April 26, 2024

What Is A Peacemaker

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Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
James 3:18 NIV

I am a peacemaker by nature; a conflict resolver at any cost, or at least I used to be.  I don’t think that is the kind of peacemaker James is referring to.  He is actually talking about healthy peacemakers who are personally at peace with God‘s authority and willing to bring a sense of peace wherever they go.  It doesn’t matter who they are with…they just have that gift.

Turn in your Bible to James 3:13-4:1

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.  What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? (New Living Translation)

What a hard question he is asking the people!  And what kind of answer do you think you would have given him?  What does cause the fighting among God’s people?  I think the answer comes in the second question that is asked: “Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?”  That answer is yes.

The fact is: conflict is part of our human condition.  It exists in most households, offices, and churches.  But just because there is conflict, doesn’t mean that there has to be fighting and quarreling.  However, they usually go hand in hand, especially if people are not willing to take responsibility for their own part in an argument.  They find someone or something to blame for their actions instead of just admitting the wrong that they did or the words that they said.

But God calls us to be different.  As His children, we pray for the wisdom to do the hard things—like admitting we were wrong and asking for forgiveness.  He calls us to be humble, knowing that we are human and will make mistakes. Read James 3:13 again.  The writer is reminding us that one who is wise and understands God’s ways will show it by deeds done in humility.  Saying we are sorry requires humility and that means admitting to others that we are actually wrong sometimes.  (We don’t like that very much.)  But in order to be the light that Jesus calls us to be and to be the witness that leads others to Him we must right our wrongs.

This is the kind of peacemaker that God calls us to be.  The kind that humbles themselves and shows love to others.  Seeking God’s wisdom delivers us from the need to be right all the time and helps us become the humble servant to those that we come in contact with.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
Matthew 5:9

 { You are a child of God….  }

Do you know this God that loves you so much?  He is your Father and He wants so much to be in your life.  Or maybe you know Him but you’ve moved away from Him and need to get back on track.  If so, He is waiting and He will meet you right where you are.

I would love for you to pray this prayer with me today:

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I need forgiveness.  I am far from You today and I want to change that.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son and He died for my sins.  I ask that Jesus come into my heart today and be Lord of my life.  Walk with me…gve me more knowledge of You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Show Me Your Ways

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Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them His way.
Psalms 25:8 and 9 NIV

Show me Your ways
Teach me Your paths
Lead me in Your truth, O Lord
On You I will wait

You are upright
Teaching sinners the way
The humble You guide in justice
The humble You teach Your ways

All Your paths O Lord are mercy and truth
And Your secret is for those who fear You

You will teach me the way I should go
You will guide me in the fear of the Lord
In Your presence, You will give me rest

You will show me the path of life
In Your presence is fullness of joy
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore

This Week…Psalms 25:8 and 9

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Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them His way.
Psalms 25:8 and 9 NIV

What a loving and kind God we have—He doesn’t just tell us that we must follow His ways (though He could do that).  He instructs and teaches us His ways. Who could be a better teacher than He?  No one.  And when we humbly seek His instruction and guidance, He faithfully teaches us His ways.

This week’s devotionals have centered on verses 8 and 9 of Psalm 25.  Earlier on in this psalm, David asks his God to teach him; listen:

Show me Your ways, Lord,
teach me Your paths.
Guide me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are God my Savior,
and my hope is in You all day long.

And these are the very things that my friends…Ann, Ahmee, Cynda, Laura, and Tina…have shared in the Seeking Him devotional blog this week.  Here is a short synopsis of some truths that they have shared.

Laura shared about the vital importance of being in a relationship with our Teacher:
“We become wiser the longer we stay in the Word of God and immerse ourselves in our relationship with Christ…By allowing God to be our Teacher, we gain the wisdom to be able to discern what is right and wrong. We become humbled and are able to teach others about God.”

Tina reminded us how humility allows us to be teachable:
“We, as believers, continue to learn every day. Each day is a new opportunity to learn about the wonder of our God. He shows us what is available to us. All we have to do is look and take action. God wants us to seek after Him and be teachable. We can do this by becoming humble. We are to ask God to reveal His heart to us and we need to be receptive to His Word.”

Ahmee wrote about God’s accessibility and willingness to teach us:
“…all you need to do is ask Him for help and He will guide you…One thing I love about God is that He is accessible. Even though He lives where we cannot physically see Him (like we would our friends or family), He is still ever so close to us. He also has a limitless wealth of wisdom and knowledge, and He is willing to share with us!”

Ann brought us back to foundation of asking and seeking:
“…seeking His guidance. And also make sure we are guided by the Spirit of God through the Word of God.” Take a look, again, at the some of the Scriptures she shared with us.
When we allow God to guide us…Psalm 32:8
He will guide us into glory..Psalm 73:24
He will guide our path…Isaiah 42:16 (also Isaiah 48:17, Luke 1:79)
He will guide us in all truth…John 16:13

Cynda focused on the value of biblical humility—’a lowliness of mind’ and being ‘submissive, meek, contrite, teachable.’  She wrote, “I would much rather bask in God’s grace than have God oppose me; wouldn’t you? Psalm 25:9 states that if we are willing to be humble, God Himself will teach us His ways. I couldn’t ask for a better teacher!”

How very thankful I am for each of these reminders!  I want to be humble and meek…teachable…soaking up like a sponge all that my Father chooses to teach me.  You, too?

Gone Astray?

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The Lord is good and does what is right;
He shows the proper path to those who go astray.
He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them His way.
Psalms 25:8-9

Are you confused?  Lost?  You don’t know what to do next?  Or have you knowingly wandered off the path you know was set before you?  Remember, God knows everything—all you need to do is ask Him for help and He will guide you.

Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High.
That is why He broke them with hard labor;
they fell, and no one was there to help them.
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.
He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains.
For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; He cut apart their bars of iron.
Psalms 107:10-14, 16

One thing I love about God is that He is accessible.  Even though He lives where we cannot physically see Him (like we would our friends or family), He is still ever so close to us.  He also has a limitless wealth of wisdom and knowledge, and He is willing to share with us!

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you.
He will not rebuke you for asking.
James 1:5

God can be mysterious, but the more and more we grow in relationship with Him, the more and more we can understand Him.  So, go to God and let Him set you straight.

The Humble

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He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.
Psalm 25:9 AMP

As I read this passage, my eye kept returning to the word humble.  Being humble is something I have struggled with.  Not necessarily that I think I am better than anyone, but that I know what is best for them or the best way to handle a situation.

The world’s view of humble and the Biblical view of humble are vastly different.  The world tends to view humility as a weakness, being a wimp. The biblical Greek translation of humble is “a lowliness of mind.”  That doesn’t mean putting yourself down or talking bad about yourself.  As the Pulpit Commentary defines it, being humble means you are “submissive, meek, contrite, teachable.”

Humility is an absence of self. It is a heart attitude…not an act we put on.  A humble person willingly submits themselves to God.  Humility is giving up our desires for the good of another—a willingness to step aside so another can shine.  Being humble means giving up my right to be right in order to do what is right.  It takes a strong person to put oneself aside.

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves,
you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy,
kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Colossians 3:12

Now finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic,
should love believers, and be compassionate and humble…
1 Peter 3:8 HCSB

But, why should we be humble?  1 Peter 5:5 (AMP) offers the best reason I can think of:

Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the garb of a servant, so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)—[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble.

I would much rather bask in God’s grace than have God oppose me; wouldn’t you? Psalm 25:9 states that if we are willing to be humble, God Himself will teach us His ways.  I couldn’t ask for a better teacher!  Plus there are so many benefits to being humble:

  • If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
    2 Chronicles 7:14 HCSB
  • I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at My word.
    Isaiah 66:2 HCSB
  • Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully
    Psalm 10:17
  • The humble will eat and be satisfied.
    Psalm 22:26a HCSB
  • But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
    Psalm 37:11 NASB
  • The humble will see their God at work and be glad.
    Psalm 69:32a NLT
  • …a humble spirit will obtain honor.
    Proverbs 29:23b NASB
  • Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
    James 4:10 NASB

The world may try to convince us humility is a weakness, but all it offers in return is self-satisfaction.  It cannot offer anything that compares to what God offers the humble.  And there is not one of these benefits I am willing to give up.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Father God, we thank You for Your grace.  We thank You for the blessings You are waiting to bestow upon us if we are willing to humbly submit ourselves to You.  What the world has to offer pales in comparison.  Gently remind us when our attitude shifts away from humility.  Continue to help us as we struggle to become humble and teach us Your ways.  In Your Holy name I pray, Amen – It is so!

Humble, Humble Jesus

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We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 
Matthew 5:5

Humble and human, willing to bend You are
Fashioned of flesh and the fire of life, You are
Not too proud to wear our skin
To know this weary world we’re in
Humble, humble Jesus

Humble in sorrow, You gladly carried Your cross
Never refusing Your life to the weakest of us
Not too proud to bear our sin
To feel this brokenness we’re in
Humble, humble Jesus

We bow our knees
We must decrease
You must increase
We lift You high

Humble in greatness, born in the likeness of man
Name above all names, holding our world in Your hands
Not too proud to dwell with us, to live in us, to die for us
Humble, humble Jesus

We lift You high
We lift You high

 * ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥~ *

Singer/Songwriter – Audrey Assad

 

The Importance of Being Meek

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Today’s post is shared with us by Cynda Cottrill, our newest writer for the Seeking Him devotional blog!

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the meek (those who are humble) for they will inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:5

The word meek is often used interchangeably with the word humble.  Common definitions include “…gentle, tender, calm, not easily provoked, free from pride and not occupied with self.”  Vines Bible Dictionary defines meekness as “grace of the soul.”  I like that.  It speaks of the spirit within, the spirit with which we not only deal with the external (the circumstances of our life) but also the internal (how we accept God’s dealings with us).  Meekness is not just a characteristic or trait; it is an attitude, a way of life.  Being meek is not to be confused with, or seen as, weakness. It is more like self-control because we are aware of the infinite resources of God available to each of us in every situation.

So, why is it important to be meek?  There are many benefits.  As Matthew 5:5 says “the meek…will inherit the earth.”  This isn’t just about a place to be acquired or obtained.  It is God making His favor real in our lives.  Revelations 21:7 tells us “<they>…shall inherit all things.”  This inheritance is to receive the blessing of God as a gift.  It is our reward, our birthright, as children of the Most High King.  Doesn’t that just make your heart sing?

There are other benefits to meekness as well (found in the Scriptures below):

  • Psalm 25:9 “He guides the humble” (AMP) or “He leads the meek” (NASB)
  • Psalm 69:32 “The humble will see their God at work and be glad”
  • Psalm 147:6 God sustains, supports, lifts up the meek
  • Isaiah 29:19 “…the meek will increase their joy” (AMP) or “…the humble will be filled with fresh joy from The Lord” (NLT)

Great reasons to be meek! I would not want to miss out on any of these blessings. But the best reason for being meek is found in 1 Peter 3:4: “a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”  Meekness is very precious in the eyes of The Lord!

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥~ *

Heavenly Father, thank You for the many blessings You bestow upon us and the many opportunities we have to be blessed.  Being meek is not always easy, it does not come naturally to most of us.  But meekness is of great value and importance to You.  Lord, we ask that You help us develop a quiet and gentle spirit and willingly accept and submit to You and Your ways.  For we want our lives to be precious and pleasing to You.  In the precious name of Jesus, I ask this.  Amen…so be it!

CHRISTLife – Ten: A Self-Opinion Too High

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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

–*–*–*–

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.

Crazy Love: Chapter 8 – “Profile Of The Obsessed” (pp 134-138)

In this chapter of Crazy Love, Chan gives us a profile of being obsessed with Jesus.  Keep in mind that obsessed means ‘to have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic.’ 

On pages 134-138, Chan lists three more ways in which we should examine ourselves to see if we are obsessed with Jesus to the point that we are faithfully living out His word. 

  1. Friends of All – People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another.  Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and the poor so often because it was really important to Him.  (1 John 2:4-6; Matthew 16:24-26) 
  2. Crazy Ones – Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo.  A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don’t always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth.  (Luke 14:25-35; Matthew 7:13-23, 8:18-22; Revelations 3:1-6)
  3. The Humble – A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the sin of pride is always a battle.  Obsessed people know that you can never be “humble enough,” and they seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known.  (Matthew 5:16)

May I share my heart with you as each of us begins to examine ourselves in view of these three ways.  It is my belief that we go through seasons of our lives where the Holy Spirit is nudging us to be more obsessed with Him, and even points to the door He wants us to enter to make that happen. 

For me personally, there was a particular season of my life when, I indeed, looked pretty Crazy to those around me for following Jesus down the path that I felt He was leading me.  Some even called me by that name!   In fact, there were even times when I felt a little crazy myself because I was traveling down a road with Jesus that was completely out of my comfort zone of faith.  We were on a road together that was, shall I say, “not my normal way” of life.  Believe me, it would have been much easier for me to turn around and go back than to face the opposition that I encountered.

But, I learned some very valuable lessons during that season of my life:

  • If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)
  • His grace was sufficient enough to carry me through that season of my life, despite the opposition. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
  • Probably, the most important lesson I learned during that time period was:  I had to “let go and trust Him” for the outcome of where He was leading me.  After all, isn’t that what faith is?

As for being Humble, there was one season of my life when I had to face being humbled.  Come to think of it, there were two seasons of my life—no, make that three.  Oh, my gosh, numerous  times are flooding my memory now as I write this blog when I had to face the big H.  I am beginning to see that it is  just like Chan says:  “the sin of pride is always a battle.”  So I might as well look for it to come around and around again until I reach heaven’s door.

I said all of this to show you where I’ve been and where I am at in this present season of my life ;and that is “Friends of All,” as it pertains to giving to the poor.

“Do you have a problem with giving to the poor?”  you might be wondering.

My Answer:  I don’t have a problem with giving to the poor at allit is because of the season of my life that I am in at the present time that I am a little hung up.  You see, I am retired, and though my husband and I have a comfortable income coming in, it is certainly not like it once was when we had big salaries, plus bonus checks coming in that took care of our family’s needs.  There was also enough money left over for fun and recreation, long vacation trips, and even care-free spending at the mall.

As a result of this decrease in salary, I feel a strong need to be a good steward of MY MONEY.  Wait!  I don’t believe I just said that.  “MY MONEY?”  “Lord, forgive me; it’s YOUR MONEY.”

Oh yes, I believe God wants me to be a good steward in regards to money. But, quite honestly, out of my desire to feel “secure,” I find myself “hoarding my money,”  (excuse me, God’s money) after I give of my tithes to the church. 

Right now I feel the nudge to become Friends of All and give to those who don’t even have an income coming in like I do, that is “if I want to be obsessed with Jesus.   

And that’s my story on these three.  What about you?  What is God speaking to you about?

WhatIsGodSpeakingToYouAbout

 

 

Be blessed,

Martha

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Let’s Pray: 

Father God, first of all, we open our hearts to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to show us where we are not being obsessed with You. Help us to make changes in our life as You would have us to. In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

Your Assignment: 

Where do you feel you need to make changes in your life in view of these three areas to become more obsessed with Jesus. 

 



If you would like to send Martha a personal message in regards to this blog, you may email her at: Martha@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.