Category: Book

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Weak Knees? Stand Strong!

I imagine that some are beginning to feel weaken by all that’s been happening in their communities, their states and with their families. I, for one, am tired of not being able to hug my family and friends, but others are facing more serious situations – no work, kids home from school and lack of income.

“Energize the limp hands, strengthen the rubbery knees. Tell fearful souls,  “Courage! Take heart! God is here, right here,  on his way to put things right And redress all wrongs. He’s on his way! He’ll save you!” Isaiah 35:3-4 MSG

Let me tell you about a man, a good hearted man, who faced continual adversity. He had been assigned a place of leadership, however, the current leader was still actively fulfilling the role. The current leader became jealous and did everything he could to destroy his successor. Constantly he thought of ways to pursue and destroy this man. He even enlisted the help of well-meaning by-standers.

The current leader’s pursuit was so relentless that this man with the good heart became exhausted by his efforts to avoid conflict. He let God be his defense and his strength! He didn’t retaliate or bad mouth his pursuer. He did all he could to remain humble and pure of heart.

I have been reading how David was anointed king while Saul was still ruling. Saul sought to kill David and pursued him relentlessly. There was not a day that David wasn’t under attack. It was a constant battle and David was weary.

“Lord, I trust in you. You are my God.” Psalm 31:14 ERV

No need for long and lengthy prayers just a reminder to himself that the Lord, his God, was faithful and trustworthy.

“O Lord, You have heard the prayers of those who have no pride. You will give strength to their heart, and You will listen to them.” Psalm 10:17 NLV

When we are weary, if our knees are shaking and we feel that we can’t stand it much longer, let’s follow David’s example.

“Praise the Lord! He has heard my prayer for mercy. 7 The Lord is my strength and shield. I trusted him with all my heart. He helped me, so I am happy. I sing songs of praise to him. 8 The Lord protects his chosen one. He saves him and gives him strength.” Psalm 26:6-8 ERV

If you are going through a particularly tough time right now and feel like you are being harassed and attacked I encourage you to read I Samuel 18-31. Read how the Lord worked to protect David through all of Saul’s plots. These words in the Psalms will have greater meaning when you realize the situations that surrounded them.

“I look to the hills! Where will I find help? 2 It will come from the Lord, who created the heavens and the earth. 3 The Lord is your protector, and he won’t go to sleep or let you stumble.” Psalm 121:1-3 CEV

Stand strong. The Lord is our strength!

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Love In Action

This morning I was reminded of a lady who attended church with us many years ago. She was so sweet and her desire to help people had no limits. Her name was Ruby. Ruby had the best hugs, a contagious laugh and compassion shone from her eyes.

Friday was a busy day for Ruby. She spent the entire day making soups, all kinds of soups, that she would use to feed the homeless in a park in South Phoenix. She had a number of people who would help her but she was the spearhead. She was there come rain or shine.

She was love in action!

She wanted to touch those others had forgotten with the love of Jesus. She said it was hard for them to hear words of love when their stomachs were empty so she did what she could to show them love and not just tell them about it.

I’ve never forgotten her and her sweet husband, Jim. They were some of the most loving people I have ever met. True examples of Jesus.

“Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.” Matthew 20:28 MSG

The Apostle Paul tells us that our love will bring action to our faith.

“For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.” Galatians 5:6 NLT

During this time of stressful circumstances we can either be self-centered or conscious of others and their needs. It’s in times like this that our relationship with the Lord can really shine.

Since we are to be His examples we need to be asking ourselves “what would Jesus do”. He was always an example of love in action. He healed the sick, comforted those who were sorrowful and loved the outcast.

A kind word to an overworked grocery store clerk, an extra tip to the one who is delivering our take-out dinner, checking on neighbors to make sure they have all they need or a phone call to say I’m thinking of you and praying for you. All examples of love in action!

Let’s not let this situation make us bitter and selfish but let’s be better at loving.

“My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don’t do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you? 15 If you know someone who doesn’t have any clothes or food, 16 you shouldn’t just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? 17 Faith that doesn’t lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!…26 Anyone who doesn’t breathe is dead, and faith that doesn’t do anything is just as dead!” James 2:17-26 CEV

What action does our faith need to take today? If we listen to the Holy Spirit he will show us who to encourage. Be willing to put some hands and feet on our faith today.

Let’s put love in action!

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Joy & Laughter

“A cheerful heart is good medicine,  but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22 NLT

Some people in our nation have spent the last six to eight weeks shut up, living in fear. Now, some of those same people are frustrated, angry and striking out. Heart and determination have given way to disillusionment and mistrust.

It’s time for us to focus on what’s good, pure, honest, and lovely. Our family and our friends need our strength and our joy.

“Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy the good food and sweet drinks. Give some food and drinks to those who didn’t prepare any food. Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:10 ERV

A true and honest joy gives strength to our bodies and our emotions. Find something to laugh about, do silly things. If you have children old enough to participate, tell everyone that tonight’s dinner conversation has to be only words that begin with the letter “r”, or whatever letter you choose. Before long everyone will be laughing.

Find an old comedy on Netflix, Prime or whatever streaming source you have. The sillier the better – Carol Burnett, Jonathan Winters, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. If you’re not old enough to know who these people are do a search on them.

Marvel in the small things. We spent a good deal of time this weekend watching two little wrens fly back and forth feeding their young, who are in a nest on our back patio. They were tireless in their efforts to provide for their babies. Look for shapes in the clouds. Go for a walk and count all the different kinds of flowers you find. Have a water fight!

Do something to bring joy and amazement into your life.

“61 The Spirit of the Lord God  has taken control of me! The Lord has chosen and sent me to tell the oppressed the good news, to heal the brokenhearted, and to announce freedom for prisoners and captives. 2 This is the year when the Lord God will show kindness to us and punish our enemies. The Lord has sent me to comfort those who mourn,3 especially in Jerusalem. He sent me to give them flowers in place of their sorrow, olive oil in place of tears, and joyous praise in place of broken hearts. They will be called  “Trees of Justice,” planted by the Lord to honor his name. 4 Then they will rebuild cities that have been in ruins for many generations.” Isaiah 61:1-4 ERV

There’s a header on these verses which reads “The Good News of Victory”. These words were spoken about the coming of Jesus nearly four hundred years before He was born. Now that Jesus has come He has brought us freedom, peace, kindness, comfort, joy and restoration for what was ruined.

Sounds like a good word for what we’ve been experiencing.

Let the peace of God and joy in the Lord be our guiding force and then let’s share it generously with all we meet!

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Where the Boat Leaves From

We spend a lot of time on our back patio. It seems like the perfect place to be! We love our yard and there’s either island or country music playing on Pandora. Yesterday, it was island music.

We’ve learned that there aren’t a lot of songs in that genre so they repeat regularly, one song that stuck with me last night was Zac Brown Band’s “Where the Boat Leaves From”. All night long it was in my dreams and I was singing it when I woke up this morning so I’m sharing it with you.

So get away to where the boat leaves from
It takes away all of your big problems
You got worries you can drop them in the blue ocean
But you gotta get away to where the boat leaves from

Good advice – take all your worries and problems and drop them in the ocean. Get away from the dock! A boat tied up at the dock is going nowhere. So much of life is like that – we get tied down by worries and troubles and then we become immobilized.

The Apostle Peter was like that. He was a commercial fisherman. In fact, he and his brother owned a fishing fleet. Jesus met them one day on the shore of Galilee. They had fished all night and caught nothing. They were tired but the nets still needed to be washed and put away so they would be ready for the next trip out. And here comes Jesus, a carpenter, who knows nothing about fishing (or at least, that’s what they thought). He wanted to give them some advice.

“When Jesus had finished speaking, he told Simon, “Row the boat out into the deep water and let your nets down to catch some fish.” 5 “Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.” 6 They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart. 7 Then they signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this happen, he knelt down in front of Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t come near me! I am a sinner.” 9 Peter and everyone with him were completely surprised at all the fish they had caught. 10 His partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised too. Jesus told Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish.” Luke 5:4-10 CEV

Launch out Peter, Jesus said. Go out to the deep water. Dump your worries of empty nets into water and I will fill them for you. Reluctant but obedient they did what Jesus said. They had never brought in such a haul!

When we trust the Lord and are obedient to His word what we throw out empty will come back full.

“I, the Lord, am the one speaking to you. Come, let’s discuss this. Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow. 19 “If you listen to what I say, you will get the good things from this land.” Isaiah 1:18-19 ERV

Today’s the perfect day to follow Peter’s example. Maybe you’ve been up all night trying to figure out how you’re going to provide for your family or how you’re going to make it in business when this self-quarantine is over. It looks like your business is destroyed; you’ve fished all night and caught nothing.

Hear the words of Jesus, “Launch out. Trust me. Throw your empty nets overboard and bring them back full.” The Lord has promised that He will supply all our needs.

Get away from where the boat leaves from – get away from the shore and sail on the sea of God’s love and provision!

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No Broken Promises

Do kids still do “pinky swear”? You remember, we’d be on the play ground or at a friend’s house when something would be said or done, a secret was confided or a promise made and we would “pinky swear”. There was nothing stronger than a pinky swear – it was unbreakable!

But as I grew up pinky swear was replaced with “I cross my heart”. And then we knew there was definitely nothing stronger than that…A promise is a promise and should never be broken. Yet, I have broken promises and have also experienced the breaking of them. I know we all have. It can be devastating.

However, there is One who never breaks a promise!

“All of God’s promises have their yes in him. That is why we say Amen through him to the glory of God.” II Corinthians 1:20

When God makes a promise He keeps it. Simply put, God cannot lie. What promise has God made you that you haven’t seen come to pass yet? Don’t get weary, stand strong it will happen!!

The life of Joseph reveals God’s promise keeping commitment. He had that dream as a seventeen year old and then his brothers sold him into slavery because of their jealousy. I’m sure Joseph was beginning to wonder how God was going to make this all come about but he knew God was with him.

“The traders who bought Joseph took him down to Egypt. They sold him to the captain of Pharaoh’s guard, Potiphar. 2 The LORD helped Joseph become a successful man. Joseph lived in the house of his master, Potiphar the Egyptian. 3 Potiphar saw that the LORD was with Joseph and that the LORD helped Joseph be successful in everything he did.” Genesis 39:1-3

“Joseph told them to come closer to him, and when they did, he said: Yes, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. 5 Don’t worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives.” Genesis 45:4-5 CEV

Joseph had been in Egypt for thirteen years. Most of that time he had been enslaved or imprisoned. He held on to God’s promise that he would be placed in authority and his brothers would see his prominence. Joseph became second in command in Egypt and God used him to save his father, brothers and their families from starvation.

I will ask again, what promise has God made you? Is it one of these?

“My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” Philippians 4:19

“Great shall be the peace of thy children for they are taught of the Lord.” Isaiah 54:13

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises up against you, you shall condemn for this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3Who forgives all your iniquities; who healeth all your diseases;” Psalm 103:2-3

“Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God believe also in me” John 14:1

“The thief cometh not but for to steal, kill and destroy but I am come that ye might have life and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

I’m not sure if your promise is in this list but if it isn’t add it. God will keep His word; He is faithful to a thousand generations. He hasn’t lied in the pass and He’s not going to start now by lying to you.

“God is not a man;  he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change.
If he says he will do something,  then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.” Number 23:19 ERV

When God makes a promise it’s unbreakable – pinky swear!

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The Treasure Hunt

When we lived in Montana there was an old ghost town only a few miles up the road. It was always an adventure to visit there and learn about the early mining history of our state. We could walk through the buildings, down the streets and even visit the cemetery. Thousands of people had lived there during the gold strike and then almost over night the gold played out and a new strike was found about seventy miles away in Virginia City. Off the residents went in search of riches.

During the summer, visitors to Bannack are welcome to try their hand at prospecting using a gold pan and some dirt from the nearby, gold enriched, Grasshopper Creek. Gold panning is fun but it’s hard work too. For the diligent there is the possibly of finding a nugget or two and at the very least a few flakes.

The mound of dirt that’s brought in doesn’t look like much – just regular old dirt. Add some to your pan and the treasure hunt begins. Sloshing and swirling of water, removing the larger rocks, more washing, but more gently now. The black dirt settles in the bottom of the pan, a little more water, swirl it gently and there in the bottom of the pan garnets, rubies and even gold appears.

Prospecting is nothing more than looking for something valuable among the common. I know of no better prospector than the Lord.

“Jesus told the people another story: What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them? Won’t she light a lamp, sweep the floor, and look carefully until she finds it? 9 Then she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, “Let’s celebrate! I’ve found the coin I lost.” 10 Jesus said, “In the same way God’s angels are happy when even one person turns to him.” Luke 15:8-10 CEV

He searches for us. Digging through the dirt, He washes away what is worthless to reveal our true value. We are precious to Him! We are his treasure.

Our heavenly Father came looking for us when we were at our worst. Once again I am overwhelmed by the Father’s love for us! He has covered our lives with His unconditional love and forgiveness.

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.

9 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 his Son’s life. 11 And in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us.” Romans 5:6-11 CEV

Because of His love and the sacrifice of Jesus we are at peace with God and precious in His sight.

“He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. 14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.” Psalm 72:13-14 NLT

We are precious to the Father. We are His treasure!

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Have A Great Day!

What are you considering today? What we focus on effects our emotions and our actions. We can get up with our mind filled with thoughts of joy or thoughts of dread and those thoughts will dictate our day.

I plan to have a great day, I hope you do too.

Our most powerful adversary as Christians is not the devil. He was defeated when Jesus rose from the grave and we have been given authority over him and all his evil works. However, our greatest adversary is also our greatest ally – it just depends on how we use it. I’m talking about our minds!

God won’t force us to do things against our will. He won’t force us to accept His wonderful gift of salvation, even if it means we will eventually go to hell, and He won’t force us to accept the blessings that He is providing for us in this life either. We must willfully accept all of His provisions for them to work in our lives.

So, how do we move the mind from an adversary to an ally? The answer is simple. It’s by what we consider. Our mind is much like the computer I am using to message with right now. It can only produce on screen, or in memory, what I input.

It becomes our responsibility to input the correct information. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2 “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

When we let God’s word be our input our minds will have a better way of thinking. I love what I heard one pastor say, “Get rid of stinkin thinkin”.

It’s imperative that we guard our minds more than we guard our wallets. The damage caused by wrong thinking is more detrimental than losing our cash. In fact, it’s very similar to spiritual identity theft. Thinking like the world thinks will keep us from realizing all the wonderful blessings that God has provided. “We live in this world, but we don’t fight our battles in the same way the world does. 4 The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, 5 and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5

Counteract the world’s influence today and live this “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7

We can make our day great by concentrating on all that God has done for us!

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Kindness & Peace

Some mornings when I get up I hesitate having any contact with the outside world. It’s not because I’m afraid of the reports on COVID-19. My heart gets grieved by the unkind words and actions that seem to be so prevalent.

Two things we can always use more of is kindness and peace. It would mean a great deal if people treated us nicer, right? I think we can get a hardy amen to having less drama in our lives. Here is the question: How can we be used to bring those two elements into the lives of those around us?

“This letter is to all of you in Rome. God loves you and has chosen you to be his very own people. I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!” Romans 1:7 CEV

Well, we can begin by praying for God to bless those we know with kindness and peace. And then we can follow through with being kind to those around us.

Kind to the other drivers on the roads, to the grocery store workers, our first responders, to truckers, neighbors and those we speak to on the phone and through electronic communication. To our kids and our spouses.

Kindness brings peace.

“Without wood, a fire goes out. Without gossip, arguments stop. 21 Charcoal keeps the coals glowing, wood keeps the fire burning, and troublemakers keep arguments alive.” Proverbs 26:20-21 MSG

“Don’t you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?” Romans 2:4 CEV

God’s goodness is what draws people to Him. When we emulate God’s character we are being used to bring others to Christ. We must never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit working through us.

“God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.” Galatians 5:22-23 CEV

Today I’m praying that God’s goodness and peace will overflow in our lives flooding all those around us.

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Are You Thirsty?

A number of years ago we lived in the panhandle of Idaho. We had one particular summer that was very dry. The catch ponds were drying up and the springs were only a trickle.

One afternoon the dogs put us on alert and when we looked out our windows, this is what we saw. A cow moose had wandered into our yard with her twins in search of water. Our sprinklers were running and they provided the much needed water that she was seeking. After they drank their fill, they rested in the shade of the tall pines. At first she was very cautious, looking about after every sip and then as her calves rested quietly, she found rest herself.

Have you been that thirsty, thirsty for God? Thirsty enough to “search” outside your comfort zone? To be willing to leave the familiar way of doing things and to find the answers you need in God’s word?

God asked Abraham to leave his family and his homeland. His descendants were the originators of the Jewish race. Ruth left all and followed after Naomi to a new land where God blessed her with a husband and a child. Christ was in their line of descendants. Peter left his fishing nets to follow Christ. Paul gave up his prestige as a Pharisee to follow Jesus and preach His word.

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Psalm 42:1-2 ERV

When we seek God, we will find Him and we will find that He fills our lives with so much more than we ever dreamed possible.

“Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. 14 I will let you find me.” This message is from the LORD.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 ERV

Jesus ministered to a crowd on a hillside one day and he told them. ““Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. 8 Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them. 9 “Do any of you have a son? If he asked for bread, would you give him a rock? 10 Or if he asked for a fish, would you give him a snake? Of course not! 11 You people are so bad, but you still know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:7-11 ERV

God is loving, kind and gracious and when we seek Him we will find that to be true. He put all of our punishment and judgement on Jesus so that we could have a wonderful relationship with Him.

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.” II Corinthians 5:17-19. ERV

Someone needs to know today that God isn’t mad at you! He loves you and if you seek Him, you will find Him waiting with arms of love open wide. Seek for Him like that momma moose who came to our yard seeking water.

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Tough Times

Determination — Perserverance — Strength
All three are needed to get through the tough times and come out victorious.

Noah preached the whole time he was building the ark and didn’t have one convert but he kept building and he kept preaching.

Abraham was promised a natural born son and he had to wait 25 years to see the promise fulfilled.

Joseph was sold as a slave, spent time in prison, was forgotten before he made it to pharoah’s palace.

Moses led a nation of grumbling and complaining people for 40 years in the desert and they never made it to the Promised Land. That should have been about a 3-4 week trip.

Jesus preached, died, rose again providing that He was the Messiah and still many did not believe.

Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, nearly drown and held in prison and still he kept preaching.

God, the Father, isn’t willing that any should perish and has offered salvation to all. He hasn’t given up!

Each of the men above had been given a promise by God which gave them courage and determination to continue. They encouraged themselves with God’s word and used it to fight discouragement. They found that God was more than enough!

“There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, “You will have many descendants.” 19 Abraham was almost a hundred years old, so he was past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham was well aware of this, but his faith in God never became weak. 20 He never doubted that God would do what he promised. He never stopped believing. In fact, he grew stronger in his faith and just praised God.” Romans 4:18-20 ERV (emphasis is mine)

” But the Lord said, ‘My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.” So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me. 10 Yes, I am glad to have weaknesses if they are for Christ. I am glad to be insulted and have hard times. I am glad when I am persecuted and have problems, because it is when I am weak that I am really strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10 ERV (emphasis is mine)

“Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him,  but he harshly punishes the arrogant. 24 So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” Psalm 31:23-24 NLT

I pray that we become like these men and we continue to hope. When we are weak we truly are strong because we go forward in a strength that only God can give. He is more than enough!

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