As 2017 approaches I find myself asking what did I try to do this past year by my own might and my own power? What are the things that I could have given over to the Lord that I held on to? Where do I want to start fresh in the New Year?
This verse in Zechariah 4:6 gives us a good answer to how we can accomplish Gods will for our life: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might not by power, but by My Spirit, Says the Lord of host."
Zerubabbabel could not do Gods work by his own power he needed Gods Spirit to accomplish Gods work! He had to trust God to give him what he needed to accomplish Gods work. Gods Spirit was a necessity, not an option!
We also need to trust God in all the areas of our life, and manage through His Spirit not our own power. We need to speak to Him and seek Him daily!
Is there an area where you have not trusted God? It's never to late to give that over to Him. Have you never known Him? Have you walked away, not prayed or picked up your bible in while? He is waiting and ready for you, His child! Zachariah 1:3 says "Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord of host: "Return to Me," says the Lord of host,"and I will return to you," says the Lord of hosts."
Take time to inhale the good and bad of 2016. What can you do in the New year by the power of God? What can you turn over to Him that you have held back? How can you seek His Spirit this coming year? He already knows and sees what the year holds, trust Him and Seek Him and His Spirit will fill you beyond measure!
I have this shirt that says Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly... I know that's in scripture but where? I stumbled across it this morning In Michah 6.
Michah was a prophet and in this chapter he is pleading Gods case to the the people of Israel. The people respond in verses 6-7 with a complaint that no offering is good enough for the Lord not even their first born child (they could be a bit dramatic :) they were basically saying God was unreasonable but here is the beautiful response the Lord gives: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8NKJV
You see the Lord doesn't want all of the riches you can throw at Him, He wants your heart! It is not the offering the Lord is seeking in us but the offerer. God is interested in the way we act, in our character, in the inner parts of our heart far far more than any gift we can give!
The Lord wants us to act justly according to His standards, to love mercy because it triumphs over judgement time and time again, to be compassionate to our neighbor (who is everyone!) and to walk humbly with Him, as a constant companion tuning our lives to the will of the Lord!
Mary wanted to know how the conception of Jesus could be possible since she had not been with a man. This was the response the angel gave her in Luke 1:45 "And the angel answered and said to her, “ The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
We think of the Holidays as an exciting and joyful time, and it is in when viewed from the light of our Saviors birth. Truthfully for many the Holidays can also be a painful reminder of what they don't have, money, lost loved ones, distant family and so on. In someways the season can magnify what's missing.
The Holy Spirit came upon her and the power of the Highest overshadowed Mary's and filled her empty womb with the Savior of the world.
Genesis 1:1-3 says "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said "Let there be light"; and there was light..." If you are faced with an empty feeling this season know this; our God is a God who knows how to take the darkest and emptiest spaces and fill it with something beautiful and amazing. He will not only fill the voided space but He will pour in His light in mighty and amazing ways!
God sees our hearts when they are broken, He knows when life feels empty. But if we will seek Him we will find Him and if we trust Him, He will take our empty and overflow it in ways we can't even begin to imagine! #Jesusisthereasonfortheseason
Reading in Psalm 143 this morning. I love how brutally honest David is with the Lord. He doesn't pray a fancy prayer that might please men rather he pours his heart out to the Lord. That is how I want my children to come to me yet I don't always take the time to give all of my hurt to God. Anybody relate? God is the one who can heal our pain, who can rescue us from the affliction of the enemy, He is the one who can revive a crushed spirit, He is the one who can fill us up when our cup is dry.
Look how David prays to the Lord:
“Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness. Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous. For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah Answer me speedily, O LORD; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant.” Psalms 143:1-12
Cause me to hear you Lord, Cause me to know the way, Teach me to do your will Lord, Lead me Lord, Revive me Lord, you are good, I trust you, I am your servant! Amen!
Psalm 30 is so beautiful! I love the way David rejoices over answered prayer! His passion and thankfulness are so inspiring!
“I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. Now in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.” LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. I cried out to You, O LORD; And to the LORD I made supplication: “What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me; LORD, be my helper!” You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” Psalms 30:1-12 NKJV
“Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalms 126:5-6NKJV
If you are sowing seeds for the Lord and enduring suffering at the same time this verse is for you. While we may suffer a little while Abundant Joy will come! It comes in the morning! Let not grow weary of doing good for in time we will reap a reward, we will see a harvest! The Lords promises are true, let patience and perseverance perfect you in your times of suffering but DO NOT GIVE UP! God loves you and has a special plan for you!
I just started reading in Hosea, a book I haven't read in the Bible before. The story starts out with the Lord commanding Hosea to take a wife who was a harlot. Hosea in the story represents the Lord and his wife Gomer represents the children of Israel who God saved but they turned their back on the Lord yet He continued to be merciful to them.
This verse struck me, literally moving me to tears: Hosea 2:14-15
Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Will bring her into the wilderness,
And speak comfort to her.
I will give her vineyards from there,
and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in the days of her youth.
I know the female terms here represent Israel but they also represent me. I am the one who knew the Lord and walked away. I am the one who bent to other gods in spite of my knowledge of Christ. I am the one who was a wayward child. But my God spoke to my heart, He rescued me not just with Christ death but again and again when I did not deserve it. He is so good and so full of mercies that are new everyday! He is making me sing again as I did in my youth, I am the Lords and He is mine!
God doesn't care about where you have been, He loves you relentlessly! Don't let your past keep you from the AMAZING life the Lord has to offer.
Jesus said to the church at Ephesus “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” Revelation2:4ESV
You may how wonder does someone abandon their first love?
My husband and I have been married 10 years, Many years ago someone gave Rob and I the Love Dare book for Christmas. It's a 40 day bible based challenge that helps reignite the passion and fire in your marriage. Little did we know at that time that we would go through a season where we needed it.
One of my favorite devotions from that book talks about the overwhelming affection we have for our mate when we first meet. In fact we create this room in our head, the appreciation room. In this room we store all of the things we love about this person. We go there often to think of them and be in awe over the object of our affection. The appreciation room is generally built up in the first few months of our relationship.
But over time we create another room out of a darker cooridor of our heart. The depreciation room. Here we write all of the bad things our spouse does, all of the hurt and pain is held onto here. Words for arguments are stored here and Divorce can even be plotted in this room.
I realized we have these rooms created for every relationship we have not just marriage. We usually dont start out feeling bitter toward our loved ones, our friends, parents or coworkers. But over time hurts can build up in this room and the door to the the appreciation room is opened less and less.
I wonder do you think its possible we have rooms like this for God? Sometimes we can feel so inspired and in love with Him. We want to pray more, worship more, read more, serve more. Our eyes are intentionally fixed on Him.
Can you remember when you first fell in love with Jesus? The passion that lit your heart up? You were on fire, sold out for Christ. Ready to tell the world about his mercy and grace. I remember that time where nothing mattered but Him. Where I wanted to shout my excitement for Jesus to the world.
But then life happens, we go through hard season sometimes and seasons where God is quiet.
Over time the world and our enemy help us create this other room for God. Our fear lives there, fear that He won't come through for us, fear that He has forsaken us, we may go to this room when we experience hurts in this life, maybe when we have unexplainable events like death. This room thrives on our lack of trust for God.
The enemy wants to keep us locked in this room but we have to challenge ourselves everyday to shut the door! And to only go to that door to write Chosen by his grace and covered with His love on it's panels.
Jesus said to the church at Ephesus “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” Revelation2:4ESV
The good news is He will never abandon His love for us.
The enemy wants to keep us in the depreciation room for all of our relationships.
I would challenge all of us to think about what the rooms we've allowed ourselves to flee to when times get tough and the world is hard. And to ask ourselves this question, what would life look like if I allowed myself to feel how I felt when I first fell in love with Jesus!
Jesus had compassion on people, time and time again in his ministry he met people's physical needs; feeding them and healing them are just a couple of examples.
Through caring for a persons physical needs we can bring them a spiritual blessing! People see Christ in us when we reach out with a genuine act of kindness.
God cares about the needs of the people in this world and we are called to care also. No act of kindness is too small or insignificant, if the Lord put it on your heart He will do a good work with it!
Where can you bless someone today with a compassionate act of kindness? Don't be surprised, blessing others blesses you too! Don't wait to multiply what you can give rather give what you can and let God multiply it!
Psalm 8:1 "O LORD, our LORD, How excellent is your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!"
This earth, the moon, the stars and all that our Lord made are glorious creations! David says in verses 3-4 "When I look at Your heavens, and the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"
Compared to the whole of the cosmos humanity is a small thing. When David wrote this Psalm he was in awe of the Lord and the way that He cares for us in light of His whole creation. That is the beauty of God though, He loves us so deeply that He sent His only son to die for us. God is not set on high marveling at the cosmos but rather His word reveals that He is bent in loving and caring for humanity in such a personal way that we should be looking up marveling at Him saying O LORD, Our Lord How EXCELLENT is Your name in all the earth!
Hello Coffee! Good morning Vacation! I am happy to be alive and sitting in my kitchen window studying for a short bit.
John 15:9-11 tells us “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
It is so powerful to know that our obedience will bring us Joy! The Lord wants our Joy to be full and it can be full when we are connected to Him because Jesus brings TRUE joy! We may feel sensations of joy in this life but TRUE joy is found when we are trusting Him, leaning into Him, praising Him and reading His word!
All the hard stuff gets a little easier when we are looking through the lens of His love and His purpose! I have walked through difficult seasons with and without the Lord and I can look back and see what a complete wreck I was without Him. I never again want to have a perspective that does not start with Gods love and purpose.
Are you walking through a difficult season today? Maybe it's like ground hog day in your life? Ask your self this; Am I looking through the lens of Gods love and purpose? If not everything may be skewed out of perspective because the filter we apply to our life is everything. Truly there is only one pure filter to put us in proper perspective, Jesus Christ! Run everything through Him and you will see what a difference it makes!
I was reading in Jeremiah this morning when I came across this beautiful passage:
“Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24 NKJV
I am always blown away by the character of God especially in comparison to the character of man. The Lord knows our tendency to love wisdom, power, strength and money but He says glory in knowing Me! Can you imagine what the world would look like if we were all aspiring to know God more.
The verse says that He is exercising Loving Kindness. That word in Hebrew means favor and mercy. The Lord, regardless of our sinful nature, has a nature to love us and to show us favor. He says He is exercising loving kindness, judgement and righteousness, but also that He delights in them! How lucky we are to have a God who in His supreme character has a heart to love us and has a nature is to bring righteousness and justness to this world.
It may be easy at times to misunderstand the heart of God but this passage reveals that He is Just, He is Righteous and He delights in giving us His loving kindness. He desires you to seek Him, to glory in Him. He wants us to know Him and love Him more. Get to know the Lord and you will see that His character is beautiful, it is love and it is so good!
Peter was asking Jesus how many times he should forgive a brother who sins against him, 7 times? That actually was a generous offer considering that some rabbis required their students to forgive only 3 times! I think Jesus probably blew their mind with His answer: "I do not say to you, up to 7 times, but up to 70 times 7."
Jesus teaches that we can not put a limit on forgiveness when someone is truly trying to repent. There is no magic number where we can stop forgiving. You may wonder why that is because it's certainly not always easy to have someone hurt you or sin against you and then forgive them but that is what God does for us!
Ponder this parable from Matthew 18:22-35
“Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses"
Did you know that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was tempted by the devil? You may feel like God can't understand temptation but that's just not true. God became flesh and went through trials and temptations also. The Bible teaches us how to fight off temptation. See Jesus had a very different method for fighting His tempter than you may think. I mean this is Jesus, He could have fought off the devil in many creative and powerful ways but look at the scripture below and how Jesus warded off satan's attempts to make Him stumble:
“Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ” Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”
Matthew 4:3-11
Jesus weapon was the Word!!! The scriptures are so powerful that Jesus quoted them and ultimately made satan flee from tempting Him anymore! Now did you catch the part where the devil quoted the scripture also? This is no new trick, since Adam and Eve satan has attempted to twist and pervert Gods Word. If The devil can get us to question Gods Word he is doing his job but you see if we follow Jesus example we can throw the truth right back in the devils face. Get in the Word (the Bible) and see how it will make you confident against the enemy's attack!
I have found myself in a place many times where I have made God too small in my mind, and while He is a very personal God I can not assume that His line of thinking is like mine.
I love this reminder found in Isaiah 55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
When life gets me down I have to remember how big God truly is and how wise and high are His thoughts. By doing this it gives me freedom not to have to understand everything that happens and good reason to trust His plan above my own! #trustGod #Godisgreater #Hisplan
I woke early this morning startled from a sci-fi like dream. Oh 5:40am during vacation 😩 We were getting up early anyway to go to the zoo this morning (although plans may change due to storms headed this way now) So I decided to just get up, have some coffee, read and watch the little birdies come eat.
Isaiah 53 gives us a picture of prediction, calling out the multiple ways Christ will suffer for our sins. I bet you may have heard some of them before "He was bruised for our inequalities"... "By His stripes we are healed"... "He was led as a lamb to the slaughter"...
I've heard these before myself but one I had not heard, the one that really struck my spirit when reading it was this sentence in the midst of Isaiah 53:12 "He poured out His soul unto death"
Jesus, in a short 33ish years on earth, poured out his soul for us. But what does that really mean? The original Hebrew for "poured out" defines the term as this: to be (causatively, make) bare; hence, to empty, pour out, demolish:—leave destitute
Jesus emptied Himself for us, He was left destitute on the cross for our sins, His cause for suffering was to bring Glory to the Father through the cleansing of our sins. He was the only perfect man and He suffered unto death to save us. His ministry was one that reached out to lost, lonely suffering souls. He was challenged, put down, beaten, laughed at and ultimately left for dead. He poured Himself out... Of all the beautiful pictures the bible paints of Jesus this one of His pouring out His soul captivates my heart.
I pray that I could live a life that pours back, that I could empty myself for Gods Glory and that Jesus would remain in the forefront as my beautiful example for all the days of my life.
There is a living water that can satisfy our thirst, it will amaze you and fill you like nothing else this life can offer. That living water is Jesus and He desires nothing more than for you to run to Him.
John 7:37-38 says: On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
Today I read, in the last few paragraphs of the Bible, in Revelation 22:17 "And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”
This living water is waiting for you, are you thirsty? Come to Jesus! Are you suffering? Come to Jesus! Are you weary? Come to Jesus!
He will drench you with living water and fill you with His unending love, I promise 💗
This is one of my favorite verses in the bible, it came up in my reading a few days ago and made me think of a time when I was very broken and God reminded me of the strength of His hand over my life with this verse: Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
I don't know about you, but this promise of God walking through tremendous affliction with me is soothing to my soul!
This is my first time reading Isaiah all the way through and I love how God reveals His character through out this book. In this verse the Lord is reminding us of His ability to protect us from the strongest forces we encounter. A reminder that we are not to fear the things we will face. More than that though He is saying "I AM WITH YOU" and this promise to be with us shows what a personal God He is!
It's not my job to understand why the Lord weaves certain trials into my life, it's my job to trust Him, to be still and know that He is God and to rely on the character of His beautiful nature. My character is flawed, it's just the fact of being human. The enemy will always try to tempt us and prey on our weak flesh but when we rely on the Lord and know His character is flawless we are relying on the unlimited source of power and love, with an unlimited ability to prevail and overcome!
Somethings I will not fully understand, but I know this if God who formed the whole universe and also knit me together is willing to say "I AM WITH YOU" how could I not walk forward with Him?
Life can feel very lonely sometimes, even when your surrounded by many people it can feel like you are one person walking through a life that no one understands.
This verse in Isaiah 41:13 just reminds me of Gods character "For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, Fear not, I will help you.'
These are not the words that come from a cold and distant God but only from a loving father. Gods character is holy, just and loving and when you feel alone He is there ready to hold your hand and whisper "fear not, will help you" into your spirit. #Godislove
I woke up so tired today, I feel like this a lot though. It seems like I'm burning the candlestick at both ends right now and begging to sleep 30 more minutes! I wasn't going to have time to read my bible this morning as I just couldn't drag myself out of bed at the normal time, I consented to read tonight. As I was brushing my teeth the Holy Spirit reminded me that all who are weary should come to Him for rest.
Hmmmm, Ok Lord I guess I shouldn't skip my reading this morning, I'll fit it in. I just love the way the Lord is so personal and the way he speaks to us and impresses His love upon our hearts, He knows what we need when we need it. So I flip to the place where I'm reading clueless of what's in this chapter and I behold these words "Gods people are comforted" With a smile I already know the Lord is speaking to me this morning.
Here's what was in my reading Isaiah 40:28-31 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
WOW! Those are some words I needed God to speak to me today! I am so grateful for a personal God who renews me!
This stuff is real and it is available to everyone. God is waiting to speak to and lead those who will open their hearts to Him. His word is powerful and alive and that is a truth I know to the depth of my soul! Thank you Jesus!!! #weary #renewed #Jesus #kingofkings
In Revelation 3:14-22 Jesus addresses the church of The Laodiceans. He said to those who were part of the lukewarm church, I know your works, that you are neither hot nor cold. See the water in Ladocia where this church stood was not cold and refreshing nor was it hot and therapeutic, it was just lukewarm and useless. Their spiritual state made the Lord sick! He said in Revelation 3:16 “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
The Lord does not want us to be in spiritual limbo riding the fence between a fiery passion and a cold heart. He wants us to choose a side. I spent many years riding that fence my self, I was a half believer. My heart knew the truth and loved the Lord but my actions only followed when it was fitting. I wasn't reading my bible, I had no passion, I was just part of a statistical group claiming to be a Christian. One day I was forced to choose because the Lord didn't want me lukewarm and I am so grateful for that! I know we can not fulfill our God given future if we choose to be half in. At half in the world just has too much of a grip on us. Been there, done that...
But the Lord has a solution if you are somewhere in the middle today He says in Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." The Lord is ready and waiting for us, in fact he is knocking at our door and for some he has been trying to beat it down for a long time. That was me, I'm pretty hard headed :)
And look at the promise of the prize he offers in verse 21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
What a beautiful promise from our Savior. Would you hear his knock today? Can you open the door of your heart and really let him come in? Don't make the mistake I once did trying to compartmentalize Christ, he wants to invade every crevice of your life and you will be so blessed to let Him!
The last two and a half years have been madness, it all started just a few months before my husbands accident. I'm not going to go into detail but I'll say this life has been a real struggle. Some days I just walk away feeling so defeated, bruised, depressed but God is so good and gracious He always picks me back up and puts me back together. Fast forward after enduring surgeries, unfavorable health results and all the other things that life has throw at us, fast forward to being in the midst of the madness to making a decision to be all in for God. I had wasted enough years playing games, I know who my first love is and I always have, Jesus Christ. I decided I wanted to live radically for him. Over the next year I would start getting more involved in church, more immersed in my studies, more bold in my discussions. I believe I am where the Lord is calling me to be right now, I believe I am on my path. Next week I have the privilege of co-leading a women's bible study at my church and I will lead that same study by myself for couple ladies who can not make it out on Wednesday nights.
That's the short background of my story now let me tell you about today. The last few months and definitely the last two weeks I have been hit from every direction, the Devil I know is seeking to destroy me in little and big ways. Everyday it has been something. Sometimes its something small and sometimes a bigger distraction, like my mom ending up in the ER almost having surgery just 24 hours after I woke up a sweaty crying mess dreaming that she had died. Its been random its been brutal. But I am pressing forward.
Monday (yes less than a week ago) My new lap top arrived. I took a leap and bought me a lap top, I got a good deal too. I have it all loaded with my bible software, my favorite websites and I am excited about having this tool to help me with my study of the Word. I wake up this morning and my lap top is on the floor. It took a random (not so random) spill sometime in the night??? I open it up and the touch screen is just destroyed, my heart sinks. BUT immediately I recognize what's going on here. See the Devil wants to stop me in my tracks, he doesn't want me to have this laptop to aid in my work for the Lord and even more than that he wants to utterly destroy my faith and confidence. There have been so many things like this the last couple of weeks it is almost laughable. See what is happening to me is happening all over the place to people heading in the right direction for the Lord, its called Spiritual Warfare and don't bat an eye because it is real and if you let Satan drag you down he will gladly pull you to the depths of hell himself, ESPECIALLY if your a follower of Jesus.
That's why we have to keep fighting. 1 Timothy 6:12 says "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called..."
We have to fight with awareness too! We must know that our enemy is real and he is roaming and seeking hearts to devour! We have to be ready at any moment for battle. Ephesians 6:10-18 is a clear instruction for this spiritual warfare "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints"
1 Peter 5:6-11 is one of the first verses I memorized after committing myself to being radically his and I still have it on reserve for days like today "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.But may the God of all grace, who called usto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
The Devil may try but keep fighting the good fight and remember He who is in you is GREATER than he who is in the world! That's what I am walking away with today oh and my laptop is under warranty so just a short delay :)
I have spent my entire life being afraid of something, maybe it was that test when I was young, maybe a long trip or a sudden illness. There are times I can distinctively remember giving into my fear and anxiety so much that it ruled me. One common thread among my fears was always the "unknown", I just wanted to know it so I could know it would be ok whatever it was (that's the controlling side of me :) This verse is such a breath of fresh air to someone like me though 1 John 4:18-19 says “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” I know that even though I don't know the future, His Word tells me not to be afraid of today, tomorrow, or even the end of time because perfect love cast out fear and God is love, His love is perfect. If our lives continue to be geared towards Him we are also being perfected and our love is being perfected!
More Perfected Love = Less Fear
I believe the more I focus on the Lord the less I have to fear! Just knowing His promises are reassuring, it leaves my flesh less room to worry because my spirit knows His truth! How powerful is this verse in Isaiah 35:4 "Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”
If your afraid of the known or the unknown you can rest assured that the Father, having perfect love, dissolves those fears completely with the hope and assurance of eternity for those who love Him and seek Him. He is never far away either whether you know him already or you you want to know Him. His word promises this: ".The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.” Psalms 145:18
Good Morning! I am so happy to be writing this with the out a dizzy feeling like I had yesterday. This verse I read today in 1 John 2:15-17 has become so real in my life the older I get (don't I feel old just saying that!) But it's true. The verse says “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
That might sound harsh to some but if you really take a look at this world it is just a mess, people are being beheaded, lies are being told, money squandered, lust fulfilled, drugs are rampant. These things may seem distant but believe me they will find their way to the hearts of the ones you love. The enemy came to steal and destroy and it only takes a little seed of a worldly idea for them to stumble.
I recently experienced this myself with my children. No matter how I try to protect and guard them I have to know that the enemy is planting worldly seeds and I must be even more aware to plant seeds of truth in their hearts. This world makes me sad and I believe it is not our real home BUT until that day we can be the light, filled with Joy in all things planting seeds of hope. After all our Father in Heaven does not want to see a single soul lost so we must continue on mission in a broken world with the unbroken truth!!! What are you planting today?
Faith with out works is dead, what does that mean? It means believing isn't enough, we are called to put action behind our Faith. I am so glad too because it means we have a purpose! Our purpose is not just to believe but to do something with that belief! And it is something God has called us too and for! Look what James says in verse 19 "But someone will say, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!" Wow! The demons even know God is real and fear Him. Just the knowledge of God isn't enough we have to trust Him and be obedient. In this chapter James asked if a man were cold and hungry would it be ok to just wish him well and say "be warmed and filled", no do a good work and give him some food and clothing, that's putting faith to action.
Here's my favorite example of faith with action: Think about where Christianity would be if Jesus had just had faith but no action. Had his faith been dead the many miracles would never have been performed, many lives would not have been saved, and the cross would just be the death bead of another man. But He had a mighty faith, one strong enough to complete the work on the cross. Without that work there would have been no resurrection, and that is foundational to our belief! Whew I'm glad Jesus had faith and works!
Next time your being called to put your faith to the test would you endure it? Would you walk in that action? Sometimes it's scary when God puts that impression on my heart to move but I know with Him all things are possible and He who started a good work is faithful to complete it!
James is one of my favorite books of the bible, I love how boldly he speaks to the heart of the reader. One day I am excited to meet him and chat for a while. My daily reading landed on James 1 today. I'm actually studying a section of this scripture for a class I am taking. James 1:2-4 is one of my favorite verses in the whole bible “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
I don't really want to focus on the trials of life but on being complete. Our life has a purpose. God is orchestrating that purpose. In fact Proverbs 19:21 says “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
As far as trials go I think we can establish that they are a necessary part of life, this verse says they create patience in us and we need to let patience have its perfect work so we can be complete, lacking in nothing. Here's what I want to hone in on, did you know that word "complete" is actually a verb? Complete is an action word! We can not be passive and be complete, we can not let the various trials of this life steal our joy and be complete, we can not give up and be complete! Completed does not equal passiveness, complete requires action on our part! Action to endure, action to preserve, action to ask and pray for wisdom in trial, and action to believe the Lord is directing your path! Believe is a verb too by the way...
We have to do something, we have to make a decision to get up, to fight through. These action we choose either bring us closer to a state of completeness or they keep us chained right where we are. Could you run in the direction of faith today? Could you decide to take action when it feels like there is nothing left? Start with prayer, that is the best action we can take, the Lord will cover the rest!!!
When life brings on struggles sometimes doesn't it feel like we are made a spectacle for the world to see. Here is my weak point go ahead and laugh... I love how this verse reminds us that during struggle we can put aside that which is making a spectacle of us and become companions with others who suffer, having compassion and being joyful in our earthly loss knowing that we have a better treasure in heaven.
Read the verse in Hebrews 10:32-39 “But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”
Folks we believe in Christ and are promised a better day! Can for His sake we endure this one? Can we come along side a fellow suffering soul and lift them up to see the joy of the Lord! I believe there is beauty in sharing our brokenness all for the Glory of God who is our true savior! Let us not fall into a pit of our own problems but be encouraged to come alongside another and climb out of the pit together! Happy Friday!!!
According to Wikipedia an anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current.
Hebrews 6:19 is one of my favorites "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil."
Anchor is the perfect word here because we are a vessel that drifts and bounces with the ways of the world, Jesus is the living water, our lifeblood, and our hope in Him is what keeps us connected and stable. He is reliable, trustworthy, devoted and constant. Jesus is unwavering even when we waver. He has entered into the inner sanctuary of Gods presence (behind the veil) so we have a firm anchor for our soul.
I feel the most grounded when my hope is in Him. This world is going to toss us around, bad things will happen, people will hurt us, sickness and death are a reality but we can choose not to be a ship lost at sea by setting our hope in the One True King!
I have had many times in my life where I knew God was speaking to me but I strayed from that still small voice, denying Him access to my life for a period of time was the biggest set back I have ever had. When I read verses like this one in Hebrews 3:7-8 “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,” I think gosh if only I had read this at that time when I was wondering it would have slapped me in the face. The truth is this verse not only applies to times of deep denial of God but it applies to the every day. We need to acknowledge Him daily, we need to seek His presence daily. Jeremiah 29:13 says "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” We must desire to hear God and then listen to His voice when He speaks to us.
When I think of a relationship with God I think about how I might treat a friend. A friend desires regular interaction, companionship, love. The Lord is so much more than just a friend He is our Heavenly Father. Jesus is our savior, doesn't He deserve my heart to be open, doesn't He deserve to see my brokenness laid out at His feet, the brokenness for which He gave His life! Friends if you hear His voice today please don't harden your heart. The Lord is ready and willing, no one is too lost or too far away that His love can't reach and His mercy can't save!
Sometimes we don't realize that we do have a circle of influence and our impact good or bad touches those closest to us. I love how this positive impact is presented in my reading today Paul in his second letter to Timothy opens up by speaking of Timothy's strong faith, he said in 2 Timothy 1:3-5 "I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I maybe filled with joy when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, I am persuaded it is in you also."
Wow these women, Timothy's grandmother and mother, had such a strong faith and that heritage was a great influence for Timothy. How powerful it is that the genuine faith that Timothy has FIRST abided in the women around him! These women had a circle of influence and they made an impact, and it was one that was obviously impactful on Timothy's whole life.
Sometimes the smallness of our life makes us feel less than effective but if we step back and remember the grandness of our Lord we realize our life is not small and ineffective at all! We all have people close to us that we can leave a lasting impression on. If you are struggling ask God to reveal to you how he can use you right where your at! How will you use your circle of influence today?
If you could do one thing and one thing well what would it be? In Pauls letter to Timothy he names one thing that is good for everything, one thing that should be a prime focus! In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 he says "...exercise yourself toward godliness for bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." That word profitable is from the Greek word ōphelimos and it means beneficial and useful. We we are exercising godliness, piety, we are really doing something that is beneficial and useful in ALL things! Not only that it is good for the life that we are in now and most certainly for the life to come! The word is so clear here about where our focus should be for the best results! Happy Friday friends 💗
When I read a promise like this in the bible I get excited!
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV
No matter what life throws at you we can be fully confident that we have a savior who is coming again and in a mighty way!!! Those who know him will be gathered together and taken to be with Him forever, eternally to a place of perfection! A place where suffering does not exist! I mean that is something to believe in and hope for! Look at this verse:
“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
And I love this from Revelation 3:10 "Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world."
Now that is a promise!!! If we can just hang in there and keep fighting the good fight the Lord will spare us in the end! If you are ready to just give in today I encourage you to think about the end of this life and where you want to be eternally. Our life is but a breath on this earth and compared to forever is so small! Healing and joy is a promise and one day we can have it forever!!!
I have always been a joyful person, no matter what was going on the joy of the Lord was just deep in my heart. However when satan attacks or sin really gets ahold of a person it can take the God given good and turns it on its head if were not careful. For me that was anger. At one of the lowest points in my life anger crept in and I have spent years turning myself around from that point and learning how to be a gentle quiet spirit. I remember so many years ago how God spoke to me through this very verse "Better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious angry woman." Proverbs 21:19 That word was alive to me as I read it and the Bible has continuously invaded and overwhelmed my heart with truth. As it showed up in my reading today and I saw the old highlighted verse it reminded me of how grateful I am to know how far God has brought me since that time in my life! Thank you Lord for giving us your Spirit and your Word!!!
Raise your hand if life ever feels like being out in the middle of an ocean fighting against the waves to survive (my hand is up)... Some days it might be doggy paddle kinda days where the water is smooth and the sun is shining but other days oh that's when the storm is rolling in and you are going under. Your not just drowning you are being pulled toward the mirky bottom.
I hate those days, sometimes it's many of them in a row. I don't always understand why things happen. I know sometimes it's my own fault and sometimes it's the enemy BUT sometimes it is the Lord. He allows things to happen sometimes in our life and sometimes it is a correction that we need. I have resolved my self, at this age, to know I am just not knowledgeable like the Lord. Proverbs 3:5 tells me to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." That word direct is from the Hebrew word yâshar which means to be straight and to be right. So what ever is going on in life, even in the deepest of waters, I know that if I trust in the Lord He is continually straightening my path.
I also know that with this verse from Proverbs 20:30 that "Blows that hurt cleanse evil, as do stripes the inner depths of our heart" See the Lord is searching our hearts and for the ones who love Him, He will continue to cleanse us and straighten our path. We should actually be honored that the God of the universe corrects us, chastisement out of love is a good thing!
Last night my son made a bad decision that led to our daughter getting hurt and as a punishment I made him write sentences. Oh how he cried at the unfairness of the whole event. Oh how he thought he was the victim, even though his sisters lip was bleeding. Don't we tend to think we're the victim and that things coming against us are unjust? But wouldn't I have been wrong had I not corrected him? We have to accept the Lords correction and lean not on our own understanding knowing that He is a loving father who wants to bring us to submission for His glory and when He is glorified our deepest longing to be satisfied is fulfilled!
