Author: Kristi Wilson

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Refined Like 24k Gold

A new day – a clean slate! Today we have the opportunity to be refined.

 

God wants to purify our thoughts in the same way a refiner purifies gold.  He desires to work with us to remove what’s impure so that we can shine brightly.

“Fire is used to make gold and silver pure, but a person’s heart is made pure by the Lord.” Proverbs 17:3 ERV

As a mother and as a kid, I heard and said “Watch your tongue!” An admonishment I didn’t always follow and so my mother made sure that there were consequences for those improprieties.

We learn to discern what are the right and wrong things to say and when to say them. But the meditations of the heart, our thoughts, are just as important as the words we say.

In fact, what we think or meditate on will effect the things we say. What do we dwell on? The word meditate paints a picture of a cow chewing her cud; going over and over and over a matter in our minds. So if we want to say the right things we need to be thinking on right things. That’s what Jesus told his followers.

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45

Our thoughts and our meditations will direct our lives and can bring us to a successful place or a place of turmoil. Think on what it good today.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9

When we meditate on God’s word we begin to think like He does. Our thoughts begin to be refined and we start to see ourselves as God sees us.

King Solomon put it this way in Proverbs 23:7. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:”

If we see ourselves as God sees us and we meditate on His word, we will be victorious when the battles and the challenges come. We’re told

…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

…My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.

…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

…If God be for us, who can be against us

…the thief comes but to steal, kill and destroy but I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly

…if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally

…He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed

God tells us that the battle is in our minds and we are to renew them to His way of thinking and not to be caught up in man’s natural way of thinking. Successful people throughout time have used God’s principal of renewing their mind and have come through with God-like results.

“Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” Romans 12:1-2

This is what David did as a young shepherd; all the armies of Israel were in fear of one giant but David knew that God would fight with him and so he had no fear and defeated Goliath single handed.

Abraham knew he had God’s promise for a child and so at 100 years old he held on to God’s word and a miracle of conception took place and Sarah gave birth to Issac.

Peter was in a sinking boat when Jesus came walking on the water and at Jesus’ word, Come, Peter stepped out and walked to Jesus.

The men and the women of the Bible were/are people just like us, 100% human, what made them special is they chose to believe that God’s words had power and they let those words refine and purify their thoughts and  change their circumstances. We can do the same today.

We should give God’s word more credibility than the word of our neighbor, our spouse, or a trusted friend. Let His words fill our thoughts.

Begin the refining process today. Soon we’ll see that our thinking can be stamped 24k.

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Follow Instructions

Those of you who know me personally know I love to bake and cook.

But I have had a few disasters in my kitchen and some of them were from failure to follow instructions.

I remember one time in particular that I was making cinnamon rolls. I had only made them a couple times before so wasn’t very familiar with the process. I had my Mom’s recipe before me and I started in. Step 1 was to prepare the yeast mixture with WARM water but Step 2 was to add HOT water to the shortening, sugar and salt.  I decided that I would save a time and use hot water for both.

Little did I know that hot water will kill yeast. I waited impatiently for the yeast to rise and although it grew a little it didn’t process as it should. Did I stop and start over – No! My attitude was keep going, it will be ok. Suffice it to say the rolls never did rise the way they should and that day I made cinnamon crackers, not cinnamon rolls.

I learned a very valuable lesson about following instructions.

The last few days we have been talking about following the leader. God went to great lengths to give us an instruction manual for life.

“All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. 17 Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.” II Timothy 3:16-17 ERV

We need to follow instructions. Not to conform to some religious list of do’s and don’ts. God’s word comes from the heart of a loving Father who wants to give his children what they need to navigate life victoriously.

It’s so important that we have God’s word as the basis of all we do. It needs to be our foundation so that we are standing firm. It’s our bedrock for life.

“Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on solid rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 CEV

I’m sure everyone of you can recall a time when you didn’t follow instructions and the end result was less than perfect. Mistakes were made, hopefully they were remedied easily but some of them may have been costly.

“These are the proverbs of Solomon, the son of David and king of Israel. 2 They will help you learn to be wise, to accept correction, and to understand wise sayings. 3 They will teach you to develop your mind in the right way. You will learn to do what is right and to be honest and fair. 4 These proverbs will make even those without education smart. They will teach young people what they need to know and how to use what they have learned. 5 Even the wise could become wiser by listening to these proverbs. They will gain understanding and learn to solve difficult problems. 6 These sayings will help you understand proverbs, stories with hidden meanings, words of the wise, and other difficult sayings.

7 Knowledge begins with fear and respect for the Lord, but stubborn fools hate wisdom and refuse to learn.” Proverbs 1:1-7 ERV

You’ll be surprised how many mistakes can be avoided by praying and asking God for wisdom before proceeding. I’m not telling you that we will never make mistakes but they will certainly decrease significantly when we take our direction from God’s word.

“ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding. 6 Agree with Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight. ” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLV

Lord, when I get in a hurry remind me to follow Your instructions. Direct my path. I don’t want to make mistakes. I want to follow your lead. AMEN!

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Follow God – He Provides

Years ago when we were young in faith and learning to listen to the Lord’s voice we had a cowboy preacher, a dear friend, tell us this:

If God says go South, He will provide; If you go North you’ll think you died!

 

Now that’s not scripture but it is scriptural.

All through the Bible we see examples of the Lord doing just that. He provided for the Israelites in the desert. He gave them manna and quail and water gushed from a rock. Before that, Joseph used the Pharoah’s grain to feed his family during the famine.  Noah and his family were safe and dry in the ark.

When the wise men came to see the child Jesus they brought gifts of gold, myrrh and frankinscense. Soon after their departure the Lord instructed Joseph to take his family to Egypt. The Lord had provided what they needed for the trip.

It’s important that we follow with the Lord with a trusting heart.

“Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. 7 Don’t trust in your own wisdom, but fear and respect the Lord and stay away from evil. 8 If you do this, it will be like a refreshing drink and medicine for your body.” Proverb 3:5-8 ERV

 

When we follow His plan for us there may be times of uncertainty but we don’t need to be afraid.

“Turn to the Lord for help in everything you do, and you will be successful.4 The Lord has a plan for everything.” Proverbs 16:3-4a ERV

God has a plan for each day – it doesn’t really matter what the activities are in the day; He has a plan! Some days His plan is to change our plans.

When we listen, He speaks and when we follow His leading we are blessed!

“Today I am giving you a choice. You may choose the blessing or the curse. 27 You will get the blessing if you listen and obey the commands of the Lord your God that I have told you today. 28 But you will get the curse if you refuse to listen and obey the commands of the Lord your God. So don’t stop living the way I command you today, and don’t follow other gods that you don’t know.” Deuteronomy 11:26-28 ERV

 We have a choice – it would be silly to lean to our own understanding since following Him is the right way to go and His wisdom is perfect.

Trust the Lord today. He loves you and His desire for you is good!

“ I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:11-12 ERV

 

 

Go South today – He will provide!!!

 

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A Simple Touch

There’s a lady I would like you to meet today.

She has been ill for many years. In fact, she has spent almost every penny she has on doctors and she has only gotten worse. Her insurance has run out and she has become an outcast in society.

She isn’t allowed in the public places anymore because people have shunned her.  According to the laws, if she goes out in public she has to stay out of crowds and announce that she is unclean and she can’t have any social interaction with friends and neighbors. She’s a lonely lady but she isn’t hopeless.

In fact she is full of hope. So much so that she is willing to put her very life on the line to follow Jesus!

She heard He is going to be in her neighborhood today and she has heard how many people He has touched and healed and she is determined to get to Him. In her heart she keeps saying, “If I can just touch Him, I will be healed”.  It’s time to go out in the street, on the road – has anyone recognized her? Will they step to the side or pull back from being close to her? Do they know she’s unclean – what has she got to lose?

The crowd in the streets is getting larger. So many people and they are all headed in the same direction. In her weakened physical condition she presses on.  Oh, this is tougher than she thought but she can’t quit now – she has to keep going.  Pushing through the sea of people and being lost in the crowd she can see Him now.  There He is – she can see the back of his head, she’s getting closer!

No! Who’s that with him?

It’s Jairus, one of the leaders from the synagogue!  If he sees her she could be stoned on the spot!  “I have to reach Jesus,  I’ve been following all this time, I have to reach Him. I can almost touch Him.”

Stretching out her hand, she leans forward and she touches Jesus.

“ So Jesus went with Jairus. Many people followed Jesus. They were pushing very close around him.

25 There among the people was a woman who had been bleeding for the past twelve years. 26 She had suffered very much. Many doctors had tried to help her, and all the money she had was spent, but she was not improving. In fact, her sickness was getting worse.

27 The woman heard about Jesus, so she followed him with the other people and touched his coat. 28 She thought, “If I can just touch his clothes, that will be enough to heal me.” 29 As soon as she touched his coat, her bleeding stopped. She felt that her body was healed from all the suffering. 30 Jesus immediately felt power go out from him, so he stopped and turned around. “Who touched my clothes?” he asked.

31 The followers said to Jesus, “There are so many people pushing against you. But you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”

32 But Jesus continued looking for the one who touched him. 33 The woman knew that she was healed, so she came and bowed at Jesus’ feet. She was shaking with fear. She told Jesus the whole story. 34 He said to her, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace. You will not suffer anymore.”  Mark 5:24-34

Do you see her? The tears are running down her cheeks, she has met Jesus. Her life has been changed. The Master had compassion on her and she is healed!

She risked all to follow Jesus.  In that crowd, I can only imagine that there were others who were sick and infirmed.  What her different?   Jesus said she believed! She had hope, but she didn’t beg – she believed; she trusted in, adhered to and relied on Jesus to be her healer.

She followed Jesus and she found healing, peace, joy and love!

Are you willing to follow Him today?

 

 

 

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Follow Through the Storm

Continue following today.  Yesterday we saw that the disciples who were called obeyed immediately. They left all but not everyone that came to Jesus had the same response.

 

 

“When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he told his followers to go to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you any place you go.”

20 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes to live in. The birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to rest.”

21 Another of Jesus’ followers said to him, “Lord, I will follow you too, but let me go and bury my father first.”

 

22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let those who are dead bury their own dead.”

23 Jesus got into a boat, and his followers went with him. 24 After the boat left the shore, a very bad storm began on the lake. The waves covered the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The followers went to him and woke him. They said, “Lord, save us! We will drown!”

 

26 Jesus answered, “Why are you afraid? You don’t have enough faith.” Then he stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. The wind stopped, and the lake became very calm.

27 The men were amazed. They said, “What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the water obey him!”  Matthew 8:18-27

Here are two men who came to Jesus and had good intentions on following Him but they were hindered by their own limitations.  I say the first man was put off by the lack of personal comfort.  He had just seen Jesus do many miracles of healing. He saw that others were following Jesus and was moved with a desire to be part of those who followed but when Jesus told him that He really had no permanent home, or prominent national headquarters (my words not the Scriptures) he reconsidered the cost and followed no further.

The second man was also a man of good intentions but family life caused him to draw back. And so he too was left on shore when Jesus had His followers get into the boat to cross the sea.  The difference between the two groups – immediate obedience vs life’s circumstances.

Now notice when the “followers” were in the boat and the storm came the “followers” weren’t great men of faith. They feared for their lives.  Jesus on the other hand, rested in the midst of the storm because He was following  His Father’s plan. He lived a life of faith. Following Jesus and living a life of faith doesn’t mean you will never go through a storm. It does mean that you will be victorious in the midst of it.

I heard one Bible teacher say that Jesus didn’t tell his followers  “Let’s get in the boat and go half way across and drown.” He said, “Let’s go to the other side”.  When Jesus calls you to follow, you can be assured He’s a good leader and you will be safe with Him.

Honestly, I have been a part of both groups. There was a time I wanted to follow Jesus because I knew it was right and good but I wanted to follow on my own terms. There can only be one leader! And I’m not Him.

Don’t let life or circumstances deter you from following today. Get into the boat and go to the other side!

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Follow the Leader

As kids, I’m sure you all played at least one game of “Follow the Leader”.  When I would play it, all the neighborhood kids were involved and the boys would try to do things they didn’t think the girls could do – like climb trees, etc.  The goal of the game was to be the leader.

However, if we are going to be truly successful we must be willing to follow the leader, Jesus.

“17 From that time Jesus began to tell people his message: “Change your hearts and lives, because God’s kingdom is now very near.”

18 As Jesus was walking by Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Simon’s brother Andrew. These brothers were fishermen, and they were fishing in the lake with a net. 19 Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you a different kind of fishermen. You will bring in people, not fish.” 20 Simon and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed him.

21 Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee. He saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee. They were preparing their nets to catch fish. Jesus told the brothers to come with him. 22 So they immediately left the boat and their father, and they followed Jesus.

23 Jesus went everywhere in the country of Galilee. He taught in the synagogues and told the Good News about God’s kingdom. And he healed all the people’s diseases and sicknesses.” Matthew 4:17-23

These men had a successful fishing business and Jesus called them to follow. Do you see what it says? Immediately they left what they were doing and followed him.

Immediately!!! Good word – you know what that word means – it means immediately…duh!  No hesitation, no questioning, no second thoughts but immediately they followed.

“Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said:

If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. 35 If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it.”  Mark 8:34-35

Following Christ requires two things – first we must be willing and second we must be obedient.  So over the next few days we’ll be looking at the Scriptures and working on our lead changes.

It might be a little scary but it comes with a promise.  If we follow, we will gain life, life filled with good.

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” Isaiah 1:19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Standing Guard

Have you ever seen the guards at Buckingham Palace? What about the sentry at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? 

I’ve only seen pictures or videos but they are amazing!

The concentration and determination on the faces of the guards in England is almost mind boggling. How many times a day do they have people trying to make them laugh or a least smile? A wink, a nod, even a twitch would prove that they recognize the existence of the passers-by but nothing. How long do they train for that?

Train they must – what kind of schooling do they go through to keep from reacting? If they felt their gates were truly being threatened I’m sure that they would fight to defend it.

Those soldiers who are assigned to the Tomb of the Unknown don’t take time off because of bad weather. They are on guard in snow and heat; storm or calm.

Would you make a good guard? Or would you be easily distracted by all of life’s little annoyances? Would you scream “Enough is enough”? Would you refuse to show up for duty the next day?

“To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. 11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. 12 Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor.Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.

14 So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living. 15 On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. 16 And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows that come from the Evil One. 17 Accept God’s salvation as your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit—that sword is the teaching of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up.” Ephesians 6:10-18 ERV

Don’t become distracted by the devil’s clever tricks. Know your enemy; know the subtle ways  he will use to break your concentration, the ways he will try to get inside your head and get you off track. James says he will use the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. That’s how he brought temptation against Jesus; turn the stones to bread, throw yourself from the pinnacle of the Temple, if you worship me I will give you the nations of the world. (Matthew 4)

Each time Jesus defeated Satan and temptation with the word – it is written!

Each piece of your armor is God’s word; shoes are the Gospel, shield of faith (faith cometh by hearing the word of God), helmet is salvation (call on the name of the Lord and thou shall be saved, Jesus was and is the Word), sword of the Spirit is the word of God.

The distractions, the attacks, the temptations will come but you can be like those guards at Buckingham Palace and while being ready for battle you can ignore the distractions and the temptations. Or like the sentries at the Tomb of the Unknown you can be consistent in your duties regardless of the storms, the heat, the cold. Stay on task.

“ Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

When you’ve done all to stand – keep on standing! Never give up!!

 

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This Is the Victory

Sitting here this morning, I’ve been thinking about my walk with the Lord. Where I’ve come from and how much farther I still have to go. A Bible teacher I know puts it this way, “I haven’t arrived yet but I’ve left”. He means that he has started on this journey called the Christian life but he hasn’t arrived at full maturity – that’s how I feel.

I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was a little girl. I grew up loving the Lord but had little or no victory in my life. Seems the favorite saying of the people in our church was “when we get to heaven all of life’s trials and struggles with be worth it”. That is true…but I was tired of getting my teeth kicked in by those trials. There had to be more to my Christian life than I was experiencing! There had to be.

You remember Peter. His life was a wonderful example of how my life had been. He was tempestuous, quick to react (right or wrong), wanting to do big things and failing. He walked on the water and sank; he ministered to the sick and then be stopped by a boy’s seizure; he was ready to take on the whole Roman guard to protect Jesus and then denied knowing Him to a servant girl! Up and down, up and down and no real victory UNTIL the day of Pentecost when he was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes into your life. You will tell about Me in the city of Jerusalem and over all the countries of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”

9 When Jesus had said this and while they were still looking at Him, He was taken up. A cloud carried Him away so they could not see Him.” Acts 1:8-9 NLV

After that day, Peter became faith-filled and fearless. He never looked back and he faced every day with the resolve that he would be a witness to the power of God and nothing would stop him from proclaiming the mighty name of Jesus. Beaten over and over, imprisoned, and persecuted he continued moving forward from one victory to the next.

When I saw this miraculous change in Peter, I said “Lord, this is what I want in my life. I want to live in your power and not my own; I want to be a victorious Christian and not one who is plagued with defeat. I want my life to reflect you and not be overcome by the circumstances.”

Thank you Jesus – he heard and answered that prayer. I, like millions of other Christians, received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and became filled with God’s power.

That was over 30 years ago! Do I still have struggles – you bet. Do I always handle things right – not always. Do I face discouragement – some days it’s a constant battle. Am I victorious – ABSOLUTELY! Jesus said I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – He’s my strength, He’s the one who carries me when I feel weak and He’s the reason I will live and declare the works of the Lord.

I don’t read God’s Word and serve Him because it’s the right thing to do. I don’t live my life trying to please Him and get His love; I serve Him and follow His word because He loves me.

My faith is in God and God alone, Its where I find victory to overcome the world.

“We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow. 4 Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. 5 No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.” I John 5:3-5

Following God’s word isn’t hard when you realize that He is the one with all the answers. Faith in Him and who He is always brings victory!

“ I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume.” II Corinthians 2:14 CEV

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L’Chaim – To Life

There is a word used in Jewish toasts – L’Chaim, to Life!

Lifting a glass of wine to celebrate an engagement or marriage, the birth of a child and everyone says L’Chaim.

Each day we should be doing the same. We should be toasting the life that God has given us. Celebrating life and His goodness. A life of thankfulness and faith.

L’Chaim!

The just shall live by faith. Faith isn’t just something we have when we can’t handle things on our own, it’s a way of life.

Faith is what pleases God and God is the one who has given us the faith that we need to please Him – pretty good right? God doesn’t leave us unprepared or without the proper equipment. He tells us what it takes to please Him and then he supplies us – gotta love that.

“I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you.” Romans 12:3 CEV

“But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.” Hebrews 11:6 CEV

I don’t understand where people get the idea that God is sitting up in heaven just waiting for us to fail or mess up. Moses told the nation of Israel that God set before them life and death, blessing and cursing. Then he told them “Choose life”. That was Jesus’ purpose – to provide the way of blessing – choose life.

“Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death. The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse. So choose life! Then you and your children will live. 20 You must love the Lord your God and obey him. Never leave him, because he is your life. And he will give you a long life in the land that he, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ERV

Jesus said: “The robber comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I came so they might have life, a great full life.” John 10:10 NLV

L’Chaim!

Again, choosing to live by faith brings reward. God is the one who promised it, our part is to seek Him and not give up.  Faith is believing that God will be faithful to His word; that what He has said WILL come to pass. And why shouldn’t we believe Him – He hasn’t lied yet!

The greatest miracle in the Bible was the result of a young woman’s faith. The angel came to Mary and told her that she would have a child. Mary asked how this could happen since she was a virgin and hadn’t been intimate with any man. (You all know the story). I love what the angel, Gabriel, said in response.

“Nothing is impossible for God!” 38 Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.” Luke 1:37-38

I want my response to God to be the same “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it happen as He said”.

What are you facing today? NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE when we put our faith in GOD.

L’Chaim

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A Song for Morning

Early in the morning – this phrase is used over and over again in the Bible.

Early in the morning is a good time to start travel, fight an enemy, bring in the harvest, and it’s a good time to pray!

I have those mornings when I think I would really like to sleep a while longer but I get up anyway. Why? Because I have learned over the years that sleeping in causes everything to get backed up.

I end up rushing to make up for the time spent sleeping. I miss the quiet, I miss the sound of the meadowlarks and the cooing of the doves. I miss the beauty of the sunrise painted on the sky and I miss hearing the voice of the Father!

He meets me one on one and I need to start my day in His presence. I can take in a deep breath and feel His calm fill my soul. I can look out and see the unspoiled beauty. It brings focus to my world; it brings peace.

“My God and King, listen to my prayer.

3 Every morning, Lord, I lay my gifts before you and look to you for help. And every morning you hear my prayers.” Psalm 5:2-3 ERV

My brother was visiting a few years ago and he got up to share my morning quiet time with me. That was so very special. He told me that there had been a time when he would pour 4 cups of coffee and go out on his patio first thing in the morning. He said he would sit in silence until he felt the presence of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Only then would he begin his morning conversation of prayer. WOW!

“16 But I will sing about your strength.
I will rejoice in your love every morning.
You have been my place of safety,
the place I can run to when troubles come.

17 I will sing praises to you, my source of strength.
You, God, are my place of safety.
You are the God who loves me!” Psalm 59:16-17 ERV

Don’t be in a hurry to get through your quiet time. It’s special and to be cherished. Go to the Lord if you need help. He will be there.

“ Hurry to answer me, O Lord! My spirit is becoming weak! Do not hide Your face from me, or I will become like those who go down to the grave. 8 Let me hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for I trust in You. Teach me the way I should go for I lift up my soul to You. 9 O Lord, take me away from those who hate me. I run to You to be safe.” Psalm 143:7-9 NLV

There’s a chorus that goes along with this by Jeremy Camp, Give Me Jesus. Start your day singing.

“In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
Give me Jesus

 

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

 

When I am alone
When I am alone
Oh, when I am alone
Give me Jesus

 

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus”

Have a wonderful day! I know I will.

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