Category: Studying the Bible

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Sweeter Than Honey

The biscuits and gravy breakfast yesterday morning was enjoyed by all. It started out as a cool and cloudy morning but by breakfast’ end our foreheads were glistening with drops of perspiration in the warm morning sun.

It would be silly to think that any of those who came for breakfast would have eaten enough to keep them satisfied and full for the rest of the week.  I know I’m not.

I’m looking forward to having some biscuits this morning. In fact, I’ve been sitting here thinking about how good they will taste once they are warmed, and I have drizzled some sweet whipped honey over them.

One of my favorite things when I was a little girl was whipped honey. It was a treat to be able to spread it across a warm piece of toast and let it soak into the bread. Each bite delighted my taste buds with a delicate sweetness. I was never satisfied with one bite.

That’s how I feel about God’s word. It’s not enough to eat from it one day a week. I want to have nourishment each morning. I draw strength from the instruction that the Lord provides for me. It is fresh knowledge, applicable for each day, and gives me direction and wisdom.

“The Law of the Lord is perfect; it gives us new life. His teachings last forever, and they give wisdom to ordinary people.
8 The Lord’s instruction is right;  it makes our hearts glad. His commands shine brightly,
 and they give us light. 9 Worshiping the Lord is sacred;  he will always be worshiped. All of his decisions are correct and fair. 10 They are worth more than the finest gold and are sweeter than honey from a honeycomb.” Psalm 19:7-10 CEV

We can come to the Bible and dine until we are full. Some days it’s like a banquet, one course after another, each bringing something new. Other days I am in a mood to snack – a little tidbit of encouragement here, a nibble of instruction there and then just a little bit more right before bed.

“My child, listen carefully to everything I say. 21     Don’t forget a single word, but think about it all. 22 Knowing these teachings will mean true life and good health for you.” Proverbs 4:20-22 CEV

What are you hungry for?  Are you ready for a full meal or just a snack with your morning coffee?

Remember, all of God’s word brings life but we are the ones who need to take and eat.

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Protected By The Light

As I look out the window this morning, I see strands of blue and white lights throughout the campground. It seems so strange in the forest setting but it is an absolute necessity.

We hadn’t been here very long when we had a more experienced camp host tell Dave that he should have a light under the hood of his truck at night and that we should have lights under our RV to protect the wiring of our vehicles from the pack rats.

Really?!

Those little critters love to chew on the wires, and they can do hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage to the vehicles. They are small little varmints, but they are sneaky and destructive. They wait until after dark to do their dirty work; having the area lighted discourages them.

Isn’t that how it is in life?

Little varmints causing havoc.

“But now you must stop doing such things. You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others. 9 And stop lying to each other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits.

10 Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better.” Colossians 3:8-10 CEV

They are cute little creatures and fun to watch as they dash here and there but their work is destructive. Much like the work of selfishness, anger, dishonesty and greed.

A little child starts early with one of their favorite words, “Mine” and we ignore it or laugh. As the years go back, left uncorrected, their selfishness becomes explosive and out-of-control. 

The same can be said for the “little white lie”. Really, it’s no big deal, right? Wrong. Lying, big or little, destroys the credibility of the one speaking it. It becomes impossible to trust someone who lies.

I think we all need to have strings of spiritual blue and white lights that help deter those destructive actions that would undermine our character.

“Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk.” Psalm 119:105 CEV

The Father has promised that His word will light our path and it will keep us from stumbling. That’s a protection I, personally, want to have.

Let the Lord show you some of the little critters who have been sneaking in to chew away at your heart. Shine the light of His word on those actions and be free from the destruction they cause.

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My Greatest Desire

What’s the one thing you desire most?

I would like to say that my one thing is to honor and serve the Lord, but many times my days are so wrapped up in my own pursuits that the Lord is put somewhere further down the line. Just being honest folks – if we aren’t honest with ourselves we can’t and won’t serve the Lord the way we should.

“LORD, teach me your laws, and I will always follow them. 34 Help me understand your teachings, and I will follow them. Obeying them will be my greatest desire. 35 Help me follow your commands, because that makes me happy. 36 Give me the desire to follow your rules, not the desire to get rich. 37 Don’t let me look at worthless things. Help me live your way. 38 Do what you promised me, your servant, so that people will respect you. 39 Take away the shame I fear. Your laws are good. 40 See how much I want to obey your instructions! Be good to me, and let me live.” Psalm 119:33-40 ERV

King David had a “greatest desire” mentality.

The Bible says that David was a man after God’s heart. He wanted to serve God will all his natural ability but that wasn’t enough, he wanted more. He knew he needed God’s help if he was truly going to follow God’s word.

David didn’t just sit by each day and have harps playing in the background, eating grapes and contemplating the greatness and vastness of God.

His life was full – he had a kingdom to run, he had wives and children, there were enemies to defeat and battles to be won. Yet his priority was God’s word – he wasn’t seeking wealth or power – but those things came to him. He was “seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things were added to him.” David was living the very thing that Jesus taught but he was living it hundreds of years before Jesus delivered the message.

Jesus said “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” John 6:38

Have you ever looked at a single day in the life of Jesus? From the time He got up until late at night he was busy. His daily life was filled with walking, sailing, healing, teaching, facing his critics and raising the dead. When he did take time to pray and be alone, people would seek him out and interrupt his prayer time. He had learned the Scriptures from his youth and was living them out each and every day.

Reading one verse from the Bible and living it all day long will have more of an impact on our lives and the lives of others than reading chapters and not having it change us.

I like this part in today’s verses. “Don’t let me look at worthless things. Help me live your way.”

It begs the question “what worthless things am I looking at”?

Like King David, our goal should be to live in a way that people know we are depending on the Lord.

My heart’s desire is to do more than read the Word today – I want to live it!

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Hidden Treasure

Since the first of the year I have been sharing little nuggets with you from my recent book, “Like A Diamond”. My goal was to share with you the plan that the Lord has for all of us who follow Him and some of the many blessings we have when we are in Christ.

He wants us to shine brilliantly with His love and power for all the world to see.

“Dear friends, we have these promises from God. So, we should make ourselves pure—free from anything that makes our body or our soul unclean. Our respect for God should make us try to be completely holy in the way we live.” II Corinthians 7:1 ERV

These truths from God’s Word have been a part of my life for almost four decades. I have come to love the Lord in a deeper way than I ever dreamed possible. His Word is my daily bread and my wisest counsel.

I remember the days that I was a diamond in the rough. With loving precision the Lord has made me new, given me a purpose, and exquisitely designed my life. He made me to be radiant for His glory.

Dave and I knew the Lord brought us together and our marriage has been centered on Him. We were like all young couples with a desire to be successful and have nice things. Our tries at success proved disastrous and left us in debt, looking for a way out. We had no idea God wanted to handle our problems and had already provided all the answers we needed.

We were struggling; we loved the Lord but we didn’t know anything about the precious promises of His word for all daily lives. Our upbringing had left us with the impression that life here on earth was a constant struggle until we got to heaven and THEN it would be “worth it all” until one day we heard a pastor teaching on living victoriously in this life.

We began studying the Bible to find help and hope for our every day life.

The Lord has blessed us with joy, strength, peace, wisdom and purpose. We are in good health, filled with peace and the Lord continually provides. The truths I’ve shared are not wishful thinking – we have lived this transforming life. We know we can totally trust the Lord in every circumstance. He has brought us through some really rough times.

I promised the Lord years ago that I would be diligent to share with other Christians who were feeling helpless and defeated the truths of God’s word. I had been ignorant and defeated in spiritual things for so long that I just had to share what the Father has taught me. So that’s what I do each morning through this blog.

Only God’s Word has the power to change lives. Faith is developed by hearing the Word of God. The more we hear it the more we grow. It is my prayer that you will discover the truth of God’s Word and fully realize what God has done for you. God desires to work a miracle in each of us.

“God once said, ‘Let light shine out of the darkness!’ And this is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts to let us know that his own divine greatness is seen in the face of Christ. 7 We have this treasure from God, but we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This is to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us.” II Corinthians 4:6-7 CEV

Let’s live here and now for God’s glory!

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Begin to Plant

Yesterday morning we traveled to my childhood home in Yuma. All along the way we drove past miles of alfalfa fields. It was as if the Lord was giving me a visual object lesson of what I had just shared with all of you.

If you bear with me, today I will continue with a few more thoughts on getting a harvest…

When I saw how plentiful the hay harvest was from one planting, and that it brought seven years of crop, I applied that truth to the great harvest we receive when we plant God’s word into the soil of our hearts.

“The sky and the earth won’t last forever, but my words will.” Matthew 24:35 CEV

It is a never-ending harvest!

”That same day Jesus left the house and went out beside Lake Galilee, where he sat down to teach… He said: A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4 While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5 Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn’t very deep. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots. 7 Some other seeds fell where thorn bushes grew up and choked the plants. 8 But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants produced a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as was scattered. 9 If you have ears, pay attention!” Matthew 13:1-9 CEV

And for those who did not understand what He was talking about Jesus gave this explanation.

“Now listen to the meaning of the story about the farmer. 19 The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message about the kingdom, but don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the message from their hearts. 20 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it right away. 21 But they don’t have deep roots, and they don’t last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.

22 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So, the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 23 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and understand the message. They produce as much as a hundred or sixty or thirty times what was planted.” Matthew 13:18-23 CEV

As a diligent farmer we are responsible to see that the seed goes into good soil, a heart that is open to believe and obey the Word of God. Rocky ground is almost impenetrable and so is a hard heart. Struggles and hard times get us to press in closer to the Lord or walk away.

Worry is a thorn that will choke out the seed. Is it any wonder that the Bible gives us over 300 verses that tell us not to worry or be anxious or fretful? God wants us to pull out worry so His word can grow and produce.

Now the seed that is planted in good soil will bring in a harvest. The farmer focuses on keeping it watered and nourished. We do this with God’s Word by placing our trust in His promises.  

The seeds of God’s word are not like the magic beans from the story Jack and the Beanstalk. They need time to grow; time builds our faith and trust. Never doubt they are growing.

Our job during this time is to let the seed grow just like that alfalfa we planted in the Arizona desert. Give it water, this is prayer and gain knowledge of God’s ways. The Lord provides the Sonshine and the seeds grow accordingly.

However, we all have to take the first step and plant the seed of God’s word. No planting, no harvest!

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A Plentiful Crop

I grew up in the small agriculture-based town of Yuma, Arizona. When I was in school, we learned about the 4 C’s of Arizona: cattle, citrus, copper, and cotton. Three of those four were in abundance in Yuma County. My family was not involved with agriculture, but it was the passion of my heart.

About six years after Dave and I were married we had the opportunity to manage an alfalfa production farm for an absentee owner. We had over 900 acres in irrigated crop. The weather in central Arizona is perfect for growing hay. The river loam soil is rich with nutrients, water is plentiful and the weather during the summer had the crop ready to cut and harvest every 21 days. We were busy!

It was while we lived here that I learned to appreciate the parables Jesus taught about sowing seeds in a field. I understood the importance of planting good seed and making sure the ground was well prepared before planting. It needed to be well-watered and fertilized once the seeds began to grow…

Alfalfa is a crop that is planted every seven years. The plants need to be cut right before they flower to retain the highest protein content possible. You have heard the old saying, “Make hay while the sun shines” well in Arizona we say “you can’t make hay in the sunshine”. The highest quality of hay has the alfalfa leaves on the stem, if the hay is too dry when it is baled the leaves fall off and the quality decreases. So, we would wait for the evening dew before we started baling. The dew added just enough moisture to the cut hay and the leaves would stay attached during the baling process. Most of our baling time was between midnight and 3 am. Dave and I laugh now, forty years later, as we sit on the patio and feel the evening dew. We know it is almost time to bale.

This seed that is planted once every seven years will grow to the flower stage about every 21 days in the summer and every 28 days in the Spring and Fall. We would cut the hay about ten times per year; for seven years that makes seventy cuttings. That’s a very productive seed.

“Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 5 And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. 6 And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7 Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.” II Timothy 2:3-7 NLV

This industrious agriculturalist is persistent day and night. If he does not tend to his crop there will be no harvest. His diligence not only benefits him and his family but is also a blessing for his neighbors and community.

God’s Word is like that alfalfa seed. When planted, watered and cared for it will produce an abundant harvest.

“For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. 10 ‘The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 11 It is the same with my word.  I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.’” Isaiah 55:9-11 NLV

May I encourage you to plant God’s word in the soil of your hearts. It will produce a bountiful harvest!

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Things That Go Munch in the Night

There are some mornings, as I sit here writing, I wish you could be with me. That was the case yesterday. I sat in my rocker with words of comfort running through my head when my thoughts were disturbed by the barking dog across the street.

I know I’ve mentioned to you before about the unrest that comes to our neighborhood when javelina, deer and coyote walk the roads in the early morning hours. I tried to ignore the barking and kept writing but it wasn’t long before I put down my laptop, picked up a flashlight and headed out the front door.

Before I got to the courtyard wall I could hear the munching. My cacti had become a middle of the night snack. I turned on the flashlight and peered over the fence. There they were, the javelina. I saw the first one rooting around the base of my newly planted yucca and heard others feasting on the fat, water-rich pads of my prickly pear.

Mind you, it’s three a.m. and I don’t want to yell at them and wake Dave or the neighbors so I kept the light in their eyes and annoyed them enough that they headed on their way. I was really surprised they weren’t more skittish. They were hungry and not easily deterred. Once they meandered off, I came back in and finished writing.

As I went through the day I thought about them again and this Scripture came to mind:

“Those who are hungry and thirsty to be right with God are happy, because they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6 NLV

Those who hunger and thirst will be filled…

Do I hunger and thirst for the things of God? Am I easily distracted or frightened away from His word? Or do I boldly search the Scriptures for His truth and ignore the distractions that are driving me from feasting on the truth?

“I feel like a stranger visiting here on earth. I need to know your commands. Don’t keep them hidden from me. 20 I constantly feel a hunger to understand your laws.” Psalm 119:19-20 ERV

It’s important that we take time to feed on God’s word. I know that you feel that way too or you wouldn’t be taking the time to read my blog each day. Our physical bodies get hungry and we feed them – sometimes too much but we can never over indulge when we are feeding on God’s word.

“Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry. He who puts his trust in Me will never be thirsty. ” John 6:35 NLV

Take time each day to feed on God’s word. Fix a big sandwich from the Book of John. Enjoy a buffet in the Book of Psalms or feast on a steak-size portion from the Book of Ephesians. It will soon become addictive and you won’t spend a day without feasting on His Word.

Are you hungry? Come and be filled!

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You Are Priceless!

Did you know that before the world began God saw you, loved you and established your worth? You are more precious to Him than the world’s greatest treasures. You are priceless!

“How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

7-10 Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.” Ephesians 1:3-10 MSG

For years, I struggled with “being good enough” for God. I felt that He was constantly watching for my every mistake and was waiting to punish me for every infraction. And then I began to see, from God’s word, all that He has provided for us.

There are many facets to our Christian life; qualities and attributes to be exposed and polished. As we grow in our knowledge and relationship with the Lord we begin to shine with His character, “Like A Diamond”.

I want those who struggle in their relationship with the Lord to gain understanding of what the Lord has really provided for us. That’s why I am very excited to announce the release of my second book, “Like A Diamond”. Each chapter focuses on a different facet of our life in Christ.

The book is available through Amazon, eBay or can be ordered directly through www.arizonakristi.com .

Single copy price $14.95 ea plus S&H

4-9 copies $12.95 ea plus S&H

10-19 copies $10.95 ea plus S&H

20+ copies $9.95 ea free shipping

“The Best Gifts of Christmas”, my first book, will be available at a discounted price of $8 per copy when purchased with a copy of “Like A Diamond”.

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Time to Sit

The last few weeks have been very busy but yesterday we had a good rain and everything came to a stand still. It was time to sit.

Relax and reflect!

This year has been one of so many changes. A lot of things have been turned up-side-down. But some things should never change – one being our faith and trust in the unfailing, inerrant Word of God. The Word of God should and will be the final authority by which all is judged. It is the word of God that spoke this world into existence and it is what is holding it together still.

Many struggle with issues in life, depression, recession, dis – ease, fear, hopelessness, anything but the abundant life that God has promised to us in His word. The authority of God’s word and His promises are unchangeable and infallible.

If we live by the Bible we are considered old fashioned, uninformed, not academically in tune or worse yet intolerant and politically incorrect. But, I know of no other Book that has stood the test of time and not had to be revised or rewritten – it is the living Word of God. We either acknowledge it as absolute and live in victory or we disregard it as old fashioned and passe` and live defeated in those areas of our life.

“When Jesus had finished these talks to the people, he came to Capernaum, where it happened that there was a man very seriously ill and in fact at the point of death. He was the slave of a centurion who thought very highly of him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him with the request that he would come and save his servant’s life. When they came to Jesus, they urged him strongly to grant this request, saying that the centurion deserved to have this done for him. “He loves our nation and has built us a synagogue out of his own pocket,” they said.
6-8 So Jesus went with them, but as he approached the house, the centurion sent some of his personal friends with the message, “Don’t trouble yourself, sir! I’m not important enough for you to come into my house—I didn’t think I was fit to come to you in person. Just give the order, please, and my servant will recover. I am used to working under orders, and I have soldiers under me. I can say to one, ‘Go’, and he goes, or I can say to another, ‘Come here’, and he comes; or I can say to my slave, ‘Do this job’, and he does it.” 9 These words amazed Jesus and he turned to the crowd who were following behind him, and said, “I have never found faith like this anywhere, even in Israel!”
10 Then those who had been sent by the centurion returned to the house and found the slave perfectly well.” Luke 7:1-10 ERV

Jesus was amazed because this man recognized the authority of His words. The same word of God that had authority all those years ago still has power today.

“But as for me, I will sing of Your strength. Yes, I will sing with joy of Your loving-kindness in the morning. For You have been a strong and safe place for me in times of trouble. 17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to You. For God is my strong place and the God Who shows me loving-kindness.” Psalm 59:16-17 NLV

It’s good to sit and reflect on the power of God’s word. I choose to put my faith in the authority of God’s Word. There is nothing greater!

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The Treasure Hunt

This morning I decided to go on a treasure hunt and I wanted to take you along. I know that God’s word is more valuable to me than any amount of silver or gold. If I was asked to give up my Bible or access to Scripture for a million dollars, without hesitation I would turn it down.

I read an article about the treatment of Christians in China. The government is going in to impoverished areas, searching homes, removing crosses and pictures of Jesus from the walls and replacing them with pictures of Chairman Mao or President Xi. These are the homes of people who receive government welfare. If they refuse to comply they are being removed from the list of names that receive assistance. It’s the government or God. Many are standing strong and refusing to deny their faith. They need our prayers.

They have found a treasure and they refuse to let go.

So here are some of the verses that came to mind after reading that article. Verses that promise treasure, better than silver or gold, to those who are willing to search for it.

“If you cry out to know right from wrong, and lift your voice for understanding; 4 if you look for her as silver, and look for her as hidden riches; 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find what is known of God.” Proverbs 2:3-5 NLV

“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are sinful and have done bad things. There is no one who does good. 2 God has looked down from heaven at the children of men to see if there is anyone who understands and looks (searches) for God.” Psalm 53:1-2 NLV

God is always watching for those who will search for Him and there is a promised blessing for those who do. God is not a narcissist; He’s not an ego-centric dictator. He’s a loving Father who wants to protect and provide for His children.

“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

This verse is in the chapter that many refer to as the Hall of Fame of Faith. It recounts the stories of men and women who abandoned all and sought God. Maybe you’ve heard of a few of them – Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab (a prostitute), Samson, Gideon, David. These all sought the treasure of knowing God and their lives were enriched and serve as a testimony to all of us.

“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks…But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.” Matthew 7:7-11 CEV

This is just part of the teaching Jesus gave on searching for the things of God. The promise is that everyone who searches will find. There are stories upon stories of men who have led expeditions on land and sea searching for treasure. They search for years and never find what they are looking for but always hoping that someday they will make a great discovery.

As Christians we don’t have to wait for the “someday” of discovery. Each day, as we seek to know more about our heavenly Father, we will find Him. He’s not hiding!

“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. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

There is no greater treasure than finding a personal relationship with God, our Father!

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