going to work out. That situation, no matter how stark, scary or real it feels is temporal. What God is doing behind the scenes is what is eternal. His answer is being released to you! It may be “behind the scenes” right now, but you can count on His faithfulness showing up for you, no matter what these physical eyes see. Let’s keep our faith placed in Him: He’s the Sure Foundation (Psalm 62:2).

My prayer for this week: Lord, I ask you to help us see with our spiritual eyes. Help us tune into the Truth– the “behind the scenes”– and know no matter what tries to present itself in front of us, Your words and Your answers are eternal. All else is falling away. Help us to see beyond what these natural eyes can see and see “more than meets the eye”. We know you have great and glorious plans for us. “If it’s not good, then you are not done” *. We center our faith on you today. We believe that you are alive, you are working, and you are causing your will and plans to come to pass. Amen.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory.”
Ephesians 3:20

Until next time,

^{*this phrase is from the song “Joy in the Morning” by Tauren Wells.}

PS. My husband and I made a specific and long prayer list when we were first newly married covering topics from starting a family to owning a home to his eventual American citizenship, etc… and we prayed and agreed on these things for several months, even years.

Some of the things we prayed for seemed not to be “budging” (specifically my husband’s quest to stay in America and become an American citizen— read about that here: https://melanietalevski.com/2021/09/26/peach-promises/ ) but we were amazed in 2009 when one thing after another was pouring into our laps from God! Each and every thing on the list started coming to pass. It seemed like things would not change, would not move, but when we kept praying, great things happened by God’s power. I encourage you to make your own list! There is so much going on in the spirit…. so much more than meets the eye.

He Goes Before

Do you remember the childhood game “Follow the Leader”? One of the group will be the leader and the other children would do what he would do, balancing on one leg, hopping on one foot, running in a zig zag…

I don’t know about you, but I have always appreciated being the “leader” not only in the game but especially in my own life. I like to be able to figure out solutions, make a schedule, accomplish goals, and “lead” my life. It sure can get rough though when things pop up in our schedule, or a challenge appears out of the blue and suddenly, our “leading” is not feeling very effective. We have no idea what to do, or perhaps we have done all we know to do, and we just hit a wall. What then?

We must remember, He Goes Before Us. He’s the Leader.

When we focus on this truth, all the heaviness we have been carrying shifts away. All the “leading” and planning, and organizing, and failing… it all falls to the side. We are reminded of HIS GREATNESS. His Lordship. His plan. His purpose.

Our God, He goes before.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8

Our God, He sees all.

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4:13

Nothing catches Him by surprise.

“God saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
Psalm 139:16

God gives us license to become the ultimate follower. He gets to be the leader. And unlike the children “leaders” in the game, the actions He does are purposeful, planned, and produce the result He has in mind. Even if an “action” of His does not make sense to us, we can trust fully in our hearts that He is opening the ways meant for us and closing the ways that are not His way.

If we could get a feel of how much He cares for us, how much compassion and love He has for us, then we would feel so secure and safe in His love (read more here https://melanietalevski.com/2021/03/13/safe-secure-and-held/ ).

Here are a few of the passages in the Bible that show clearly the love and compassion He has for us:

“He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain…Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:2-5

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this While we were still sinners Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Matthew 9:35-36

I encourage you to meditate on these verses and others like it: Deuteronomy 31:8, Deuteronomy 1:30, Psalm 139:5, Isaiah 52:12, Isaiah 45:2, Psalm 136:16.

Meditate on them and let His continual, unconditional love wash over you. When we start to grasp even just the edge of that love, we realize He would not forsake us or leave us to our own striving or making our own way.

It is time to wait on the Lord. It may seem quiet, it may seem off the beaten path, it may seem unproductive or too slow. But God’s way is always the best way.

So the verse we’ve heard time and time again. It speaks to our hearts and inspires us once again…

My prayer for this week: God, thank you for being our Savior and going before us. Thank you for the compassion you feel towards us: your deep love that never leaves us no matter what. Please give us a glimpse of this love and let that love wash over us and take out the striving, the intense over-responsibility and help us lay these things at your feet.

We ask you’d open the doors meant for us, close the others. May your ways come to pass in our lives. We submit to you once again as Lord and Savior. We give you control. In this process help us trust you more.

I pray for my friends who have been holding out for your answers, your plans to the things they are facing. Give them strength and fortitude to keep trusting you. Show up big for them, and help them to not grow weary but continue to wait on you. Amen.

Blessings on your week, dear friend. ❤️🥰

Until next time,

Life & Light To All He Brings

This fall found us working to put a wood burning stove in our living room. After much talking over the years, plenty of research, the purchase and self-installing of the stove– we can now say our stove is up and running and boy, we sure are enjoying the warmth it brings! There is nothing like sitting next to the fire with the flame roaring, the crackle of the wood, the warmth coming from it as I sit in front of it with my rocking chair.

No matter how cold it gets outside or how much snow flies (and yes we often get quite the snowstorm here in Colorado) with just a few proper placements of newspaper, cardboard and firewood followed by a flame, the stove is up and running and warmth will soon ensue. No matter how dark, cold or dreary it is, there is LIGHT & LIFE where the fire glows.

It reminds me of a phrase from the song, “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”:

“Life and Light to all He brings”
“Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” Charles Wesley

What an accurate representation of what happened that great night, so many years ago, when God’s own son was born into the world. Upon His wondrous birth there was IMMEDIATE LIFE & LIGHT available for all mankind. It was like the instantaneous lighting of a “stove”: igniting light, warmth, and life to what had been darkness before.

“The Word (Jesus) gave life to everything that was created and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
John 1:4-5, NLT

or in another version:

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
John 1:4, KJV

It had been like a “long, cold, dark winter” for the people who waited for the Messiah. They were eagerly looking for the light and warmth of their Messiah to appear. And it was a long wait… at least 700 years since the prophet Isaiah had said:

“For a child has been born to us, a son given to us, and the authority is upon his shoulder, and the wondrous adviser, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, called his name, “the prince of peace.””
Isaiah 9:6,7

I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to live in that gap between the prophecies and knowing the Messiah would come! They looked faithfully for their Savior to come not knowing when or how He would arrive. But arrive He did (Luke 2:1-20)!

Often times the retelling of the Christmas Story does not include one very important part: the merriment and celebration that happened over the baby Jesus when He was presented at the temple (Luke 2:21-40). Like the parents of any newborn, Joseph and Mary visited the temple to make their sacrifice. While they were there the faithful Simeon and Anna recognized the baby for who He was- the Messiah! They had seen many many babies over the year but this one was undeniably the true Messiah– God had spoke to Simeon to go to the temple (Luke 2:27). This Jesus, this baby who was God’s own son, was recognized as the One who– not so unlike the light of a warm fire after a long cold winter– would light up their lives with salvation. Through His birth, He immediately brought life and light to the believer’s hearts who had so faithfully and patiently been awaiting His arrival.

When seeing the Messiah Simeon prophesied:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
Luke 2:29-32

And Anna praised God and rejoiced (Luke 2:38)!

Can’t you feel the satisfying of their long wait? The fact that the LIGHT, the LIFE they had been waiting for in the Messiah had come and they could now go on in peace knowing they had met Him, the Savior of the World.

As modern day believers we do have something in common with Simeon and Anna: we are awaiting Christ too! While they were awaiting the Messiah’s first coming– we await His second coming. May we be like Anna and Simeon… faithful, trusting, and patient as we wait for His second coming. May we be found faithfully serving Him, loving Him when He returns again… this time not as a baby but instead as a King, coming to gather His own.

My prayer for this week: Lord and Savior Jesus, please help us to never grow weary in our journey of waiting for you, our Messiah’s, 2^nd return. May we be found faithful and trusting like Simeon and Anna. May our hearts be filled with your light, the warmth of your life and love. Oh how we long for the day you will come to gather us and take us home to you where you “will wipe every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). We faithfully wait on you. May we be found faithful when you return. In the mean time, help us to cherish the warmth of your light and life, and love and share it to those in the world who are still out in the dark and cold. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Until next time,

PS. King Jesus will return again! Read more about it here:

Hope of His Return

P.P.S. Speaking of “long, cold, dark” winters here are two of my posts on hope even in the hard times:

A Tiny, Steady Light

A Spoonful of Hope

P.P.P.S. Here are my favorite Christmas blogs. Enjoy the encouragement they bring! Also, please remember you can look under my blog archives at any time for encouragement!

The Night Love Lit the Sky

An Unexpected Gift