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Life & Peace

In my morning prayer I heard myself saying, “Thank you Father that You are my life and my peace. In You I have abundant life and from You I receive peace that goes beyond my natural comprehension”.

I am so grateful for the Father’s promises to us. Promises that will never be broken.

“My son, do not forget my teaching. Let your heart keep my words. 2 For they will add to you many days and years of life and peace. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you. Tie them around your neck. Write them upon your heart.” Proverbs 3:1-3 NLV

The teachings of God’s word will fill us with peace and an abundance in life that we will no other place.

“ But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger. 10 Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by the life of his Son. 11 And in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us.” Romans 5:9-11 CEV

For generations there was a teaching that God was angry with us, condemning us, destroying the things that were important to us. That is so far from the truth. God is not the one who damns – He is the giver of life. He is the source of all peace.

“People who are ruled by their desires think only of themselves. Everyone who is ruled by the Holy Spirit thinks about spiritual things. 6 If our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace.” Romans 8:5-6 CEV

Do you think I’m saying we will never have troubles or face life’s great challenges? I’m not saying that at all. However, I am saying what God says “He will never leave us or abandon us”. “In this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, I (Jesus) have overcome the world”.

Just one final verse this morning and then I’ll close.

“A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.” John 10:10 ERV

Thank you, Father, for your promise of a full and good life. A life with peace!

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The Debt of Love

This weekend commemorates those who for love of country and countrymen made the ultimate sacrifice. With grateful hearts we should say a prayer of thanksgiving for those who gave their all.

Add to that thankfulness for the One who died to redeem us from death and the destruction of sin.

It is a debt of love that we owe. Debt can be stifling, the cause of much worry and stress but the debt of love is freeing.

Jesus said we should love the Lord, our God, first and foremost and then love others as much as we love ourselves.

“ He said, “Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?”

37 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’40 All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands.” Matthew 22:36-40 ERV

Working to be debt free is an admiral and honorable thing but there should always be one debt that stays, the debt to love.

Reading Romans this morning I came across the Apostle Paul’s command. He said we should be indebted to LOVE!

“You should owe nothing to anyone, except that you will always owe love to each other. The person who loves others has done all that the law commands. 9 The law says, “You must not commit adultery, you must not murder anyone, you must not steal, you must not want what belongs to someone else.” All these commands and all other commands are really only one rule: “Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.” 10 Love doesn’t hurt others. So loving is the same as obeying all the law.” Romans 13:8-10 CEV

Love balances on both sides of the spread sheet. It is an asset of the highest order but it is also a debt, although, not a liability.

Who in your life needs your love today? Your spouse, your children, grandchildren, your parents, co-workers, friends, casual acquaintances or a stranger on the street?

Look for opportunities to go into debt today, it will make your life richer!

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Break Every Chain

I just read and heard a young woman’s prayer at her high school graduation. It was a prayer of power for her fellow students, faculty, parents and friends.

It was a prayer of power for their futures, breaking addiction, depression, oppression, and setting them on a path of knowing God deeply and walking in His presence. It is a prayer that I said a heartfelt AMEN to, praying those words with her over my family, friends and co-workers.

It was the words of Jesus, words that are filled with truth and power. Words that bring about that change we were talking about yesterday.

Jesus knew the power of God’s word. He returned the from desert where He had been tempted by Satan. Satan tempted Him with power, possessions and position. Jesus answered every temptation with “It is written”.

“ Jesus traveled to Nazareth, the town where he grew up. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue as he always did. He stood up to read. 17 The book of Isaiah the prophet was given to him. He opened the book and found the place where this is written:

18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has chosen me to tell good news to the poor.
He sent me to tell prisoners that they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again.
He sent me to free those who have been treated badly 19 and to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness.‘

20 Jesus closed the book, gave it back to the helper, and sat down. As everyone in the synagogue watched him closely, 21 he began to speak to them. He said, “While you heard me reading these words just now, they were coming true!” Luke 4:16-21 ERV

Jesus brought that same power that He had used to defeat Satan to the people in the synagogue. “While you heard me reading these words just now, they were coming true”!

While you read these words, this very minute, they are coming true for you! Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. The words He spoke to them, He also speaks over us. The freedom and the power that infused the word of God then is the same for today.

“So if the Son makes you free, you are really free.” John 8:36 ERV

“God made us free from the power of darkness. And he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” Colossians 1:13 ERV

There’s a song that is filling my heart as I finish this writing. It is my prayer for you. “I Speak Jesus”

“I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
Over every heart and every mind
‘Cause I know there is peace within Your presence
I speak Jesus

I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
‘Til every dark addiction starts to break
Declaring there is hope and there is freedom
I speak Jesus

‘Cause Your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire”

I tell you today that Jesus paid the price and broke the chains that imprisoned you!

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Mighty to Change

Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see.

That’s the start of a children’s action song that we sang when I was a little girl in Sunday School. It started a train of thoughts this morning about God’s ability to bring about mighty changes in our lives.

“The Changed Life of Zaccheus

19 Jesus went on to the city of Jericho and was passing through it. 2 There was a rich man named Zaccheus. He was a leader of those who gathered taxes. 3 Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus but he could not because so many people were there and he was a short man. 4 He ran ahead and got up into a sycamore tree to see Him. Jesus was going by that way.

5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw Zaccheus. He said, “Zaccheus, come down at once. I must stay in your house today.” 6 At once he came down and was glad to have Jesus come to his house. 7 When the people saw it, they began to complain among themselves. They said, “He is going to stay with a man who is known to be a sinner.”

8 Zaccheus stood up and said to the Lord, “Lord, see! Half of what I own I will give to poor people. And if I have taken money from anyone in a wrong way, I will pay him back four times as much.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today, a person has been saved in this house. This man is a Jew also. 10 For the Son of Man came to look for and to save from the punishment of sin those who are lost.” Luke 19:1-9 NLV

Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus – everyone had but he hadn’t seen Him. He was curious, he wanted to see what this teacher and miracle worker looked like. I don’t think he went thinking that Jesus would change his life. The woman with the issue of blood did that; she knew she needed to touch Jesus to receive her healing. The man with the daughter on the verge of death knew he needed to get Jesus to come to his house and touch his daughter or she would die. But Zacchaeus just wanted to see Jesus, who was this man?

However, being face-to-face with Jesus, eating with Him, talking with Him effected a marvelous change. A once greedy and dishonest man went through a complete metamorphosis in one afternoon.

Jesus didn’t demand that Zaccheus give back money he had taken wrongfully. We don’t have any evidence that Jesus even mentioned his shady business dealings. Yet, it happened.

“For if a man belongs to Christ, he is a new person. The old life is gone. New life has begun.” II Corinthians 5:17 NLV

Belonging to Christ brings change. Change in our attitudes, change in our perspective, change in our character and in our lifestyle. Greed is replaced by gratitude, fear gives place to faith. Kindness occupies the space that cruelty had dominated. Love lives where self-centeredness stayed.

Like a caterpillar our lives are transformed by the power of God’s love!

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A Word for the Wise

This morning, I was reading in I Kings. The book begins like this, “ King David was now an old man”.

David knows his life is ending. He has a son who wants to steal the throne from his brother Solomon. David’s advisors tell him what is being planned and David thwarts that plan by having Solomon immediately anointed king.

What a way to live your final days? David needed to prepare his son for life as the ruler of Israel. He gave Solomon this instruction.

“My son, I will soon die, as everyone must. But I want you to be strong and brave. 3 Do what the Lord your God commands and follow his teachings. Obey everything written in the Law of Moses. Then you will be a success, no matter what you do or where you go. 4 You and your descendants must always faithfully obey the Lord. If you do, he will keep the solemn promise he made to me that someone from our family will always be king of Israel.” I Kings 2:2-4 CEV

Do these words sound familiar? They did to me.

The Lord gave these words to Joshua many years before this.

“Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land. 9 I’ve commanded you to” be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9 CEV

Joshua led the Jewish people as the conquered the Promised Land. David ruled the nation of Israel and made it a great nation that honored and served the Lord. Now Solomon was given the place of leadership – a passing of the torch or the mantle of leadership.

A few days back I showed you Solomon’s prayer when his father died. He asked for wisdom to be a good leader and the Lord not only blessed him with wisdom but also with great favor and wealth.

Now, look at the words of wisdom Solomon gives in the first few chapters of Proverbs.

“My son, do not forget my teaching. Let your heart keep my words. 2 For they will add to you many days and years of life and peace. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you. Tie them around your neck. Write them upon your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good understanding in the eyes of God and man. 5 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. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from what is sinful. 8 It will be healing to your body and medicine to your bones.” Proverbs 3:1-8 NLV

Why read the Bible? Why study God’s word?

I know of no other place to find true wisdom, for these are the words of life!

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Morning Surprises

King Solomon said that “little foxes spoil the vines”, in our case it is the javelina that eat the geraniums and other plants at night.

You may think it’s silly to become frustrated over something as small as that and I agree it is. I have the opportunity at the beginning of each day to let the munched-on plants bother me or to take it in stride.

But isn’t that a lesson for any of life’s annoyances? Problems we consider as monumental are small to the Father. He doesn’t want our peace being disturbed no matter how large or small.

“It is wonderful to be grateful and to sing your praises, Lord Most High! 2 It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful you are.” Psalm 92:1-2 CEV

I really don’t know how life would be if I didn’t start it each morning with my Lord.

“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.” Psalm 59:16-17 ERV

We can give our day over to frustration and anxiousness or we can celebrate the love of the Father. He is our strength, our protection, our joy and our peace.

The Lord just brought a thought to my mind. Mary went to the garden early in the morning. Her grief was overwhelming. She went to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial and then she would leave. But something had dramatically changed. Jesus wasn’t in the tomb, He had risen!

Her grief turned to joy when she looked away from the circumstances and looked into the face of the Savior.

I find peace and strength in starting my day in His presence with His word. I hope you do the same!

In the morning when I rise let me see Jesus!!

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Make A List

I sit here thinking about eternity…eternity! That’s a very long time, I said to myself with a smile.

But what I thought about the most was those who will be in the Father’s eternal heaven. Think about this for a moment. Make a list of twenty people who you would want to join you on an island retreat – not like survivor – but a nice retreat. There would be no TV, internet or computers. Just good old-fashioned conversation and friendship. Being with them for a week or two is one thing but what about eternity.

Now think about God and the fact that He has invited us to spend eternity with Him. (Let that sink in.)

Eternity.

His perfect love – mercy – grace, perfect God invited us to live in His presence for eternity.

He made His list and it included all of our names. We’ve been invited but sadly, not everyone will accept His invitation. Some will reject His invitation, but He has made it open ended.

“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” John 3:16 CEV

“Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world’s people.” I John 2:2 CEV

King David thought about this when he wrote:

“ You are making a table of food ready for me in front of those who hate me. You have poured oil on my head. I have everything I need. 6 For sure, You will give me goodness and loving-kindness all the days of my life. Then I will live with You in Your house forever.” Psalm 23:5-6 NLV

Jesus said to the thief who was on the cross next to His:

“Jesus said to him, “For sure, I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43 NLV

God the Father made His list of those He would like to spend eternity with and all of our names were on it.

“For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.” Romans 8:29-30 NLT

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.” Ephesians 1:4-6 NLT

Some of you who are reading this I have never met before, but I am excited to think that I will get to spend time in eternity getting to know you.

I’m so glad the Father put us on His list!

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Fenced In

Last night was another one of those times when I tried to sleep but got up in the wee hours to pray.

Praying over family, friends and life’s situations.

I’m needing answers to some questions that are past my knowledge. I don’t want to be held back because of my ignorance so I got up, seeking the Father and His wisdom.

One thing that has been proven over the years, not just of my lifetime but of time itself, is God is faithful and His word is true. When He tells us to ask for wisdom and He will give it liberally, He does! When He says ask and it shall be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will open, you will and it does!

When we call – He answers!

“Moreover, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard, saying, 2 Thus says the Lord Who made [the earth], the Lord Who formed it to establish it—the Lord is His name: 3 Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).” Jeremiah 33:1-3 AMP

When it seems like we are fenced in, in the prison of our circumstances or held back by our limited knowledge, He reminds us of who He is, His power and His willingness to help.

Call on Me and I WILL answer and I’ll show you the things that were hidden, the things that you don’t recognize or understand. CALL!

And after we call “Be still and know that I am God.”

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.” Psalm 46:10-11 NKJV

The wonderful work of the Holy Spirit is to teach.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:26-27 NKJV

As we ask for wisdom, we wait for the answers. The key is to wait in peace and not be afraid. God’s plan for us is good and He is faithful!

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In God We Trust

This morning, I was unable to access my website. Not the most pleasant experience but after some research and following the correct prompts, I was able to recover everything.

Because of that, this morning’s blog is a re-share from several years back.

I often hear folks say, “I wish I had more faith or I wish my faith was bigger or stronger”. This morning I would like to share a couple of thoughts on “Faith” and “Unbelief”. Imagine you are holding a coin in your hand right now. One side of the coin is faith and one side is unbelief. The outcome in the situations of your life are directly affected by the side of the coin that you are looking at.

There are many Scriptures when Jesus addressed “Unbelief” in the hearts and minds of those that he was ministering too.

In Matthew 13 it says that Jesus couldn’t do any mighty works in his own hometown because of their unbelief. In Mark 9 the man who had a demon possessed son brought him to Jesus for healing. Jesus answered if thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth and the father responded Lord, I believe – help thou my unbelief. After Jesus set the boy free his disciples came and asked:

“Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:19-21

Jesus didn’t say that it was because of their “little” faith or even lack of faith but because of unbelief. He then goes on to say that with faith as little as a mustard seed, nothing would be impossible to them. And as a side note when Jesus said “this kind” goes not out but by prayer and fasting, He was talking about the unbelief not the demon.

Faith simply put is our belief that God not only can do but will do those things that He has promised. Abraham is our walking example of this. He had a lifetime of evidence to support his unbelief. Barrenness for both he and Sarah. If they had gone to the fertility clinic, everyone would have laughed at them and sent them home. But thank God, Abraham didn’t listen to all the unbelief (his own or that of others) he was strong in faith.

“And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” Romans 4:19-21

When we give our life to Christ and are born again, we are given faith as a part of our new nature. Romans 12 says that God has given ll of us “the” measure of faith and then in Galatians 5, Paul tells us again that faith is a fruit of the Spirit.

We can all agree it takes faith to get saved. “For by grace are ye saved through faith”. Faith, believing that God will do what He says He will do, and grace, God giving us what we don’t deserve and can’t earn on our own. This was the time in our life that our faith in God was the smallest and yet it was enough to create the greatest miracle – our salvation.

What situation has you focused on unbelief. Go to God’s word, find His answer, feed your faith (Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God) and it will cause your unbelief to shrink.

“Mustard Seed” faith is more than enough to move mountains once unbelief is removed and we place our trust in God.

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Joy Every Morning

Listening to the birds singing this morning – it’s a beautiful song. The sparrows, the finches, the dove and the quail; they are all singing praises!

They know that their Creator has supplied their needs. Dave and I do our part in scattering seed every morning and evening. They rejoice as they meet the day.

“I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more than birds?

27 Can worry make you live longer? 28 Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. 29 But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth[b] wasn’t as well clothed as one of them. 30 God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. He will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?

31 Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” 32 Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. 33 But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 6:25-31 CEV

Not one of the birds woke on the tree branch this morning and said “I’m just going to stay in bed, I can’t face the day! I don’t know what I’m going to do about the mortgage on this nest, these eggs are going to hatch soon and it’s another mouth to feed and there just might not be enough bugs or seeds. I’m just going to pull a twig or a leaf over my head and stay here. I don’t have the energy or the courage to face another day.”

No, they get up singing! The break of day tells them this is another day to sing. A day to see God’s provision, a day of promise!

When I was a little girl we sang a chorus in Sunday School:

The birds upon the tree top sing their song,

The angels chant their chorus all day long.

The flowers in the garden blend their hue

So why shouldn’t I, why shouldn’t you Praise Him too?

This morning – get up with a song in your heart and praise on your lips – the Father loves you and He will provide!

Now get out there and find some seeds. 🙂

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