December 23, 2024

Hearing His Voice

April 24, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the LORD by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.  One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernaclea near the Ark of God. Suddenly the LORD called out, “Samuel!”  “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?”
He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”  “I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.  Then the LORD called out again, “Samuel!”
Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.” Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before. So the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.
And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them. So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.”
Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the LORD had said to him. But Eli called out to him, “Samuel, my son.”
“Here I am,” Samuel replied.

1 Samuel 3:1-15 NLT

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

Samuel was only 12 when he heard the voice of God.  God spoke so clearly to him, but only after he had positioned himself directly outside the Holy of Holies.  Have you heard God’s voice lately?

One thing I know for sure is that God wants to speak to us.  He meets you exactly where you are, no matter what you have or haven’t done. And He wants you to know His will for your life.  But you have to be in a position to listen.  There are so many distractions today and we can get so busy with the mundane that we cannot hear above the noise of life.

In the Bible, when God did speak to His people, He usually waited until they showed that they were ready to listen and to receive it.

For example,

  • He called Mary’s name after His resurrection, but only after she came to the tomb, seeking her Savior’s body (John 20).
  • He gave David advice on many important issues when he “…inquired of the Lord” (1 Samuel 23).
  • He spoke directly to the woman with the medical issues, only after she, oh so forcefully, made her way through the crowd to just touch Jesus (Luke 8).
  • And He spoke (in this record) to Samuel, a young boy who is so ready to hear His Heavenly Father.

Are you ready to hear from Him? Maybe you’re holding on to something that is taking up all your time and energy because you just can’t let it go. Maybe there is sin that you haven’t asked forgiveness for that is getting in the way of His message to you. You can start today fresh by clearing all the distractions and preparing your heart for complete worship. Seek Him and quiet your soul and wait on Him to meet you. Then ask—knowing and believing wholeheartedly that He will answer you, at just the right time.

And if this time in your life is quiet, don’t be distressed. Just keep worshipping this awesome God of ours and remember all He has done for you and keep telling Him how much He means to you. He will respond…are you ready?

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

Do you know this God we are talking about? Do you know that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to earth to live as we do, to experience all that we have to, so that He could be the model we can go by in this life? He died for you and me so that we don’t have to. If you want to have Jesus, I invite you to pray with me.

Dear Jesus, I am sorry for all the things I have done wrong.     I want to thank You for dying on the Cross for me.  I want to live a new life with You.  I ask that You come into my heart and be my Savior.  Walk with me and guide me.  Teach me more about You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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A Letter From Your Father

April 17, 2015 by

Many of you have gone on Spring Break or are anticipating taking a vacation this summer.  It is a time to refresh spirit, soul, and body.  Over the next couple of weeks, our faithful bloggers will be taking a ‘spring break’ from writing so that they can come back to us refreshed and freshly anointed.
However, Girlfriends’ Coffee Hour website won’t ‘go black’!  We will be revisiting some of our favorite blogs and daily devotions which have blessed us in the past.  We pray that each of you, our faithful friends and readers, will continue to start your day meditating on the devotionals and songblogs, and be encouraged and blessed.

Let’s give each of our bloggers a big round of applause, a hug,
and the rest they so deserve.  God bless you, ladies!

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves,
so that you live in fear again;
rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:15

Adoption…God has searched you out and adopted you for His own.  Before you knew you even needed Him as your Father, He had already filled out the paperwork and made you a room in His House.

For God knew His people in advance,
and He chose them to become like His Son,
so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:29

He will never leave you fatherless in this world…after all, He wrote your name in His family tree.  And He paid a huge price for you too!

God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law,
so that He could adopt us as His very own children.
Galatians 4:5

We didn’t pay for our adoption, we only have to accept it.  The minute we do, we go from orphans with nothing to heirs with everything.  We are adopted into a new family…but we are not home yet.  We know our Father’s name, but we haven’t seen Him face to face yet.  He has claimed us but He hasn’t come for us yet.  But we know He will.  But until that day, we live as His.

You are no longer wandering alone.  You are loved so much by a King! Someone actually paid for your freedom in full with His own life!  All the sins you have committed and ever will have already been erased by His blood.  You can never do anything to make Him love you any more or less.  And, though this world may be hard, He will never let you flounder alone.  He wants so much for you, His child.

If God were to write you a letter, it might sound like this:

Dear ______,

I love you more than  you will ever understand.  I bought you and I complete you.  I will always comfort you and I will never fail you.

I know all that you have done, all the regrets and shame you feel about your past.  I want you to know that My grace is sufficient for you and I have put them all behind Me.  I have the ability to actually forget them and, of course, forgive them.  You have been washed clean, like new.  Please come to Me, for I have truly set you free.  I broke the stronghold of the enemy.  You have a home with Me in Heaven and all glory. There you will have no more sorrows, no more sadness or crying and no more death and pain.

I see that you are worried about so much that you cannot control.  But I can.  Please put your trust in Me and I will rescue you every time from all your trials.  Cling to me in your struggle and know that I will give you the strength you need to get through what is in front of you.  Don’t ever give up.  I will give you the help you need and I will give you courage.

Just trust me with all that you have.  I will never leave you.  I never sleep and I am always looking out for you.  I will go before you and make a way.  I have planned every detail of your journey here and until I come again and bring you home, I will give you what you need daily.  I love you, my precious child.

Keep pressing on toward the finish line, never losing momentum.  I will see you soon!

Your Father

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Do you know Jesus?  He is waiting on you with open arms.  I encourage you to pray with me today and ask Him into your life, to be Lord.  Pray with me:

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner.  I need a Savior.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son and You sent Him to die in my place.  I ask that You come into my heart and be my God.  Please go with me and help me to grow in You.  Thank You for this life You have given me.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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The One Who Thanked Jesus

April 10, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

And as He went to Jerusalem, it just so happened that He went through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered into a certain village, ten lepers met Him, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, pity us.” And seeing them, He said to them,”Go show yourselves to the priests.” And it happened, as they went, that they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back and glorified God with a loud voice. And he fell down on his face at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. And answering, Jesus said. “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were none found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him,”Rise and go, your faith has cured you.”

Luke 17:11-19

This story is quite simple to understand….  As Jesus was passing between Galilee and Samaria, He saw ten lepers coming toward Him.  They were begging Him for mercy and healing.  So Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests (which was a prerequisite to be declared clean and free from leprosy).  And, as the ten of them ran off, they were healed!  But, can you believe out of the ten, only one—a Samaritan—came back and praised Him.

{Aren’t we guilty of this?}  God blesses us a thousand times and we forget to thank Him and we find something to complain about.  Something He didn’t get quite right and we want a do-over.  Friend, until we begin to thank Him and praise Him, even in the hard times, we will never be fully filled with joy. Praising and thanking Him  and naming each gift reminds us of how much He has blessed us and how much He loves us…and that we serve a good God Who can only give good things.  It may not look good on the outside, but there is good to come of it or from it.  If we let Him in and allow Him to work in those times, He will  make it all worth the ride.

In the story of these lepers, we see that Jesus healed each one physically.  But the one leper that came back actually received far more for his faith; for not only was he cured physically—he was cured spiritually.  His soul was saved and he received a real relationship with God.  Nine lepers received a partial healing.  A temporary blessing for their time on earth.  The grateful Samaritan received an eternal blessing.  All he did was give thanks—he praised Him for the healing.  See, they all had the faith to trust Jesus, come close to Him, be heard by Him, and ask for His mercy. But only one had the humility and the honesty and character to say, “Thank You.”

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Who are you today?  Are you one of the nine…who has just enough faith to ask something of the Father and take it for granted?  Are you one of the nine…who really didn’t care about a real relationship with Jesus, and left right after the blessing?  Or are you the Samaritan…who not only had enough faith to ask for complete healing, but returns time and time again to the One Who wants so much more for us and longs for a real relationship with us.

Friends, I pray that you begin to really thank Him for what He has done for you.  All the small ways that He loves you.  And yes, of course the biggest way—when He sent Jesus to come and go before us.  And then to pay the ultimate sacrifice with His life so that we may live.  He continues to give us grace and mercy even when we fail Him over and over again.

Do you know Him?  Today can be the day that everything changes.  Your life can truly be one of joy and blessings.  All you have to do is ask.  I encourage you to pray this prayer with me.

 ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥

 

Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I need You to come into my life and change me.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son and He died on the cross to pay for my sins.  Thank You for this free gift. Help me on this journey to seek You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Follow Me

April 3, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Jesus’ first words to Simon Peter were “Come, follow Me” (Matthew 4:18-19).  Jesus’  last words to Simon Peter were “Follow Me” (John 21:22).  Every step of the way between these two challenges, Peter never failed to follow…though he often stumbled.  When Jesus came into Peter’s life, this everyday fisherman with nothing special about him, grew into  a new person with new goals and new priorities.  He was far from perfect but he was always himself.

What did Jesus see in Peter?  Only Jesus knew.  He even gave him a new name—Peter the rock.

Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’) and upon this rock,
I will build My church, and all the powers of hell  will not conquer it.
Matthew 16:18 NLT

He didn’t always live up to that name, and he was quite impulsive sometimes. But Jesus wasn’t looking for perfect…He was looking for real. And Peter was a real follower of Jesus.

Peter was known for a lot of things but the one we think of at this time of year was his part in the Crucifixion.  First he defends Jesus when they come to get Him to arrest Him.  He cuts off the ear of one of the officers with his sword. Then Jesus tells Peter that he will deny Him three times before the rooster crows.  Of course Peter says there is no way he would do that. (But he does.)

Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.  A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”  But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.  Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”  Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.  A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”  Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.  Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.

Matthew 26:69-75 NLT

Can you imagine how Peter felt after he realized that he not only had denied knowing His leader, the Messiah, but he turned away from knowing his friend.  Jesus had loved him and taught him and believed in him before he ever believed in himself.  But Jesus never turned away from Peter.  Peter knew he had failed.  But Jesus knew, when He asked Peter to follow Him, that this would happen.  But it didn’t stop Him from asking.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

He is asking you today, too.  He is saying, “Will you follow Me?”  He knows you will make mistakes and you may even live a little like Peter.  You may not tell all you come in contact with that Jesus is your Lord, but He always will love you and He will always forgive you and He is your friend.  So if today you want to answer the call, I ask that you pray this simple prayer with me.

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner.  My life isn’t what I want it to be and something is missing.  I need a Savior.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son, and He came to die for me.  I ask that You come into my life and be my Lord.  Forgive my sins.  I don’t know all that I need to know about You but I want to know.  Please walk closely with me.  Thank You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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A Letter From Your Father

March 27, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves,
so that you live in fear again;
rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:15

Adoption…God has searched you out and adopted you for His own.  Before you knew you even needed Him as your Father, He had already filled out the paperwork and made you a room in His House.

For God knew His people in advance,
and He chose them to become like His Son,
so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:29

He will never leave you fatherless in this world…after all, He wrote your name in His family tree.  And He paid a huge price for you too!

God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law,
so that He could adopt us as His very own children.
Galatians 4:5

We didn’t pay for our adoption, we only have to accept it.  The minute we do, we go from orphans with nothing to heirs with everything.  We are adopted into a new family…but we are not home yet.  We know our Father’s name, but we haven’t seen Him face to face yet.  He has claimed us but He hasn’t come for us yet.  But we know He will.  But until that day, we live as His.

You are no longer wandering alone.  You are loved so much by a King! Someone actually paid for your freedom in full with His own life!  All the sins you have committed and ever will have already been erased by His blood.  You can never do anything to make Him love you any more or less.  And, though this world may be hard, He will never let you flounder alone.  He wants so much for you, His child.

If God were to write you a letter, it might sound like this:

Dear ______,

I love you more than  you will ever understand.  I bought you and I complete you.  I will always comfort you and I will never fail you.

I know all that you have done, all the regrets and shame you feel about your past.  I want you to know that My grace is sufficient for you and I have put them all behind Me.  I have the ability to actually forget them and, of course, forgive them.  You have been washed clean, like new.  Please come to Me, for I have truly set you free.  I broke the stronghold of the enemy.  You have a home with Me in Heaven and all glory. There you will have no more sorrows, no more sadness or crying and no more death and pain.

I see that you are worried about so much that you cannot control.  But I can.  Please put your trust in Me and I will rescue you every time from all your trials.  Cling to me in your struggle and know that I will give you the strength you need to get through what is in front of you.  Don’t ever give up.  I will give you the help you need and I will give you courage.

Just trust me with all that you have.  I will never leave you.  I never sleep and I am always looking out for you.  I will go before you and make a way.  I have planned every detail of your journey here and until I come again and bring you home, I will give you what you need daily.  I love you, my precious child.

Keep pressing on toward the finish line, never losing momentum.  I will see you soon!

Your Father

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Do you know Jesus?  He is waiting on you with open arms.  I encourage you to pray with me today and ask Him into your life, to be Lord.  Pray with me:

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner.  I need a Savior.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son and You sent Him to die in my place.  I ask that You come into my heart and be my God.  Please go with me and help me to grow in You.  Thank You for this life You have given me.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Beautiful…In His Time

March 20, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under Heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT

Before we get started today, will you read Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 with me?  I’ll make it easy for you:

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
What do people really get for all their hard work?
I have seen the burden God has placed on us all.
Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so,
people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

Time is something that I would love to pause as I watch so much around me change.  This past year I have seen my babies leave the nest and move away (I guess I really never thought it would happen). They are getting older, and I am getting older. With each month, day, year and minute, you and I are aging.

I imagine that you have weathered some hard things by now: loss and learning by doing; being married, divorced or single; raising children or not being able to have children…and so much more.  By now, many have probably benefitted from knowing your story.  Maybe you have mentored some younger sisters and shown them how God has helped you through rough times and shared some lessons that you have learned from just clinging to your faith.

Age isn’t all bad, right? Along with it comes wisdom and stamina (if not physical then spiritual), insight into deeper things, as well as looking at the more meaningful things instead of focusing on the trivial.

And as verse 11 (AMP) says,

“He has made everything beautiful in its time…”

That is YOU.  You are beautiful and God has a purpose designed for you at exactly this time in your life that is so different than any other time.  All those bumps and bruises you have had along the way and all the hard valleys and steep hills you have trudged are all so that He can grow you.

I remember as a child asking my mom, “How many days do I have left here on vacation?”  I so loved being at our favorite vacation spot that I didn’t ever want to go home and sometimes I worried more about the end than enjoying the vacation.  My parents would say “Enjoy what we are doing right now, Kim, and don’t worry about what tomorrow or any other day will be like.”  I think God says that to me, too—that wherever I am (and wherever you may be) that right now is so important to Him.  And that we should not worry about tomorrow and don’t spend time regretting yesterday but love Him now.  Trust Him now and worship and delight in Him now.  Now is all we have. See, it is in the process and in the living that the events of our lives glorify God, not just the outcome.

So whether you want time to stop or you are expecting the next phase, enjoy where you are now and ask your Father to show you just how much you mean to Him now and how important you are in His great plan!  All you have been through has meaning and will be used for something huge. Enjoy the process!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear God, thank You for this time of life.  Help me to see Your plan for me.  I want to glorify You in all that I do and say and in the experiences I have already had and those I have yet to do.  Give us the peace we need now and the faith to trust in You in the process.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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The Holy Spirit

March 13, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

“If you love Me, obey My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them.”

Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”

Jesus replied, “All who love Me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and We will come and make Our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love Me will not obey Me. And remember, My words are not My own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent Me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

John 14:15-26 NLT

Someone once asked me if I thought having Jesus here on earth or having the Holy Spirit living among us was more desirable.  I had to think…on the one hand, I can’t imagine walking and talking with Jesus! Asking Him all kinds of questions and just sitting in His presence, soaking it in that I am with my Savior.  But Jesus was human, here on earth, and He couldn’t be everywhere.  Yes, He traveled from place to place and spoke to many but physically He could only be in one place. However, the Holy Spirit can be everywhere…in every believer…all at the same time!  And, really, to have the Holy Spirit is to have Jesus.

The Spirit has so many jobs.  When we have fallen backwards, and we keep doing the same thing over and over and for some reason, we just cannot stop..the Holy Spirit will give you the strength. When we have been in the valley for oh so long, He will pull us up from where we are. He is our Comforter, our nurse when we are sick. He is our Advocate, our Encourager. And He ministers to both the head and the heart.  He gives us the strength to endure the hatred and evil in our world.  There is so much evil and so much persecution and Jesus knew there would be.

Nothing that is happening today is a surprise to Jesus.  He knew there would be many terrorist groups that would harm His people and He knew that the Holy Spirit would give them the endurance to fight and to die for Him if need be.  Oh friend, the Holy Spirit is your Friend.  He is straight from God the Father, given to each of His children that accepts Jesus as their Savior.  He is here to remind us of all Jesus taught us and gives us a whole new way to look at life.  He gives us a peace that passes all understanding.

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Have you asked Jesus to be Lord of your life?  Are you so tired of trying to do it all on your own?  Or maybe you just needed to be reminded that you aren’t alone and that the Holy Spirit is waiting to give you whatever you need.  Just call on Him today.  Whichever one it is, let’s pray together:

Dear God, Thank You for loving us.  I know that I am living my life right now on my own and I need You.  Today I ask that Jesus come into my heart, into my life, to be my Lord and Savior.  I know that I am a sinner and I need forgiveness.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son and He died for my sins.  Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Help me to know You better.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

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Remain In Him

March 6, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

So Jesus and His disciples took many walks before they stopped at the final place—the Garden of Gethsemane. They fed the hungry, healed the sick and gave hope to the hopeless. As Jesus led them, He used every opportunity to teach them all that He could before He left this earth for Heaven.  One day, as they were walking, they passed a vineyard…the vines were full of fruit.   Jesus told them that He is the True Vine.  And that if they would remain in Him, as branches connected to a vine, they would bear beautiful fruit. Beautiful for others to see. He said:

“If you remain in Me and My words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.
This is to my Father’s glory,
so that you bear much fruit,
showing yourselves to be My disciples.”
John 15:7-8

God wants so much for us as His children and the best way to have the abundant life that He ordained is to remain in Jesus.  The closer we get to Him, the more He pours into us.  And then we begin to bear His fruit!   Before you know it, you are equipped to lead others to the Kingdom.  What kind of world would we live in if all those who are lost saw in us the hope that they have been searching for and we gave them the answer—it is Jesus!

The stronger you become in Jesus, the more the enemy seems to comes at you.  He will tell you over and over how insignificant your life really is…and that Jesus isn’t enough to brighten your life…and that joy is temporary.  (Remember after all, he is the father of lies. Jesus, however, is the Truth.)  And God would haveve never sacrificed His own Son for us if He didn’t think we were really worth it.

He loves us so much…as much as He loves His own Son, Jesus.  As Matthew 3:17 says, “This is My Son, Whom I love…with Whom I am well pleased.” Jesus has this same love for us, too.  And He never gets tired of us.  He only wants to give us all that He has and all the love that He can give.  We need only remain in Him. He is the True Vine and we are the branches. Without the vine, and the nourishment that spreads through to the branches, there is no fruit. As Christians, without fruit, we cannot be a witness to others.

Maybe you just need to be still today and let Him love on you. Maybe you don’t feel lovable today and life has really been hard lately and you just need to be reminded that He really is for you and He is always working on your behalf.  Please don’t forget that He died for you—even if you were the only one on earth that needed saving, He still would have gone to the Cross.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

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

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I ask you today: do you know Jesus?  Do you know God?  He is waiting for you, my friend, with open arms.  All you have to do is ask Him into your heart and to be your Lord.  Will you pray with me?

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus is Your Son and He came into the world as a baby, and walked the earth as a man then died on the Cross with my sins on Him.  Jesus is the Savior and I need Him.  Please come into my heart and be Lord of my life.  I want to know You more.  Walk with me.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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He Had Brought Me So Far

February 6, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

 { David’s Prayer of Gratitude }

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?  And yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God!  And what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God!  Because of Your promise, and according to Your own heart, You have brought about all this greatness, to make Your servant know it.  Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

 2 Samuel 7:18-22

I feel stuck.  Sometimes I feel that I have not really grown spiritually as much as I want to.  I play my past over and over feeling inadequate.  But then I step back at and really look at where I have been…and where I am now…and how in love I am with my God more and more each day.  And I see how far He has brought me.  I am like David and I am celebrating the progress I have made with the One Who brought me here.

David responded to God’s goodness and we see the reasons why he was ‘a man after God’s own heart’.

But now your kingdom shall not continue.
The Lord has sought out a man after His own heart
and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over His people
because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.

1 Samuel 13:14

David surrendered his heart to God.  When we do the same, we will see how far we have come and we, too, will respond like David.  For instance, we will have intimacy with our Creator: David sought no other audience.  He left Nathan’s presence and went and sat with God.  And before we can really embrace and celebrate God’s amazing and unexpected gifts with other believers, we have to seek Him first…always.  We must stay humble in that we need not take credit for our progress.  David always gave credit to His Maker and made known to all that he was humbled by God’s goodness.  He celebrated every time he came into the presence of God.  We must be careful not to flaunt our gains to those who don’t have them yet, for this is prideful.  We will delight in our Lord.  He loves our gratitude and it blesses His heart when we are grateful and awestruck at His goodness.  I imagine it makes Him want to bless us more, knowing how much joy it brings us, each blessing being named and thanking Him for all of them.  And last, we acknowledge God, as David did. I imagine that God loves when we sing loudly the hymn “How Great Thou Art”…don’t you?  He also loves when we list His good qualities and when we shout to all who will listen,”How great is our God!!”  There really is no one like Him!

Look back for a minute to where you have been. Only when you have been in a valley, can you really appreciate coming out. Only when you have been in bondage, do you really understand the amazing feeling of freedom. And when you see that God has been there all along and He keeps loving you and He keeps cheering you on and He never fails you, you will see that you have come a really long way and that God has brought you here. Why don’t you celebrate, my friend!  You are His heart…

Do you know this amazing God?  He knows you and He has been waiting your whole life for the moment that you surrender to Him and accept Him into your life.  Are you ready?  If so, then pray this prayer with me:

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Dear God, I know that I am a sinner.  I need forgiveness.  I believe that You alone are God.  And that You have a Son, Jesus.  He came and walked this earth as a man, suffered the same things that I do, and ultimately He laid down His life for me on the Cross.  You sent Him to be my Savior, and I am asking Jesus to come into my heart today.  Please walk with me and help me to know more about You.  I love You.  Thank You for loving me.  In Jesus name, amen.

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He Is My Rock

January 30, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

I wait quietly before God.  For my victory comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock and my Salvation, my Fortress where I will never be shaken.
So many enemies against one man-all of them trying to kill me.
To them I’m just a broken-down wall or a tottering fence.
They plan to topple me from my high position.
They delight in telling lies about me.
They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts.
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.
He alone is my Rock and my Salvation.
My Fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone.
He is my Refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
O my people, trust in Him at all times.
Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our Refuge.
Psalms 62:1-8 (NLT) 

I remember it like it was yesterday…my heart is breaking into a million pieces as I watch my husband of 20-something years standing on the steps of the courthouse, seeing our home sold to the highest bidder.  Oh, how I want to change this; but I cannot.  I cannot understand why God did not show up and perform a huge miracle and save us from all this pain.  I shook my fist at Him, “How could You sit on Your throne in Heaven and allow this to happen to us, to my children?  Why did You abandon me?  Why didn’t You at least protect my children from losing their childhood home?”

I look back now and what was meant to destroy me, only made me stronger and more in love with my God than ever before.  What I noticed is that the first thing I did was turn to God, it may have been in anger, but I cried out to Him.  And my life and the live of my children are now beautiful.  We see where He had a greater plan all along.  What we saw as ugly, God made pretty.

Have you ever seen a braided rug?  Or a rug made by a loom?  The undersides of the rugs are not pretty; there are loose ends of yarn dangling all around.  What if we judged the rugmaker by the underside of the rug? Likewise, we look at the underside of our life—the wrong side—but God sees the finished pattern always.  His work is never finished until we leave this earth with Him.  God takes the tangled mess of our lives and weaves it together to created a beautiful masterpiece, a gorgeous tapestry, a breath-taking mosaic.

Today, my family is closer than we have ever been.  God literally plucked us out of our hometown and placed us in another.  He brought us away from all we had known to a place where we only knew Him.  Our lives became simple, and more about His purpose for us instead of us keeping up a image that had to be torn down.  God gave us a church that I love more than I can say…and friends that I never would have met.

And healing…healing…healing!  I know that I am blessed.  And I know that He is worthy to be praised regardless of what I’m going through.  There is always something to be grateful for (even if it’s just that you are breathing today).

God is for you...He only wants what is more than beautiful and amazing for your life…and He wants the glory when you make it through.  Do you need Him today? Are you going through a hard season? I encourage you to seek Him. And if you don’t know Him or haven’t accepted Him, I hope you will pray this with me…

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner.  I feel so lost right now.  I need a Savior.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son and He died for me, He is my Savior.  I ask that He come live in my heart today and walk with me through all of this.  I want to know more about You.  Thank You for loving me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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