Blessed Christ Mass Wishes

I will update Tuesday-Thursday's verses later this week...

I want to apologize that I am a bit behind on my emails, we are on vacation and I had every intention of waking up yesterday morning and sending out my belated Friday verse, my Saturday thoughts and also a Sunday verse...however we woke up to no power due to a tree on the wires...I need to start cooking Christmas Eve dinner here shortly however I would like to share my thoughts on what today and tomorrow and this whole Christmas celebration mean to me.  Please pardon me for I am sure this is going to get lengthy although I am kind of making up for lost days here!  >WINK<

Luke 2:1-20 "In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to his own town to register.  So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.   And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

I wanted you to read the whole Christmas story...so, if you have skimmed over the familiar words to get to this part please take an extra minute or two now to slowly read the story and open your heart to let every word settle in there.  Did you read it?  Imagine this dark world where every mistake meant burnt offerings and the blood of animals sacrificed in order to obtain forgiveness, hundreds of years of living with sin meaning certain death and then the Light arrives!  The Savious is born, just as Isaiah had prophesied - He came and became man to save us all!  Jesus is born and we no longer live in fear, darkness and desolation...we have hope, faith and the promise of eternal life in paradise!  Christmas is not just a time of presents and "what's in it for me", it is a time of giving because God has given us the perfect present and in our thankfulness and praise we should want to give to others as we reflect His love.  Christmas is not just about stuffing ourselves with good food and great desserts, it is about celebrating the most important birthday in the history of time!  As Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart, I encourage you to ponder the true reason for the Christ-Mass celebrations and let them keep you in a praiseful and glorifying mindset today, tomorrow and all through the year!  Please join me in prayer:

Heavenly Father, 
We want to thank You for all You have given to us, life, love and salvation among millions of other blessings!  Lord, every day, but especially today and tomorrow, help us to keep alive within us the true spirit of Christmas.  Please guide our hearts to what is important and wonderful and awesome about this precious Christmas celebration...You!  God we truly want to give all glory to You as we remember that You sent Your Word to become flesh that we may join You in heaven when You call us home.  Father, we ask that You please grant healing and comfort to all those in need but especially our sisters in Christ, Summer, Kayla, Ally & Sharon.  Thank You for all You have already granted them and please continue Your grace and glory in their lives.  God please grant our service men and women a very blessed and holy Christmas, fill them with Your love as they sacrifice to protect us.  Lord I also ask that You may please grant a special blessing of comfort, favor, peace and protection to all who may be reading these words that You have deemed to allow me to type.  I thank You greatly for each and every one of them and for the honor and blessing of You allowing me to serve You by sharing Your love with them.  We ask that all these things may be done according to Your perfect Will and in Jesus precious name.  Amen.

I wish you and your families all a very blessed and holy Christ-Mass!
Love through Christ,
Niki

Don't Give Up!

Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

 

God wants us to prosper, He wants to reward us for our faith...however, His timing is perfect while our timing tends to be in line with this "me" generation that wants it all right now.  In Joel Osteen's first book he tells us when we're "waiting" for our harvest to come in that we should not focus on our problems, needs and wants but rather those of someone else.  Not only does it get our minds off of what we're trying to wait for but also it sows more good seeds and hey you may just feel blessed for being able to bless another!

 

Dear God, Thank You for Your promises that we will reap what we sow.  Please help me to keep my mind off of my needs and wants and help me to focus instead on those around me so that I may stay strong and not grow weary in waiting for Your perfect timing in my life.  Amen.

Our True Light!

John 8:12 "When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.""

 

How uplifting are these words when we really let them set in!  Jesus is our light!  When we feel alone and in total darkness and are searching for "the light at the end of the tunnel" we need to look no further than our Bibles, and really also our hearts because Jesus is here with us and He is our light at the end of our tunnel!

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for being our light!  Thank You for offering us such a simple way out of the darkness.  Please help us remember this when we do feel the darkness pull at us to stop and whine or pity ourselves a while.  Please help us to turn to You so You may light up our lives.  Amen.

God's Always With Us!

 

Psalm 118:7 "The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies."

 

Our enemies may be physical people, spiritual demons, illness, bills, and I could go on and on...  But God has promised us throughout the Bible that He is always with us and He will help us...if we let Him.  We have to get out of the way in a sense and just let Him work His good all the while trusting and believing that He is in charge and in control and will not forsake us, ever. 

 

Dear Father, Thank You for Your promises and for always keeping them!  Please help us to remember no matter how formidable our enemies may seem - they are no match for our Lord!  Amen.

Patience, It Gets Better!

Ecclesiastes 7:8 "The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."

 

There are 3 books in the Bible which I really need to study more because I shy away from them for fear of misunderstanding or misinterpreting their messages, Revelation, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.  So, I do not really know why God led me to this verse this morning but that I myself have continually been learning lessons of patience in my life...I'm still a work in progress!  I like that "the end of a matter is better than its beginning" because it is another one of those somewhat "hidden" hope messages that says to me, hang in there (have patience) the end of this will be worth it all!

 

Dear God, Thank You for Your lessons in life, through the Bible and through physical and spiritual experiences.  Please help me to continue developing patience as I strive to be more like You.  Amen.

God's Way

Psalm 18:32 "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect."

 

We know that God has a plan to prosper us, He wants to show us His way and His path for our lives is perfect.  Sure we may make mistakes that may alter His plan but He's got back up plans B through infinity so it is never too late to get right with Him so He can make your way perfect! 

 

Dear Lord, Thank You seems to be not enough to show our gratitude for all You have offered and given to us.  Please help us to truly let go of everything in our lives and trust in You completely that You will make our way perfect.  Amen.

Let's Follow Him!

 Mark 1:17-18 ""Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed Him."

 

Imagine dropping everything and following God.  How often do we see this in this modern world?  Pastors and priests, maybe...in our church the priests are assigned to a church, they do not decide where - they just follow where the church tells them to go...although I am sure they bring most of their possessions with them.  I long for the kind of faith that will drop everything and follow if and when God chooses to call to me, "Come, follow."

 

Dear God, Thank You for the amazing examples in the Bible of Holy & Righteous people who loved You first and best.  Please help me to leave my old ways of thinking behind so that I may come and follow You wherever You may ask me to go.  Amen.

Brought Near By God

Ephesians 2:13 "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." 

 

Blood has such power attached to it in the Bible and I know I do not fully know and understand it but I do remember this:  in the Old Testament or under the Old Covenant people had to use the blood of animals in order to obtain God's promises...however, once Jesus came it became a whole new ball game!  His blood through His road to the cross and death thereupon replaced the Old Covenant with a new and better one, one that brought us all from far away to near. 

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for Your Covenant promises!  Thank You for Your Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.  Please forgive me for all I have done that is unpleasing to You and help me to stay nearer Lord to You.  Amen.

We Are Healed

 

I Peter 2:24 "24He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed."

 

The weight of those last words hits me to my core: "by His wounds you have been healed."  Nothing in this world can offer that kind of promise, that kind of power, that kind of hope...  God is the last authority on healing because His Son has already bore all of our sins.  So, to reword a saying I have recently reread, don't tell God how big your hurting/illness is, tell your illness/injury how big your God is!

 

Dear God,  Thank You for the best gift ever...Your Son!  Thank You for saving and healing us through Him.  Please help us to always remember that You can, You will, and You are healing us each and every day.  Amen.

Our True Hope

 

I Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"

 

Some days it's hard to stay positive...but when you do get into a great mood and you're just beaming happiness from every part of you, do you give all the credit to God?  If someone asks you, "why are you so happy?  How can you be so hopeful?" do you tell them it is because God is the Lord of your life?  I know that I have not always had this answer ready to give however as I work on this in my life I encourage you to join me in this journey and prepare your answers!

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for the hope I have in You!  Thank You that by faith I am able to not only be saved but to also have a victory in You every day I serve You here on this earth.  Please help me to keep my answer prepared that I may give You all glory and honor as the source of my hope and joy!  Amen.

I have Been Chosen!

Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

 

Well I love verses that hold multiple meanings to me.  This verse reminds me that I am a chosen child of God...He wants me, He chose me!!  Then it also instructs me as to some of what's expected of me, to "clothe" myself with these virtues that all may see God through me.  God chooses us to be His children, He made us and chose to keep us and to do His will.  Let me ask you something...have you chosen Him too?

 

Dear God, I thank You from the bottom of my heart for having chose me to be one of Your people.  I thank You for the Bible and all it's promises, warnings and instructions by which I should live my life!  I wish to choose You Lord, to serve You in all I do.  Please help me to clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience each and every day.  Amen.

God's Kept Promises

Proverbs 2:6-8 "For the LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones."

 

I just get so excited about the reassurances God gives us over and over again in His precious Word that He will protect us and grant us His favor when we are faithful to Him!  There are days when it's hard to remember that He is always with us and then I recall verses like this and I think, "Wow, I can't even imagine how much worse this could be if God weren't on my side!!"

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for Your Word as it is revealed to us in the Bible.  Thank You for Your promises to us and for always keeping Your promises!  When I am feeling low or having a bad day please help me to remember that You are with me, protecting me and guiding my path to Your purpose for my life.  Amen.

A Life Of Purpose

 

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

 

I've maybe referenced to this before in the weekly messages however I believe I have always looked to this verse as remembering that all things will work for good for those who love God but then there's another part to it...we aren't just His people who love Him, God has called us according to His purpose.  We aren't just walking around at random here, He has plans for us, He has purpose for our lives and His purpose will work all things for our good.

 

Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your purpose for my life, I may never fully understand and I am learning through You that it's okay, it's why it's called faith!  Please help me to always remember that all I do has a called purpose according to Your plan and help me to therefore do everything to Your glory.  Amen. 

Monday's Verse: Too Much Trust?

I Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."  Semi-Related Quote of the Day: "I know God says He will never give us more than we can handle, I just wish He didn't trust me so much!" -Mother Teresa

Ok, I LOVE Mother Teresa's quote here!  Haven't we all felt like the world is piling up on our shoulders?  I have had to recite this verse {paraphrased as I can recall} to get myself going on more than one occasion but I never thought of it this way, it's a funny, positive spin as opposed to just whining through a pity party!

 

Dear God, Thank You so much for all You give us, thank You for always providing us with what we need to survive all that life throws our way.  Please help me to remember that You are with me, You are keeping me from bearing more than I am capable because You are my strength, shield, my everything!  Amen.

Sunday's Verse: God Uses Isaiah To Share His Plan

Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

 

I wonder how Isaiah felt to have God allow him such an important role in the salvation of the world?  He was granted the knowledge of what would happen when Jesus was born, he was given the job of foretelling this so all the world would know when the true Savior had been born!  I never stop being amazed at how awesome our God truly is!

 

Lord, Thank You for sending Isaiah to tell Your wonderful plan to us, to share the signs and wonders that would be coming.  Please help me to serve You and You alone that I may be worthy of sharing Your love, even if only on a much smaller scale than Isaiah.  Amen.

Praise Him Through It All

Lamentations 5:19 "You, O Lord, reign forever; Your throne endures from generation to generation."

 

What stands out to me about this verse of praise is that it is surrounded by verses of woe..it's the book of Lamentations!  How amazing is it that one can go through all this turmoil and still praise our great God?  It is through a close personal relationship with God, only through this type of faith can things go so wrong and yet praising God through the pain is what you are drawn to do.

 

Dear God, Thank You for all the amazing stories contained in Your Word.  Please help me to continue along a path towards a very close, very personal relationship with You so that no matter what may happen in my life I can still shout Your praises through it all.  Amen.

Pet Lovers Have Hope

Ecclesiastes 3:21 "Who knows of the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"

 

For all parents who've had to explain the death of a pet, for all who've ever lost a pet and for all animal lovers everywhere... Ok, so I can't explain how animals can believe and be saved but they weren't the ones who ate the forbidden fruit and they are also part of God's amazing creation so who knows?  This verse helps me to think that maybe I will see my departed pets again someday.  After all, to anyone who's ever had pets, they are like one of the family, are they not?

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for Your many lessons throughout Your precious Word.  I know I have much to learn yet and will continue to be learning until the very moment I meet You face to face.  Please help me remember that we do not have to have all the answers and that sometimes hope can lie in the unknown.  Amen.

It's Not Ours

I Chronicles 29:14 "14 "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand."

 

It is a very hard concept for some to let go of the idea of "mine."  This world makes us look at everything as "mine," possessions, jobs, maybe even people!  But we would have nothing if not by the grace of God.  Everything is His - we are His servants charged with taking care of it, His stewards who are sent to help His kingdom grow.  It is amazing the transformation that happens within when you pray your way to this way of thinking and believing!

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for all that You have entrusted to me!  Please help me to always remember that none of it is mine, it is all Yours and that I am merely caring for it until You determine it should be released.  Amen.

Who Am I?

I Corinthians 15:10a "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect."

 

We all hold some measure of a desire to succeed, it is a heavy self-reflection to determine whether the roots of this are in the world's view of success or God's view of it.  What we must always remember though is that all that we are is only because of the grace of God.  He has blessed us through His grace with whatever gifts, talents, and so on that we need in order to fulfill His purpose for our lives. 

 

Dear God,  Thank You for Your grace and for making me who I am through that grace.  Please help me to always remember that it is all from You and to give You all the glory in all that I do.  Amen.

By Faith

Hebrews 11:29 "By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned."

 

This whole section of Hebrews is worth reading because it is filled with these reminders that with God all things are possible.  The evil one keeps trying to get to us any way he can - including by trying to undermine our faith!  But if we spend time daily with God in His word then His promises will reveal themselves on the pages time and time again!

 

Holy Father, Thank You for all You have done and continue to do through the faith of Your people.  Please help me remember that when I am faced with the seemingly impossible that You can and will make it happen if it is Your Will and if I keep my faith in You unfaltering!  Amen.

God Forgives

Ezra 9:6 "and prayed "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached the heavens.""

 

Normally my verses are all the warm fuzzy, lift your spirit and serve God with all your spirit kind...however, we cannot neglect to remember that we do sin and fall short and there are times when we must bow our heads to the ground for our shame keeps us from God.  Here is the good news in remembering verses such as this...God forgives!  He wants to hear our apologies and then He wipes us clean once again!!

 

Dear God, Thank You for Your promise of forgiveness!  I know I am not perfect and that on my own I fall short of Your glory.  Please forgive me all of my sins and wash me clean through the power of the blood of the Lamb!  Help me to always remember it is by Your grace alone that I am forgiven and for this I shall rejoice and praise Your name so long as I have breath!  Amen.

Enduring Hardships...But Not Alone

II Timothy 2:3 "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus."

 

First this verse says to me that I need to roll with the punches, to muddle through without a lot of complaining when the going gets rough...but then it also hits me, "with us," we're not alone!  We have God on our side, we have each other to lean on!  God truly has equipped us for battle and we can do this together!

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for the gift of fellowship & support from my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  Please help me to remember that when the going gets tough the tough have You and Your believers to lean on!  Amen.

Victorious Thanks!

I Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God!  He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

 

I don't want to sound like a broken record so I won't go too in depth here...on this day which is set aside especially for giving thanks let's really get into it!  Let's remember not only all the big and little blessings but the ultimate gift!  Let's rejoice as we give thanks and let's enjoy His presence as well as the presence of friends and family.

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for sharing victory with me!  Thank You for too many things to list here, but especially for fellowship with You and this special day to remember that giving thanks to You is what it's all about!  Amen.

Tuesday's Verse: Make It Known

I Chronicles 16:8 "Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done."

 

In the spirit of thankfulness I used my concordance to look up the first time thanks is used in the Bible...not until I Chronicles!  Wow!  I know there are passages before this that call to bless the name of the Lord so that equates to praises but this is the first I could find of thankfulness...let us all in our own ways find a way to make it know what an awesome God we are thanking and what He has done, for us all!!

 

Dear Lord, I love Your holy Word!  I am baffled by the word thanks not coming up before the chapter of I Chronicles but I know upon further study that if I am to understand this then You will reveal it to me in Your time.  Thank You Lord, for everything, especially Your Son!  Amen.

Wednesday's Verse: Thank Him For His Grace

Ephesians 2:8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."

 

Well, if you needed a reason to be thankful here on Thanksgiving Eve then I think this one tops any other blessing on our lists!  I am both excited for the relationship I have found in Christ and also sad for those who do not believe, who do not know this joy, love, grace and true thankfulness!  I hope everyone has a blessed thanksgiving and that we all focus on remembering this thankful state of the heart all through the year!

 

Dear God, Thank You for Your grace!  I want to thank You for so many things but grace through the sacrifice of Your one & only Son is the one I am most thankful for.  That kind of love is nearly unfathomable...please help me to keep remembering to thank You for this daily and praise Your name for all you have done for us.  Amen.

True Healing

Jeremiah 33:6 " 'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security."

 

Yesterday my arthritis in my spine was so inflamed I was unable to get out of bed...I apologize for this verse coming a day late.  Healing is something we all need at some time or another in our lives, some more than others...and the Bible tells us in many different ways that God is the source of true healing!

 

Father, Thank You for Your love, grace and healing!  Please help me to remember that You will heal me when I am in need and that You want what is best for me.  Amen.

He's Got His Eye On You!

Psalm 33:18 "But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,"

 

When I am tempted to lose hope I like to think about verses such as this that remind me it's not a one way street...God has His eyes on me as I have my hope set in Him!

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for keeping Your eyes on me as I keep my hope in You.  Please help me to always remember that You do have me in Your sight and my hope should therefore never falter.  Amen. 

Shout Joy!

Psalm 100:1 "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth."

 

Simple praises can hold such a big key to a joyful spirit.  If we can put ourselves in a praiseful mind set at the beginning of every day than keep in that mind set we will find ourselves praising and thanking our awesome Lord all through the day and there will be little time left for complaining and self pity!  I know that I complain less and sometimes none at all on the days I keep my mind, heart & soul shouting for joy for the Lord!

 

Dear Lord, Truly You have given me all I need to live, love & serve You and those around me!  Please help me to keep my heart, mind & soul intent on praising and thanking You all the day long.  Amen.

Foolish Wisdom

I Corinthians 1:20 "Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

 

This verse says two distinct things to me... First, it reminds me that no amount of "intellectual faith" can bring me as close to God as a personal relationship through Jesus Christ.  The other is that the wisdom of this world is foolish, it says it plain as day right?  So if you do not have a personal and meaningful relationship with God than it's all worthless...   "Jesus Loves Me This I Know," and that is really all we need to know, right?  Through the eyes of a child!

 

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your precious Word which we can absorb through quiet time spent with Your Spirit.  Please help me to remember that no matter how wise I may become by man's standards it is mere foolishness in Your eyes and therefore should not be what I am striving for...help me to strive for a personal relationship with You through Your Son Jesus.  Amen.

Hope In His Laws

Psalm 119:43 "Do not snatch the Word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in Your laws."

 

Don't you just love it when a great verse gets you thinking?  This one has me pondering how important God's Word and His laws are to us...I would never have thought to say it the way David has here but yes, we do set our hopes in His laws because without them we could not also set our hope in His promises!  The laws of our Lord keep us on the right path...or so we hope!  There is not much time to go off the course here but if I were to keep going I would explore how Jesus is referred to as God the Word...

 

Dear God, Thank you for your precious Word of truth, it's laws & promises!  Please grant me as David requested and do not snatch Your Word from my mouth.  Please comfort me as I set all of my hopes in You, Your Word, Your laws and Your promises.  Amen.

Thanksgiving...and Praise!

Psalm 139: 14 "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

 

In the anticipation of Thanksgiving when we especially remember to give thanks {though as Christians we ought to remember every day is our Thanksgiving! Someone special reminded me that this weekend} we should also remember that hand in hand with thanks should be praise.  God has done a lot of really awesome things and we need to not only thank Him but also Praise His holy Name!

 

Lord, You are our Creator and we are thankful!  We praise Your Name for all You have done, are doing and will do in our futures.  Your works & blessings are truly wonderful!  Amen.

Who's Tired?

Isaiah 40:28 "Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom."

 

Well, as completely exhausted as I am this morning it is a huge comfort knowing the my God, the One in charge of my life and He who is in true control and sovereign over all is not going to grow tired or weary.  Even when I am weak and wondering where I will get the strength to go on I do have strength from Him, our Lord will never grow weary!

 

Holy Father, Thank You for being our everlasting God, who does not grow tired or weary.  What a comfort to know You are alert and in charge at all times!  May you please help me today and always to remember that even though my body, mind and spirit may feel worn out You are always here to be my strength in all things.  Amen.

Sunday's Verse: All We Need To Know

John 3:11 "I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony."

 

I read a quote (I say that a lot, don't I?) not too long ago - and I'll probably mess this up - that said something  like this: "Why is it we believe everything we hear on the TV but we question the Bible?"  Serious food for thought!  I would venture to say that we should call this verse to mind any time we feel doubt trying to sneak in...this one reminds us that God has already told us what we need to know, He has given us His testimony and we need to simply accept and believe it.

 

Dear God, Thank You for Your precious Word, for telling us all we need to know.  Please help me to continually accept Your testimony as it has been shared with us throughout the Bible.  Amen.

Friday's Verse: Tough Love

Matthew 5:44 "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

 

There are many times I do pray for people who have been unkind to me, but I know this is often times easier said than done.  However, it is achievable!  I challenge you to try praying a quick blessing over the next person who cuts you off in traffic, or says something rude to you or in any other way does something offensive...I'm not saying it's going to come naturally (ever) but you will feel better about the choice you made!

 

Dear Lord, I know there are many people in this world who are unkind to me and those around me.  I ask You to please bless them each in the way they need it most in their lives right now.  Please help me to show Your love to them even if they have been less than loving to me.  Amen.

Thursday's Verse: The Better Covenant

Hebrews 11:40 "God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."

 

This chapter in Hebrews is all about faith, more specifically By Faith what had been accomplished by those told of in the Old Testament.  It is a great read if you have a few minutes! 

{ Bible Resources, Online Bible, Read the Bible, Search the Bible, Bible Study Plan, Passage Search, Keyword Search  } From the beginning of it all, when God created us even though He knew doing so would result in sacrificing His only Son to save us, God had planned the two covenants - the Old and the New!  He had already planned for the New Covenant to be better so that it would bring all believers under both Covenants together!  Rejoice and be glad for God has had it planned for a long time that our Covenant with Him surpasses the Old Covenant's promises!

 

Loving Father, Thank you for both of Your Covenants, I am blessed simply to be called Your child.  Please help me to remember that You planned for me to be living in this day and age and under the New Covenant which promises everlasting life with You.  Let this knowledge give me comfort and strength to face the day.  Amen.

We are weak, He is strong!

II Corinthians 12:9 "But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, 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."

 

Seems to me that some people are better at this than others...I fall into the category of people who have a hard time admitting their weaknesses and also asking for help.  God has been teaching me though to let go of this perceived strength and replace it day by day with His true strength.  What a relief to know that I don't have to be the strong one in our relationship because He wants to and by the way is way more capable of!

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for all of Your grace filled promises in Your precious Word.  When I feel like giving in because I have tried too hard to rely on my own strength please bring me back into Your presence where I can be reminded that You are the strong one and that when I admit I am weak then Your strength is revealed in it's full power.  Amen.

Rejoice!

Romans 5:2b-4a "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our suffering because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

 

Okay this kind of goes back to the Weekly Thoughts on attitude and perception but if you can think of this verse and the phrase, "If God brings you to it then He will bring you through it," together then you will grasp my perception of this verse...  Rejoice in suffering?  Sounds crazy but God may be using...no He probably is using our suffering to mold who we are becoming...

 

Heavenly Father, In times of suffering my instinct is to complain, cry and give up.  Please stay close to me and grant that I may feel your presence.  Please help me to remember that Your precious Will is at work in my life and that You will always lead me through the storm.  Amen.

Build Your Faith

Jude 20-21 "But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."

 

If you ever want to read an entire book of the Bible, be uplifted and armed to battle the day but are short on time then might I suggest the book of Jude?  Only 25 verses long and I would venture to say that as with many Bible passages this can really be applied to today's world.  This particular part reminds me that while we are ever becoming Christians and ever growing in our faith we must strive more and more to cling to God and keep in His love.

 

Dear God,

I know that I need you in my life.  I am thankful for the promise of salvation and await your mercy with the eagerness of a child.  Please continue to help me to build my relationship with you and to always pray in your Spirit.  Amen.

Who Moved?

Psalm 10:1 "Why, O Lord, do You stand far off?  Why do You hide yourself in times of trouble?"

When I opened my Bible to this verse today I knew it was the right verse...just yesterday I had read an unknown quote that made me knowingly smile, "If God seems far away, guess who moved?"  Yup, we need to look back at ourselves and we'll realize we are the one who needs to come back to God because if we look deep into our hearts we'll know that He never left us to begin with!

Dear Lord, I know I've stumbled and strayed more often than I can count on two hands.  I know that if You seem far away then it is I who have been putting that distance between us.  Please help me to stay close to You, ever dwelling in Your comforting presence.  Amen.

Desires & Gifts

II Chronicles 1:11-12 "God said to Solomon, 'Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you.  And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will ever have.'"

This verse makes me smile and say, "that sounds just like you Lord!"  To reward a humble request for what is needed to serve Him with an abundent overflowing cup of all life has to offer.  

Heaven Father, I long to serve you and show your love to others.  According to Your perfect Will for my life may you please grant me wisdom to make the right choices each day.  Please help me keep the true desires of my heart in line with what is pleasing to you.  Amen.