Category: Provision

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Filled With Blessings

Here we are just a few days before Thanksgiving and other than the grocery store commercials not a lot is being said about this day that was set aside for giving thanks.

Our hearts should be overflowing with thankfulness.

God has been gracious and kind. There may have been disappointments and even heart aches in the last year but God remains faithful and trustworthy.

He continues to bring blessings and benefits into our lives. He loads us up with blessings!

” Do not be misled, my beloved brothers and sisters. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow [a]cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes]. 18 It was of His own will that He gave us birth [as His children] by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes].

19 Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; ” James 1:16-19 AMP

He is the giver of every good and perfect gift and He does not change. We need to listen more and murmur less. This will definitely bring us closer to thankful hearts.

“We praise you, Lord God! You treat us with kindness day after day, and you rescue us. 20 You always protect us and save us from death.” Psalm 68:19-20 CEV

One translation of this verse says ” Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”

Daily, He loads us up with benefits…Selah (stop and think).

“My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise his holy name! 2 My soul, praise the Lord  and never forget how kind he is! 3 He forgives all our sins and heals all our sicknesses.” Psalm 103:1-3 ERV

Today as you get ready to go about your day Stop and Think about the ways the Lord has been good to you. I guarantee it will make you thankful!

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Not the Turkey – The Lamb

Thanksgiving is coming soon and there is so much preparation still to be done. Groceries to buy, miles to be driven, pies to bake, turkey to prepare and cleaning to be done – but in all of this it’s important that we don’t lose sight of why we celebrate on the 4th Thursday of November.

“Father, you so graciously brought those pilgrims through a year of hardship and struggle in this new land. They came with a desire to worship freely, seeking to build a land where men were equal. They willingly faced the perils of sea and land; weather and wild but they persevered with Your help and the help of their newfound allies. Our hearts are grateful that because of their sacrifice we are able to call this land home.

We are also grateful that because of the sacrifice of Jesus we can call heaven home and spend eternity in Your presence. We are dependent on You and Your direction for our lives as much as those early settlers that came to Plymouth Rock. We come to our Rock, the solid rock, Christ Jesus and in Him we find life.

Our desire is to let the light of Jesus shine from us so brightly that the world may see your great love.” Our prayer to You, in Jesus name.

The Apostle Paul desired that the light of the gospel, the good news, shine through him and through us.

“We are not preaching about ourselves. Our message is that Jesus Christ is Lord. He also sent us to be your servants. 6 The Scriptures say, ‘God commanded light to shine in the dark.’ Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ.

7 We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. 8 We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. 9 In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. 10-11 We face death every day because of Jesus. Our bodies show what his death was like, so that his life can also be seen in us. 12 This means that death is working in us, but life is working in you.” II Corinthians 4:5-12 CEV

Paul experienced the death of his fleshly desires – comfort, security, safety, freedom; so that he could bring the message of new life in Christ to the world. Jesus sacrificed the desires and needs of the flesh to provide salvation, and Paul was willing to crucify his flesh to continue to take that message around the known world.

When we’re tired, hungry, inconvenienced by long lines and irritable people, let’s let the light of Jesus shine through us to bring the power of God to others. In us is the light of God waiting to shine for all the world to see!

As we finish our preparations for time with family and friends, let’s remember it’s about The Lamb of God, not the turkey.

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Hungry & Desperate

Have you ever been desperate?

Thinking all hope was gone and there was no where to turn – what do you do? That’s a time when many turn to God – they have exhausted their own resources; their wisdom, their finances, their influence and even their health and then they say “God help!”

I’ve been there and so have you!

I would never criticize anyone who finds themselves in that place but would only encourage them that it is true – God does care and He will help – He will provide a way out! But you know, when I think of that helpless, hopeless feeling now it brings me to a place of comfort and peace because God did meet me there – He did provide all that I needed and more!

There’s a song that says “I’m desperate for you” – that’s the place I want to be each and every day. Desperate for the Lord – I want to be so dependent on Him that I can’t imagine a day or an hour of living without a sense of His presence in my life. Again, from the song, He’s the very air I breathe – Do you know what’s it like to be that desperate for the Lord?

I hope so!!

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3 those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. 4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. 5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. 8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, 9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:1-9 ERV

Verse 9 in the King James version says “ For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”

To be longing – that’s desperate. It’s more than desire; it’s a need, a deep need – a “I can’t go on any further without you” need.

When Jesus was teaching the Sermon on the Mount, he said this “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 KJV but read it in the Easy-to-Read Version

“Great blessings belong to those who want to do right more than anything else. God will fully satisfy them.” Matthew 5:6 ERV

They will be satisfied! Are you satisfied – fully satisfied? Do you long for Him today? I hope you do!

God will fill us up when we are desperate!

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Prepare Your Heart

Thanksgiving is coming soon and there is so much preparation still to be done.

I’m one of those who try to image myself being in the moment; I try to see what it must have been like to be with Noah on the ark, standing on the bank of the Red Sea when it parted, being with the shepherds when the angels announced Jesus birth, standing at the foot of the cross during the crucifixion.

I have also imagined what it must have been like at that first Thanksgiving.

These people had faced devastating trials during the first year in the new world. Peril by crossing the sea that cost so many lives, disease, malnutrition, harsh weather conditions, lack of knowledge of their surroundings and perils from the inhabitants of this land. They gave all they had to make this new world their home – some lost their spouses and children to death, heartbroken they had to continue to press on or die themselves. They had to build shelters and plant gardens. Their survival that first year was truly a time to give thanks! It was an expression of their very lives to stop and thank Him for His provision and protection one year later.

“Father, you so graciously brought those pilgrims through a year of hardship and struggle in this new land. They came with a desire to worship freely and seeking to build a land where men were equal. They willingly faced the perils of sea and land; weather and wild but they persevered with Your help and the help of their new found allies. Our hearts are grateful that because of their sacrifice we are able to call this land home.

We are also grateful that because of the sacrifice of Jesus we can call heaven home and spend eternity in Your presence. We are dependent on You and Your direction for our lives. As those early settlers that came to Plymouth Rock. We come to our Rock, the solid rock, Christ Jesus and in Him we find life.

Our desire is to let the light of Jesus shine from us so brightly that the world may see Your great love. This is our prayer to You, in Jesus name.”

The Apostle Paul desired that the light of the gospel shine through him and through us.

“We are not preaching about ourselves. Our message is that Jesus Christ is Lord. He also sent us to be your servants. 6 The Scriptures say, ‘God commanded light to shine in the dark.’ Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ. 7 We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. 8 We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. 9 In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. 10-11 We face death every day because of Jesus. Our bodies show what his death was like, so that his life can also be seen in us. 12 This means that death is working in us, but life is working in you.” II Corinthians 4:5-12 CEV

Paul experienced the death of his daily needs and desires – comfort, security, safety, freedom; so that he could bring the message of new life in Christ to the world. As we finish our preparations for time with family and friends, let’s remember to do the same.

When we’re tired, hungry, inconvenienced by long lines and irritable people, let’s let the light of Jesus shine through us to bring the power of God to others. In us, the light of God is wanting to shine for all the world to see!

Embraced the season with A Prepared Heart!

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Lift Up Your Head

Being a Christian doesn’t mean we are free from disappointment and heart ache. We are faced with the same challenges and problems as everyone else in the world. We experience relationships that fail; physical sickness and disease; death of loved ones; financial lack; political and social attack and unrest; and family crises.

What makes the difference in our lives is our faith and trust in a loving heavenly Father who is able to come to our aide in every situation. We don’t live with our heads in the sand but we do live with our hearts in HIS hand!

Let me remind you of what Jesus said.

“The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy), 19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].’” Luke 4:17-19 AMP

This was the reason Jesus came and He didn’t just talk the talk, He walked the walk. So did His disciples.

“Jesus answered, ‘Go and tell John what you have heard and seen. 5 The blind are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People with leprosy are being healed, and the deaf can hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news. 6 God will bless everyone who doesn’t reject me because of what I do.” Matthew 11:4-6 CEV

His purpose is the same today as it was then!

When we are feeling overwhelmed we don’t have to fall into the same pit of despair as others around us. We can lift up our heads (a sign of hope) and go to the One who comforts, heals and sets right.

“Hear my cry, O God; Listen to my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth I call to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and weak; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I [a rock that is too high to reach without Your help]. 3 For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me, A strong tower against the enemy.” Psalm 61:1-3 AMP

” We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. 15 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:14-16 CEV

Lift your head, look up. Come find help today!

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The Father’s Gifts

When I woke up this morning, this verse was on my heart.

“If you then, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:11.

This word evil is a comparative word.

When comparing earthly fathers to God, the Father, the earthly fathers are comparatively evil. Sometimes our natural fathers will make a wrong decision or lose their tempers or display other “evil” character flaws but not God, the Father, His very nature is love.

His love is unconditional, He is never self-seeking, and He will never fail us.

I was blessed to have a very loving father and I miss him dearly. He was a living example to me of God’s love. Yes, he had his faults and shortcomings, but I always knew he loved me and that he would do all he could for me and our family. Some are not so blessed, and I understand that too – but regardless of how your natural father has treated you, God, the Father, always welcomes you with open arms and a heart full of love!

“Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.” James 1:17 CEV

He doesn’t promise one thing on one day and take it away the next. He is always the same. He is a promise keeper.

“God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises. 20 ‘My command from God was to bless these people, and there’s nothing I can do to change what he has done.'” Numbers 23:19-20 CEV

He has promised to give us every blessing that comes from heaven.

“ We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:3-4 CEV

His great and precious promises are infused with His nature – love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, meekness, faith. His love never fails; it isn’t self-seeking or selfish. It isn’t vindictive or unforgiving. These are just some of the gifts He has given to us.

He’ll wipe away our tears, laugh with us in the good times and hold us close to protect us in the evil times.

He is a good, good Father!





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Recovering What’s Been Stolen

For about the last week or so I’ve been dwelling on a heartbreaking event in King David’s life. Actually, this event occurred before he had been crowned king.

King Saul was ruthlessly pursuing David and trying to kill him and his men. David found favor with the king of the Philistines. (Remember, David had killed Goliath just a few years earlier, so this was quite amazing.) David and his men and their families lived in the town of Ziklag.

Achish, the Philistine king, was going to battle against King Saul. David and his 600 men volunteered to fight with them but the commanders of Achish’s army refused to fight with David, so Achish told David to take his men and go home.

In the 3 days it took for David and his men to return to Ziklag, his town had been attacked, burned to the ground and all the livestock plus the women and children had been stolen by the Amalekites. When David and his men saw what had happened to their families they were devastated, overcome with grief, immobilized by sorrow.

“Then David and the people with him cried out in a loud voice until they had no more strength to cry…6 And David was very troubled because the people talked about killing him with stones. For all the people were very angry in their sorrow for their sons and daughters. But David got his strength from the Lord his God.” I Samuel 30:4-6 NLV

Everything was lost. They were dejected, angry and ready to lash out. BUT, David drew on God’s strength and wisdom.

” 8 Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go after this army? Should I meet them in battle?” The Lord said to him, “Go after them, for you will catch them for sure. And you will be sure to save all the people.” I Samuel 30:8 NLV

David and 400 of his men went in pursuit of the Amalekites, 200 men were too weary to fight so they stayed behind. With God’s help, the Amalekites were killed and David “recovered all” that had been stolen.

“ David took back all that the Amalekites had taken, and saved his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, small or large, sons or daughters, food or anything that had been taken. David returned with all of it. 20 And he took all the sheep and cattle. The people drove those animals in front of him, and said, “This is what belongs to David.” verses 18-20 NLV

Jesus said this about a thief, about the devil.

“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

And the Apostle Paul said this.

“Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.” Romans 12:19 NLV

I was thinking about things that have been stolen – peace of mind, hope, security, joy, relationships, health, finances… Like David, we seek the Lord and He will fight for us. He will make the thief repay and He will bless us with a great full life!

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Suit Up

There’s a reason why I was so emphatic in my comments yesterday about never, ever compromising on the Word of God.

A recent sermon reminded me of a teaching I have done many times from Ephesians, chapter 6.

We are commanded to put on the whole armor of God so that we will be able to stand in the face of our spiritual enemies and emerge victoriously. Each piece of the armor is tied to God’s word and His promises.

“ 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. Always pray for all of God’s people.

19 Also pray for me—that when I speak, God will give me words so that I can tell the secret truth about the Good News without fear.” Ephesians 6:10-19 ERV

Let’s break down the armor: Belt of truth – “ Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours.” John 17:17 CEV

Breastplate of righteousness – “Christ never sinned but God put our sin on Him. Then we are made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.” II Corinthians 5:21

Footwear – The Gospel which means good news – “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:15 NKJV

Shield of Faith – “ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 NKJV

Helmet of Salvation – “ For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13 NKJV

Sword of Spirit – “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two–edged sword…” Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

If we are without God’s word, we are without armor. Suit up – the victory is ours in Christ Jesus!

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Tie It Together

Some years back I was doing a one-on-one Bible Study with a friend and she asked, “How does the Old Testament tie in with the New Testament, making it practical for today?”.

Yes, she knew that the Old Testament was filled with prophetic teachings about the birth of Christ, His crucifixion and the end times but she was missing the day-to-day applications for her life.

I think that is quite common so let me take a few minutes with you this morning to go through that.

I’m sure that most of you know the story of Abraham. He was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. The Lord told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations and that his descendants would be more numerous than the sand on the seashore. Abraham was the father of the nation of Israel but we, who follow Christ, are also his descendants.

God’s word is filled with blessings for all of us. The Old Testament is filled with rich and wonderful promises from God to His people. The New Testament tells us that when we are in Christ, the blessings made to Abraham and those in the Old Testament are available to us as well.

“Because of what Jesus Christ did, the blessing God promised to Abraham was given to all people. Christ died so that by believing in him we could have the Spirit that God promised… Now, in Christ, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or free, male or female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus. 29 You belong to Christ, so you are Abraham’s descendants. You get all of God’s blessings because of the promise that God made to Abraham.” Galatians 3: 14, 28 & 29 ERV

God’s blessings are for our whole life – spiritually, physically and emotionally. His blessings bring wholeness. The blessings the Lord gave to Abraham were perpetual, they continued through the generations. Moses repeated them to the Israelites before they occupied the Promised Land.

” So remember that the LORD your God is the only God, and you can trust him! He keeps his agreement. He shows his love and kindness to all people who love him and obey his commands. He continues to show his love and kindness through a thousand generations, 10 but the LORD punishes people who hate him. He will destroy them. He will not be slow to punish those who hate him. 11 So you must be careful to obey the commands, laws, and rules that I give you today.

12 “If you listen to these laws, and if you are careful to obey them, the LORD your God will keep his agreement of love with you. He promised this to your ancestors. 13 He will love you and bless you. He will make your nation grow. He will bless your children. He will bless your fields with good crops and will give you grain, new wine, and oil. He will bless your cows with calves and your sheep with lambs. You will have all these blessings in the land that he promised your ancestors to give you.

14 “You will be blessed more than all people. Every husband and wife will be able to have children. Your cows will be able to have calves. 15 The LORD will take away all sickness from you and he will not let you catch any of the terrible diseases that you had in Egypt” Deuteronomy 7:9-15 ERV

When God first chose a people, Abraham’s descendants, to be His own, He blessed them in every area of their lives. Those blessings of the Old Testament are still valid for us today. But a greater blessing is ours as well. We have been made right with God through the sacrifice of Christ.

“… the new agreement that Jesus brought from God to his people is much greater than the old one. And the new agreement is based on better promises.” Hebrews 8:6 ERV

The Lord’s promises are still valid. He does not lie. Walk in His blessing today!

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What Do You See?

Perspective! It’s important to keep a proper perspective when going through a tough time. If we begin to look to closely at the situation it will begin to seem overwhelming. It’s important to pull back and look at things the way God’s see them.

The children of Egypt saw a sea too big to cross; God saw a stream and damned it up. Saul’s soldiers saw a giant too big to conquer; David saw a man who was no match for God. Noah saw a world filled with corruption and a devastating flood; God saw a cruise ship of salvation.

What is your perspective? Do you see things as hopeless, do you see defeat?

“God, hear my cry for help. Listen to my prayer. 2 From a faraway land I call to you for help. I feel so weak and helpless! Carry me to a high rock where no one can reach me. 3 You are my place of safety, a strong tower that protects me from my enemies. 4 I want to live in your tent forever. I want to hide where you can protect me. Selah” Psalm 61:1-4 ERV

“I must calm down and turn to God; only he can rescue me. 2 He is my Rock, the only one who can save me. He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me.” Psalm 62:1-2 ERV

Satan saw Jesus as a dead man, buried in a tomb but God saw the resurrection!

Don’t be discouraged or disheartened. Put your hope in God!

“I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

What do you see? Keep a godly perspective!

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