January 22, 2025

He Still Speaks to Us

October 24, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Then Moses said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up there.”
Exodus 33:15

In one translation (TLB), the verse actually says, “For Moses had said, “If you aren’t going with us, don’t let us move a step from this place.”  Moses had a great relationship with God. In fact, the Bible says that He would speak to Moses ‘face to face’.  Moses did not actually see God’s face, but He and Moses were extremely intimate.  They spent a lot of time with each other, like real good friends.  Exodus 33:11, “The Lord would speak to Moses…as a man speaks with His friend.”

I am sure that Moses had the utmost respect for God.  I’m sure that Moses didn’t talk to God like we talk to each other.  Yet it says that God was speaking like a friend.

Do you know that He still does that today? And let me ask you this: Are you so in love with Him that you don’t want to take a step without God?  {I am.}  Every morning I ask God to go  before me.  To go to the store before Me and guide my every move.  I need His Presence. For in His Presence there is peace and hope and love and joy!  And the list goes on….

God still makes promises to us today, just as He did to Moses. God also sent mighty angels to go before Moses and the Israelites and show them the way to the place that God had promised them—the Promised Land.  God promised Moses that He would succeed.  Moses wanted more of God.  See, Moses didn’t just want the victories that God was giving Him.  He wanted God more than anything.  To me, this is a challenge for all of us today.

See, sometimes, we focus on what God can do for us instead of what we can do for Him and how much we love Him.  Instead, we should want more of Him and His closeness.  Would you give up those victories for communion with Him?  Think about that for a minute….  I would trade it all for the relationship and the talks we have and the closeness I feel with Him.  He is our Creator and He is our everything.

Do you know Him?  Or perhaps have you moved away from Him and are having a hard time finding your way back?  Let me guide you today in a prayer that will change your life forever.

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Dear Heavenly Father, I know I am a sinner.  I know that I need forgiveness. Thank You for sending Your Son to die for me and for taking my sins away.  I know that I will live in eternity with You.  Help me to open my ears and eyes to more of You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you prayed that prayer with us today, will you let us know in the comment section?  We would be honored to pray with you and for you; and answer any questions you may have!

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Holy

October 5, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

What heart could hold the weight of Your love
And know the heights of Your great worth
What eyes could look on Your glorious face
Shining like the sun

You are holy, holy, holy
God most high and God most worthy
You are holy, holy, holy
Jesus, You are
Jesus, You are

Your name alone has power to raise us
Your light will shine when all else fades
Our eyes will look on Your glorious face
Shining like the sun
Who is like You, God?

Who shall we say You are
You’re the living God
Who shall we say You are
You’re the Great I AM
The highest name of all
You’re all You say You are

And You shall come again in glory
To judge the living and the dead
All eyes will look on Your glorious face
Shining like the sun
Who is like You, God?

 Singer/Songwriter: Matt Redman

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To me, this song is simply telling God Who He really is. He is holy and He is worthy of our praise. He is glorious and He is the Most High. What is He to you? As you listen to this song, try to really press in to Him and figure out what God is to you.

He can be a Stronghold, to replace the holds of the flesh. If you’re struggling with an addiction or you have simply placed life in front of Him, let Him be your all.

He can be your Provider. He is always our Provider, maybe you are struggling financially and you are crying out to Him today asking for His favor on your finances, He is able to do so much more than we can even ask. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.”  And Romans 4:21, “Being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised.”  What do you need today?

Maybe He is Your Holy God, the light in your life that helps you make it day to day. He is light in this dark world and hope to all Who know Him. He is God the Father and God the Son and God the Spirit. He is all You need and He fulfills and gives strength to the weary. And He loves each one of us so much. Unconditionally forgives and forgets all our wrongs. All we have to do is ask!

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

Surely God is my Help; the Lord is the One Who sustains me.
Psalm 54:4

Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually.
1 Chronicles 16:11

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Let us pray:  Dear God, You are amazing and awesome! You are worthy of all praise and worship. You are everything to us. You meet our every need and You never change. Thank You so much for meeting our every need and for the promises in Your Word that we can go to in times of doubt and see where You came through for Moses and Jacob—and You will do the same for us. And for the ones still trying to figure out exactly Who You are and where You fit in in there life, I pray that sooner than later they find You and really hear You.  And may we, the ones Who follow You, be the example for them to see.  We love You and we praise You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Come As You Are

September 21, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
Come out of sadness from wherever you’ve been
Come broken hearted let rescue begin
Come find your mercy
Oh sinner, come kneel

Earth has no sorrow
That Heaven can’t heal

So, lay down your burdens
Lay down your shame
All who are broken
Lift up your face
Oh wanderer, come home
You’re not too far
So, lay down your hurt
Lay down your heart
Come as you are

There’s hope for the hopeless
And all those who’ve strayed
Come sit at the table
Come taste the grace
There’s rest for the weary
Rest that endures

Earth has no sorrow
That Heaven can’t cure

Come as you are
Fall in His arms
Come as you are

There’s joy for the morning
Oh sinner, be still

Earth has no sorrow
That Heaven can’t heal

 Songwriters: David Crowder, Ben Glover, Matt Maher
Performed by David Crowder and the Passion Band

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How awesome is it that we can come into the Presence of the Creator of the universe, the King of Kings and we can just be who we are..?  We don’t have to get good enough or perfect enough, we can come as we are.  He knows us better than we know ourselves and He loves us in spite of us.

“You’re not too far” -You can never go too far that His arms can’t reach you! And He meets you there. Give all your cares and hurts to Him. He is able and willing to carry it all for you. Matthew 11:28 says,”Come to Me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”  A rest that lasts a lifetime.  He never gets tired of rescuing us.

“Come sit at the table, come taste the grace” — His grace is free. Where would we be without it?  2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”  See? There is rest for you at His feet.

“There’s joy for the morning” Psalm 30: 5b,”Weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning.”  Yes, this means that hard times won’t last forever and we will rejoice and be full of joy in the midst of the hard and know it’s a short time.  He never leaves us in that place for long.  And He is hope!  For He has a beautiful life planned for you.  Trust Him!

And the end of the song? “Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can’t cure.” So true, Heaven can heal any sorrow on earth! So today, we praise Him because we are His and He receives us… just as we are.

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Let us pray:  Dear Lord, how amazing You are that You accept us and love us for who we are. You know our faults and You give us mercy and grace when we stray. You never give up on us, Lord.  You know our hearts, and You welcome us and meet us where we are in life. Thank You for the joy that comes after the sorrow and for the rest You give us when life gets hard. We love You, In Jesus name, amen.

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Yes in Christ

September 19, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.
And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20

( I urge you to read verses 12-22; click here.)

As children of the King, let us ask ourselves a really hard question—are we known by the things we don’t do or the things that we do?   When I was a teenager, I definitely was known for the things that I didn’t do.  I didn’t go to bars, I didn’t go places alone with a boy (so  no one would get the wrong idea), and I didn’t drink.  I was so busy saying what I didn’t do that I forgot to live a life that said ‘YES!’ to Him.  Oh I did do a few things like visit nursing homes, and talk to the school new kid.  But if there was gossip, I was in.  I’m so thankful that my life now is about so much more.

As Christians there are things that, of course,  we shouldn’t do.  And most of us have the common sense to know what those things are.  But if we really want to influence those around us, then we should show Jesus in all things that we DO do!  Do we have a servant’s heart?  Is it obvious to those around us that we love them and all of His people?  Or are we living in judgement, making it our business instead if God’s.  My pastor said it perfectly:

It’s our job to love them…it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convict them.  It’s Jesus’ job to lead them and God’s job to judge them.

If we could remember that, there wouldn’t be a person on earth that felt lonely or unloved.  And we would attract others that want what we have.

God’s Word says that Jesus is the “YES’ of God!  After all the laws of the Old Testament—all the ‘do nots’, and after all the sacrifices that we made—He sent His Son to be the ultimate sacrifice.  He tore the veil and the chasm was closed that stood between us and our Heavenly Father.  Now we can go directly to God Himself and ask whatever we need to.  God is now known for His positives.  Are there still things that are ‘NO’ in His Book?  Yes!  He says ‘no.’  to many things but He says it in love.  We are to say ‘no’ to the cravings of our flesh. And say ‘yes’ to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to fill us up.

When we are a new creation in Christ, God wants to be known to us as a ‘YES’ kind of Father.  ‘YES’ to joy even in the hard and difficult  times in our lives. Even when we have nothing, we still have everything in Him that we need, and we are to praise Him.  And He wants us to live out this ‘YES’ so that all will see and know that we have something amazing and life changing—We have Him!!!  And He gives us the ability to love the unloveable, to reach out to those in need, and accept rejection from others with grace.

So today I challenge you to answer this question:
What does your ‘YES‘ look like?

(If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, I urge you to do so.  Are you ready for peace? Joy? Unconditional love?  He is all those things!  He is waiting with open arms!  Pray the prayer below.)  Let’s all pray the sinner’s prayer today…

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner.  I need forgiveness.  I am tired of living life this way. I surrender my life to You.  I believe that You sent Your Son to die for my sins and He rose again so that I could spend eternity with You and live my life free from sin and condemnation.  Send Your Holy Spirit today to guide and direct me.  I love You and I thank You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Eve: The Life-Giver

August 15, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

As Eve opens her eyes, she hears a voice echoing an elated response. “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called ‘woman’ for she was taken out of man.”  Her strong husband took hold of her and their laughter could be heard all throughout the garden. (Can’t you just hear it?)

They took walks together and had many long talks and they were naked and unashamed. They were in paradise and they were in fellowship with the Creator, their God. There were no shadows in Eden, no disorder and no discord or fear. Until the day that changed it all.

Enters the serpent, the enemy.  He said to Eve,”Did God really say that you can’t eat from any tree in the garden?”  He goes on to say,”You won’t die. God knows that your eyes will be opened and you will be like Him, knowing good and evil.” Eve listened closely. She remembered how God’s voice brought her joy. Could she possibly be like Him? It didn’t take her long to challenge what the serpent said. She took a bite of the apple and then shared with her husband. Darkness filled their souls and order was now disorder and trust was now fear. This was not what she expected.

Then they hear the voice of their Creator. They ran and hid. “Where are you?” God called. “I heard You and I was afraid, and so I hid from you because I was naked.” Sin had formed a separation between them and God.  And God, with a heavy heart, had to banish them from the garden.

But God is still a loving God and, even in the punishment, He promises Eve children! I can only imagine that Eve was at her lowest point…the life she had known was totally gone—they were now having to toil land and look for food instead of the fresh fruits of the garden. But God is a God of grace. He is now and He was then. He never stopped loving them. Yes He judged them but His grace was abundant.

Where are you today? Maybe you are at your lowest. You’re in a great position to get on your knees before God and soak in His love for you. Maybe you are in the garden with Him right now. Your relationship with Him has never been better and you are walking so close with the Creator. Relish this time. Listen to Him. You’re in a great position to hear from His heart. Maybe you don’t know Him and He is not Lord of your life. Would you like to? If so, then I invite you to pray with me at the end.  I want to close with His Word.

From the fullness of grace we have all received one blessing after another.

John 1:16

But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:20-21

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And now, if you are one of those who do not know this Lord and Savior, I invite you to pray this prayer with me:  Dear God, I know that my life isn’t what it should be and I know it is because You are not in it. I know I am a sinner and I need Jesus. I believe Jesus is Your son and He died to save me from my sins. I ask forgiveness. I want to know You more. Come into my heart and be my Savior. Thank You for what You are about to do in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Job’s Wife, It was Hard Work

August 8, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Many of you know the story of Job….  He is going about his life and all is going well. He is blameless and upright and loves God. Then the enemy goes to God and says that Job is only blameless and a follower because his life is so perfect. Like, who wouldn’t be, right? But his God knew better and He allowed some pretty awful things happen to him. He lost his land and his livestock and his money. He watched his children die and he pretty much lost it all.

Job grieves after these tragedies and then…falls to the ground and worships God! After his health goes down , and he’s in so much pain, his wife enters the story. In Job 2:9 she says to him,”Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die.” Now, she is who most of us can relate to. I mean, I totally get his wife. Even though I know I belong to God, and I do love Him with all that I am, I do understand being so overwhelmed and broken in my circumstances that my faith has been drained and I have really been upset with God.

We as Christians (those who have matured or have just became one) understand that trials and struggles will come, as Philippians 1:29 says “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him.” Yes, we are promised suffering. But we are also promised an abundant life.  And though it hurts, we know the end result is a life with Him forever. The most important thing is for Him to be glorified and for others to see how amazing He really is. And He promises in Romans 8:28 that all things will work together for good! (Look that verse up and underline it!)

Back to Job’s story….  God blessed the latter part of his days. His future held so many blessings, he couldn’t even count them. What a promise and a hope to hold onto! It’s hard when you are going through such difficult things to actually fall to the ground in worship.  We may be more like Job’s wife and want to curse God. Or naybe tell Him that we could write the story so much better and the pain would be so much less but we would make sure He got the glory, right?  Wrong! Sometimes the only way He is glorified is to see Him working in a life that is at the end of the human rope. Nothing and no one can do anything to make it better—then God steps in and saves us. No other way but Him.

I can tell you that I have lived through seven years of hard and I am just now seeing the ‘why’ of it. I cannot say that I understand it, but I can say that I totally trust Him. Others will know for sure that it is nothing that we (our family) have done, only our God. But we did believe…and we did keep walking when we really just wanted to stay in bed…and we did keep thanking Him for what He was doing in our lives. Some days all I could say was Mark 9:24, “I believe, help my unbelief.”

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If this is you today, and you’re really wanting to fall on the floor and cry, remember that God is sovereign and He knows what He is doing. If you could see the end of your story, you wouldn’t change a thing. And most of all, He will get the glory and others will come to know Him, through you! And if you are one that doesn’t know Him, please ask Him today to be Lord of your life. All you have to do is pray this simple prayer:

Dear God, I know I am a sinner and I need forgiveness. I know that I need a Savior. I believe that You sent Your Son to die on the Cross to save me from my sins. I want Him to come into my heart today and be my Lord. I want to walk with You through this life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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You Have a Friend in Me

June 6, 2014 by

On the very day that David killed Goliath, Jonathan pledged his loyalty to him. God did this.

The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David,
and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
1 Samuel 18:1

Jonathan loved David and gave him his own sword.  He gave David his garment and crowned young David as king.  And then, he protects him.

When Jonathan hears of Saul’s plot to come after David, Jonathan tells his new friend, and hides him.

My father Saul seeks to kill you.
Therefore please be on your guard until morning
and stay in a secret place and hide.
1 Samuel 19:2

Jonathan gave David a promise, a wardrobe, and protection from his own father. David found a good friend.

Do you have a friend like Jonathan?  A soul mate to protect you and who seeks nothing but your interests.  Only your happiness matters to them.  You feel safe with that person and you can be yourself.  You don’t have to think before you speak…they already know what you’re about to say.  They know what you’re thinking.  You know that their hand will shield you.  And you know that you matter.

David had that kind of friend, sent from God. You have a friend that God gave you like this. Remember these words from Matthew 28:20?

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Hasn’t Jesus clothed you?  (He really outdoes Jonathan, don’t you think?)  He took your sin so that you can go to His home with Him.

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us,
so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21

Hasn’t He equipped you, like Jonathan did with his sword? He tells us to put on all His armor so that we can resist the devil and his strategies (Ephesians 6:11).  As part of His armor, He gives us a belt of truth and a body of righteousness.  And He gives us the sword of the Spirit in the form of His Word.

You have the truest friend of all.  No one can, or ever will, love you more. No one can take your sins from you so that you can enter into Heaven’s gates.  No one but Jesus.  He is your Hiding Place from all that wants to harm you.  He is the Lover of your soul.  He alone can fill that empty place.  And until you know and receive His love, you may not have the joy and peace that He wants to give you.

Do you know Him?  He is waiting for you with arms open wide.  He is so ready to be your friend.  He will always have your interests first.

Do you want to know Him?  It’s never too late and you’re never too far that His arms can’t reach you. If you are ready to receive Him, will you pray this prayer?

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Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I need You to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. You alone can set me free.  I need forgiveness.  I want to walk with You in this life.  Thank You for paying the price for me.  It’s in Your precious name I pray, amen.

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Get Off Your Mat

May 30, 2014 by

If you have been to Sunday School in your lifetime, you heard the story of the four friends who brought their paralyzed friend to be healed by Jesus. It was so crowded that they carried their friend up to the roof and let him down, through the roof, into the house on his mat. I colored the picture. Four men on the roof of Jesus’ home, cutting a hole in the roof and letting their friend down through the hole in that roof to see Jesus. They couldn’t use the front door because the crowds were so big, inside and outside of the house. So they had to get creative. That’s when they cut the hole themselves and let him down on the mat. He landed right in front of Jesus. I still remember coloring that picture.

Mark 2:1-5

When Jesus returned to Capernum, several days later, the news spread quickly that He was back home. Soon the house where He was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While He was preaching God’s Word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above His head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed  man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.

This was Jesus’ fifth miracle. He had just begun His public ministry and He had been out teaching and preaching and healing for the past few days. I imagine that He was tired when He came home that night, after teaching and He wanted a little rest. He goes to close the door and the people won’t let Him. They are everywhere.They have come from everywhere, from Galilee to Judea.  Outside, these men are carrying their friend. He is sick and paralyzed and people assume it is because of some sin his parents committed sometime in their life. So they find the stairs and take the stretcher up and get creative. They dig a hole in the roof to lower their friend down. Which meant they had to dig through a mud roof, not a wooden one.

Jesus saw their faith. Not only did the man on the mat have faith, but his friends believed as well. All of them came together in this time of need and brought their problem  to Jesus. Jesus healed him and told him to take up his mat and walk.. Have you ever thought about those words? Now up to this point, the man’s friends have done the work to get the friend here. After Jesus heals him, Jesus tells him to take up his mat. Jesus is asking him to take action. The man’s mat represented his paralysis. But a mat could be anything that has you paralyzed.  Sin is only fun for a time and then it turns on you. You ask Jesus for His help and you ask for forgiveness. Jesus is always ready and willing to forgive and take you back under His arms and love you.

What is your mat? After reading this, did anything come to mind that Jesus may be asking you to take up and sin no more? He is waiting with open arms. He loves you and wants you to live a joyful abundant life that He has planned for you. I pray today that you are willing to help a friend as these men did, instead of turning their back on the man. Jesus loves you. He forgives you. Let us come before Him and ask Him to reveal to us anything that would keep us from Him.

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Dear Lord,  thank You for Your Word…so full of stories of miracles just like this one. Thank You for being so willing to forgive us when we sin against you. Lord, we may not be lowered through a roof on a mat, but  we all have a mat that we need to pick up. We pray today that You would reveal to us anything that is hindering us from living the abundant life You have planned for us. We love you and praise You. In  Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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When You Don’t Feel His Presence

May 23, 2014 by

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:2-3

I will be honest. I don’t feel God’s Presence every minute of every day.  But I have the faith to know that He is there because He promised.  His Word tells us not to fear but sometimes there are reasons to fear, true?  If you read the news or just step outside your door, you see a few.  Did you notice that in the verse above, it says “When you pass through the waters…” ? Not “If” because He knows that because of sin, we will encounter trouble but He is with us.  He is ever present, never leaving us, and that is our comfort.  And His Word reminds us of this over and over.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.
Psalms 139:11 and 12

Hebrews 13:5 says “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” You cannot escape the Presence of God, but you may not feel it.

In Matthew 14:25-32, in the middle of a storm, Jesus walked on water.  His disciples, who were terrified, did not feel His presence but Jesus said, “Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”  The storms continued to rage until Jesus got into the boat. Yes, there was something to fear—a huge storm in a small fishing boat—but Jesus’ Presence brings peace and courage.  And notice…Jesus did not say, “Take courage! I am calming the storm. Don’t be afraid.” Instead, with the winds raging, He said,”Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

The truth is—Jesus doesn’t always calm the storms, at least not immediately. However He always calms His child with His Presence.  I imagine Him saying,”Don’t worry!  Yes there are winds that are strong and blowing and the waves are really high and frightening but I am God over everything.  And if I do not calm the waves immediately, it is because I want you to watch Me walk on water.”  I still don’t enjoy the storms that I have to go through and I don’t want to go through it all again, but what I do still cherish is the closeness I have felt with Him and how much I desired to be with Him and hear His words.  I was desperate for His strength and I couldn’t get enough of Him.

Are you ready to accept His Presence in your life? Do you want to enjoy God in your life more than ever? If you said YES!, then take the time to pray and ask Him to give you faith and to teach you how to enjoy Him abundantly! He loves you and He created you with a desire for fellowship with Him. He is your Creator so He knows you more than you will ever know yourself. So you can trust Him always and know He will never leave you.

Feelings are just feelings and not facts. So not feeling His Presence doesn’t mean He is not there. Spend time in His Word and get to know Him. Hear His promises for yourself. Your faith will grow and so will your relationship with Him. Your life will blossom and there will be a peace that passes all understanding. And know that I am praying for you today, whatever you may need today. If you don’t have a relationship with Him, you can. All you have to do is ask Him into your heart.

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Pray with me today: Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I need a Savior.  I ask for forgiveness.  I believe you died for my sins on the Cross and I am forgiven.  Walk with me now and forever more.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Living Water

May 16, 2014 by

Jesus replied,”If you only knew the gift God has for you
and Who you are speaking to,
you would ask Me, and I would give you living water”
John 4:10

We don’t know her name and we don’t know how old she is but her conversation with Jesus is the longest one recorded in the Bible.  Jesus intentionally chose this particular well as His resting stop.  He was tired from traveling.  His disciples went into town for food so He waited for them there.  As we all know, this was planned.  He knew she would be there.  She had a clay jar to fill up with the water from Jacob’s well.

Now, Jews weren’t supposed to talk to Samaritans and men weren’t supposed to talk to women without their husband being present.  But Jesus didn’t pay attention to those rules and He spoke to her directly.  He asked her for a drink.  She replied,  “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman, how can You ask me for a drink?” Jesus responded with the verse (4:10) above—that the water He was offering was Living Water and that she would never thirst again.  Of course, she didn’t understand.  She asked Him where His rope and bucket are and she wanted to know where He would get this water from.  Jesus took the time to minister to her and share with her His love and the life that was intended for her.

Jesus replies,”Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.
But those who drink the water that I give will never be thirsty again.
It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
John 4:13

Of course the woman wants this!  She asked Him for the water, so that she doesn’t have to come to the well ever again.  I imagine that she doesn’t enjoy the looks of other people and the shunning from the other women, for she lived a life of sin.  So Jesus told her to go get her husband and she replied,’I don’t have a husband.’ Jesus responded, ’You’re right, you don’t just have one husband, you have five husbands and you aren’t even married to them. You’re just living with them’.  She is floored that He knew all about her and she asks if He is a prophet and a couple of other questions about Samaritans and Jews.  Can you imagine what the people around them were thinking?  Don’t you know that Jesus didn’t care what they thought?  All He cared about was her and wanting her to know that she is loved and that she was forgiven and that He cared about her.

Jesus gravitated towards the mess of other people’s lives and loved on the ones the world considered unloveable.  And because He did this, she had a new story to tell to anyone who would listen.   She knew there was a Messiah coming but she didn’t know she was talking to Him.  Jesus told her eventually and the disciples returned and, of course, they asked why Jesus was talking to her.  (Did they even need to ask?)  Jesus loves her.  The story ends with the woman leaving her jar beside the well and running back to her village telling everyone to come and see the man that told her everything she ever did and that she believed was the Messiah.  So all sorts of people came from her village to see Jesus.  I imagine there were quite a few lives changed that day, all because Jesus showed this particular woman grace and love.

I don’t know what your story is but I do know that Jesus does and He loves you in spite of who you are and what you may have done.  And if you are a Jesus follower, I pray that you will go to those who are hurting and those who aren’t in your circle of friends.  If we simply stay in our comfort zones, then we will not have the opportunity to share the love of Jesus.  This is the most important decision that anyone will ever make.  This world is so full of hurt and hatred that we as His children really need to be the hands and feet of Jesus and move toward the mess of others lives. In the end, all that matters is what Jesus thinks of us. The world may shun us for choosing to love the sinners, the gossipers, the thieves, the adulterers and the addicts of the world but we are all sinners and we all fall short.  But His grace is free to all who want it!  And then life after life will be changed and all who hear will want to tell anyone who will listen about our Jesus.

  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  * 

What about you?  Do you want His grace today?  Do you want this living water that Jesus is offering you today?  If so, then all you have to do is ask.  Start by saying:

Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner.  I need Your forgiveness and grace.        I believe that You are the Savior and You died to save me.  I want You to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.  Thank You for your love for me.  In Your name I pray, amen.

If you just prayed this prayer for the first time or, if you have rededicated your life today, we want to celebrate with you!  It’s the first day of the rest of your life!

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