April 26, 2024

His Promises For You

September 11, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

You keep him in perfect peace 
whose mind is stayed on You,

because he trusts in You.

Trust in the Lord forever,

for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Isaiah 26:3-4

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My mind has not been at rest lately.  In fact, if I am completely honest, I haven’t allowed God to have my anxious thoughts—until today.  Have you ever gotten so tired that you finally gave in?  I wish I could tell you that I had this grand revelation and that I willingly handed it all over.  Honestly, God has been proving over and over and over that He is so capable of taking care of my affairs much more than I am.  See, this season of my life is so different for me in that I have two of my children living away from me now and I truly have to give them over to Him, physically and mentally.  Oh, this is very hard…so I went to His Word and found  many verses on just this.  I thought I would share because I know that, even though we are all in different seasons, we all need to trust in Him.

But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my Glory, and the One who lifts my head.
Psalm 3:3

He is a shield when the world is coming at us in all directions.  And, when it seems that we are defeated, He lifts our heads out of the shame and into His grace.  He wants us to look up at Him and let His glory shine so bright that it dims all the hard that is around us.

For everyone born of God overcomes the world.
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
1 John 5:4

Did you read that?  It says “everyone“…that means you, too.  You were born an overcomer.  In Jesus we have victory over the world because He died and overcame it for us!  All we have to do is have faith.

  • faith that He will help you with that marriage that is at the brink of defeat
  • faith that He can heal that illness that you have been battling for so long
  • faith that He can take care of that child that you feel is lost forever

Nothing is too much for Him! We have the victory in Jesus!

Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them!
The Lord your God will go ahead of you.
He will neither fail you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6

What a comfort to know that, no matter where you or your children go, He goes before you all.  When you are sending those babies back to school…pray that God will go before them, and that He will be at that homeroom before they are, and that He will give them peace.  Or, when you have a meeting that you are really unsure about…ask God to meet you there; even in the parking lot to walk in with you.  He will!

Be strong and have courage to do this life that He has called you to live.  You have nothing and no one to fear when He is with you.  Lastly, remember His promise to never fail you or forsake you.  Oh, how loved we are by our Creator.  I don’t know about you but, after reading these promises, I am full of joy and cannot stop smiling!

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Where are you today, my friend?  What do you need to trust Him with?  I encourage you to pray these verses to your Heavenly Father asking Him to do what you cannot do by yourself.  Perhaps write these verses down on notecards and put them where you can see them daily.  He wants to encourage you and fill you with peace that only He can give you. I pray that you will feel it today!

Let’s pray!
Dear God, You are so awesome and amazing and so full of love for Your children.  Oh Lord, thank You that You never change and that all Your promises are true.  Thank You for all those who went before us—those whose stories are written in the pages of Your Word—to teach us and to prove to us that You will take care of us.  You will provide.  You will never fail us.  You will never leave us. And, Lord, for those today who are having a hard time trusting You, I pray that You show up today in a big way so that they will know beyond any doubt that it is You!!!  We love You and we praise You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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A Beautiful Jar of Clay

June 26, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

We now have this light shining in our hearts,
but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars
containing this great treasure.
This makes it clear that our great power
is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles,
but we are not crushed.
We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.
We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.
We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
Through suffering, our bodies continue
to share in the death of Jesus
so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
2 Corinthians 4:7-11 NLT

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There is so much brokenness in this world.  Look at the headlines every day…Christians are being tortured daily; children are being taken from their mothers; there is hunger and poverty…and the list goes on.  I’m sure if you went anywhere today, you passed a wife that cries every night because her husband is leaving or a father who is working so hard yet not being able to provide.  I know hard…and I know the One Who mends the hearts of all these people.  It is Jesus.

I went through a really trying time when my kids were younger.  It was a time that sometimes I wish I didn’t have to remember.  The memories sometimes are too much and I find myself wanting to erase them all.  But as messy as I see it, God sees it as a ministry that will give others hope and faith.  If I made it through and found joy and peace and restoration on the other side, then so can you.

Read the verses above; a jar that has cracks and holes can allow light to enter in those places.  And, as His children, we are never crushed!  We will always be able to withstand because we have Him to hold us together.  If your story is not the one you would have written for yourself, then thank Him for it anyway.  Our God is good and all He gives is good.  Your story may save someone else one day.  And God says if one person meets Jesus because of your story, then it was all worth it.  It may mean the difference between life and death for that person.

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Now, more than ever, we need Him.  And reading and studying His Word will help you know Him more and know His true character.  I just want you to know that all hope is found in Jesus!  Do you know Him?  Are you tired of running and hurting?  He wants to save you!  I ask you to pray this prayer with me:

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I need a Savior.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son and that He died for my sins—all of them.  I want You to be Lord of my life.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Today Is Beautiful

October 19, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Sometimes the day won’t ever end
Sometimes you just throw up your hands
It’s the little things sometimes

Sometimes the world has just gone dark
Sometimes your praying for a spark
It’s the little things sometimes

But if you lift your eyes
See it in a different light
Just a cloud up in the open sky
Let the rain fall away
‘Cause today is beautiful

Right now it feels so hard to breathe
Right now you’re asking God why me
It’s what you can see right now

Cause right now there’s a greater truth
Right now there’s a bigger view
Than what you can see right now

If you see more than what’s in front of you
You might see more of heavens view
If you see more than what’s in front of you
You might see more of heavens view

Singer/Songwriter David Dunn (written with Sam Tinnesz, Blake Bollinger)

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It’s all about perspective.  When you’re standing too close to a painting or a picture, you miss out on the whole picture.  You can only see a small piece of the painting. That’s how it is with life.  When we are standing in the midst of our story, and the rain is falling and storms are raging, all we can see is the water in our eyes.  But if we step back under a walkway, out of the rain, we can see sometimes what had to be.  Oh, there will be things we will not understand on this side of Heaven.  But one day, our eyes will be open and we will see the view from Heaven.

Your life is beautiful because He made it.  Sometimes we are so focused on what we are going through…maybe our heads are down because we don’t have the strength to look up.  All we have to do is ask and God will deliver.  All we have to do is look up—and see there is light, there is joy, and there is hope.  At the end of that day that you thought would never end, there is a promise that joy will come in the morning.  At the end of the rain, sometimes you can even see a rainbow.  If you look hard enough, you will see that there is beauty all around us.

Our Creator made sure that we would be surrounded by His goodness.  His artwork fills the earth.  The sun is shining and the stars are singing His praises.  The ocean knows where to stop and the fish of the sea have their own song of praise.  The Bible says that even the rocks will cry out in praise.  Luke 19:40 says, “I tell you,” He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”  And we, as His chosen people, have the ability to sing His praises in the middle of whatever it is that we are going through. Just close your eyes, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you see this life in His light.

Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name.
Because of His great power and incompatible strength, not a single one is missing.
Isaiah 40:26

And because of His strength, you will be empowered to keep on!

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Let us pray:  Dear Lord, You are amazing.  You are the Creator of this amazing place, and You are Holy.  You made the stars and the moon and the sun all for our enjoyment, and we are so grateful.  Thank You that we can see things so differently when our eyes are on You.  That life is just a little brighter when we look up to the heavens for our help.  This world can be so hard, but You went before us to prepare the way.  Thank You for the rain.  For when the sun comes out, we are so grateful.  We love You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

When You Need Rest

September 26, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Then, because so many people were coming and going
that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them,
‘Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’
Mark 6:31

I love rainy mornings and lit candles and quiet moments with just me and Him. The world quiets, cell phones and all screens are turned off, and I am His. I read His love letter to me and we talk endlessly.  I catch Him up on my week (like He doesn’t already know).  I tell Him how great and amazing He is. And He pours into me, and I know I am loved.  My own prayer retreat right here.

In the verse above, Jesus’ disciples had been preaching and driving out demons and healing people all day.  They anointed people with oil in His name.  They were pumped up, can’t you just imagine?  Yet Jesus knew they were exhausted and needed some downtime.  He told them to go with Him to a quiet place and rest.

Now, rest can look different to all of us. It can be quietly reading a book, or running on your favorite path, or putting your feet in the sand.  Just a retreat with your Maker. It must be important to Him since the word ‘rest‘ in mentioned 585 times in the King James Version.  Here are just a couple of the ones I found:

Psalms 55:6, 7
Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness.

Exodus 33:14
The Lord replied,”I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest-everything will be fine for you.”

I feel so refreshed and so loved by God right now.  His words are so comforting, ‘everything will be fine for you’, He means you!  He wants you to be with Him and we are the ones that benefit. Psalm 4:8 tells us, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

What do you need rest from today?  Have you been struggling with a stronghold that has overtaken your life?  It started out as fun but now it is out of control.  Or maybe you’re the only one fighting for your marriage and you’re exhausted and ready to quit. Maybe you’re a single mom and you love your children but you just need one minute to yourself…or you could very well lose it.  Even the bathroom isn’t private enough.  Maybe you just need to get back in to having that quiet time alone with Him everyday. Whichever situation you are in today, He is calling you to lay at His feet and leave all your baggage at the foot of the Cross—at the feet of Jesus.  There is nothing in the world more important than spending time with Him…reading His Word, and listening to what He has to tell you, and just talking together.

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Do you know Him?  Is He Lord of your life?  If your answer is no, I encourage you to ask Him today to come into your heart.  Would you pray this prayer with me?

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I need forgiveness. I believe that You sent Your Son to die on the Cross to save me from my sins. Please, Jesus, come into my life today to be my Lord and Savior.  Walk with me through this life.  I don’t know all there is to know about You but I’m ready to be Yours.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

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His Faithfulness Continues….

August 8, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!
Worship the LORD with gladness.
Come before Him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
He made us, and we are His.
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving;
go into His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the LORD is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and His faithfulness continues to each generation.
Psalm 100

I’ve heard this passage my entire life…in church, in songs, through preaching, and in regular conversation.  A wonderful thing about God’s Word is that with each reading, a passage can reveal something new.  It may seem as if you’re reading the words for the very first time—when in fact it may be the hundredth time.

This passage did the same for me this time.  As I read the words, the last line stood out.  I know that God’s Word speaks to you in your seasons; and in this season of being a mother I need as much guidance from God as I can get.  For those of us who are sending our children back to school, or off to work, or out in the world—whatever stage of life our children may be walking into—there can be a good deal of worry associated with the actions of our kids.  “…And His faithfulness continues to each generation” (verse 5).

This line alone makes me want to shout thanks to the Lord!  It reminds me that He will be equally as faithful to my children as He has been to me.  Sometimes when I’m reminded of His promises such as this one, all I can say is “God is good! The Lord is good!”  Simple words that say so much. His promise to myself and to my children is reason enough to live this passage on a daily basis…but He has done so much more than that.  He has done more than I could ever imagine.  I want to live these verses not because of what He has done in my life, but for who He is to the world.  He is faithful, He is loving, and for this I thank Him.

Let’s Pray: Lord, Your words bring peace…they bring joy…they bring security. Words could never truly honor You as You deserve; but, Lord, we promise to make the best effort we possibly can.  I pray these words are written on the hearts of all the women reading this, and that we live these words in good times and in bad.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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CHRISTLife – Ten: A Self-Opinion Too High

January 24, 2014 by

Christlife graphic wk2 5

Have you ever said to yourself, either verbally or mentally:

In light of a problem:   “I’ve got this. I can handle it by myself.”

Or after an accomplishment:  “I did it myself with no help from anyone!”

Those statements may indicate a self-opinion that is too high. The truth is we can’t—don’t—do anything without the help of God. He is our breath and life.

God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!
Daniel 5:23 NLT

And He (God) is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything.
Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else…
For in Him we live and move and have our being.
Acts 17:25 and 28 NIV

The ‘puffed up’ attitude can become a habitual part of our lives. The way to counter a self-opinion that is too high is to compare ourselves with God as His Word describes Him, and us. The benefit to this for me (and hopefully for you) is that it reminds me (us) of how great God is and still how loving He is toward us. It is humbling to realize that:

All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.
I Peter 1:24,25

Let’s look at just a few other Scriptures that will help us balance our self-image with His Truth:

I am — “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
James 4:14 ESV

God is — “from everlasting to everlasting You are God.”
Psalm 90:2

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I am accountable — “So then each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
Romans 14:12

God is — “…the great God, the great King above all gods.”
Psalm 95:3

God is our Creator; we are His creation. Do you see in just these few verses what a vast difference there is? We can’t be God, but that is the lie which an inflated self-opinion would lead us to believe, whether we are aware of it or not. (Remember Satan’s fall as told in Isaiah 14:12-15.) Instead the truth is that we need God. We need His guidance. Without Him, our life and our accomplishments don’t amount “to a hill of beans” (a trifling value).

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.
Galatians 6:7

Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.
Jeremiah 10:23

An inflated self-image is a dangerous trap. Look at some of the verses from the end of the chapter that point this out:

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18

The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty…they will be humbled.
Isaiah 2:12

‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’
Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:6,7 ESV

Hmmm, if I’m correct, that last Scripture (in James chapter 4) is saying that pride, arrogance, too-high a self-image are each sin that we should run from. Ouch! Okay I get it. This is not just some little hiccup in our personality. This is a sin, a wedge that will separate us from God. I want to get rid of that, how about you!? This next Scripture is our guide to help us correct our self-image to line up with God’s image of and plan for us:

Come near to God, and He will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts…
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
James 4:8-10

Praise God, He loves us enough to point out the areas we need to change, and then shows us exactly how to do it.

We are, after all, fallen and flawed. We are like the sheep in Isaiah 53:6, we “…have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way….” But the Good News is that God is the Giver of life! (Psalm 36:9, NCV). Jesus knows His sheep, and as we humble ourselves more and more to Him we hear and know His voice and we follow Him.

The One who enters by the gate is the Shepherd of the sheep…
and the sheep listen to His voice.
He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out…
and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.
John 10:2-4

So instead of being in the dangerous position of a self-opinion that is too high, and will surely cause us to wander “off the cliff of pride,” let’s humble ourselves before our God Almighty. Let’s continue to listen to His voice, to follow Him, and get rid of the high self-opinions He sees as sin. He is Our Good Shepherd who wants only the best for us, His sheep.

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Dear Lord God Almighty, we humble ourselves before You today. We ask You, Lord, to show us any sin of a “self-opinion too high.” Thank You for Your Word that not only reveals our sins, but also reveals Who You are, who we are in Your sight, and just how much You love us. We want to repent of pride today and receive Your forgiveness. We want to know Your voice and follow You because You are our Good Shepherd Who loves us and wants only the best for us, Your sheep. Thank You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Filed Under: CHRISTLife Bible Study Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,