December 23, 2024

Bless the Lord, o my Soul

November 25, 2013 by

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Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Psalms 103:1 and 2

Now that is what I want to do! How about you? Of course…it comes so easily to the heart of one of God’s children! Oh, how we love to praise and declare His goodness!

I will [earnestly] recall the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will [earnestly] remember the wonders of old.
I will meditate also upon all Your works and consider all Your [mighty] deeds.
Psalms 77:11 and 12

Haven’t we all had times when you have so palpably experienced the goodness and faithfulness of God so intensely that you want to leap in the air and shout and say, “How could I ever doubt You, my God, after this? How could I ever again despair of your help?” And we go along remembering His goodness and blessing…and then…some short time later…we falter. We find ourselves doing just that—being discouraged, and doubting, forgetting our confidence in the goodness and greatness of God. Why does this happen? Perhaps because we so easily forget the evidences of God’s goodness which we ourselves have experienced; not to mention the vast number of records in Scriptures which tell us of God’s faithfulness and His goodness.

What are some of His ‘mighty deeds’…the ‘wonders of old’ spoken of in Psalm 77? Think about it; I am sure you won’t need to think but a moment to recall God’s awesome works! Here’s a few that immediately came to mind—and these are all from the very first book in the Bible:

  • God spoke into existence His Creation (Genesis 1:3-31)
  • God gave Noah His plan for saving a remnant of mankind, along with the animals and the birds (Genesis 6:13-21)
  • God protected mankind from making too much of themselves (Genesis 11:3-9)
  • God promised (Genesis 18:10-15) AND then made a way for a 100 year old man and a 90 year old woman to conceive a child (Genesis 21:1-7)
  • God provided in an incredible way as Abraham intended to sacrifice to God his precious boy…obeying to the uttermost (Genesis 22:1-14)

That God is GREAT in every imaginable way that greatness could possibly be described should be obvious to everyone. Paul reminds us,

Ever since the creation of the world, His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So men are without excuse for, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give him thanks.
Romans 1:20 and 21

We ARE without excuse if we are not continually voicing our gratitude and our thanks! Our great God, the Great I AM, has done many and mighty works throughout time! And His lovingkindness and goodness continue…His faithfulness to each of us is incredible! We each have numerous stories to share praising God for His incredible blessings in our lives. Every day in a variety of ways we should be expressing our thanks.

I will praise the name of God with a song. I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69:30

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,
that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Hebrews 13:15

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High;
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.
He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.
Psalms 50:14 and 15, 23

* * * * * * *

My prayer…for you and me; let us bless the Lord with all that is within us:
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
My soul will make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.
Psalms 34:1-3

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 16 – Love Never Fails

November 22, 2013 by

16daylovechallengeneverfails

 

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast; it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the Truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Quite a list of accomplishments, wouldn’t you say?  Perhaps you might say to yourself, ‘Do you really think anyone can do that—love that way?’  Well, I DO know someONE Who can!  (You do, too!)  Our Father, Almighty God, the Great I AM…He can! And He does!

Here are a few verses just to remind us of God’s never failing love.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalms 13:5 and 6

I have loved you with an everlasting love….
Jeremiah 31:3

Psalm 136 tells us “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His love endures forever.” And this truth is reiterated in every single verse throughout this psalm…26 times!

As our study of the 16 Day Love Challenge: Matching our Words and Actions with 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 draws to a close, we look at God’s final statement in this passage about LOVE.

Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:8

It doesn’t say ‘almost never’ or ‘almost all the time’ or ‘99 out of 100 times’, does it?  No, ma’am…it says ‘Love never fails.’

never (adverb)

1. at no time in the past or future; on no occasion; not ever.
synonyms: not ever, at no time, not at any time, not once, ne’er.

2. not at all
synonyms: certainly not, not for a moment, under no circumstances, on no account

(and here are a few informal synonyms: no way, not on your life, not in a million years, when pigs fly, when hell freezes over.)

Can I tell you something?  I do know someone else, besides our great God who can love that way!  Really!  It is y.o.u.  Yes, my friend, you CAN love others in that same way!  Hey, now, no scoffing, no pshawing, no doubting—the Scriptures clearly communicate this!

…Because God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another,
even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if You have love for one another.
John 13:34-35

This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 15:12

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God
and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Anyone who does not love does not know God,
because God is love.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:7-8, 11

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them.

This is how love is perfected with us
so that we will have confidence on the day of Judgment;
because as He is, so are we in this world.
Verses 16 and 17

And He has given us this command:
anyone who loves God must also love their brother or sister.
Verse 21

God’s Word is Truth!  And so, we are what the Word of God says that we are!  We ARE able to love as God loves.  As we were reminded the other day by Cherie, truth is not determined by our experience but simply by the Truth of the Scriptures.

Try this! Read through these verses again (out loud, please!), inserting your name along with ‘love.’ Like this…

{Cherie’s} love is patient, {Rebecca’s} love is kind.
{Kim’s love} does not envy, {Cynda’s love} does not boast; {Rae Ann’s love} is not proud.
{Darcie’s love} does not dishonor others, {Jennifer’s love} is not self-seeking,
{Cyndie’s love} is not easily angered, {Clella’s love} keeps no record of wrongs.
{Beverly’s} love does not delight in evil but {Robin’s love} rejoices with the Truth.
{Shari’s love} always protects, {Chelle’s love} always trusts,
{Kristen‘s love} always hopes, {Aminah‘s love} always perseveres.
{Christi’s} love never fails.

Let’s Pray:
Lord, we are so thankful that it was Your plan for us to study together and to work the 16 Day Love Challenge together!!!  Our lives are forever changed.  We do so need Your help through the Holy Spirit that You have placed within us, Lord!  You know (we do, too) that there will be times we are tempted to think that we cannot love like this.  Help us to recognize that lie and to replace it with the Truth that we can love because You have placed Your love within us! Today may we reach out to everyone around us with Your love that is in our hearts!  Thank You, Lord!  It is only because of Your great grace and mercy!  We pray these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapters 14 and 15 – Love Always Hopes, Love Always Perseveres

November 21, 2013 by

16daylovechallengehopesperseveres

 

Love always hopes

What does it mean that love always hopes?  In 1 Corinthians 13:7, we find four things that love “always” does. Love is not just an idea…it is an action.  The third action in this verse is that love always hopes.  Love is always hopeful.  In the Greek language, “hope” is from elpidzo, meaning ‘to hope or wait for salvation with joy and full confidence.”  This word, hope, is used 32 times in the New Testament alone.  Hope expresses more than a wish or a desire, but a confident belief in the unseen.  Hebrews 11:1 says,”Faith is being sure of the things we hope for and being certain of what we cannot see.”  Faith, hope and love are often connected in the Bible.  In Colosians 1:4-5, they are combined again: “We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in Heaven.”

Just as God is called “Love,” Jesus is called our “Hope.”  He is the Hope within us. And the hope that will be seen by others around us.  If we are living in such a way—with such a hopeful attitude—then we will reflect the way of Jesus and bring glory to His Father.

Part of showing love is hoping, and part of hoping is seeing the good in others. If we treat others as they should be treated, then we have a part in helping them become who they should be.  As moms, we are always encouraging our children and showing them that there is hope in such a hard world.  If you have ever been in a job loss situation, what got you through?   Was it hope in Jesus, believing that at some point He would rain blessings down on you if you could just hold on long enough.  Hope holds on long enough.  Have you ever had a horrible medical diagnosis, maybe one that was a sure death sentence? What if you went ahead, planned your funeral, told your kids goodbye and moved away? That, to me, is life without hope.  Hope believes that Jesus has a miracle that is waiting just for them.

What about when you accepted Jesus as your Savior?  You had hope that His death would save you from all your sins and that you would live eternally with Him in Heaven. Without hope, where would we be? I’ve known many alcoholics and addicts.  They cling to the hope that one day they will be clean and stay sober.  Hope helps us bear the unbearable, my friends.  To a Christian, hope is the knowledge that we are being changed for the better as we trust in God’s promises.

The Bible is full of examples of men and women who hoped in God’s promises.  The patriarch Abraham is a model of hope for believers.  When he was 75 years old, God promised to bless him with many descendants, as many as there were stars. Abraham believed what he heard. Yet he had to wait another 25 years to see his hope fulfilled. Never once did he doubt God Almighty.  His hope wasn’t in his own ability to have a child at this old age, but he trusted an unchangeable God—the same God we worship today. Hebrews 6:19 describes this hope as “…an anchor for the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast.”

You may be thinking to yourself, “How did Abraham stay hopeful for that long?” And perhaps, “How can you stay hopeful for what you need?”  The Bible says that Abraham was a friend of God.  He was also His servant. He stayed obedient and God gave him what he needed. You can do it too.  How you ask?

1. Submit yourself to God.  He is the source of your hope.  He alone.

2. Strengthen your faith. Let the previous blessings that He has given you remind you of the Blesser.

3. Trust His timing. Sometimes He answers our prayers and gives us what we hope for quickly and other times He allows us to wait. Through faith and patience, Abraham’s hope was fulfilled.

4. Thank God today.  Though it is hard to rejoice as we wait for hopes to be fulfilled, rejoicing opens the heavens for blessings to rain down. (Romans 5:1-5)

Have you lost hope? You can have it again, you know. Right now, turn to Him Who is able to do so much more than we could or would ever ask and ever hope for, and rest in Him. He knows and He never goes back on His word.

Love always perseveres

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Persevere defined, means to bear up under pressure.  It’s a military term meaning that an army must hold a vital position at ALL costs. In fact, love must mean perseverance or you shouldn’t say it unless you are willing to give all, to develop, to protect and keep that love.

When we say “I love you,” it not only means forever but it means also that we will fight anything that would get in the way of that love lasting!  Anything else is not love.  At the end of the passage above, we see love stand against overwhelming opposition as it bears all things, believes all things and hopes all things. Perseverance is the unending climax of love.  It is always on high alert and never stops fighting for the relationship.

Oh yes, the father of lies has his say and we may have some obstacles thrown at us; well… let’s say we will have some lies thrown at us.  And lies will be whispered to us like, “Love shouldn’t be this hard!” or “Love should be effortless!” or “Love is tolerance.”  Friends, this is a recipe for disaster and very un-loving relationships.  Love doesn’t just let people do what they want to do, and love doesn’t just care about happiness of the other person. Love has to make some hard choices sometimes and has to say hard things.  Our society leans more towards “God just wants me to be happy.” and gives up at the first sign of trouble. I want to give you some examples from Scripture of real, persevering love. We will start with Hosea.

  • The book of Hosea was written by the prophet and it tells a larger story of the Israelites unfaithfulness to God. It begins with Hosea marrying a prostitute and she becomes unfaithful to him, of course, and leaves him. He goes from house to house to find her and buys her back for 15 shekels of silver and some barley, a large amount. His love for his wife was a persevering love, never giving up.
  • Next is Stephen. In Acts chapter 7, Stephen is attempting to reason with the Jews and persuading them to trust in Jesus as their Savior. We all know how this ends— with them dragging him out of the city and stoning him to death.  As he is breathing his last breath, he cries out to the Lord, saying,”Lord, do not hold their sins against them.”  Even in dying, Stephen showed persevering love by reaching out to those who were killing him. He was more concerned with their salvation and knowing Jesus as their Savior than he was for his own life.
  • Then there is Jesus.  Jesus went to the Cross because He loves you with a persevering love like no other.  He took the sins of all mankind on Himself, so that we would be forgiven through our faith in Him.  And God your Father loves you with an everlasting love. Nothing you can do or say will ever separate you from Him.  There is no sin so great that can’t be forgiven.  If you are here today and you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior, I encourage you to ask Him in your heart today. Tell Him you know you’re a sinner. Confess it to Him and ask for His forgiveness. It is free. You will forever be changed and will live eternally with Him. Oh, yes—there will still be some trials and things you won’t like, but He overcame this world. Romans 8:35 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” The love of Jesus perseveres through any hardship that may come your way!  No matter the circumstance you find yourself in, there is nothing that can separate us from Jesus.  His love perseveres through it all.  And this should be our example to follow…to love others in the same way.  So now when you say love, you mean that you will fight to the end for them!  As Jesus did for us….

Let us pray:

Lord, we praise You and thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son to die in our place, so that we may live with You forever.  Oh Lord, we, on our own, cannot love as You have commanded, and without first loving You, we cannot love like You ask us to love each other.  Please give us the desire and fill us with the kind of love that only You can give, that it will be overflowing from us to all who know us and may we never grow tired of spreading the good news of You.  If we love each other, then we want the world to have what we have, and that is You. And for those who have accepted You today for the first time, may we keep discipling them and may they truly begin to walk closely with You.  How exciting to finally be alive! Be with us as we carry the message to this dying world.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 13 – Love Always Trusts

November 20, 2013 by

 

16daylovechallengetrust

 

I am trusting (a tiny pun!) that it is not just my heart that is stirred up thinking about this trust issue…yes?  But here is where I stand and I am not moving:  God is absolutely worthy of my completely and totally trusting Him with my life.  In her sharing of today’s chapter from The 16 Day Love Challenge, Rebecca makes a definitive statement that could not be any more true: “…God is perfectly trustworthy and He will never let you down!”  I love that!

Throughout the Scriptures, we find promise after promise as well as testimony upon testimony directing us to see His trustworthiness and faithfulness.  God’s people throughout time, have shown incredible faith and trust in their God.  The psalmist gives praise time and time again to the One to Whom he trusted with his life.  Psalm 40 contains some of my most favorite words of confession acknowledging my trust in our great God.

I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay,
and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings.
And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many shall see and fear and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.
Blessed is the <wo>man who makes the Lord <her> refuge and trust….
Psalms 40:1-4

As we read the Scriptures, they relate to us the confessions (both the praises and the struggles) of others who have gone before us who have made the choice to trust our God.

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace
whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You,
because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
So trust in the Lord
(commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever;
for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].
Isaiah 26:3 and 4 AMP

Whom have I in heaven but You? And I have no delight or desire on earth besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock
and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.
But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God
and made Him my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.
Psalms 73:25-26, 28

Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.
Psalms 143:7-9

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6

Psalm 56

Listen to this, if you would, it is a beautiful song of trust sung by Mrs. Twila Paris.

 I sing that song, often, when I am tempted to waffle in my trust in my God.  It encourages me and spurs me on to stand on His promises and choose to continue to trust.

As Holy Spirit-led women, we strongly desire to obey God and put our hope/trust in Him.   We follow the example given to us in 1 Peter 3 of women who trust God:

Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart
with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is very valuable in God’s eyes.
For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God
also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands,
just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.
You have become her children when you do what is good
and are not frightened by anything alarming.
verses 4-6

In closing, here’s something to ask ourselves…”When others think of me, am I a woman whose life reflects a heart that trusts God? Is there an outer beauty that is the result of a submitted, grateful, yielded, trusting spirit what shows on my face? Or is it the ‘worry lines’ and chapped, bitten lips or nails that show the lack of resting/trusting in my God?”  Maybe you have an older woman in your life whose trust in God is ‘written all over her face.’  I would love it if you would share your thoughts….

* * * * *

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, You are…You ARE…YOU ARE trustworthy!  Please help us, Lord, to ‘trust in the Lord with all your heart…and in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”  We want to be known as women whose trust is in the Almighty God…not to bring attention to ourselves but to bring honor, glory, majesty to You!  May You be pleased, Father, by our sacrifice and our obedience—it is You and You alone Whom we trust with all that we are.  We will trust You, Lord…You never change!  Praise You, Lord!

Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 12 – Love Always Protects

November 19, 2013 by

16daylovechallengealwaysprotectsOn its face, it seems rather simple – we all want our loved ones protected, right?  I can definitely say that I am protective of my friends and family – physically and spiritually. But I have tried to take the “Love Challenge” outside of just my immediate relationships and think bigger each time, so it begs the question: if I am to be loving to everyone, how do I protect someone I don’t even know?

To make sure I understood what it meant to protect, I once again sought the definition of the word.  As I looked into its meaning, and tried to focus on how I could embody this characteristic in my life, I began to get emotional. To protect means “to keep safe from harm or injury” (Google Dictionary); however, another source says further “to keep someone from being harmed or lost” (Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary).  Synonyms of protect include: save, shield, hedge, shelter, guard.  Any of those words look familiar?  Perhaps because in many passages in Scripture, Jesus is described as being any and all of those things for us.  So, to get this straight – if we are showing love to others, we are to save them from being harmed or lost.  Sounds a lot like what is at the heart of the Great Commission, if you think about it. Love always protects.  To get to the meat of this one was actually a little challenging for me, sisters.

It still seems a bit hard to grasp…how can I protect the person that cuts me off in traffic? The person who is in front of me in line at the grocery store?  How can I protect the person at work who is intent on undermining me?

Here are a few things that I was shown:

  • Guard your tongue.  Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “the power of life and death are in the tongue.”  There are many more Scriptures about guarding our tongue and watching what we speak, but let me try to be more specific.  What comes out of your mouth when that person cuts you off in traffic? Be honest, sisters.  Are you speaking life or death over that person? I’ve started trying to pray in those situations that God will watch over the reckless driver and keep him from bringing harm to him and others on the road. What we say holds spiritual power, sisters!  Guard your tongue and choose to speak life over a situation or a person.
  • Intercede. Prayer seems to be a natural partner with guarding our tongues.  However, I am asking you to take prayer a step further.  I am suggesting that if you want to protect someone that you not just pray for them, you intercede for them.  To intercede means that you plead someone’s case – almost like a lawyer.  In Exodus 32 we see that Moses has been in the Presence of God for so long that the Israelites decided to worship a golden calf. God is so angry that He told Moses He was about to destroy everyone and start over!  However, the Bible says that Moses sought favor from God and pleaded with Him to spare their lives—and God relented. Live on a street with crazy neighbors?  Pray that God reveals Himself in such a way that they come to know God. Pray for our nation.  Have a friend or acquaintance that refuses to acknowledge God and ridicules you on top of that? Don’t be angry or offended – pray that they come to know the truth – you may be the only person praying on their behalf!
  • Be merciful.  There is a particularly sobering passage (at least it is to me) in Jude – in verse 23.  Jude says “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them…” (NIV). Sisters, let me plead with you – show mercy to all. As believers, we have no right to be self-righteous – the only reason we are saved is because Jesus showed mercy to us – extend it to everyone. How can you practically show mercy? Can you donate to a food bank? Give a homeless person a blanket? Can you hold your tongue when you’d really like to give someone a piece of your mind? Can you forgive? Can you reserve judgment? Donate your time? Can you step out of your comfort zone and ask God to show you what it really looks like to be the “hands and feet” of Jesus – and then act that way?? Would you allow God to open your heart to love someone (anyone!) in such a selfless, potentially heartbreaking way that you “snatch them from the fire??”

Will YOU be protection from harm?

 

Let’s pray:

Dear God, I have been challenged so much and in so many ways.  Help me, God, to dig deeper. Help me to love more fully. Help me to see all people as You would see them. Thank You, God, for being my Protection, my Shield, my Rock and my Fortress. Thank You for sending Your Son to die for me to protect me from evil and your angels to stand guard around me. I want to live my life in such a way that I protect and guard not only those that I love, but those You put in my path. Help me to decrease so that You may increase in my life. Help me to walk in love all of my days!  I love You, Lord!  Help me show it. In your Son’s name we pray, Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 11 – Rejoices With The Truth

November 18, 2013 by

16daylovechallengerejoicewithtruthI love Rebecca’s opening question in chapter 11: “Have you ever experienced a contrast between the truth of your experience and the Truth of the Word of God?”  So many of us can raise our hands.

I have found HOPE when I filter the truth of what I am experiencing through God’s Word in my heart. Real Hope! And you know what?  God’s Word always tells me something different.

The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy:
I came that they may have life, and may have [it] abundantly.
John 10:10

Read it again…what do you see?  The Truth about satan is he is a thief who only comes to steal, kill, and destroy your hope and everything you hold dear to you. But what does the rest of the verse say? God finishes this Truth with some of the most important words I think are in the Bible. He said,

I (Jesus) came that you may have LIFE, and have it ABUNDANTLY!!

When we remember to filter the truth of our circumstances through God’s Truth {His Word} we see that we have hope and life that is abundant no matter what our circumstances look like.

Bill and I have our home in Jacksonville, Florida up for sale. Our renters moved out in July and we know beyond all doubt that it was time to put it back on the market. Our first try was six years ago. We had 4 closings that all fell through days before we met to sign the papers. Talk about frustrating!  Bill had already been transferred to South Carolina for his last 4 year term with the Navy and I was tired of living life without him. It was time. We took it off the market, rented it and the kids and I joined Bill.

Five years later and here we are again. We decided going into this that we would trust God and obey His Word when we found ourselves in darkness. We experienced  our months of no movement. It has been hard. Four months is a long time to have your home on the market with nothing happening. It can cause fear and doubt to rise. But we entered a covenant with God. A covenant that we would choose His Truth—no matter what. Believe me when I tell you we have been tested!  Satan has said many things to both of us. He reminds us what the market is right now and tells us that people are not looking to buy a home because they are thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas—all truths.  Do you see how satan can use the truth of your circumstances to cause you to doubt God and lose your hope?

About a month ago I was sitting at my laptop and praying, “God, we need a verse to stand on concerning our home in Jax. Will you open your Word to me and show me the verse you have designed for this season?” I then did a word search in BibleGateway.com and this was one of the Scriptures that came up.

For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened;
but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack,
that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality.
2 Corinthians 8:13-14

I had never seen this verse before. At least, I don’t remember seeing it. It leaped at me! I knew this is the direction God wants us to go and it is the TRUTH that we can rejoice in. I went to my Bible app on my cellphone, pulled up the verse, highlighted it, saved a screen shot of it and texted it to Bill and our real estate agent with the following words: “This is the verse we are going to stand on, no matter what!”  And we have applied this verse as our Truth each time satan attacked us with his.

versecheriesblog

We have been faithful to trust and obey God’s Word in the darkness. As of yesterday, we are getting an overwhelming amount of movement: 6 showings in one day.  And today we received a Full Offer on the house. They love it and don’t want haggle for it. Do you see our verse coming to fruition?  Their abundance is the supply for our lack and our abundance (our home) is supplying theirs.

I pray this is encouraging you right where you are! We don’t know what the outcome will be but we choose to stand because we have learned that God’s Word is Always going to be the Truth we can stand on!!

When we choose to walk in covenant with God, we can always Rejoice in the Truth!

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Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Truth today. How blessed we are to have Your Word to read any time we want to. Father, I ask that You would reveal Yourself to each woman reading this today. Father, I ask that You would meet their needs…financial, physical, and spiritual needs.  Lead them to the verse You have for this season in their lives and teach them the power of covenant. Father, I pray that every one of us will Rejoice in the Truth you have given us in Your Word. Encourage and strength my sisters today, in Jesus name!  Amen.

Filed Under: Women's Ministry

16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 10 – Love Does Not Delight In Evil

November 15, 2013 by

Our chapter today was a tough one for me to write. I think it is the most vulnerable I allowed myself to be in this book. I was nervous sharing it because of what I admitted. If you haven’t read it yet, go read chapter 10, Love Does Not Delight In Evil and come back.

16daylovechallengenodelightinevil

Can you remember a time when my story was a reflection of your heart?  I think as we grow in our walk with God we should have the same desire David did when he asked God, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”  (Psalms 139:23-24).  But sometimes the search reveals more than we want to know.

The day God revealed my heart I realized that I had lost sight of wisdom and chose to delight in evil…and it was ugly.  I was so ashamed of myself and yet I could not bring my heart to make it right.  My rights were at stake.  I felt I had a right to be “right!”  Then I read Psalm 139 and realized this isn’t even close to David’s heart—or God’s.  Every time I read this passage I missed a very important truth that I needed to understand.

“God already knows my heart!”

King David was asking God to search his heart, however the purpose wasn’t for God to find out what was going on. The purpose was so God could reveal David’s heart to him. God is omniscient!  He knows everything about us.  Nothing is hidden from Him because He is everywhere.  He is here with me, guiding me as I write to you.  And He is with you, speaking to you as you read.   Admittedly though, the following verses cause me to fear God in a respectful manner and bring great comfort to me.  They are a source of refreshing water to my dry and fearful soul.

Where shall I go from Your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from Your Presence.  If I ascend to heaven, You are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You.

Psalms 139:7-12

I love this quote from Renee Swope’s book, A Confident Heart. She said, “God uses conviction lovingly, to show us our sin and lead our hearts to repentance. He does this to draw us away from destructive behavior that hinders our relationship with Him and others. His desire is to bring us out of the darkness of sin and back into the light, so that we can walk with Him in the freedom of forgiveness and the confidence of His love.”

I pray you will take today’s Love Challenge to heart.  God wants to reveal any wickedness that is residing within us for the purpose of transforming us. We can’t change something if we don’t know it needs to be changed, right?   His goal is that we would become an outward reflection of His inward Glory.  God’s inward Glory has a profound effect on our outward appearance.  “The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; Her clothing is woven with gold” (Psalms 45:13).  This is another verse for you to consider. The inward glory of the King’s daughter originates in, and is the result of, her calling and being set apart for Him as royalty: “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly” (Psalm 4:3).

God won’t reject us because we’ve made bad choices today.  We are His daughters and He loves us with an everlasting Love. Don’t be satisfied to walk with a heart that delights in seeing others hurt because they hurt you.  Though we fail, we know that we can find comfort in God’s Word.  No matter what we do or the choices we make, He is with us!

Father, thank You for Your loving heart to guide and direct us.  Help us to recognize when You are convicting us.  Lord, give us the courage to not only see the sin in our hearts but to repent and change.  Thank You for the Cross and the loving way You defend us.  Help us to recognize that You are not the source of condemnation but of forgiveness and love.  In Jesus name… Amen!

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 9 Love Keeps no Record of Wrongs

November 14, 2013 by

16daylovechallengenorecordofwrongsHave you ever played putt-putt golf?  Do you remember what the scorecard looks like? I’m thinking that it looks a little like the one we keep in our heads.  Who’s name is at the top of the scorecard?  Is it a husband, friend, sibling, parent or yourself?  Is it an ongoing score card? I know…I’m asking a lot of questions…but only because I’m concerned.  I, too, was a score keeper.  I had so many scorecards with so many names on them and I can tell you I didn’t let anything go.  No free passes and no excuses and not much grace.  I wanted grace but I didn’t give it.  Which brings me to the hard question that is in the book, “Would I want to hold another accountable for their small transgression against me and run the risk of having the Lord repay me for all of my sins?”

Hold on to that scorecard for a minute.  I want you to look up 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view” (verse 16).  “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ as we plead, ‘come back to God.’  For God made Christ, Who never sinned to be an offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (verses 20-21).

Jesus tells us that because of His death on the Cross, we are a new creation.  We are never the same person that we were.  We are His ambassadors.  The way we do things and the way we see things has to be 180 degrees different than the rest of the world.  We are Christians and, as His followers, we do things a little differently.  So, if the rest of the world is holding grudges and taking other people’s inventory and suing his Christian brother, what are we to do differently?  I know, we are to go the extra mile for our neighbor. We are to love our enemies.  We are to wash the feet of those who have wronged us.  We are to remember that—just as our own sins were nailed to the cross all those 2,000 years ago—so are the people’s sins that are at the top of your score cards.

He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our sins…

Isaiah 53:5

 I feel that if Jesus were sitting right here today, He may just tell us to go ahead and rip up the scorecards.  To shred them into pieces and throw them away.  And He would speak words to us , maybe something like this…

“My child, I suffered evil, shame and wrong, yet I love all of you who brought Me pain.  I have never sinned, yet I gave up my rights for your sin and I was slain.  My love was rejected by sinful men, yet I loved expecting nothing in return.  I have been mocked and beaten, yet I forgave.  From me, and my example, learn.  Make my death count for something.  For when you keep a record of someone else’s wrongs against you, you are saying that my death wasn’t enough.  I ask you to love Me with everything you have—your heart, soul, mind, and strength—and second, love your neighbor as yourself.  Especially when they’ve wronged you.  And forgive, forgive, forgive and forgive again. And love, love, love them. For I love you and I forgave you and I erased your sins and the slate is clean. Remember, if you want to be My disciple…deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me.”

Friend, have you been hurt?  Wronged deeply by someone you love and trusted?  Then may you ask for grace greater than all your sin and theirs because usually when we are hurt, we usually sin against the person that has wronged us.  Jesus wants you to know that He has overcome the world and, as His followers, we too will overcome the world. Freedom, my friends, comes from forgiveness.  The record of wrongs keeps us in bondage.  The person you are keeping record of usually has no idea.  It’s in our minds and hearts; and can become so big it stands in the way of our God.  Free yourself today by forgiving whoever you need to forgive and pray to your Father to fill you will such love for others that you will never be the same!  You will never be the same!

I leave you with this…Jesus praying for us and about us to His Father.

And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it,
that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
John 17:26

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Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, You are our Maker, our Redeemer, our Provider, and You are full of mercy.  Lord, we come to You today asking for forgiveness for keeping records of wrongs made against us.  We keep score and pride slips in and makes us feel better or less. Lord, we are all sinners but You died to forgive us, You died so that we don’t have to carry the weight of our cross day in and day out.  Give us the strength to let it go, to lay the scorecards at Your feet forever and leave them there.  If we are tempted to pick them back up, help us to remember that You died for them too.  Give us a heart to respond to others and to pray for others.  Help us to know You better and to serve You with all that we have.  We love You and we thank You for what You are doing in each one of our lives. Thank You for freedom from these chains. For it’s in Jesus name we pray.  Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 8 – Love Is Not Easily Angered

November 13, 2013 by

16daylovechallengenotangryWhile studying for today’s lesson, I found this story (author unknown) that is just perfect to help teach us about this standard of “love.”

 A husband one day said to his wife,  “When I get mad at you, you never fight back.  How do you control your anger?” The wife responded, “I clean the toilet.”  He said, “How does that help?” To which she said, “I use your toothbrush.”

Ephesians 4:26 tells us:

In your anger do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.

How many of us have done this?

How many of us let anger control us?

Anger does not happen easily…it creeps in on us when we least expect it; and the first little thing that someone says will upset us and then we explode.

I was called into my supervisor’s office last week for a special meeting and in the first two minutes of the meeting I was devastated with her announcement.   I was so angry that I could not even speak, and then my insides were ready to burst.

I wanted to get out of her office quick.   Instead of blowing up and shouting out, I began to cry and just told her, “I need to go. I can no longer talk about this subject.”

I left her office, went back to my desk and began to read a Scripture that I had posted on my computer monitor.

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:3

I sat there reading it over and over so that I did not get up and explode and do or say things that later I would regret.  The more I said the verse and talked with God the more amazed I was that God was helping me to change my thoughts, my anger.  God was providing me the fuel I needed to squash the anger.

Anger is powerful.   James 1:19-20 says:

Everyone should be slow to speak and slow to become angry,
for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

How will we ever be able to live a life that pleases our God if we walk around with this kind of anger inside of us and not deal with it.   It will be just like a mouse running around on a wheel in a cage, or also as Cherie stated “we will be stuck in a continual rotation of frustration with everyone and everything around us”.

How can we show God’s love to this world, if inside us we have anger that is built up and ready to be unleashed at any moment?  When we fail to release our anger it will control us; it will even be who we become.

Love does not do that.  Love seeks to draw others. Love can’t draw when anger is present.

Love looks over the small things that creep up but anger magnifies the small things.

Think of the times in your life recently when you became angry with someone, and that anger then brought you to remember every wrong that person had ever done or said to you.  Going through this thought process is not “love in action.”

 “Love seeks to bind and to mend”

 Many of our angers are petty or personal, so we must learn to bottle them up and deal with them only with Jesus and not others for love’s sake,  then we can fulfill the commandment of God, in 1 Corinthians 13,  to “love and not be easily angered.”

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Let’s Pray:

Dear God, I pray for each lady who has studied this devotion today.  I pray that as they sought You, You were able to speak to them and show them if they are carrying around any anger that has affected their witness of You to others.  Help all of us, Lord, to seek, find and then to squash this anger out of our lives so that we can begin to show love, not anger towards others.  Help us, Lord, to be patient when others show anger and help us not to get drawn into it.  Help us to seek Your love that overshadows anger and—as You show us Your marvelous love—help us to show the world.  In Your name I pray.  Amen!

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 7 – Love Is Not Self-Seeking

November 12, 2013 by

Hello, sisters!  Today, we are challenged with “Love is not self-seeking (selfish).”  That goes against the grain of this world, doesn’t it?  We are inundated with messages about looking out for yourself, improving yourself, taking care of yourself, making yourself look better.  Any bookstore or library will have a HUGE self-help or self-improvement section. We are constantly told, “You better watch out for #1!” or  “If you don’t take care of yourself, no one will!”  The message is almost everywhere, and unfortunately, sisters, we’ve bought into it.  MINE.

We learned that word as young children, didn’t we? My toys…my snacks…my food??  ME do it! As adults it looks a little bit more like my agenda, my life goals, my job, my money, my time, and my talents.  We often pride ourselves on our ability to work hard or on our achievements.  We’ve got it twisted, ladies, and God is calling us to change that way of thinking.  Not our agenda, our life goals, our job, our money, our time, our talents, but HIS. And here’s the kicker: they belong to Him anyway.  Ladies, let’s take a hard look  and examine ourselves. Are we being selfish…with God?

  • Are you looking to fulfill God’s interests first or your own?
  • Are you protective of your money? Or do you see it as belonging to God (ALL of it; not just what you contribute/tithe)?
  • Who has set the goals in your life?  You or God? Do you know what God wants you to do with your life?  Have you even asked Him?
  • Does God get your “prime” time, or your leftover time?

WHY are we so reluctant to give God EVERYTHING we are and EVERYTHING we have?  Why do we selfishly cling to what is ours?

Can I tell you a lesson I learned about God from interacting with my dog?  (Seriously.  God speaks to us in many ways.  I’ve even had a kingdom revelation while playing Candy Crush, but I digress….) I have a rescue dog, Dyson.  He is my “special needs” dog. Very shy, fearful, and mistrusting, even as a pup.  When Dyson is done eating, he will often pick up his food bowl and carry it around with him, crouching around it.  When I come to pick up his bowl to give him more to eat, he’ll often clamp down on it with his mouth and growl at me. I then have to do what I can to coax it away from him.  One day I was already frazzled, and Dyson and I start the “food bowl dance,” but Dyson was extra protective – he even snapped at me! My heart was broken; after all, I am his caregiver!  I broke down in tears and started telling Dyson: “Don’t you see that mommy would never hurt you?  Mommy will ALWAYS feed you!  Mommy will ALWAYS give you more to eat! Mommy LOVES Dyson! Mommy will ALWAYS take care of Dyson!”  As tears were streaming down my face, God gently touched me and said, “Don’t you see that I will never hurt you? I will ALWAYS feed you. I will ALWAYS give you more. I LOVE YOU!!  I will ALWAYS take care of you.”   The weight of what He said really sunk in.  Why do I hold back from God when He only wants what is best for me?  He wants to give me MORE.

Sisters, we live our lives like Dyson.  We protect what is “ours” because we don’t see the storehouse of blessings God has for us when our bowl is empty!  We mistrust God’s provision for us because we can’t physically see what is around the corner.  Dyson is always literally steps away from his reserve of food AND treats! We look to our own interests because we don’t believe God cares about them.  We are selfish with others because we don’t understand how freely and abundantly God gives to us. When we understand that everything belongs to God, then we realize He can replace whatever we give away!  The day I learned that I could trust God to supply for me even more than I could possibly supply for my dog was the day I became free of the bondage of selfishness.  God LOVES you!  He will ALWAYS take care of you!  He wants what is best for you!  You can trust God!

Will you be free from the bondage of selfishness today?  Give God your “bowl” today – he wants to fill it to overflowing!!

* * * * *

Let’s pray:

Holy God, I thank You that You are my kind and loving Father.  I thank You that You take care of my every need and promise to always take care of me in Your Word!  Forgive me, Lord, when I am selfish and look to my own needs instead of Your needs.  Help me to realize that when I seek You first, then You will supply all my needs through Your Son, Jesus.  God, I love You and I want to give to others as You have freely given to me.  Help me to live a selfless life!   In Your Son’s name we pray.  Amen.

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