Day 79: In Hiding

Psalm 39:7 "Where can I go from your spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?"

God will never leave you or forsake you.  He is there when you're saintly and when you're sinful.

I struggled (and still struggle) with this concept a lot (especially in college).  I learned about God--that He is always there for us, we are never alone--as much as I loved this, I also hated it!  I hated that God was watching when I "participated in" sinful activities.  I'm getting better, but I do still sin (we all fall short).  At least now I recognize it and repent.

Lord help me to enjoy every single moment you are with me--the good and the bad!

Day 80: His Coming

Matthew 16:27 "For the son of man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done."

What have you done?  Have you gone through the motions for 30 years, lived in fear, had selfish motives, hated more than loved?  Christ WILL come again.  And He WILL reward each person based on what they've done.  I wand to live my life for God--my life song--sing Him a song of love, selflessness, forgiveness, patience, kindness, joy, and obedience.

Lord God prepare me for when your Beloved Son comes to take me home.  Let me be always ready for His return.  Living for You I want to be as thoughtless as breathing.  Thank you Father! Amen

P.S. Thank you to my 3 faithful readers!  I don't know who you are but I know 3 people read my blog.  Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing ;o) Post comments if there's anything you want me to write about, etc...

Day 78: The Mouth

Matthew 15:11 "What goes into a man's mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean."

Although the people/environment you're around can influence your heart, they don't have to.  Instead, be patient, pray, and ask God to give you the words to say, and don't speak until He does. 

Day 77: Take Courage

Matthew 14:27 "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Trust.  Sometimes when the Lord speaks to us, it is in very bold ways.  Bold to the point of being very obvious it's almost scary.  But the Lord tells us to be strong, to not be afraid of His signs and miracles but to push forward and do His will.  Jesus trusted in God enough to take steps on WATER, knowing God wouldn't let Him fall.  Can we do that?

Sometimes the messages I get from the Holy Spirit are so obvious and answering to my prayers it's scary!

Lord help me to take courage and not only trust what you have to say, but follow through with what you tell me to do.

Ironically I am reading and writing this just as I am getting a clear sign that I am supposed to do today's devotional at our town's H.S. lunch (50+ kids) on God's Love for us.  Wish me good luck ;o) 

Day 76: Why Parables

Matthew 13:14 "You will be ever hearing but never understanding, you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."

One can read the Bible, go to church, listen to K Love all they can, but it they don't understand and/or perceive God's love, they will never be truly blessed.

I often do this: I am very disciplined so I read my Bible, go to church, but I don't always make the effort to understand and perceive God's love.  Although I have to admit, not that I am a parent I understand God's love more fully.  My husband asked me last night how much money someone would have to give me to trade our daughter...there is no amount of anything that would make me give her up (in fact even the thought of it sent me into a complete panic with my stomach in knots, etc.)  God loves us (each and every one of us) like this: He wouldn't trade us for the world!  Try to comprehend that ;o) Very humbling I must say!

Day 75: Good Fruit

Matthew 12:33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit."

The characteristics of a person can be categorized and compared to good and bad fruit.  Not only is fruit the most recognizable part of a tree, but it's what the tree leaves behind.  The growing of fruit starts with its roots.  If a tree has strong/good roots (being rooted in God--the tree of life), it will produce fresh/good fruit (godly qualities).  The seeds from the good fruit will be dispersed to grow more good trees!

Day 74: God's Yoke

Matthew 11:29 "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Immerse yourself in God's love--be coated in His love--and you will see the would through His eyes.  Giving your life to God--letting Him be in control will provide peace for your otherwise overwhelmed soul. 

I want to be "coated" by God.  "Yoked" by Him, so I can find peace and see the world through His eyes.  Lord life is so much easier--it makes so much more sense with you in it.  Help me be "yoked" everyday so I can see Your way and do Your will!  Amen

Day 73: Compassion

Matthew 9:36 "When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd."

Don't judge people who don't yet know there is an easier way to live life than living your own will--it's living God's will.  Giving your life to God.  If someone seems lost, usually they are.  Don't isolate yourself from the lost, instead teach them about Jesus Christ.  If they still have no faith, at least you shared the Good News, what they do with the Gospel is up to them. 

I was once a sheep without a shepherd.  Then someone had compassion for me--a servant of Jesus Christ--and I was found.  Now Jesus is my Shepherd and I am doing the best I can to be a servant to Him.  To help other lost sheep like I once was.

Day 72: Take Up Your Cross

Matthew 10:38 "...anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

What could be more rewarding than living for life for God?  To me "finding a life" means going through the motions--doing your will and not God's.  Instead I wand to lose my life--give it all to God.  Worship Him, pray to Him, listen to Him, and obey Him.

Lord give me the courage to take up my cross and follow You wherever You guide me to.  For where You guide, You also provide.  I love you Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind.  Thank You Father! Amen

Day 71: Go!

Matthew 8:13 "...Go! It will be done just as you believed it would."

If God has called you to do something, do it and Go!  Have faith in Him because he will be right there with you, holding your hand while you honor Him with your obedience.

God has been telling me for sometime now to share my testimony and my love with Youth.  All of the opportunities are open now.  So Lord please help me to be the best leader that I can be!  Take away my fears and give me courage to do Your will for the sake of Your name.  Thank you God for such a wonderful purpose! Amen

Day 70: Ask, seek, knock

Matthew 7:8 "For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Stop worrying about what's important to society.  What's important to you--what's going to get you closer to God?  Ask for those things.

Right now I am asking for the Lord's courage to be a good Youth leader.  I am seeking for the right words to share with Youth so that they may grow to know the Lord.  I am knocking on the door of Godly wisdom to share with those in need.

Lord help me not only to ask, seek, and knock with courage, but to be thankful when you answer my prayers and provide.

Day 69: Worry

Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

The majority of people think about the past and the future, but we spend very little time in the present.  Perhaps that's why time seems to fly by so fast!

Lord help me to live in the moment.  To see the opportunities around me now!  To stop dwelling on past mistakes and be happy in my present circumstances.

Day 68: Brokenhearted

Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Song: Close to the Brokenhearted

 

With no place to rest his head
And no one to call him friend
He sleeps tonight on a park bench

How did I ever fall this far?
Why is the world so cold and dark?
When will I ever know my part in all this tragedy?

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted in their pain and suffering
The Lord weeps for the brokenhearted and the lost who don’t know his name

With no place to take the kids
She endures his drunken fits
He says I love you and I’ll quit

Sometimes the bruises and the hurt
Get so bad she misses work
When will it all stop getting worse in all this tragedy?

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted in their pain and suffering
The Lord weeps for the brokenhearted and the lost who don’t know his name

The power of His name
Is the promise to be saved
Never on your own
Never all alone

Never all alone

With no place to rest his head
And betrayed by all his friends
He prays tonight for a pardon

Father take this cup from me
Unless there is no other way
I will lay my life in the hands of men to end this tragedy

 from Sorrow, Grace and Glory, released 22 April 2011

Day 67: Bread Alone

Matthew 4:4 "Jesus answered 'man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Man needs to be fed not only physically, but more so mentally.  Worshipping the Lord, praying to God, listening to God, obeying God, and being blessed by God--being grateful to Him are all ways of being "fed" mentally.

There is a distinct difference between being fed physically and being fed mentally.  When you eat too much--you get FULL and don't feel very good.  When you are constantly being fed by the mouth of God (through reading, listening, watching, and doing) you never get FULL!  In fact, the opposite happens: the more full you are, the better you feel.  So fill me up God! I am ready...

Day 66: With him

1 Samuel 18:14 "In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him."

Trust!  The Lord is always with you in everything you do.  Pray to Him, listen to Him, He will never leave you or forsake you. If you believe this and you know all things are possible with God, then you will have great success.

Day 65: Our Stronghold

Psalm 9:9-10 "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  Those who know your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you."

AMEN! Trust in the Lord--He will always be there for you. Through good times and bad.  Turn to the Lord always. Once you do, and realize you're never alone, there will be no going back.  The more practice you have of trusting in the Lord, the easier it will become--to the point of breathing.  If you thing about it, God often "takes away" (versus "gives") when you aren't turning to Him but instead to yourself.  He has to "break us" so we put our trust in Him again.  We NEED Him.

Lord I need you always--in good times and in bad, to celebrate with and to cry with.

Day 64: The Heart

1 Samuel 16:7 "..The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, bu the Lord looks at the heart."

It's what's inside one's heart that matters in the end.  If a person is beautiful and godly o the outside, but ugly and evil on the inside, they will not have a place in Heaven.  One's words and actions are an overflow of the heart.

Ask the Lord to purify your heart and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness DAILY.  He will help you become more like Jesus so you are beautiful from the inside out!

Day 63: The Prayer of Jabez

1 Chronicles 4:10 "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!  Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request."

Jabez asked and he received.  He wanted more opportunity to do God's will.  He know he couldn't do it alone so he asked for God's guidance and Jabez asked God to keep him from temptation so that he may always do good.

Lord help me to not be afraid, but instead to ask for more opportunity, for Your hand, and for You to help keep me from temptation.  When the opportunity is given to GO--be obedient to Your will.  When You hold Your hand out, I pray that I will take it.  When your Holy Spirit tells me something will be tempting, give me the strength to stay away!  Thank you for Your guidance and Your power and Your MANY blessings Father! Amen.

Day 62: My Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."

God makes us weak for a reason: so we may find our strength in Him.  He wants us to be dependent on Him and not on ourselves. 

Lord help me to not wallow in my weaknesses, instead, let me rejoice that I don't need to be perfect because in Your eyes, You will love me when I am weak and when I am strong.  I am made perfect through the Grace of Jesus Christ, who died for MY sins--my weakness.  Thank You Father! Amen

Day 61: So Wise

2 Corinthians 11:9 "You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact you put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face."

As Christians we are called to live a life like Christ lived.  No we will not live it perfectly as He did, but likewise we may be persecuted and ridiculed for our belief in the Heavenly Father.  God never said this life was going to be easy.  But if we can endure this life here on earth, we will enjoy eternity in paradise!  So be wise, and look at the big picture.

Day 60: Words vs. Actions

2 Corinthians 10:11 "...what we are in our letters when we are absent, will be in our actions when we are present."

Don't be "all talk" and "no action".  Don't be a hypocrite.  Don't be a liar.  Instead, do as you say you do.  Learn what a righteous life looks like and learn how to live that way.  Study our example--Jesus Christ--and do as He did.  Speak confidently about what is good and do that.  If you ask for God's help, He will guide you in living a pure and holy life.  Thank you Father! Amen

Day 59: Ready

2 Corinthians 9:3 "I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter (eagerness to help/give) should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready as I said you would be."

Let the Gospel and God's commandment to help/give to others inspire you.  Let others see this light, to talk/boast about this light, and let it not be superficial--a light that will but out--so that at any moment, when someone is in darkness, you are READY to shine God's light into their life.  Keep your light always on and strong by being "plugged in" to God's word and by being "connected" to His believers.

Day 58: Welled Up

2 Corinthians 8:2 "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity."

I truly believe it is the trials in this life that make us, without a doubt, put our total faith in God.  It is because He meets our needs and helps us through these storms that we are filled with joy and share the gifts God gives us with others, so they too may experience His love and His joy.

Day 57: My Soul

1 Samuel 1:15 "...I was pouring out my soul to the Lord."

Instead of "venting" and gossiping to others, pour out your soul to the Lord.  He is always there to listen and He won't spread gossip.  Ask Him to forgive you for having negative thoughts, to take those from you, and to see the world through His eyes.  Thank Him for giving you free will and ask God to make you more like Jesus.

Day 56: Servant of God

2 Corinthians 6:4,10 "As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way...sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

This world is tough--especially enduring temptations in trying to live a Christian life; but God has bigger plans for us so we can rejoice and be glad.  Everything is part of His perfect plan.  I may never be rich with money, but I can be rich in love--God's love.  And I can show others how to be rich in His love.  I may never have everything I want, but God will always provide me with what I need--in this I will possess EVERYTHING!

Day 55: The Rock

Psalm 61:2 "From the ends of the EArth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

There is coming a time when it is going to be downright difficult to be a Christian living on this Earth--but call from the ends of it anyways and God WILL lead you to the rock of salvation!

Day 54: The Unseen

2 Corinthians 4:18 "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Focus not on the fruits of this world (i.e. success, self-image, independence, etc.) but on godly fruits (kindness, patience, love, faithfulness, etc.).  this life on earth is temporary so don't get caught up in the treasures of this world, instead ask God (the unseen) to give you godly fruits so you may have godly treasures in heaven someday--for all eternity.

Day 53: Letter from Christ

2 Corinthians 3:3 "You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry written not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."

Share your testimony with others so that you may show others how the Father's love has changed you.  Live each day in this new changed life showing others God's love so that their hearts may forever be en-scripted just as yours is. 

Day 52: Fovgive the Sinner

2 Corinthians 2:5-8 "If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved Me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent--not to put it to severely.  The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him.  Now instead you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.  I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm for love for him."

We are not to judge others for their sins.  For we ALL fall short of the Glory of God.  Instead, we are called to forgive and to comfort others for their sins.

Day 51: Oue Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Praise be to God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

God doesn't give us such peace and joy to just store it up and save it for ourselves.  In fact, when you share this joy and peace with others, He only multiplies our joy further--so share, and the more comfort you will have!

Day 50: Tithe

1 Corinthians 16:2 "On the first day of every week, each on e of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made."

Jesus once said in references to taxes "give to Caesar what is Caesar's", so why not give to God what is God's?  Our money is not ours--God gave us our gifts and talents that got us our jobs, that earned us a paycheck.  So tithe to God in saying thanks for providing you with money.

Day 49: Bad Company

1 Corinthians 15:33 "...Bad company corrupts good character.  Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning for there are some who are ignorant of God..."

It is true that the "environment" we live in will have and impact on our character: if you entertain yourself (music, tv, movies, books, magazines, etc.) with things of "worldly" value (sex, drugs, success, independence, self image, etc.) and hang around with people who do the likes, your character will likely be tainted as well.

Even when trying to place yourself in a Good environment, we live in a world of temptation and life is STILL hard--so why not try to make it easier on yourself by changing the environmental factors you can control (i.e. your entertainment and friends etc.)?

Day 48: Make God your Stronghold

Psalm 52:7 "Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!"

Worldly wealth, especially when gained by sinful behavior, will never compare to the heavenly treasures our Father has for us for living a righteous life that honors Him alone.

Wealth is not a bad thing if righteously earned.  God just wants us to be good stewards of the money He provides us with.

Day 47: The Weak

Psalm 41:1 "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak."

The fact of the matter is, we all have our weaknesses.  But we must use our strengths to help others in their weaknesses.  And likewise, we must accept our weaknesses and let others help us strengthen those areas of our lives.

Recently someone very close to me has been having some doubts in her faith (an area where I feel very strong).  However just yesterday she really inspired  me to not talk poorly about others (an area where I feel very weak).  She is helping to strengthen my weakness of gossip and I hope and pray I may help strengthen her weakness in faith.  Hear my prayer Father God, Amen.