Cindy Edgett

Simple is Powerful!

January 22, 2016 by Cindy Edgett Leave a Comment

Today I was reminded of the simplicity of faith — child-like faith.

Years ago, I was at home and very sick with the flu. My children were young at the time. Brandon was 8; Reid was 5; and Keith was 2. I was in the bathroom, feeling as though I was puking my brains out. All of the boys came in to try and help me. Brandon rubbed my back and held my hair back. Reid grabbed a wet wash cloth for me and stood by waiting to help. Keith stood at the side of me and laid his hand on my shoulder and said, “Jesus, Jesus.” At that moment, I stopped throwing up. I went back out to the living room and laid on the couch. Still pretty out of it, I heard the Lord say, “You would still be throwing up if it weren’t for your son.” I laid there recalling what Keith had spoken – two simple words, “Jesus, Jesus.” Yet these are two of the most powerful words that you can speak!

Keith didn’t have his Masters in Divinity, what he had was his faith at 2 ½ years old that said that if he prayed, I would be healed. It was that simple. You see, Keith saw Curtis and I pray, and he saw God answer. He did what his parents did, and look at the result. The Bible says that we are to do what our parent – our Heavenly Father does.

John 5:19 (NKJV) 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

Jesus did what He saw His Father do and He spoke what He heard His Father say. I think the key here is “listening” for the Father’s heart when we pray. I think that sometimes we just rush into praying out of a routine instead of simply listening for His voice, His direction, His Word. The Lord taught me through my 2 ½ year old, that simple is powerful! The mighty name of Jesus spoken twice was more powerful than a five-minute religious dialogue. I have tried to learn through his example to wait and just listen for my Father’s heart.

You hear in many industries the phrase, “Go big or go home.” Actually, I think it’s the opposite. I think “less is more.” When we decrease, the Holy Spirit can increase. He can do a greater work with less than I can do with more. So let us, as followers of Christ, follow Jesus’ example to listen to the Father’s heart – His voice. Let us be a conduit for the Holy Spirit to move through our prayers. I believe God is ready to move mountains on our behalf; heaven is just waiting to hear our voice.

God’s Timing

January 9, 2016 by Cindy Edgett Leave a Comment

Photography by Haas Mengloi

God’s timing is not always our timing; but His timing is always perfect.

Have you ever felt like you were spinning your wheels? It seems as though no matter what you do, nothing changes. You continue pressing forward, but everything stays the same. You don’t see anything changing. I think that sometimes God wants to do something in the present moment of our lives, but maybe we are not in agreement with Him. We must declare His vision for our futures, for our lives. How do we do that? Choose carefully, the words that you speak. Speak life over yourself, over your family, over all that God has given to you.

Has God given you a promise but you have yet to see it fulfilled? Have you given up because the word or the vision that God gave you years ago seems as if it will never come to pass? Have the days and years gone by, and you’ve become discouraged? Maybe you need to change the words that you speak.

God told Abram that he would be the Father of many nations. It was actually 25 years from the time that God gave Abram the promise and the time that Isaac was born. The name Abram means Exalted Father; and the name Abraham means Father of many Nations. The name Sarai means Princess; and the name Sarah means Princess of many. In Genesis 17 God changed both of their names from the singular form to the plural form. I’m sure Abram didn’t understand how this was going to happen since he and Sarah were so old, but the Bible says that Abram believed God’s promise. Genesis 15:6 says, “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”

They had waited 24 years for God’s promise to take place. Abram even tried to help God’s prophecy along by having a child with Hagar. We have all done that at times. We think that God needs our help. You have to remember that Abraham was 99 years old, and the Bible says Sarah was beyond the child bearing age. When their names were changed, every time they called out to one another, they were speaking – declaring God’s promise over one another.

Their words had to change. We don’t know what words were spoken during that 24 years before God changed their names. Maybe they were grumbling about their lives and how it was turning out. Maybe days and years went by and they gave up. Maybe they settled to live in the place they were because hopelessness told them nothing would ever change. Yes, we are to be content with where we are in life; but what if God has more for us? Being complacent in a place where we’re not supposed to be will not bring contentment. It will probably be a breeding ground for negativity, discouragement, hopelessness, confusion and more.

I love how the Lord allowed them to walk their own way for 24 years; but then one day it was as if God said, ok, enough is enough. I’m going to help them change their destiny by changing their words. We know the story, after God changed their names to Abraham and Sarah, Isaac was born one year later.

Sometimes we need to be reminded about the words we speak. Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV) says: 21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Let’s declare through positive words our destiny for this life. Allow faith to rise up within you to believe that God really and truly has your best interest at heart. Jeremiah 29:11 will begin to feel true to you.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

As 2016 begins, be conscious of the words that you speak. Make a decision today to not think and speak negatively. Let’s speak life over our households. Maybe it’s time today to align our thoughts and words with what our Heavenly Father thinks about us and declares over us. Maybe today is God’s timing, and He’s just waiting for us.

What Will You Bring into 2016?

January 1, 2016 by Cindy Edgett Leave a Comment

Luke 6:37-38 (NKJV)

37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Many of you are familiar with the shooting at the Charleston church in South Carolina on June 17^th of this year. This was truly a tragedy which devastated the community. When the media began interviewing some of the family members of the victims, I was amazed at their level of forgiveness. One of the family members of Ethel Lance said, “I forgive you.” They forgave the shooter when the shooting was still recent. Less than 24 hours before that statement, they had just lost a family member forever.

I would love to tell you that I could easily do that, but that would not be the truth. To be so full and overflowing with forgiveness in a devastating moment like that, really exhibits the incredible love of Christ within that person.

In Luke 6:37-38, he is telling us that whatever measure that we give, it will be measured back to us. It actually states: “good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom.”

If we do not judge others; we will not be judged. If we don’t condemn, we will not be condemned. If we forgive, we will be forgiven. If we give, it will be given back to us. Giving here is not just a financial scripture. Luke is saying that if we give forgiveness, we will receive forgiveness. If we give love, we will receive love. Whatever we give, we will receive that particular thing back in good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

I feel as though God is reminding me today that I will reap whatever I sow. If I want forgiveness from others, I must be willing to forgive. If I want love extended to me, then I must love.

How do we do that? How do we love someone who is not lovable? How do we forgive someone who has hurt us? We have to ask God to help us. When we spend time with God, we deepen our relationship with Him. It’s in the secret place with Him that we can ask Him to help us forgive that person. Ask the Lord to show you His heart for that person. You may be surprised by His response. I believe that if we can see that person from God’s perspective, it will change our heart towards them. Maybe – just maybe, we will have compassion for them which can lead to forgiveness.

Unforgiveness is like me drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. It does nothing to them, but destroys me from within.

It seems as though 2015 has been the year of offense in our nation. People have been offended by anything and everything. And yet, there are those like the family members of Ethel Lance that would forgive in the midst of tragedy.

What if 2016 was the year of forgiveness and love? What if the church, or should I say “Christians,” gave up their “right” to hold onto an offense, and instead extended God’s love and forgiveness towards others? What will that look like in 2017?

I don’t know about you, but I want to extend to others what I would like to be given. So let’s start 2016 with a new, clean slate. If you have unforgiveness towards someone, work through that with the Lord. He won’t be angry or mad that you’re talking to Him about it because he already knows your heart. If you will forgive, there will be an exchange of freedom in your life. Choose this year to walk in freedom and in God’s love. You won’t regret it!

Skip links

Cindy Edgett