November 23, 2024

Whatever You’re Doing

February 8, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

It’s time for healing time to move on
It’s time to fix what’s been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong
It’s time to find my way to where I belong
There’s a wave that’s crashing over me
All I can do is surrender

Whatever you’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there’s peace
It’s hard to surrender to what I can’t see
but I’m giving in to something heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Revaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow your will
or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is you want from me
I give everything I surrender

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I’ve wanted to say for so many years
Time to to release all my held back tears

Singer/Songwriters ~~ Sanctus Real
(D. Gartley, M. Hammitt, M. Graalman, C.Rohman, P. Prevost)

  *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

How many times do I have to remind myself to just breathe.  The world can be a really hard place and sometimes things are thrown at us when we are not ready.  How would I react if I actually expected it?  What if you knew that a person was about to shove you while you were standing in line? If you didn’t see it coming, you would stumble. If you saw it coming and  were prepared, you would stand firm where you were, feet planted.

God tells us that we will have trouble and hardships and chaos in our lives. And He has given us a way to prepare ourselves—His Word.  The Bible gives us direction and guidance in every situation.  We can read how David lived and defeated a giant with a stone and slingshot.  We can see how Jonah ran from God and yet God sought him and went to all the trouble to have him swallowed by a fish.  He really needed Jonah to spread the Good News to a specific city.  And then there’s Gideon who doubted that he could do anything, even with God proving over and over to him that he was really equipped to defeat his enemies.  And the list goes on and on….  Each one of these men went on to do great things. Because they didn’t let it defeat them.

The chaos going on in your life is also creating something beautiful and heavenly.  God wastes nothing…no hardship, no affliction. He makes something good out of the hard things that we just knew would be the end of us.  It is time for healing, dear friend.  And the only way that can happen is to totally surrender to Him and His will for you…whatever that may be. Are you ready?

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart, I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

Seek the Lord while He can be found: call upon Him while He is near.
Isaiah 55:6

And God is able to bless you abundantly,
so that in all things at all times, having all you need,
you will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8

When times are good, be joyful; when times are bad, consider this:
God made the one as well as the other,
so people won’t seek anything outside of His best.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 ISV

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Let us pray:
Dear Lord, You are mighty and awesome.  Your name is to be exalted above all!  Your love knows no end and we are so blessed to be Your children.  Oh, Lord, it is time to surrender, clean house, and let You take control of our lives.  What may seem like chaos may just be the beginning of a change that was so needed and You are to be praised for it all.  Lord God, thank You for Your precious Word!  A Light in this dark world and a Guide to make it through it all.  May we turn to You and be patient and just breathe.  Knowing that all will be well…because in Him, all IS well!  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

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:

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

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.

Filed Under: encouragement Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Maker

February 1, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I see You in the sunrise
I see You in the rain
I see You in the laughter
I feel You through the pain

Everything that You have made is beautiful
Oh, my God, I can’t believe my eyes
But in all of this to think that You would think of me
Makes my heart come alive

Your love is like a mighty fire deep inside my bones
I feel like I could climb a thousand mountains all at once
And I never have to wonder if somebody cares for me
I love the Maker
And the Maker loves me

I see You, You are creation
I see the grandness of Your majesty
The universe is singing all Your glory
I can’t believe You live inside of me

Everything that You have made is beautiful
Oh, my God, I can’t believe my eyes
But in all of this to think that You would think of me
Makes my heart come alive

More than just some words upon a page
You’ve shown me in a million ways
But there is one that stands above them all
Hands of Creation on a cross

Singer / Songwriter: Christ August

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

And God said,”…Let there be light…” (Genesis 1:3) and there was light.  A beautiful sun that rises, and shines and brings such joy.  Whether it is a cold, brisk day with snow falling down or a warm, humid day with white fluffy clouds.  Can’t you see God in the sunlight?  I picture Him just beaming down at us, loving on us with His smile.  Those are the happy days.  Then there are the rainy ones, too.  Where nothing goes as planned, tears may fall like rain, and we may just be sad.  God is there, too.  He is everywhere.  He is our Creator, our Maker.

His art fills this earth.  After He had to send Adam and Eve out of the perfect garden that He had created for them and the first sin tainted the earth, He could have left it dark and dreary because isn’t that what was deserved?  We sin and disappoint yet He created all this beautiful art for us to enjoy.  He paints the sky pretty colors as the sun begins to set each night and wakes us with a gorgeous sunrise for all the world to see.  At night, He placed little white stars for us to enjoy on a black background and all this was because of you!  He had you in mind the entire time that He was making this world.

It’s easy sometimes to tell someone else that God loves them.  Right?  But do you ever say to yourself, “God really does love me“?  Say it now.  Are you smiling…yes?  I am, just thinking about it. “I love the  Maker and the Maker loves me.”

As you continue to listen to this song, I encourage you to close your eyes,  shut the world out, and just be with God.  Just think about how much He loves being with you and how He can’t wait until your feet hit the floor, just so He can spend time with you. Let this encourage you, my friend.

And don’ t keep this to yourself! It’s too good. This world needs lights like you to spread this hope to them!  Who can you reach today?  I leave you with His Words.

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
Psalm 113:3

God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day,
and the lesser light to govern the night: He made the stars also.
Genesis 1:16

He is the Maker of Heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them- He remains faithful forever.
Psalm 146:6

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Let us pray:
Dear Lord, You are awesome and loving and so precious.  You are worthy of praise and worship.  You created all of this world with the sound of Your voice.  And You were thinking of us all the time. You had each one of our names on Your hand.  Thank You for the beauty of this world that we get to enjoy.  For the sweet sounds of birds and waves and wind and the warmth of the sun—we praise You.  For all You do is perfect.  And when we are down and feeling low, all we have to do is look up to the heavens and see that all of this was for us…the sun and stars and moon and trees and flowers.  All to show us that You are love.  Thank You for the Cross, the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be with You forever.  We love You…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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Broken Together

January 25, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

What do you think about when you look at me
I know we’re not the fairytale you dreamed we’d be
You wore the veil, you walked the aisle, you took my hand
And we dove into a mystery

How I wish we could go back to simpler times
Before all our scars and all our secrets were in the light
Now on this hallowed ground we’ve drawn the battle lines
Will we make it through the night

It’s going to take much more than promises this time
Only God can change our minds

Maybe you and I we’re never meant to be complete
Could we just be broken together
If you can bring your shattered dreams and I’ll bring mine
Could healing still be spoken and save us
The only way we’ll last forever is broken together

How it must have been so lonely by my side
We were building kingdoms, chasing dreams and left love behind
I’m praying God will help our broken hearts align
And we won’t give up the fight

Mark Hall and Bernie Herms along with Casting Crowns

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

This song could be about a marriage that two went into with great but unrealistic expectations; and they realize that it really wasn’t what they expected.  And yes, it is a mystery because no one can see the real road ahead.  If you grew up in the times when our moms watched their “stories,” (television soap operas) you would really have a totally different idea of marriage, of sunset walks, and dancing around the room before you go to bed.  However, the real picture may actually look like the wife walking out the door and taking a walk by herself because she cannot remember what she saw or what she was thinking that day she said “I do.”

But God is the inventor of marriage.  He knows that we are human and imperfect, as well as that two are better than one…no matter how hard the road.  Because one falls down and then the other picks them up.  We have someone that always has our best interest at heart.  And we have each other to lean on and laugh with and seek His will together.

What if we listened to this song and thought about our relationship with God? WE are His bride and He is our groom. We say ‘yes’ to this relationship and He lifts the veil between us and we are one.

Sometimes the walk is easy, fun, and exciting—full of good moments.  Other times are really hard, walking in a valley just waiting and waiting to finally see the mountaintop. But all along, He never leaves us.  Just like in a marriage, when the hard times come—we don’t walk out or call it quits.  We keep seeking Him and we still love Him and, like a husband, He always wants what is best for us.

When you are listening today, what are you thinking of, who comes to mind? Basically, we are broken and together we can all be broken together. God can and will heal what is broken and He can fulfill each one of us just by walking with us. And oh! how He loves us!  So today, if this hit home to you, I pray that God’s grace will wash over you like rain and that if you’re married and things aren’t what you thought, hold on and seek the One that can make all things new..and praise Him for all the miracles and blessings He has given you. And if God is your groom, take His hand and walk through life together.  Joy will be yours!

As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall God rejoice over you.
Isaiah 62:5

Your Maker is your husband; the Lord of host is His name.
Isaiah 54:5

I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you to Me
in righteousness, in justice, in steadfast love.
Hosea 2:19-20

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Let us pray:
Dear Lord, You are our forever, today, and yesterday.  You have no beginning and no end.  Thank You for Your steadfast love and for rejoicing over us as a groom does over his bride.  Lord, You are our Groom and You are with us always.  Yes, we are broken but still you never leave us. And in marriage, You give us grace and mercy to live out our vows. You enable us to walk with this person and to have a good life together.  We love you so much!  We look forward to what is to come!!  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

What Is Your Jericho?

January 23, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

…but the Lord said to Joshua,”I have given you Jericho, it’s king, and all its strong warriors.
You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six day.
Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn.
On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times,
with the priests blowing the horns.
When you hear the priest give one long blast on the rams’ horns,
have all the people shout as loud as they can.
Then the walls of the town will collapse and the people can charge straight into the town.”

Joshua 6:2-5

I have a “Jericho.”  And I pray circles around this daily (sometimes literally walking in a circle around my beach neighborhood) asking God for this one thing.  In my heart, I know He will answer.  One day, it will come to be.  Do you have a Jericho?

In the Scripture passage above, God was telling Joshua that Jericho was already delivered into his hands…the enemy was already defeated.  I imagine that Joshua had much confidence as he went to battle that day. Knowing that the city was already his and all he had to do was follow every instruction that God gave him…exactly as He told him.  Joshua had to have faith to carry this out, don’t you imagine?

For someone who was not a believer, the instructions might have seemed a little farfetched. But not to Joshua, who loved his God.  God was making it perfectly clear to Joshua that the battle would depend on Him and not the weapons that Israel had or the manpower.  And He wanted to make sure that Joshua really was committed.

God already knows your prayer and your Jericho.  He wants you to name it and ‘circle it’ in prayer, so He knows how committed you are to your desire.  He has given us His Word as a promise so that we need never doubt or question all He can do for us.

And what does He expect from us in return? Really, all He asks is for us to be the best we can and do the best we can with what He has already given us.  Doing His Will has more to do with “being” the right person and success is glorifying Him in the process.

As a parent, I circle each of my precious ones in prayer and I have great desires for us as a family.  He has already delivered us from so much and He has defeated the enemy more than once.  And just like Joshua, God has given us instructions; sometimes He sends us into a battle that looks like it is impossible.  But with prayer and perseverance we will watch walls crumble in front of us, and kings defeated in His name, and the conquering of the city that is ours already. Isn’t our God so amazing?

I encourage you today to turn in your Bible to this story and pray that God will guide you wherever it is that you are supposed to be.  And if you don’t know what your Jericho is right now, pray that He will reveal to you what His desire for you is.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

And if you don’t know Him, I pray that you will join me in this simple prayer asking Him to be your God.  Will you?

Dear God, I know I am a sinner.  I ask for Your forgiveness.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son and He is the Savior of the world.  I believe that He died on the Cross to save me from my sins.  Come into my heart today and be my God.  I want to know more about You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Take Heart

January 18, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
There is a Light
It burns brighter than the sun
He steals the night
And casts no shadow
There is Hope
Should oceans rise and mountains fall
He never fails

So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
And take courage again

In death by love
The fallen world was overcome
He wears the scars of our freedom
In His Name
All our fears are swept away
He never fails

All our troubles
And all our tears
God our Hope
He has overcome
All our failures
And all our fear
God our Love
He has overcome
All our heartache
And all our pain
God our Healer
He has overcome
All our burdens
And all our shame
God our Freedom
He has overcome
All our troubles
And all our tears
God our Hope
He has overcome
All our failures
And all our fear
God our Love
He has overcome
God our Justice
God our Grace
God our Freedom
He has overcome
God our Refuge
God our Strength
God is with us
He has overcome

Songwriter: Joel Houston ~~  Hillsong United

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Oh, how I love His promises.  They comfort us in all situations.  Whether you need healing physically or you need chains to be broken—He is always the answer.  There is no burden too heavy that He can’t carry it for you.

If there is one thing we know for sure it is that this world is changing daily (and not always for the better).  There is so much hurt and anger, there are so many lost people trying to find an answer and searching for a little hope.  But we as Jesus’ followers know that Hope—and His name is Jesus.  He never changes and He never fails.  He is our strength and He is our refuge in times of trouble.  And He is that Light in the midst of this dark world.

God is just so full of grace and mercy, and so much love.  Every fear and every failure, He has already conquered it for us.  He has overcome this world.  And to prove to us just how much He loves us, He sent Jesus, His only Son, to die for us so that we can live in Heaven forever with Him.  In His hands, He bears the scars of the nails and every sin that we would ever commit hung on that cross that day.  Do you realize that we are free?

What do you need freedom from today?  If you have  just a little faith, He can move that mountain in front of you.   He can break the chains of addictions.  He can take anger away. He can give peace to the one who suffers from anxiety…and grace and mercy to the one who can’t forgive himself.  I pray as you listen to this worship song that you will let His love wash over you.  I pray that you feel loved because you are.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me.
Here on this earth you will have many trials and sorrows.
But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let us pray:
Dearest Lord, You are so awesome and amazing!  You are our Portion and Strong Tower in this shifting world.  Thank You for taking our burdens and giving us peace. Thank You for the grace and love You give so freely. You have overcome and You give us strength.  May we take this light that You give us and share it with all who will listen.  You are good, You are God, and You are still on the throne.  We love You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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What Is A Peacemaker

January 16, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

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.

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The Sun Is Shining

January 11, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Yesterday I found
That everything I knew was wrong
It was upside down
The life I thought I had was gone

But You came and whispered love to me
And You gave me strength to carry on

Oh, the sun is shining
There is hope for me again
A new day’s dawning
The sun is shining

Yesterday I lost
Everything I had and loved
Then I cried out for You, Lord
And You came and picked me up

And the sorrow lasted through the night
But the joy came with the morn

I will lift my voice
No, I won’t be silent
For You heard my cry
And You turned my mourning into dancing
And so forever I’ll sing

Singer/Songwriter: Mac Powell, along with Third Day

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

It’s still the beginning of January…the beginning of a new year but sometimes we are stuck looking at the past.  All the things we were going to do in 2014 aren’t done.  The patience we were going to master towards our kids?…well, we are still impatient and saying some words we regret at the end of the day.  The wife we were going to be—the one who had dinner on the table and clothes clean and in their right places and an immaculate house?…well, we still have baskets of socks that don’t match and frozen lasagna still goes into the oven at the end of a long day.

But we are NOT failures in Jesus.
We ARE more than conquerors when we have God as our Father.

Maybe you’ve lost someone or something that meant the world to you and stepping into this year without them seems impossible.  But God does whisper in your ear today and says, “You are mine, and I am yours…and together we can do this.”

You are not alone, my friends.  His strength is your strength.  And always there is darkness before the dawn, and the sun always comes out…always.  Joy does come in the morning.  And doesn’t a new day bring some hope?

Some seasons are harder than others and some days seem to last forever.  There were days that I myself just had the strength to lift up my head and cry out to Jesus for the strength to make it through one more minute.

He always showed up and He still does.

And when you do see His face and the light of the new day starts peeping through, don’t be silent.  Use your voice to give hope to others who may be where you have been.  I leave you today with the verses that I clung to during a particularly hard, long season:

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Romans 12:12

Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely You will hear their cries and comfort them.
Psalm 10:17

Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for,
the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen.
Hebrews 11:1

For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5 ESV

And my favorite:
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for the power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let’s pray:
Dearest Lord, You are mighty and awesome.  You are our Strength in our struggles, the Light in the darkness, and our Peace that passes all understanding.  You love us so much and forgive our every debt.  Thank You for walking with us into this new year. Help us to make lists of all the good You do and not the failures that we see…for You see us so much better than we see ourselves.  You see us as precious children that You saved with Your only Son, Jesus.  We love You and praise You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

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Jesus Prays For You

January 9, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him,
because He always lives to intercede for them.

Hebrews 7:25

Those words really resonated with me as I read them over and over.  This week I gave Him all my problems… then took them back.  I played that game for a while.  Isn’t it just like God to lead us right to the words we so need—His words of comfort? And knowing that Jesus intercedes for us and He saves us and delivers us is the Truth; well, I think we all need to hear that.

I encourage you to read Hebrews 7:23-28.  Before Jesus, there were many priests, but they were human and they eventually died. In this passage above, we see that one of Jesus’ favorite things to do is to save us. (The word save translated means “any kind of deliverance.”)  Have you ever wondered what He was doing up there, after He left His disciples and went to prepare a place for us? I know He is hard at work on our behalf… and don’t we give Him plenty of things to work on!  We know that Jesus sits at the right hand of His Father, and He is our High Priest.  He lives to pray for us, to look deep into our lives, and knows what we need before we ask.  He knows God’s Will and fully understands it.  He knows our desires and He knows God’s total plan for our lives.

See, Jesus tore the veil that stood between us and God so that we can go straight to God.  We have total access to our Father and so does Christ.  And He uses that access for our gain.  They both love us so very much that, together, they are working all things together for our good and answering our prayers and petitions in God’s timing. Think about what is occupying your thoughts right now…are you at peace or is there turmoil going on?  When our minds focus too much on the problems and we take our minds off the Solver of those problems, the Holy Spirit nudges us, and Jesus intercedes and helps us to pray, and God answers our prayers.

Here is the main point; We have a High Priest who sat down
in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in Heaven.
Hebrews 8:1

And in verse 6 it says,

But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry
that is far superior to the old priesthood,
for He is the One Who mediates for us
a far better covenant with God,
based on better promises.

Promises like this: that you have the gift of salvation by faith, and can trust entirely in Jesus.  Jesus has done it all.  Nothing you can do will improve His work. Nothing you can do to make Him not love you.  Accept these truths today…

  • He came to this earth to live a hard life so that we would know how to do this
  • He died on the Cross so that you can live forever with Him
  • He left us the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us on this journey

   *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Let’s all pray this simple prayer together:

Dear God, I trust in Jesus alone. Please forgive my sins through Him, and give me the eternal life secured by Him. In Your name, amen.

Did you pray this prayer for the first time today? If so, leave us a comment so that we can celebrate your spiritual birthday with you!  God sees you….

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