Rejoice in Today!

Life is so busy, work, kids, spouses, family, chores and the list goes on. Sometimes we forget how precious each day on this planet really is. Sometimes we forget to breath in the beauty God has placed all around us. I love this verse, I remember my grandma singing the old hymn: This is the day, This is the day, That the Lord has made... Let those words well up in your heart for a moment. Are you going through a tough time in life? Are you stressed, angry, sad? Can you put that aside to see that the Lord who sent His Son to die for us made this beautiful day and He wants us to rejoice in today and be glad we are alive! Tomorrows is never guaranteed, but today, I will rejoice in today 💗

#psalm #rejoice #Lord #today #love #life

Faith or Fear?

Psalm 118 has showed up in my life a lot over the past few days. God has used this chapter to speak to me about fear and faith. The Lord doesn't want us to be afraid of things on this earth. We are to fear only the Lord. Our faith needs to be bigger than our fear. Sounds so easy right it what does it look like in real life? It looks like not letting anxiety go from a feeling to an obsession. Taking our worries to the throne of Christ because worry alone can't add a day to this life. This chapter tells us the Lord is for me among those who help me! Yes the God of the universe sees us and our heart and all the things that trouble us, He is our help, not the world not man. Put your confidence in Him today. The enemy uses fear to steal our joy and to steal the moments of today. I don't want any more robbed moments. Take your thoughts captive and bring them to the God who loves you! 💗

A Time For Trial...

It's hard for us to except sometimes that there is a time and a place for trials but the story of the Israelites escape from Egypt followed by 40 years in the wilderness tells us that God allows trials and when he does it is part of a greater purpose for our lives. I was in this section of Deuteronomy 8:2-5 a few days ago but it has stayed with me. Here the Lord says I allowed you to wonder in the wilderness to humble you and test your hearts. I feed you with Manna so you would depend on me and know that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the Lord. And while I tested you your clothes didn't wear out and your foot didn't swell (it could have been worse!) and as you discipline and restrain your own children I also disciples and restrain you. 

God has something great in store for each of us but we need to need Him and we need to be humbled by Him. What good would I be as a parent if I didn't restrain my child, or discipline them, or teach them humility? My job is to raise a God fearing child who will grow up and share christ love, if I let them run wild and hand them all things freely I'm not doing my job. 

It's the same with God, His job isn't to please us, he loves us so don't confuse that. Through each of our own unique experiences He is bringing us to a proper maturity in Him so we can fulfill our unique purpose in this life.

God has great plans for you and if you are in a trial try to look for Gods heart behind it. I pray that when my children get older that will see my heart behind things I have limited them from because it was the best thing for them. In the same way I have to try to see Gods heart when life doesn't go as I plan and let Him be the parent...

Cast My Cares...

I love music, it lets me connect with God in a way that is worship centered. I recently have been hearing this song often, it's Cast My Cares by Finding Favor. I was thinking about posting the song this morning when I was in the shower and then the song came on the radio! (Yes Lord!)

I especially love the chorus. Sometimes it's hard for us to remember God is in control, His ways are not ours, His timing is not ours BUT he is still in control! In a bible study Monday we were asked how we know that God is in us and so many said that peace that we shouldn't have in our soul is there, it's evident and it's not forum ourself it's from God!

He is the anchor of my soul and I wouldn't trade ANYTHING in this world for the peace that's in my soul... This world is broken and lost but with Jesus oh the hope and renewal that floods us is unlike anything we could get from this world. 💗

Cast your cares on Him today, remember He sees you and He's got this under control!

Gods Creation 💗

Oh my gosh I feel so blessed this morning to have seen this beautiful creature! I do not live in a wooded area I do not live where dear roam LOL! I took this picture on the side of a shopping area we have near my neighborhood. I was at a stoplight and I saw the deer it took my breath away and then I saw a car coming toward it and I thought oh no I want to see this deer so bad and I just prayed Lord please let me see this beautiful creature you created. Then my light turned green and I drove and I got right up next to this deer and it just went to turn around and run but then it stopped and looked at me and just let me take so many pictures. I was so enamored by this deer it's just beautiful. The native Americans believe that the deer is a spirit animal who can move through life's difficulties with grace. Praising  God for blessing me with this brief encounter 💗

Chosen!

I love what the Lord is telling the Israelites here in Deuteronomy. He says you are a chosen people, a special treasure. I did not choose you because you were many in number for in fact you were the least.

That's how God rolls, he picks the underdog and makes them a champion. If we were in 5th grade picking dodgeball teams God would pick that kid no one else wants on their team and he would pick them first!

God is so good at taking us and revealing the specialness that he put in us. The bible says when it's all said and done the first will be last and the last will be first. If you are dealing with a feeling of being the least in a world that tells us we need to be the most discard that feeling because being the least makes you a special treasure in Gods eyes and that is better than anything any human can say about you!!!

Don't let anyone bust your bubble today!

Offer You!

Reading in Numbers 28 today. This chapter gives more information about burnt offerings for the Lord. The Old Testament gives many rules and regulations and it is obvious that God was there for His people but there is also a distinct separation. Grains, oils and animals with out blemish were sacrificed for many reasons such as atonement for sin, the Sabbath, Passover, and regular routine offerings.

I am so grateful that today all I have to do is offer myself! Jesus paid my debt with His blood and flesh! There is not one person living today that God didn't send His son for. He was the ultimate sacrifice, the lamb without blemish! Sometimes it might feel difficult to be a Christian but it's not. Look back to the Old Testament and you will be relieved lol! Today God has made it simple, offer yourself first then, love God with all your heart and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. Those are the two great commandments. If you love the Lord with all your heart and soul and you are on fire for Him the rest will follow!

Facing Giants...

Reading in Numbers on my lunch hour. Whew these Israelites that the Lord saved from Egypt, whew they are a spoiled, ungrateful and doubting bunch. Every obstacle they face makes them question the Lords ability to help them overcome it. Here the Lord has commanded spies to go look at Canaan, the land the Lord is promised to them. The land is full of great fruit and truly flows with milk and honey BUT there are some obstacles like giants and fortified villages. I guess the people thought they should be able to just walk the easy road from Egypt strait to the promise land with no struggles. Sometimes I think like that too but guess what character is not developed with out tough times. Hellen Keller said "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." 

Well the Israelites gave up and said "We can't face these giants let's pick a leader and go back to Egypt." Wait, hold up, you have so little faith you would rather go back to your old misery because it's familiar??? In the verse I highlighted the Lord says to Moses "How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?"

Right now I pray that the Lord NEVER feels that way about me, oh yes I have rejected Him in the past but I have seen His work in my life and will decide day after day to never return to my familiar misery because whatever giants are out there I am not facing them alone anymore, God is ahead of me, facing them for me...

Don't Doubt It!

Good morning friends 😊 I am reading in Numbers 11 today.  This chapter starts out with the Lord being angered at the Israelites because of their constant complaining. These people were on a long journey to the promise land and the food that was given to them by the Lord was called manna yet they were not please they wanted meat in their belly and they went as far to say why did we ever leave Egypt? We had all the meat we wanted. Oh how soon they forgot the slavery and mistreatment they had under Pharos thumb... So Moses cried out to God saying I can not bear this burned of 600,000 people who want meat. The Lord told Moses bring me 70 elders and I will split up your burden and I will give people meat to eat not for a day not for two but for a whole month until it's running out of their nostrils. Moses questions the Lord, their are over 600,000 people how can you feed thin for a month? Will you pull all the fish from the sea??? Look what the Lord says: "Has the Lords arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen or not."

When we hear from the Lord and we doubt  Him we are minimizing the size of our God, shortening His arm... Is He not the God who put this whole world into motion! Doubt your doubts instead not the Lord or His promises. Also as a side note I got out of this scripture that sometimes we forgot where we came from and the past may seem brighter than it actually was. Don't take for granted what God has given you nor underestimate what He is still going to provide!

Hey Jealousy...

I'm reading in Numbers 5 this morning. The majority of this chapter is about unfaithful wives but what I want to highlight here is the spirit of jealousy that can come upon us even when our spouse isn't doing anything wrong. It is interesting to me that jealousy is defined here as a spirit that comes upon the man and it is so strong that he has to take his wife to the priest to go through this ritual which will either prove her guilt or freedom. 

Have you ever had jealousy like that of any kind? It is a really dangerous spirit to entertain. See the devil likes to distract us, it's what he is good at, something bad doesn't even have to happen he just has to make us think it could. I remember in my less than mature days there was a guy at work who appeared to have the perfect wife, the perfect home, the perfect kids and all the perfect experiences. A spirit of jealousy was on me, I wanted his life, I wanted us to have money and a nice house and his life was shining like a beautiful diamond in front of me DISTRACTING ME from the beauty of my own... Later when his life fell apart I realized that all along I had been jealous of smoke and mirrors, his life was a fraction of what he boasted it to be. All that wasted energy and all that sin of envy. Look if you are jealous whether it be of your spouse or your friend recognize that this is a spirit of envy that's working on your heart. Take it to the Lord and ask Him to reveal the truth. Don't be distracted by what may be only lies that are whispered in our ears by the enemy...

A God involved!

I have never read this verse before but it struck me as a WOW our God is Awesome moment as soon as I read it! 

Our God may be in heaven but you better believe He is looking on each of us and He is considering all of our works! This is the difference in a loving and living God, He is a God of involvement. He created us and didn't stop there! He wants a relationship with us, he works things out for His glory, He is in this thing with us!!! 

As the verse says He fashioned each of our hearts individually. You are not a cookie cutter person, guess what you are knit together in the womb by the hand of God who counts all the hairs on your head and makes you in His image! Take all the goodness from each of us in the world and put it together and you will see a glimpse of the character of God.

I love the pieces He gave me and the ones He gave you. Why because we can each have a unique experience with Him and we can have an individual contribution to His kingdom!

Thank you Lord for making each of us special and thank you for looking upon us everyday! May we look up from our dwelling place as often as you look from yours on us!!!

Freedom!

Reading Leviticus 25 today. I know the Lord loves us so much and I am constantly amazed at the provisions he makes for us. Even when it is undeserved God wants us to have peace, he wants us to abound in joy. He loves the poor and those who are tangled up in a mess he wants to give them a way out! 

In this chapter God tells Moses when you get to the land I am bringing you too there will be reaping and sowing of the harvest for 6 years but the seventh year is a year of rest for the land. (God knows what's good for the earth He created!) then count seven sabbaths years (7X7) and you will have 49 years. The next year, the 50th year will be a year of Jubilee! The year of Jubilee was a God ordained year of pardon! People were to rerun to their possessions and family's. It was a year where liberty was proclaimed. 

I am learning more and more about the consistency of Gods desire for us to be free, free of our chains so we can love Him and seek Him with our whole heart!

I Would Have Lost Heart...

Today I'm quoting from Psalm 27:13-14

David says "I would have lost heart UNLESS I HAD BELIEVED that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say, on the Lord!" 

David Trust God to deliver him. He doesn't say when I'm dead, he doesn't say when I'm in the depths of hell NO David anticipated Gods blessing in this life in the land of the living. But he would have lost all hope, his soul would be in despair had he not believed in the Lords promises.

Do not despair today friends wait on the Lord and HE WILL strengthen your heart! And yes David ended that sentence with an exclamation point!!! I can picture it now David shouting with joy to us this man who had his mental ups and downs, this man who was so transparent. He was shouting this with exclamation, WAIT, HAVE COURAGE, THE LORD IS GOOD and HE WILL STRENGTHEN YOU!!!

You have to believe it to receive it!!!

None Forgotten...

The Lord said to Moses tell the Children of Israel when you gather your harvest from the land don't take everything from the corners and don't take the left overs either. 

Why is this law important? 

Because at another example of God remembering the poor. He tells the people leave it for the strangers, leave it for those who have nothing, do not selfishly gather all that's produced. See our God doesn't leave anyone out, no one is forgotten. If you are poor in spirit, poor in finances, poor in health God remembers you and he is leaving a portion of the crop for you to find and to be filled with! From Leviticus 23:22

The Psalmist Heart

When reading through the Psalms you realize that David is very transparent about his feelings. At time like in Psalm 22 he begins by asking God "Why have you left me, why have you forgotten me?" Doesn't it feel like that sometimes when the Lord is silent? But what is great is I can flip back a page or two and David is praising the Lord for delivering him because the Lord delights in David. And I can flip forward a few pages and David tells me how the Lord is his Shepard who makes him lie down in green pastures and restores his soul. This book of the bible is a reflection of mans heart, struggle, prayer and worship. It's not always good, like our lives... but can't you flip the pages back a few and see where God has blessed you and delivered you because he loves and delights in you. In the same way we will be blessed in the future pages of our life too. It's not always going to be dry, dryness is a season. Seasons help us grow and give us strength. I love the verse I have highlighted in this picture because even in David's cry that the Lord may have forgotten him he is still acknowledging that he is the Lords and he always has been!

On your path...

Happy Monday! I am reading in Psalm 17 and I just love the way David prays to the Lord. Throughout my life I am always praying Lord keep me on your path. I pray that because there is so much that can cause us to stray from the narrow road and also because I want to stay the course God has planned for me and not my own course. Look how David prays this here, I just love the way he says it "Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip."

Lord keep us on your path today and as David prays let us be the apple of your eye and hide us under the shadow of your wings! Amen!

The Lord before me!!!

Reading in Psalm 16 this morning. I love how David says "I have set the Lord ALWAYS before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved." David shows his deep commitment to the Lord here, his eyes are always fixed on God and regardless of worldly troubles the Lord is at his right hand so he will not be moved or shaken! 

Think about who else might be at your right hand. If you are in battle the soldier protecting his comrade was at his right hand; God is our protector! In court the lawyer who represents the defense of another is at his right hand; God is our defender! In Heaven Jesus sits at the right hand of God, God is our savior! To be the one at the right hand is a place of authority  and dignity. David was not speaking from the flesh here he was speaking from the spirit because our flesh resist putting God first but our spirit gravitates toward him always. David address the flesh next saying his flesh will also rest in hope. 

Beautiful, so the lesson I see is when we put the Lord first nothing can move us for God is at our side, defending, protecting and ruling over us. When we follow this spiritual action our flesh will follow naturally with hope!!!

It Is Finished...

Eggs are boiling, husband is resting, kids are playing :) I am studying some with my Strong's Concordance. Did you know in the verse John 19:30 When Jesus says "It is finished." The Greek translation for finished also means to discharge a debt and to accomplish! 

It was not only Finished that day but our debt was discharged and Gods work was certainly accomplished!!! Eyes looking to the resurrection now!

Honor Thy Mother & Father

Jesus, son of man, on the cross in his final hours is what I am reading about today. The account is in John, the last gospel.

Back to the  of Jesus, I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure if I were in his position I would only be thinking of my pain and suffering but here in this passage look what Jesus says. His mother and other women were gathered there and he looked on his mother and the disciple that he loved and he said to his mother "Woman, behold your son" and to the disciple he said "behold your mother". In his final moments he wanted to be sure his mother was cared for, that she had a "son". At this point his mother was most likely a widow and Jesus was living the word out in his death bed honoring his mother.  Beautiful! 

Honor and love your parental figures today in what ever form they met be, and if they are gone bless their soul. Be a son or daughter to someone who needs one. Maybe a neighbor who lives alone maybe a relative who has no children. Reach out to those who cared for you or show care for someone who has no one to care for them...

RadicallyHIS,

Melissa

Share It!

Are you someone who shares your faith? It's sometimes difficult to boldly speak to others. This story of the Samaritan woman in John 4 can encourage you.

The woman met Jesus near a well where he told her about the Living Water that only He can give. A water that keeps us from thirsting no more and that becomes a fountain of water in us springing up in to everlasting life. The woman said give me this water so I may thirst no more! 

She then went her way into the city and told the men of a man who told her all the things that she ever did. 

The scripture tells us this MANY beloved in Jesus because of the word of the woman who testified!

Friends this woman simply shared her experience with Jesus and MANY came to know Him through one woman. She did not fret over saying the right thing at the right time she was just honest about who Jesus was to her THEN these men came seeking Jesus themselves and believed even more from their own experience. 

If you have been thinking about sharing your faith take the worry out of it, we plant the seed He makes it grow. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your words! I have never regretted a moment where I felt urged to share and I shared. I have only regretted the urges I ignored knowing that the Lord could have done a great work had I been brave...

The Pressures On!

What do you do when the pressure is on? Do you retreat? Do you become inverted? Do you battle it out? Sometimes in life the pressure feels really thick, like you could choke on it.

I saw this amazing sermon last night with one of my besties. It was titled "I'm better under pressure" Peps this sermon was FANTASTIC! Look up Elevation Church, go to Sermon Archive and watch! It was a message I really needed to hear based on 2 Corinthians 1:8-11.

Gods people are better under pressure! I mean think about it, so many people from the bible that were not equipped to be heroes of their day faced the pressure through faith in God and were better because of it! I am reading in Exodus right now so Moses definitely comes to mind but what about Shadrach, Mashach and Abednego? King Nebuchadnezzar was ready to burn these boys alive because they wouldn't bow down and worship him. They walked into the fire FIRM in their FAITH, God was either going to save them or they were going to die for their beliefs. Now that is some pressure! And they came out of that fire with out one hair burned on their body! They were better for the pressure they endured!

It's not about where the pressure comes from, what's happening around you is really about what God's doing inside you! When the pressure is on the Powers coming! If your under pressure right now I urge you to read this chapter in 2 Corinthians and watch this sermon. It certainly filled me up!!! The link is below...

Radically HIS,
Melissa

I'm Better Under Pressure from +Elevation Church
Sermon I'm Better Under Pressure

From my Journaling Bible...

#TBTMUSICVIDEO!

Old school christian music is AWESOME :) Seriously though wouldn't it be great if we said to more people "Come and go with me to my fathers house"

Show Your Love!

Why is it so easy to love the ones that love us back and not love those who reject us? Was love not given freely to us? Grace given to those who believe? As a believer then why is it sometimes hard love others?

Folks this is what we are instructed to do, straight from the mouth of our Savior Jesus: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who cures you and pray for those who spitefully use you." He goes on the say in Luke 6:32-36 "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."

This passage illustrates for us the greatest command, LOVE!

If you are struggling with this I urge you to open your bible and dig in, you will see through His word that NO ONE is unlovable to God. Those who ask will receive mercy and as a follower of Jesus I want to give the same love that I receive from my Father to those who may not even know they need it...

Turn away from hate, turn away from anger, love your neighbor as your self for love covers a multitude of sins.

Radically HIS - Melissa

GOD Taught...

Have you ever realized that we are taught by God? I first learned this principle in the Beth Moore bible study "Children of the Day", it says in 1 Thessalonians 4:9 "...you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another."

Today I am thinking about this concept once again as I find it in my reading in Exodus 4:12 - God is asking Moses to go to Pharaoh and preform his signs and wonders so that Gods children may be set free from Egypt. Moses says Lord I am not good at speaking, I am slow... But the Lord responds "Now, therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."

Isn't that always our response? Lord I am not good enough, I can't do what you are asking of me. I love how God wants to use us even though we don't believe in ourselves. We see our weakness but he knows HIS mighty power.

I stumbled into Matthew 6 (really meaning to turn to Luke 6...a God thing...) and there was the Lords Pray. It was so funny how I was just thinking about how we are taught by God and here is Jesus TEACHING US how to pray.

Did you ever think about the break down of the Lords prayer? For what its worth here is how I broke it down in my journal:

Radically HIS - Melissa

#TBTMUSICVIDEO

Who remembers this???

We ALL Belong...

What would it look like to be missing a "member" of our body?

 Some of you may know the difficulty of that, the challenges that are faced with every day tasks. I am fortunate to have my body intact, for me it my mind that is challenging. But my hubby, he has a slight disability in one knee. It amazes me the challenges that happen with the everyday items, carrying a laundry basket, walking up and down stairs. He faces these things everyday and his disability is only partial, I couldn't imagine what life looks like with out a whole "member", a leg, an arm. I pray blessings and strength for those of you who do face these challenges daily.

 Why all the talk about body parts? Because we as Christians are also part of a body, we are a "member" of the whole. What does the whole body of Christ look like when its missing a member? It doesn't function as well, why? Because each one of us has our own purpose, God made us unique!

 Romans 12:4-5 tells us "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." We are not called to be like other Christians, we are called to be like Christ, fulfilling HIS purpose for our life.

An arm could never do the job of a leg right? Does this make the arm worthless? NO, its beautiful the way every part of our body has a purpose, an individual function. Some parts we don't even see because they are behind the scenes but our bodies couldn't work properly without them!

 I volunteer for my churches youth program weekly, these kids are beautiful and just love God the way only children can. For a long time I felt so unworthy to be a part of this program, I needed to be better, I needed to know the word more, I need to get my life in order. Nope I just needed to trust God that he put me right where he wanted me. This is my second year and I love it, I am filled with joy when a little voice recites a scripture or ask me about the Lord.

 Be your self, God made you in HIS image, he loves you and you are needed Sisters and Brothers in Christ! Our churches function so much better with all their "members"!

 Radically HIS - Melissa

Weighed down?

Do you ever just feel weighed down? Filled with stress that's spilling over? That's how I have felt over the last couple of weeks. A few days ago my eyes had tears ready to flow out at any given moment. This is what happens when I continue to digest the hard things, I'm breathing in constantly but when do I exhale? Who has time for exhaling anyway? I am pretty good at compartmentalizing my feelings for later but believe me when I continue to digest it will have to come out at some point. I remain conscious so that it doesn't come out it the wrong manner, a lesson I have had to learn over the years...

I'm driving home listing to my new favorite song "Oceans" by Hillsong United and there it goes I just can't hold it in anymore. Why? Because I wasn't meant too, I just need to cry it all out to our precious Lord. Sometimes I just need to fall on my knees, fall on my face and worship him. Crying out all the heavy that weighs on my soul. It's a release that ONLY HE can give us. Like a little child running to her father I am pleading Lord take this from me. And oh when the sobs are over what a weightless feeling! If only we went straight to our knees falling on our face every time, he will take our burdens as often as we will lay them down!

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7


Check out this video...

Radically His - Melissa