Confidence

We are certain God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him15 And if we know God listens when we pray, we are sure our prayers have already been answered.” I John 5:14-15 CEV

Today is May 31st. The fifth month of the year is over; only seven more months and the year of 2025 will come to an end.

I told the Lord this morning that my mission, my goal, my quest, my desire, my ambition is to honor Him and bring Him glory with my words, my actions, my thoughts and my prayers. And then I began to pray – pray confidently.

Go back and read the verse I opened with, please. There is certainty and confidence in the words of John, the beloved apostle of Jesus. When we ask for what pleases God he listens to us and He answers our prayers.

Now some would say that we can’t possibly know what pleases God so we can never be completely certain that He will answer our prayers. However, Scripture tells us in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians…

 We who have the Spirit are able to make judgments about all these things. But anyone without the Spirit is not able to make proper judgments about us. 16 As the Scriptures say, ‘Who can know what is on the Lord’s mind? Who is able to give him advice?’ But we have been given Christ’s way of thinking.” I Corinthians 2:15-16 ERV

And Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came He would lead us into all truth.

“But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth. He will not speak his own words. He will speak only what he hears and will tell you what will happen in the future.” John 16:13 ERV

God has given us His word so that we know what pleases Him. He wants us to know His will so He had it recorded for all to read. Confidence in prayer comes from knowing God’s word. He will not lie or break His promises.

“The Lord is not being slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to change their ways and stop sinning.” II Peter 3:9 ERV

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 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 6:30-33 CEV

“With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow.” Proverbs 3:5-6 CEV

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking.” James 1:5 CEV

If this blog has touched a chord with you, circle this day on the calendar and say, “Father, I will pray with confidence, knowing Your word is Your will. I will trust You to lead and provide. I will trust the Holy Spirit to guide me in all truth. Thank you. In Jesus name.”

Confidence in the Lord is never misplaced!

Another Cup Please

Sitting in the morning quiet is one of my favorite places. It doesn’t matter the location – what matters is that God chooses to meet with me. I love this time before phones start ringing and life demands my attention. There’s always time for one more cup, a few more minutes and some extra verses to be read.

Lord, your rules are wonderful. That is why I follow them. 130 As people understand your word, it brings light to their lives. Your word makes even simple people wise. 131 My desire to hear your commands is so strong that I wait with open mouth, gasping for breath. 132 Look at me, and be kind to me, just as you always are to those who love your name. 133 Guide me, as you promised. Don’t let evil rule over me. 134 Save me from those who want to hurt me, and I will obey your instructions. 135 Accept your servant, and teach me your laws. 136 I have cried a river of tears because people don’t obey your teachings.” Psalm 119:129-136 ERV

How many times has David said in this Psalm that the word makes us wise or gives us understanding? I haven’t counted but it seems to be the reoccurring theme in each segment. And don’t you imagine if the Word was such a strong influence in David’s life that it also made an impact on David’s children? I do know that it had to have for Solomon.

When the Lord asked him what he desired most, Solomon asked for wisdom.

“One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the LORD God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you.

6 Solomon answered:

My father David, your servant, was honest and did what you commanded. You were always loyal to him, and you gave him a son who is now king. 7 LORD God, I’m your servant, and you’ve made me king in my father’s place. But I’m very young and know so little about being a leader. 8 And now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count.

9 Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don’t, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours.” I Kings 3:5-9 ERV

Solomon saw that his father’s ability to lead and to rule successfully came from his dependence on the Lord and it was his desire to be like his father. The Lord answered Solomon’s request and more. This segment in Psalms tells us that the Word will bring light to our situation and that it makes the simple wise.

The Apostle Paul has lots to say about the Word too. He tells us in Romans 10:17 “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” If we are to grow in faith than we need to be committed to hearing (and applying) God’s word to our lives.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith. So, if we have no word in our lives, we have no faith and if we have no faith then it is impossible to please God. If we want to please God, we must make His word the foundation of our lives.

Pause for one more cup of coffee, one more verse. It will give us wisdom, bring light and we will be pleasing to God.

The Answer is Yes!

Somebody needs this this morning.

“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 because 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!!

Joseph had a dream that all his brothers would bow down to him one day. He had that dream as a 17 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

Then there’s Abraham who had God’s promise that he would be the father of many nations. He had this promise from God and had to wait 25 years to see if come to pass. During that time he hoped against hope, knowing that God was faithful.

What about Noah? He was told by God that it was going to rain and he needed to build an ark and collect 2 of every kind of animal. In all the time that it took to build the ark, he kept preaching, waiting for his neighbors to repent because God was going to send the rain and it had never rained before.

I will ask again what promise has God made you?

My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Phil 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 forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy 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.” Numbers 23:19 ERV

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! Your answer is yes and it’s just about here.

Be Prepared

For a few days now a couple of verses have been held in my heart. God has a specific plan and purpose for our lives and while the message is the same, give glory to God and testify of His goodness and forgiveness, we are different in our delivery of that message.

 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

None of us can work hard enough, be good enough or excel high enough to be worthy of God’s grace. Grace is a gift. It is given to us by Almighty God. It’s a costly gift – it was bought with the blood of His Son, Jesus, but the Father gives it freely to those of us who believe.

God wants the world to know about and receive this gift of grace. He planned from time past the good things we can do.

The message of going into all the world and preaching the gospel, the good news of Christ, wasn’t just for the apostles and early disciples of Jesus. It’s for all of us who follow Christ and love Him.

We aren’t left to go on our own authority and in our own power. Never.

 Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20 NLT

Jesus has commissioned us to go as His ambassadors in the authority given to Him by God, the Father.

Some are sent to the classroom, others to a hospital or corporate suite, and still others go into the world of finance, first-responders, restaurants or retirement. In every walk of life God has sent out His ambassadors. But He doesn’t send us out unprepared. We are to teach the commands that He has already given us.

Be prepared.

You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” II Timothy 3:15-17 NLT

God has planned for us to do good works from the beginning, and He has also prepared and equipped us for the task. One of the definitions of the word inspired means “breathed in”. All Scripture is God-breathed – it teaches us right from wrong, directs our steps and corrects us.

God created us to do good things and then He gave us His word to equip us for those good works. Let’s use what we’ve been given and get going. The world is waiting!

They Didn’t Understand

Do you remember our review of God’s promises from the other day? If not, may I suggest that you go back and review the review.

I say this because it’s important that we understand the message of hope and power that we have been given by Jesus, our Lord. In the verses we look at today, Jesus plainly tells the disciples about his death, burial and resurrection – but they didn’t understand.

17 Jesus was going to Jerusalem. His twelve followers were with him. While they were walking, he gathered the followers together and spoke to them privately. He said to them, 18 “We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the leading priests and the teachers of the law, and they will say he must die. 19 They will hand him over to the foreigners, who will laugh at him and beat him with whips, and then they will kill him on a cross. But on the third day after his death, he will be raised to life again.” Matthew 20:17-19 ERV

It really couldn’t have been much plainer than that.

Handed over, beaten, killed on a cross, three days after death he will be raised to life again.

Jesus was preparing his disciples for what was coming very soon, really only a matter of days away. But they didn’t understand.

He went on to tell them at the last supper “Jesus said, ‘Don’t be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me.” John 14:1 ERV

“I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am leaving, but I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be happy that I am going back to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 29 I have told you this now, before it happens. Then when it happens, you will believe.” John 14:27-29 ERV

Why do I say they didn’t understand?

“The women were very afraid. They bowed down with their faces to the ground. The men said to them, “Why are you looking for a living person here? This is a place for dead people. 6 Jesus is not here. He has risen from death. Do you remember what he said in Galilee? He said the Son of Man must be handed over to the control of sinful men, be killed on a cross, and rise from death on the third day.” Then the women remembered what Jesus had said.” Luke 24:5-8 ERV

“But the apostles did not believe what they said. It sounded like nonsense. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb to see. He looked in, but he saw only the cloth that Jesus’ body had been wrapped in. It was just lying there. Peter went away to be alone, wondering what had happened” Luke 24:11-12 ERV

They didn’t understand.

Now, I am not faulting the disciples because we are just as guilty as they are in not understanding God’s instructions and His promises. When He tells us not to worry about anything, ANYTHING, but to pray about everything then why do we worry?

When He says trust in the Lord with all our heart, why do we doubt and wonder? When He tells us He never lies, His word is always true why don’t we hold fast to the promises He has made?

We have the example of the disciples not understanding what God was saying to them to learn from. God is faithful to His word. His promises never fail!

When the Lord began to teach me this, I made Numbers 23:19 my favorite verse in all of Scripture.

“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.” Numbers 23:19 ERV

What God says is always true! We need to be confident of that and not be afraid.

There’s A Lot I Don’t Know

If you have been reading these morning posts for very long you know that I sometimes have a different outlook from those around me. I was sitting here this morning and I realized that I don’t know who the teams are in the final four. I don’t know the winners of last year’s World Series or the Super Bowl.

I don’t understand the rules of soccer or ice hockey. I’m not up on the latest fashions or trends on Wall Street. I don’t know how to make exotic dishes or how to create a stain glass project. I know nothing about golf.

My goodness there is a lot I don’t know!

However, I do know the Creator of the universe. I know the One who sees the sparrows fall and He knows how many hairs I have on my head. I know the One who gave strength to Samson, gave intellect to Adam so he could name all the plants and animals, I know the architect who gave Noah the plans for the ark.

I know the One who gave Solomon his wisdom and the One who took Elijah home to heaven in a chariot. I know the One who cleansed lepers, raised the dead, healed the sick, provided food for the multitudes and the One who turned water into wine.

I don’t need to book an appointment or achieve to a certain status to talk with the One who is CEO of the universe. I call Him daddy and I can run boldly to Him and He never refuses to see me.

I know the Good Shepherd and He knows me by name. He causes me to lie down in green pastures and He leads me through the valley of the shadow of death.

I know the One who loved me enough to leave heaven, take on the form of man, lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death and then rose triumphantly just for me. He made me new!

And I know that I as much as I know Him now, I want to know Him more.

“I want to belong to him. In Christ I am right with God, but my being right does not come from following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death. I want to share in his sufferings and be like him even in his death.” Philippians 3:9-10 ERV

I know I can introduce you to Him if you don’t already know Him. His arms are open wide to all who would come to Him!

” Everything and everyone that the Father has given me will come to me, and I won’t turn any of them away. 38 I didn’t come from heaven to do what I want! I came to do what the Father wants me to do. He sent me, 39 and he wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost. Instead, he wants me to raise them to life on the last day.” John 6:37-39 CEV

Some may think that I’m not very well informed, but I can tell you with certainty that I KNOW the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and that is more than enough!

“…nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” II Timothy 1:12 KJV

Immovable

This is a picture of the well-photographed and famous “Haystack” on the Oregon Coast. It’s what I think of when I read the following verses.

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 5:57-58

I remember a time when Dave & I had first started doing cowboy ministry. We had been going night and day, and we were facing some pretty heavy personal attacks from people that were very close to us. I can hear myself saying, “We don’t need this! We are serving the Lord and loving Jesus. We can go back to farming alfalfa, we don’t need all this.” And that’s when he looked up at a plaque on the wall and read me the verses above.

I knew it was God and that we were to continue but I was also angry. I wanted to lick my wounds and go off into the corner. I almost threw something at him. And then I repented and told the Lord I had been feeling sorry for myself and that I would let go and let God! I’m glad I learned that lesson then; it has been relived a number of times in my life since.

The Christian life isn’t for whiners. I love the wording in the King James – Be steadfast and immovable, ALWAYS abounding in the work of the Lord.

We run into discouragement when we work “for” the Lord and not “with” him. I’ve worked for the Lord before, and it’s been by my own efforts and for my own purposes. It’s much better when I work with Him and draw on His strength and have His purpose.

To work with Him means to work in faith because it’s faith that pleases God and Jesus said he always pleased His Father. So, James gives us this instruction for standing steadfast.

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. 6 But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. 7-8 If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.” James 1:5-8 ERV

A few days back I gave you a list of verses, God’s words, to review and make part of your daily living. They are the firm foundation we stand on. They are the foundation that does not collapse in a storm.

Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock.

26 “Whoever hears these teachings of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Matthew 7:24-26 ERV

Steadfast, immovable means we don’t waiver.

Stand with your faith firmly anchored to God and His Word and when life’s storms come you will remain standing. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand!

Let God Be True

We saw the verses yesterday that say, God is always faithful and His word is always true. James tells us that there is no variation of change in God, no shadow of turning. He stays true to His character and His word.

 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

If we wonder what the will of God is for us, His children, all we have to do is look at how He operated in times past.

He blessed His people with His abiding presence. He provided safety and protection for them from their enemies. He was their sustainer; He was their Shepherd who led them to green pastures and still waters. He gave them a land flowing with milk and honey.

Our Lord is a giver – a giver of peace, joy, mercy, grace, forgiveness. As King David wrote in the Psalms, He is the rock of my salvation.

The Israelites made many mistakes. They doubted God’s love and provision. They followed after false gods. Because of their ignorance and rebellion they were overrun by their enemies. They went into captivity. But when they prayed God delivered them and brought them back to the land of promise.

I am so glad that the Lord doesn’t abandon me to my ignorance or disassociate with me because of my mistakes. We have His promise to never leave us or forsake us. He forgets our past and present failures.

The world, our world, tries on a daily basis to skew our thoughts to a natural way of thinking. It tries to persuade us that right is wrong and wrong is right; that good is evil and evil is good. We are bombarded to “think for ourselves, don’t be brainwashed or old fashioned, the world is changing, and we must be progressive”.

However, God’s word tells us that heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s word will never pass away. We are told not to change God’s word and that when push comes to shove, we “let God be true and every man a liar”.

“True, some of them were unfaithful, but just because they broke their promises to God, does that mean God will break his promises? Of course not! Though everyone else in the world is a liar, God is not. Do you remember what the book of Psalms says about this? That God’s words will always prove true and right, no matter who questions them.” Romans 3:3-4 TLB

Trusting God’s word is invaluable! We shouldn’t be swayed to adopt other thinking.

“My son, don’t forget my teaching. Remember what I tell you to do. 2 What I teach will give you a good, long life, and all will go well for you.

3 Don’t ever let love and loyalty leave you. Tie them around your neck, and write them on your heart. 4 Then God will be pleased and think well of you and so will everyone else.

5 Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. 7 Don’t trust in your own wisdom, but fear and respect the Lord and stay away from evil. 8 If you do this, it will be like a refreshing drink and medicine for your body.” Proverbs 3:1-8 ERV

What decisions do you need to make today?

Trust the Lord not yourself; if you’re uncertain as what to do or say, seek the answer in God’s word. It will never steer you wrong.

A Protecting Shepherd

It seems once the Lord shows you an example in Scripture, it pops up again and again. I like the way the Holy Spirit draws our attention to a vital truth.

A couple months back we spent some time looking at Psalm 23. The Lord is my Shepherd.

That’s personal. My Shepherd. He knows my name, He watches over me. He leads and guides me. He protects me. He feeds me and He causes me to rest. Very personal.

The Good Shepherd leads us (His sheep) to good pasture. He calls to us and we follow Him on a good path. The path of right relationship with the Father. He searches for us when we are lost.

He is faithful and trustworthy. He doesn’t abandon us in times of trouble. No, He stands and protects from our enemies; those determined to harm us.

“I praise you, Lord, for answering my prayers. You are my strong shield, and I trust you completely. You have helped me, and I will celebrate and thank you in song. You give strength to your people, Lord, and you save and protect your chosen ones. Come save us and bless us. Be our shepherd and always carry us in your arms.” Psalm 28:6-9 CEV

Every time I read verses like these, I immediately remind myself, “this is God’s word, He doesn’t lie, these verses are written for me and they are true”.

Answered prayer. Complete trust. Protection. Carried. Thanksgiving.

Our Shepherd isn’t passive. He actively fought for our good. He won the battle and defeated the enemies and now He enforces that victory so that we can always triumph in Him.

Trust Him. He is a strong shield and is our protector and Savior.

Search The Word

I really enjoy “hidden object” games. Looking for things that are hidden and then remembering them for the next time you come back to that scene – it’s a real challenge and something I just like to do.

That’s how it was when I first really got turned on to God’s word. My goodness, that’s been almost 50 years ago now. I had been raised in church all my life but never really got in and studied the Word for myself.

But after we saw God do a miracle and heal our son, we started searching to find out what the Word said to us and how it would impact our daily lives. I remember so clearly sitting down at our kitchen table with our Bibles, a Strong’s concordance and a legal pad. We began to search out different words and how they had been used throughout the Bible. We would read a verse and then the verses before and after to make sure we saw things in their proper context. The search was on!

I will interject this here. When sharing these thoughts, I tried to be brief, but it is almost impossible to without diminishing the depth of the meaning.

We asked the Lord for understanding of His Word and He gave it to us. One Scripture that I had always heard took on new meaning. “Eye hath not seen or ear heard what has entered into the heart of God and that no one can know God’s thoughts” but in reading, truly reading the Scripture with the Holy Spirit guiding I found that there was more to that verse than how it had always been quoted.

“We teach wisdom to people who are mature, but the wisdom we teach is not from this world. It is not the wisdom of the rulers of this world, who are losing their power. 7 But we speak God’s secret wisdom that has been hidden from everyone until now. God planned this wisdom for our glory. He planned it before the world began. 8 None of the rulers of this world understood this wisdom. If they had understood it, they would not have killed our great and glorious Lord on a cross. 9 But as the Scriptures say,

‘No one has ever seen, no one has ever heard, no one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’

10 But God has shown us these things through the Spirit. The Spirit knows all things. The Spirit even knows the deep secrets of God. 11 It is like this: No one knows the thoughts that another person has. Only the person’s spirit that lives inside knows those thoughts. It is the same with God. No one knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit. 12 We received the Spirit that is from God, not the spirit of the world. We received God’s Spirit so that we can know all that God has given us.” I Corinthians 2:6-12 ERV

What had been left out was the part about the Holy Spirit knowing God’s thoughts and He would give us the ability to KNOW all that God has for us. WOW!!! Talk about Hidden Treasures – we had a whole book of God’s thoughts right before us and all we had to do was search them out.

Jesus said the same thing to His disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26

Then there was also Jeremiah “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13

So let me encourage you today to start your own “treasure” hunt but this one isn’t a game. The verse above says we search with all our heart and King Solomon gave instruction this way

“4 Look for wisdom like silver. Search for it like hidden treasure. 5 If you do this, you will understand what it means to respect the LORD, and you will come to know God. 6 The LORD is the source of wisdom; knowledge and understanding come from his mouth. 7 He gives good advice to honest people and shields those who do what is right. 8 He makes sure that people are treated fairly. He watches over his loyal followers. 9 If you listen to him, you will understand what is just and fair and how to do what is right. 10 You will gain wisdom, and knowledge will bring you joy. 11 Planning ahead will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” Proverbs 2:4-11 ERV

I didn’t have a photographic memory so I would write the verses that really spoke to me on an index card. I always had them close at hand until they were in my heart. God’s word changed my life!

His word is more than ancient words on a page. God’s word is life. The Scriptures are God speaking directly to me and to you, life-giving, life-changing treasure that is better than gold!