God's Love Will Never Cease!

I Corinthians 13:8 "Love never fails.  But where there are prophesies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."

 

I love the verses about love in I Corinthians, but I used to stop reading at the third word of verse 8.  There is something important here though - it just doesn't tell us about love never failing it also tells us about all the things which will fail, fade, cease and pass away.  And, if God is love, than how eternally reassuring is it that He will never cease, still or pass away?  

 

Dear Lord,  I am very thankful for Your amazing love and the eternalness of that love!  Please help me to remember that while many things of this world may go away You and Your love are here to stay!  Amen.  

Belated: Wed., Thurs., & Fri. Verses

Psalm 31:14 "But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, "You are my God.""

 

For some these words are just lip-service.  Sadly, they do not feel them in their hearts.  But having trust in our Lord and saying, "You are my God," is a powerful and spiritual experience that can bring you tears of overwhelming joy as you let it sink in again and again what that encompasses.

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for being my God!  I am overwhelmed at all You have done and continue to do for me.  Please help me to always trust in You through all life's situations.  Amen.

 

Proverbs 8:22 "The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His work, before His deeds of old;"

 

God already had claim to us before He finished creating the world, He possessed us at the beginning of His work.  Which means He knew what He had to sacrifice for our salvation and He loved us enough to create us anyway!  If you are looking for love this is enough to overflow anyone's cup!

 

Dear Father,  I can barely comprehend all You have done for me!  Thank You for creating me even though You've known since You created time that I would need You to sacrifice Your Son to save me.  Please help me to cling to Your love when I feel alone.  Amen.

 

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

 

How I long for the depth of faith that Paul had when he wrote this!  Sin separates us from God and so it is a long road of repentance and of asking God daily to come live in our hearts and bodies before we can even come close to this.  But if we keep our path set on His will and on the desire to be that close to Him, then I believe that He wants to come live in us and He will help guide us home to Him.

 

Dear God,  Thank You for Your precious Word and its many insights into how we can live for You and live by faith.  Please come into my heart and dwell within me so that my life may serve and glorify you as long as the path You've chosen for me has me here.  Amen. 

Better Than a Rock

Psalm 18:2 "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge."

 

I love David's analogies, I really do, they grant hope and strength.  However, it is hard to compare God to these things because God is perfect and things of this world are not because they have been corrupted by sin and the evil one.  God is stronger than a rock, more durable than a fortress and more reliable than a deliverer!  He is our perfect hope, our eternal rest, our ultimate and forever Savior!

 

Dear Father,  Thank You for being not just a rock for us but The Rock of our Salvation.  Please help me to always remember that You are perfect and never-failing!  Amen.

We Need To Rest

Hebrews 4:10 "for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His."

 

There's a saying I read in an email (author unknown) "God didn't do it all in one day, what makes me think I can?"  In such a fast paced, please everybody, don't quit world, it is easy to lose sight of God's perfect example, of rest, to us.  How many errands and chores did you do yesterday?  Did they bring you closer to God?  God wants us to rest and He wants to show us His rest for us which is a peace so great it could only come from Him!

 

Dear Father, I want to thank You for the day of rest You created for me.  Please help me to remember this day and to not be tempted to work on it.  Amen.

We Are Heirs!

Titus 3:7 "so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."

 

Whoa!  Heirs with the hope of eternal life?  That's better than the Prize Patrol showing up on my doorstep with $10 Million!  And it's better than being an heir to anything on this earth, more priceless than any treasure of this world...it's the ultimate hope - our eternal Light at the end of the tunnel! 

 

Dear God,  Thank You for Your loving grace, forgiveness and salvation!  Thank You for the BEST inheritance promise ever!  Please help me to always remember that I am saved through faith in Your Son's death which has set me free from the bonds of sin through repentance and Your forgiveness.  Amen.

God Always Answers

Psalm 118:5 "In my anguish I cried out to the Lord, and He answered by setting me free."<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

God may not always set us free from our trials, He may not always remove them from our path however He will not leave us and He will always answer us.  We not always like the answer, especially when it is making us go through the storm and not around it, but He will answer us and He will never leave us so we can cling to Him through it all.

Dear Father, Thank You for the gift of prayer and the open line of communication it leaves between You and me.  Please help me to remember that although Your answer may not always be "yes" there will be an answer...please help me to accept all Your answers with a grateful heart.  Amen.

Beware Of Deceiving Teachings

I Timothy 4:1 "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."

 

I wonder if we are in the "later times" now because I have read about some institutions calling themselves churches however they have many beliefs that do not stem from the Bible.  It is so important to use the tools God gives us to dispute the falacies that may be spread about by some who may be abandoning the true faith.  Let's cling tight to His precious Word and go to it whenever we have questions about Him.

 

Dear God, Thank You for Your Holy Word which by the inspiration of Your Spirit You have bestowed upon us as a guide to Your promises and our purpose.  Please help me to remain true to You, to Your teachings, to Your Word in all I say, do and believe.  Amen.

His Joy, Our Strength

Nehemiah 8:10 "Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared.  This day is sacred to the Lord.  Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.""

 

I love that last part, "the joy of the Lord is your strength."  Too often I think we try to draw our strength from ourselves, I am so bad at this!  But God is our strength, His joy gives us strength and this knowledge can be put to good use so that we may focus our energy on giving Him glory in all we do! 

 

Father, Thank You for Your joy and for the strength You have granted me through it.  Please help me to cling to this knowledge and call upon You when I begin to feel weak.  Amen.

Victory That Overcomes The World!

I John 5:4 "for everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."

 

Sometimes it's just great to hear that we are already victorious in God!  We are born of Him when we are baptized in His Name and that of His Son and Spirit and at that moment we are granted victory that overcomes the world!  What an awesome blessing to let just soak in...

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for Your victory which You have graciously granted us through our Spiritual birth in You and through Your Son's sacrifice.  Please help me to always remember that You have already granted me what I need to overcome this world and all that it fights me with.  Amen.

Praise Him Even When...

Psalm 59:16 "But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble."

If you read the entire Psalm 59 it will almost seem as if this verse is out of place...David is being risen up against by his enemies for no wrongs done, yet here he stops in his pleas for help to take time to praise our awesome God!  It is not out of place, it is an amazing lesson all in one little chapter!  When times are tough, and it seems everything is against us, it is so important to stop ourselves, in the midst of our please for help, and thank and praise our Lord from the bottom of our hearts for all the blessings He has and does grant us day in and day out.

Heavenly Lord,  I want to thank You for all the gracious blessings You have bestowed upon me and my family.  I want to thank You for always being my help, my fortress, my loving God in times of trouble.  Please help me to always have my heart in the right place and to remember to praise Your holy and awesome Name no matter what I may be going through.  Amen.

Complete Joy

I John 1:4 "We write this to make our joy complete."

 

I think this short verse here packs a big punch in my heart.  John was in essence saying that his joy could not be complete until and unless he shared with as many as he could the Good News about Christ our Savior!  If we are struggling in our joy maybe we need to look at John's example and find out who we can share God's love with today?

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for the blessing of knowing You personally, of having grown up in a place where I can learn about You and worship You without fear.  Please help me to complete my joy in You by sharing Your love and Your Good News with all those around me.  Amen.

We Will Find God

Jeremiah 29:14 "I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.""

 

God knows where we are and He knows where we are going...He tells us that we will find Him and when we do He will bring us back to where we belong.  The good Lord gives and He takes away...but He will bring us back, He will restore us.  We must seek Him and be faithful, keeping our hope in His Word and His promises which are more solid than rock!

 

Dear God, Thank You for all the many blessings You have bestowed upon us.  Please help me to remain thankful through all life's trials and when it seems I am far from You may I please be filled with Your Spirit as I seek to come back into Your embrace.  Amen.

Seeking God

Psalm 35:28 "My tongue will speak of Your righteousness and of Your praises all day long."

 

A lot of charismatic Christian speakers on the TV and in Christian magazines today will tell you about the power of your words.  'Speak what you seek,' they say.  So with this way of thinking, it can more than likely be determined that if we speak of God's righteousness and praises all day long that we will find ourselves closer to God.  Now that's something I would love to seek, wouldn't you?

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for the power of words that You have given to us through Your Holy Spirit.  Please help me to seek You all day long through speaking Your praises!  Amen.

Blessed Heirs

Acts 3:25 "And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers.  He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'"

 

Even though we live under the new covenant, the covenant through Christ's precious blood which broke through the barrier of sin between us and our Father, we are still blessed through the old covenant with Abraham.  In a way I supposed you could say we are doubly blessed!   We have inherited so many blessings our cups are overflowing and God is holding onto us with His loving arms.

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for all of Your blessings and promises!  Please help me to remember that You began promising our blessings generations and generations ago and I have inherited so much more than my forefathers!  Amen. 

Overflowing Hope!

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

It's another one of those, "OOOOO, I want that!" mornings!  I love the use of the word overflow here when talking about hope.  I think we all need a little overflow of hope in our lives, don't you?  What an awesome prayer here! 

Dear Father,  I am continually amazed at the simple and awesome power of one single verse in my heart as I read it.  Thank You for Your hope, joy and peace in our lives.  May You please fill us all until we are overflowing with Your hope!  Amen.

Put Your Faith Into Works

James 2:17 "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

 

We know it is by faith we are saved, not by works...but I think what James is telling us here is that there is no excuse for not putting your faith into action.  If we have a true and solid relationship with Christ through our faith in His cross than we should have a desire to do good works for His glory!

 

Dear Lord,  I am so very grateful for all Your amazing blessings, especially the most important one of all: salvation by Your cross.  Thank You for all of it!  Please help me to put my faith and our relationship into action through my faith so that I may spend each day glorifying You through not only words but also my deeds.  Amen.

Unswerving Hope

Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful."

 

Some days it is hard to hold onto promises given to us and keep the hope we may profess on Sunday mornings or whenever we come to God and thank Him for those promises.  However, He will not forsake those He promised to save.  He has indeed already saved our souls from eternal punishment we just need to be patient and hold onto our hope in Him that His timing is perfect for our needs.

 

Lord, I am so very thankful for each and every one of Your promises and for all the blessings that You have already granted to me.  Please help me through Your Divine Spirit to cling to You and keep my hope secure in You.  Amen.

God Will Heal Us

Psalm 103:3 "He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases;"

 

God keeps all His promises and in His Word it tells us here that He forgives and heals us.  What we need to remember is that He does not promise to heal us right away...it's not going to happen overnight from the moment we start praying.  He will however reward us for keeping in a faith mind-set and believing in His promises and holding strong to that faith to give us patience.

 

Dear Father, I am so thankful for Your great mercy and love!  Thank You for Your forgiveness and healing!  Please help me to remember that You will also heal all my diseases in Your perfect timing.  Amen.

****Special Note****

In observance of "Greek Easter," I may need to cut down the daily verses for this week to allow time for my personal reflections and prayer through our holy week this week ahead.  I thank you all for your continued interest in receiving these weekly messages and/or daily verses.  I appreciate your understanding in my limited presence during this special week.  Christ has risen!!  He has risen indeed!  Alleluia!!! Have a blessed week!!! 

 

Love through Christ,

Niki

We Are His Sheep

Ezekiel 34:11 "For this is what the Sovereign Lord says, I myself will search for My sheep and look after them."

 

I'm having one of my "whoa" moments again!  Our God loves us so much that not only did He send His only Son to die so we may be saved, not only has our Father given us this salvation for free through repentance and forgiveness...as if that weren't enough He is out there searching for you and me!  When we stray from His path He is searching for us and when we are steady on His path God is looking out for us every step along the way!!  I don't know about you but this blows my mind and gives me great comfort.

 

Dear Lord,  Wow!  Thank You so much for everything You do, thank You for searching for me and bringing me back to where You can look after me when I've strayed.  Please help me to feel the magnitude of this love in my soul and cherish it forever.  Amen.  

Hunger And Thirst For God!

Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

God grants us all our needs, this is something we read again and again in His precious Word.  However, here is a case of His promise to fulfill a want...when that want is pleasing to God, when we are yearning for something that glorifies Him, He will fill us up with what we seek!  If we do not limit Him in our thinking than our awesome God will do great and wonderous things in our lives!  So let us hunger and thrist for righteousness and stand in awe at how we are filled!

Dear Father, I want to thank You for always supplying my needs and at times even my wants.  Please help me to delight in Your ways, to hunger and thirst for Your righteousness all the days of my life.  Amen.

Promises

Acts 2:39 "The promise is for you and your children and all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call."

 

God's promise is for everyone...anyone can repent and believe and be saved through His great grace and mercy.  We are all imperfect people but God has given us the promises to overcome our imperfections, to overcome the separation that sin creates between us, and His promises are for all of us!

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for forgiving even me, a sinner.  Please continue to forgive me of my sins and cleanse my soul and save me through Your awesome promises and Your one and only Son.  Amen.

Saved From Our Enemies

Psalm 18:3 "I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies."

 

Ok, so maybe our enemies aren't coming at us with spears or other deadly weapons however we are daily in spiritual warfare against our #1 enemy, the devil.  God will save us from this battle - He's already sent His Son to win this battle...it is our duty to call on God, to cling to Him, praise Him and to keep an attitude of faith so that our enemy has nothing on us!

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for saving us from our enemies, physical and unseen.  Please help me to remember that You are worthy of all of our praise and that You will continue to save us as long as we are here fighting the good fight of faith.  Amen.

Want or Need?

Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet al your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

 

The Bible does not ever promise that we will have the biggest house or the best new car or even the fanciest clothes.  However, God does promise us again and again that He will provide us with all our needs.  God will provide for all our needs, physical as well as mental, emotional and spiritual.  He's already offered us His greatest sacrifice to fill our need of salvation!

 

Father, I want to thank you for providing for absolutely all of our needs day in and day out, always.  Please help me to remember when I am longing for something and not able to obtain it that it was only a want and I should refocus on all of the needs that are being met.  Amen.

Sacrifice of Waiting?

Hebrews 9:28 "so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him."

 

Sacrifice...that word means different things to different people.  In any case it is generally accepted that you give up something valuable, right?  Christ gave us His life, God the Father gave us His Son...what have we given to them?  Our time?  Talents?  Treasures?  Oh, and are we waiting for His return as a child waits for Christmas morning?  Or are we merely walking through this life trying to survive another day and waiting for our future to arrive? 

 

Father, I am humbled as I thank You for Your ultimate sacrifice that You gave up in order to save me, a sinner.  I beg of You to please forgive my shortcomings and help me to joyfully anticipate Your triumphant return for those of us who are waiting for You.  Amen.

Today Is A Gift

Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

 

I've always loved this verse!  It says to me, no matter what we are going through, each day of our lives is a gift from God!  We should rejoice and be glad to have this blessing of life!

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for this day!!  Please help me to always remember that each day You grant me is a gift and I should forever rejoice.  Amen.

A Time To Give Up?...And Move On!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 6 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away"

 

I think at times we all tend to think of giving up and throwing away as activities that have a negative connotation to them.  However, God tells us there is a time for those, a time for everything.  Maybe if we have been trying for too long with no results or hanging on to long with no good use...well, maybe that is God telling us to give up and throw away, and turn our attentions to something new that He is leading us to!

 

Dear God, Thank You for showing me through Your precious Word that there is a time to give up on one thing so I may go in search of another.  Please grant me the wisdom to know when You are telling me it is time.  Amen.

Grive Freely! (Secretly)

Proverbs 21:14 "A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath."

 

Ok, honestly I am not really sure about the "bribe" here but I know that this is not the only reference in the Bible to giving in secret.  God does not want us to become full of ourselves and give in this big public and open manner.  He wants us to give of the gifts He has given to us however He values a cheerful giver even more so when the giving is just between us and God.

 

Dear Father, I want to thank You for all the blessing You have given to my family, friends and me.  Please help me to quietly and generously give to others of all that You have given to me.  Amen.

The 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 if life."

 

I don't know about you but if I had to choose I would choose the light over darkness any day!  Jesus is the true Light, He has defeated the darkness!!  I love thinking about this and about how this means that when I give my life over to Him I will never have to walk in the dark again...this is some amazing and reassuring news!

 

Father, Especially around the celebration of Your Son's Resurrection, we give You thanks for sending Jesus to become man and to be our Light.  Please help me to remember that because of Your grace, mercy, love and sacrifice, we no longer need to be afraid of the dark.  Amen.

Without Gossip

Proverbs 26:20 "Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down."

 

Sometimes the best way to end a quarrel is to get to the root of the matter, right?  Whether it is truth or unintentional falsehoods all gossip should never begin and once it does it is like a brush fire...it takes a huge effort to put out the blaze.  If God's Word warns against it we can be pretty sure it is not in the nature He created us with to do this...so join me in fighting off the devil with a quiet tongue!

 

Lord, We thank You for the wisdom which You have seen fit to bestow upon us through Your presence in our hearts and through Your precious Word.  Please help me to hold my tongue and not be the root of any gossip.  Amen.

Seek the Lord

Amos 5:4 "This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: "Seek Me and live;""

 

Our awesome God has given us so much to be thankful for and so many reasons to praise His holy name.  Amazingly, He does not ask for much: repentance & faith...as we continue to grow in our faith we begin to learn how important it is to seek Him above all else.  God has given us all the tools to live we just need to seek Him and He will show us how to use them!

 

Dear Lord,  I want to thank You for Your many awesome and saving promises throughout Your precious Word.  Please help me to always seek You that I may truly live, a life devoted to You and filled with Your grace and mercy.  Amen.

***Quick Note***

I will have no computer access this weekend and will be unable to forward Daily Verses or Weekly Thoughts.  I pray that if you are celebrating Easter this weekend than your celebration may be blessed and filled with God's holy, loving presence.  I will email some belated thoughts late Sunday or early Monday.

Love through Christ,

Niki

 

Ashamed?

Romans 1:16 "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jews, then for the Gentile,"

 

Are we truly unashamed?  Do we speak His Word in everything we do, in every situation?  I think if we are truly unashamed then talking about His Word will come as easily as talking about the weather...only God doesn't guess whether it's going to rain or shine!

 

Dear Lord,  We thank You for Your gospel and all of Your precious Word.  Please help us to reach that level of faith where we are 100% unashamed and able to freely talk of Your awesome power, love, grace and salvation.  Amen.

Wednesday's Verse: God Is The Answer - No Matter The Question

James 5:13 "Is anyone of you in trouble?  He should pray.  Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise."

 

It reminds of when I was little and at Christmastime we would say, 'Jesus is the reason for the season.'  Except here Jesus is not just the reason...He is the answer.  No matter what you are feeling or going through take it to God because He is the answer to your situation good or bad.

 

Holy Father, Thank You for being our answer to whatever this world throws at us.  Please help us to remember to come to You in good times and bad and everything in between.  Amen.

Tuesday's Verse: Stop Contemplating

Psalm 117 "Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples.  For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.  Praise the Lord."

 

Ok, so my "verse" is a whole chapter but this chapter is only 2 verses long...trying to wrap our mind around the vastness of God's love for us would have us figuratively chasing our tails.  So what I like to do, when I start to feel nearly overwhelmed at all God has given me, an unworthy sinner, is to stop contemplating and start praising!

 

Dear God,  We thank You for all You have given us through Your mercy and grace.  We do not deserve any of it and cannot fully comprehend Your love for us.  We choose to praise You instead of trying to make sense of it.  We want to praise You all the days of our life!  Amen.

Monday's Verse: Not By What We've Done

Titus 3:5 "5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,"

 

During Lent we focus a lot on Jesus life, death and we celebrate on Easter His resurrection which has saved us from our sins.  It is especially important that we remember, as we reflect on this, that it is not by anything we have done that God gave His Son to save us it is purely because of His mercy and grace.  How amazing and unfathomable is our loving Father!!!

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for Your sacrifice and our salvation through You and the cross.  Please forgive us our sins and cleanse our souls through the power of the blood.  Amen. 

Rescue Me?

Daniel 6:27 "He rescues and He saves; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth.  He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."

 

God does rescue, and He does save...He does these things when His timing is right...sometimes that makes us feel we are being left hanging on our own but we are never alone.  There is a Christian song on the radio that I love to sing along with, "I cry out with no reply and I can't feel You by my side but I'll cling tight to what I know, You're here and I'm never alone."

 

Dear God,  Thank You for being our Protector and our Deliverer.  Please help us to cling tight to You and to the knowledge that You never break Your promises and that means You will never leave us.  Amen.

Before The Womb!!

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

 

God may be talking to Jeremiah here however I believe He tells each of us this very same thing but it is a fill in the blank in a way, "I appointed you as a _______."  You may be a teacher, a mom, a friend, a preacher, or hundreds of other important things but the most important piece to remember is that God knew us and appointed us to our callings even before He formed us in the womb!

 

Thank You Father for knowing and love us so much that You planned our life's path even before we existed!  Please help us to keep this in our minds whenever we feel insignificant, alone or unloved.  Amen.

Like A Child

Luke 18:17 "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

 

When we "grow up" we (hopefully) want to know more and we dive into learning as many answers about God, heaven, eternal life, Jesus life and death and so much more.  However, as great as it is to want to know Him more we still need to accept that He will not always reveal all the answers to us.  Just as a small child believes Jesus loves her/him because Daddy and Mommy and the priest all say it is in the Bible so must we still accept that He loves us and died for us without doubts in our hearts!

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for sending Your Son to be the ultimate example and to teach us some of what we would have never understood and ultimately for sacrificing His life to save ours.  Please help me to always trust You as a small child would, never doubting that You will work all things to good and someday call me home to You.  Amen.

Our Shepard

Ezekiel 34:11 "For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them."

 

How amazing is our God!  He is our Shepard! As such, He searches for us when we have gone astray...when we make a mistake and fall away from Him, our Lord is searching for us even before we know we need to go back to Him...so wen we do realize it...He's already there, right beside us, ready to pick us up and carry us back to His flock.

 

Dear Father, Your love, grace and mercy set me into awe the more and more I get to know You.  Thank You for searching for me and looking after me even when I do not have You in my sight.  Please help me to keep You in my heart and feel Your presence securing me in my life.  Amen.

Rejoice!

Romans 5:11 "Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

 

I could probably focus a long amount of time to this verse but here is my sole focus today: rejoice!  Rejoice in our reconciliation with God, rejoice in our Lord and Savior, rejoice in this day He has made!  We have so much to rejoice in every day no matter where we are or what we are going through so today I encourage you to join me in praising God and shouting rejoice!

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for forgiveness, for Your love and unfailing mercy, for everything You have given to us...please help me to always see what I have to rejoice about in You.  Amen.

Encouragement Comes From Us Too

Hebrews 3:13 "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

 

When I read this verse I felt like I have on two hats.  I try to do this each morning with these daily verses, however when I face the negativity at work I do not always encourage...more often than not I commiserate.  God knows we need each other and that's why so many times throughout His Word He encourages us to encourage (and lean upon) each other.

 

Dear Father,  Thank You for the ultimate encouragement...Your holy and precious Word!  I am grateful to be able to read it freely and find the answers You have given us in it.  Please help me to remember that not only do You encourage us and give us hope but also You have called upon us to do the same for each other.  Amen.

The Secret To Content

Phillippians 4:12 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether living in plenty or in want."

 

I know I have said this before about another verse but this is one of those verses that I read and think, "I want that!"  I want to master the secret of being content in every situation.  I think I am close but I need to work on it some more, you know?  I guess what we need to focus on is the only thing we need...which is God. He will take care of the rest in His time.

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for always providing for our needs.  Please help us to focus on you and know that even when we feel that we are in want, we are really in Your hands.  Amen.

Focus on Him

II 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."

 

In short, focus on the eternal stuff, not the stuff of this world...right?  I think the more we focus on God the less the matters of this earth will seem so monumental.  I think the more we focus on God the more we will cling to Him and keep our hope in Him.

 

Dear Father,  Thank You for Your eternal promises!  Please help me to keep focused on You and Your eternal promises every day that I am awaiting Your call home.  Amen.

Comfort in Suffering

Psalm 119:50 "My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise renews my life."

 

We all go through tough times and in the times of trial it may sometimes be hard to feel comfort from God and want to praise Him through our storms.  However, this verse really nails it...God's promise renews our lives and so we know He will deliver us from our suffering in His time.  He makes us whole and new every day through His amazing promises.  Let's cling to that!

 

Dear God,  Thank You for all of Your promises which You so graciously reveal to us through Your precious Word.  Please help us to cling to You and Your promises to comfort us in our times of suffering.  Amen.

Monday's Verse: Day of Rest

Hebrews 4:9 "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God"

 

I can confess that I have not always kept the Sabbath day as a day of complete rest...I've done laundry, dishes, the checkbook... But I am coming to realize that I do need to rest, it is not a suggestion, it is one of God's 10 Commandments which is also in the New Testament as still remaining.  Maybe, just maybe, if we rest when we're supposed to then we will find it easier to have enough energy to face our week of work.

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for Your example and command to rest.  Please help me to remember that the Sabbath is for rest and that I should keep from working on it.  Amen.

The Lord Does Not Change

Malachi 3:6 "I the Lord do not change.  So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed."

 

In so many situations change is almost inevitable...so it is so refreshing and reassuring to know that God does not change.  Not ever!  He is the same yesterday, today and forever and I am personally able to better face other changes in my life because I know in my heart, my soul and my mind the He is the one constant and sturdy Rock in my life forever.

 

Dear Lord,  I am incredibly grateful that You are constant, that You do not change.  Please help comfort me with this promise from Your precious Word as I face the changes of this world and grant me the wisdom to dwell on Your world as the only one that truly matters.  Amen.

We Don't Know...But HE Does!!

I Corinthians 2:9 "However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him""

 

I have gotten to a place where I love knowing that I don't know what God has prepared for me but that He does have a plan and it is so awesome that I haven't even conceived it!  It keeps me on the edge of my seat, so to say, waiting like a kid on Christmas morning excitedly asking, "Is it time yet?" Time for the unconceivable surprise that is His plan for my life?  Well, I really am excited and I love knowing He is in charge.

 

Dear God,  Thank You for being in charge of me and my life!  Thank You for Your awesome plan that will surprise me when Your time is right.  Please help me to keep my faith centered on You and my heart open to be Your home.  Amen.

Everything Give Praises

Psalm 150:6 "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord."

 

I know I come back to these verses often but it is so important to remember that our Lord deserves our praise.  As insignificant as it may feel sometimes, compared to what He has done for us, it should be something we, and everything that has breath, should be doing all the days of our life. 

 

Dear God,  Thank You for everything You have done for us and given to us.  Your holy name should be praised morning, noon and night by everything living creature on Your earth.  Please send Your Spirit to help keep my heart and soul in a praiseful attitude always.  Amen.

Nothing To Fear

Matthew 10:28 "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

 

Ok, since there is another verse which tells us that God did not give us the spirit of fear than I do not think our Savior is condoning fear.  How I read this is this: He is telling us don't be afraid of things of this world, even murders.  The only thing possibly worthy of fear is the devil and his dwelling which can destroy our souls.  That sure puts things in perspective for me!!

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for showing us what we should not fear.  Please help me to always remember the really scary thing is hell and the devil and that You have already saved me from them so there really is nothing to fear.  Amen.

Shine Like Stars

Philippians 14-15 "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe"

 

I know I have a hard time with this one...I tend to complain a lot.  Mostly only to those who I am close with and to God but nonetheless it seems it's probably way too much.  Today's challenge: To keep my complaints within, to strive to not complain or argue no matter what the situation.  Are you with me?  Let's go for it!

 

Dear Father,  Thank You for all of Your wonderful promises.  Thank You for the opportunity to shine like stars if only we'd keep from complaining and arguing.  Please help me today to keep You in my mind and my heart and to focus on Your strength to keep me from falling back into these bad habits.  Amen.

Monday's Verse: United We Should Be Standing

John 17:23 "I in them and You in Me.  May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You love Me."

 

Jesus prayer in Chapter 17 here is a great read!  We heard it in church yesterday and I could not help but find myself praying for all Christian churches everywhere to find a way back to unity, to agree to disagree so that we may all focus on what is most important...God, and sharing His love with the world. 

 

Dear God,  Thank You for praying for our unity.  Please help us to pray for our own unity as we are much stronger in You together than we ever will be apart.  Amen.

Sunday's Verse: Bless Other For We Are Richly Blessed

Proverbs 22:9 "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor."

 

This passage reminds me of the New Testament parable in which the lesson is, 'you reap what you sow.'  Yet, I think another important thing to remember is that "God loves a cheerful giver" and we should not give just to see what we will get back.  We should want in our heart to share with others and give back to God because God has not stopped at just giving us the greatest Gift ever...nope, He continues to richly bless us each and every day of our lives!

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for the many blessings You pour out on us.  Please help me to have a generous heart and to delight in sharing my blessings with others, not in an effort to get something back but simply to glorify You and praise Your works and holy Name.  Amen.

Praise Him With All Our Hearts!

Psalm 138 "I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing Your praise."

 

It all comes back to this, no matter what is going on around us we should always praise the name of our Lord in heaven.  With all of our heart, nonetheless, we should give Him praise.  It is a hard choice to be happy when things around us are going wrong but God does not cause the bad stuff and He will stay with us an we endure it or go around it or whatever our path may be...He promised us He would!

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for the awesome examples in Your Word of Your people who praised Your name even through the bad times.  Please help me to also remember that You are with me through it all and that I should want to praise You with all that is within me.  Amen.

Daily Verses Update

Daily Verses will resume tomorrow...

I want to thank you each for all of your prayers and patience as I have not been able to get to all this typing lately.  I am still working with only 9 digits however I have gotten somewhat better at it.  For those who did not know what had happened, two weeks ago, I slammed my thumb in our mini vault at work and they had to take me to the ER for x-rays and stitches on my right thumb which I had sliced open pretty good...I was a mess, in shock and close to hyper ventilating but thank the good Lord it was not worse...the doctor said the skin was cut down to the tissue but it did not cut into the tissue, did not hit a nerve and missed the nail bed!   I went home that Thursday afternoon (the 7th) and took the antibiotics and pain killers and laid out on the couch with my hand elevated for two or three days straight and went back to work last Monday (the 11th).   I got the stitches out on this past Monday (18th).  The outer skin has died and so I will need to keep it very clean while new skin grows into its place and the old sloughs off.  It is still a bit sensitive and since I work with money all day I need to keep it covered well but in time it will heal.  Again, I thank you for your prayers, they mean a lot to me and to my family.

He's Holding Your Hand

 

Isaiah 42:6 ""I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,"

 

I imagine the comfort of knowing that God is holding my hand and it settles a peace in my soul.  Like a child who cannot cross the street herself, a spouse who needs loving reassurance or a friend who needs comfort...God is all this and more and He shows us who He is over and over again with loving and beautiful descriptions throughout His precious Word.

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for holding my hand and always being here for me that I might shine for You.  Please help me to remember this picture and feeling always.  Amen.

His Great Works

 

Psalm 111:2 "Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them."

 

So when was the last time that you delighted in and pondered our great Lord's works?  Today?  Yesterday?  I challenge you to join me in trying to delight in our Lord's marvelous works at least once a day, hopefully when we first wake up and either see the sun or anticipate its arrival!

 

Heavenly Father,  Truly uncountable are Your great works!  Thank You for all You have given to us and do for us.  Please help us to remember to take the time each day to ponder them, delight in them and praise Your name for them.  Amen.

 

Just a quick note:  please do keep all those listed in the Weekly Thoughts prayers in your daily prayers, additional prayer for healing: Fran.  Thank you so much in helping me to give our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ the best free gift we can give!

Overcoming This World

 

I John 5:4 "for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."

 

I saw this license plate as I cam home last night, 1 Jn 5 4...I said well I better look it up because God is probably telling me something by placing me behind this car tonight.  When we were baptized in the name of our triune God we became "born of God."  And according to John that means we overcome the world.  Will it be easy?  Probably not, but it can and will be done when we continue to cling to God.

 

Dear God,  Thank You for adopting us as Your children through Holy Baptism.  Please help us to remember that because we are born of You we have the victory to overcome the world.  Amen.

Listen When God Calls

 

Zechariah 7:13 ""When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen," says the Lord Almighty."

 

My reality check this morning is this: verses like this are not easy to meditate on because we all like the warm fuzzy messages.  But the truth is, myself especially, we need to "hear" these verses too.  We need to know that God will call us at times and we need to listen to Him.  He has done so much for us and if we are truly living for Him than we should be able to hear Him when He does call.

 

Dear God, Thank You for Your precious Word which not only encourages us and gives us joy and hope but also warns us against what we should not be doing.  Please help us to learn from the mistakes which the people You've shown us in the Bible fell into.  Amen.

He Feels It Too!

Isaiah 63:9 "In all their distress He too was distressed, and the angel of His presence saved them.  In His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old."

 

I know I have said time and again that God is always with us, my daughter probably thinks it's my music-less theme song!  However, this verse caught my attention because it tells us not only is God with us through the hard times but He is also feeling the same pain or sorrow or other distress.  Whoa!  How awesome is our God, truly taking on all we experience and then saving us from it!

 

Dear Lord, Your love, mercy and grace will never stop amazing me!  Thank You for not only being here for me but also feeling here with me!  Please help me to remember that no matter what I may be going through You are not only here by my side but You know exactly what I am feeling because You feel that way too.  Amen.

His Joy Will Sustain Us

Psalm 51:12 "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

 

Life can throw some big punches at us and some days it may seem hard to be joyful through our proverbial black eye...but it is our choice as to how we will react.  It may be a difficult choice to say to the Lord through your tears or pain, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation..."   Yet if we cry out to the Lord that we do want to restore our joy no matter how glum things look than I would be inclined to believe that He will grant us a willing spirit so we may be sustained.

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for Your salvation promises and for always being here for us when we cry out.  Please help us to not stray too far and to always remember that choosing Your joy will sustain us.  Amen.

Call On His Name

Acts 2:21 "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

 

Sometimes a verse says so many different things that it really seems to me to speak for itself in many ways.  Whether you take this in the context of the surrounding verse or all by itself it is pretty simple, call on His name and you will be saved.  Okay, so it is intrigal to also believe that Jesus died to save us from sin...but whether it is the last day of the world or just a moment of pain or weakness, we need to remember to call on the Lord and He will save us according to His plans and purpose for our lives.

 

Dear God, Thank You for Your many promises of salvation!  Please help us to remember to call on You when we need anything, whether in joy or pain, because You have promised to save us.  Amen.

Praise Him For Ever and Ever

 

Psalm 145:1 "I will exalt You, my God the King; I will praise Your name for ever and ever."

 

No matter what we are going through...good times or bad times...joy or pain...we should always lift our praises to the Lord because whether we can feel His presence or not He is always with us and He wants to hear our praises, our praises are pleasing to His ears...and if there was ever someone that I want to live to please it is most definitely our loving Father!!  Are you with me?

 

Dear God, Your name shall be praised above all names until the end of time.  We thank and praise You daily for all You have given us and done for us.  May You please instill within us a praise-filled heart, mind and soul.  Amen.

Anything's Possible

Job 42:2 "I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted."

 

I think at one point or another, most of us have been told, "With God all things are possible." But how often do we forget to take these words to heart?  I know I often end up telling God how big my problem is but forget to tell my problem how big my God is...

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for being You!  There is no other way to say it except, You are God!  Please help me to remember that no matter what I am faced with, You can do all things and You will help me through, around or out of my so-called problems.  Amen.

Our "Go-To" Guy!

Proverbs 2:6 "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."

That's not to say that God will give us all the answers...sometimes we are just not meant to know why something has happened.  But the source of true wisdom is God and when we are looking for something or someone to point us in the right direction then He is our ultimate go-to guy!

Dear Lord,  I want to thank You for the wisdom which You have granted me and which You will continue to grant me as You see fit.  Please help me to remember that You will give me wisdom when I need it and please help me to know when I am not supposed to understand why so that I can let it go and let You handle it.  Amen.

His Word, Our Light

Psalm 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

 

Don't know which way to go?  Grad a Bible and God will light your way with His words.  He has given us all we need and told us how to use it.  The next questions is: Will we?

 

Dear God, Thank You for lighting my path with Your precious words.  Please help me to remember that You are always here and I can and need to turn to You whenever I need guidance and than have faith and patience for Your plan to come to pass.  Amen.

Thankful Joy

 

Psalm 126:3 "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."

 

In a world where everything emphasizes convenience and "have it all" it is easy to take one's blessings for granted.  Heat, shelter, clothing, running water, food, our family, and the list could go on and on and on because everything we have the Lord has done for us or given to us and we should be filled with joy.  Every moment of every day we should be rejoicing! 

 

Dear God,  Thank You for all the great things You have done for me!  I am filled with joy when I try to begin a list because I know I could never possibly finish thank You for all the blessings.  Please help me to keep a thankful attitude and to always allow Your presence to fill me with Your joy.  Amen.

Quick Apologies...

I want to thank each of you who may be reading these Daily Verses.  I apologize that I have not kept up with posting these for the past few weeks.  I hope and pray God is with you and that His presence is felt every day of your life.

Love through Christ,

Niki

May God Bless You...

 

Numbers 6: 24-26 "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace."

 

Some days all I need to keep smiling is a gentle reminder that God truly wants to bless me and shine on me and give me peace...then I pray that I may shine for God as He is shining on me.  That He may shine through me so that I can maybe be a blessing to others who need to be shined upon as well.

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for all Your many blessings in our lives, for shining Your precious face upon us and for giving us the ultimate peace.  Please help us to remember these words and to shine for You.  Amen.

1-18-2008: God's Power

 

I Corinthians 2:5 "so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

 

Sometimes when I open my Bible to leaf through it while trying to listen to what God may be speaking in my heart that day I find myself reading a verse and getting this, "oh, okay God, I get it" reaction.  I am usually in need of the very same things I write about through His blessings and inspirations here.  I've been learning more and more about the Bible, about God and about myself every morning and every weekend when I write these emails and I thank you each for allowing me to share these moments with you.  This verse says to me that faith is not to be placed in things of this earth, in men of this earth but only in God.  Also, it reminds me that when I feel my faith is not strong enough for the challenge that God's power is and so I need to call on Him...in bad times and in the good to praise Him, thank Him and to serve Him.

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for Your power in our lives.  Please help us to remember how big our God is when our faith may falter and start to cry out about how big our problems are.  Amen.

 

Sorry today's got so long!!

1-17-2008: Divine Protection

Psalm 32:7 "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

 

Can I shout AMEN in an email?  Here's an awesome, real life, just happened blessing of protection: First let me say that my husband is alright because of God's divine protection...but he got into a one car wreck this morning on his way home from work...there is not quite an inch of snow on the ground here and it has switched to freezing rain so he left early knowing the roads would be bad and turns out they are pretty treacherous.  Anyways, hubby was driving in the right lane of the interstate going really slow because the roads are so slick.  This semi-truck came flying by him and when the truck passed him the wind it created sent his little "weighs nothing" Mustang into a hydroplane that spun him around and threw him across the lanes towards the left side concrete barrier, he was able to keep it off the wall the first go round but then his bumper made contact during the second spin.  So here it is 6 am and I have been up for 2+ hours already, nursing his nerves with Hot Cocoa and listening to him tell me how he "knows how the NASCAR guys feel when they hit the wall."  By the grace, love and protection of God hubby's physically okay other than being really shaken up.   So again I say, can I shout AMEN in an email?  I hope ya'll have a blessed and protected day!

 

Dear Lord, from the depths of my heart I thank and praise You for protecting my husband and delivering him safely home to us.  Thank You for always protecting and delivering us when it is according to Your Will.  Please help us to always remember that when we come through something scary in one piece that it is not luck but Your divine intervention.  Amen.

1-16-2008: Tough Times

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

 

When you are going through a tough time it is easy to wonder where God is and why He isn't answering your prayers.  However, God may be answering your prayers in a way you weren't expecting...He may be saying endure this hardship, I am here with you and I will hold your hand or carry you but this is something you will need to live through.  God does not cause bad things to happen in our lives but He may use those bad things to make us stronger...and to bring us closer to Him.  So cling to God in every situation and together we will watch our faith in Him grow bigger and stronger!

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for Your promise to always be with us.  Please help us to feel Your presence in our lives, even through the bad times.  Please also help us also to remember that we should endure the bad times as a good soldier of Your cross.  Amen.

1-15-2008: God is our God

Psalm 48:14 "For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end."

 

God is our God, you would think it is that simple.  But do we always put God first in all that we do?  If not, than how can we claim that God is our God?  We need to put Him first, seek Him first, love Him first and serve Him first.  This is my personal goal for 2008 - to let God be my God and to always let His ways become my ways. 

 

Heavenly Father,  Thank You for being my God!  Please help me as I struggle to put You first, to seek You, love You and serve You first and foremost above all else.  Amen.

1-11-2008: Walk in Truth

3 John 4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

 

Ok, so I know that John is talking to Gaius here but I'll bet God feels that same way....He's most likely very pleased to hear us walking in truth.  So the question begs, are we?  In God's eyes there is no such thing as a little white lie, He judges all lies the same: a lie is a lie. Let's try our best to tell the truth always, no matter what and when need be as gently as possible.

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for sending Your Son to show us what the Truth really is!  Please help us to shed any untruthfulness we may have previously spoken.  Help us please Lord to walk in the truth, in Your truth and to serve You in all we do.  Amen.

1-10-2008: Dream Big In God

Habakkuk 3:2 "Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, O Lord, Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy."

 

Wow!  I heard this verse quoted on the radio last night along with a message that often time we limit God by our dreams and prayers being too small.  We need to be humble and vague and let Him send us into awe with what He will accomplish in our lives!

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for Your Word in which You have revealed to us the awesome things You have done since You created time.  Please help us to step outside our box of thinking parameters and ask simply that You may "renew them in our day," for You are a limitless, awesome and merciful God and we are humbly and eternally grateful for Your grace.  Amen.

1-9-2008: Standing Firm?

I Corinthians 10:12 "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!"

 

Some days it seems that just when everything is going right then something or someone comes along to ruin it all...am I right?  I'm starting to think more and more that these moments when it seems things are abruptly changed from great to near opposite are tests of our faith.  Can we stay faithful and full of God's love, peace & happiness even through the strife?  Are we truly standing firm?

 

Heavenly Father, Thank You for all of Your promises, grace, love and Your most precious Word.  Please help us to remember that no matter what we are going through we may turn to You in prayer and read Your Word to get us back on track and truly standing firm.  Amen.

1-8-2008: Our Strength

Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

 

This verse has been running through my head for the last few days, only I had to search my concordance to find it in my Bible.  We all have days where it feels like everything around us or everything that is being asked of us may seem like more than we can deal with.  However, in this verse and so many others, He reminds us again and again that He is our strength and He gives us what we need to face each moment of every day.

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for being my strength!  Thank You for giving me all I need to get through everything this life may throw at me.  Please help me to remember that You are my strength and that You give me strength whenever I am faced with something or someone which may make me feel weak and incapable.  Amen.

1-7-2008: Crying Out in Good Company

Psalm 86:3 "Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to You all day long."

 

Ever had one of those days where you cry out to the Lord either aloud or in your mind all day long without a seeming end?  One of those days where it seems "everything's gone wrong?"  The comfort I find in this verse is that even the most faithful servants of God, such as David, had those days and still clung to God and to their hope in Him.

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for the examples in the Bible that remind me that even when I stumble I can still keep sight of You.  Please help me to remember that You are holding onto me even when I feel like I have been crying out to You all day long.  Amen.

1-4-2008: Believing is seeing

John 4:48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." 

 

A lot of the Christmas "stories" I heard and watched this Christmas included some sort of defining moment about believing in santa and it would be said, "Seeing is not believing...believing is seeing."  I read this verse and it reminded me we should not need to see miracles, signs and wonders in order to believe.  Rather we should believe and then we will begin to see that everything around us is a miracle!

 

Heavenly father,  Thank You for everything we take for granted, air we breathe, clothes we wear, food we eat, cars we drive and millions of other every day miracles!  Please help us to believe firmly in Your Word that me may see there are miracles all around us every waking moment.  Amen.

1-3-2008: Wait for it

Habakkuk 2:3 "For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false.  Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

 

Have you ever felt like the waiting was taking forever?  I don't doubt it because all around us they are making ways for things to be faster, more convenient and less of a wait! God has a perfect plan with perfect timing and if we let Him be in control then it will all work out the first time according to His will.  However, it is when we become impatient, grab onto the wheel to steer for ourselves and ultimately rush into the wrong timing that things fall apart so soon after we get what we wanted and though we needed right then. 

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for being in control of my life.  Thank You for guiding my footsteps towards Your perfect plan for me.  Please help me to remain patient and faithful to Your will remembering that Your timing is always better than my own.  Amen.

1-2-2008: God is our refuge

 

Psalm 16:1 "Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge."

 

How many times have you been faced with returning to work after a nice long vacation?  How tired and not in the mood were you?  Maybe you love your job and were looking forward to it...for me I take refuge in God knowing He will keep my mind, body and soul safe as I journey back to work this morning after being off for a week and a half.  He knows our needs and He supplies them graciously and in abundance!  If we ask for refuge from whatever we need saving from than He will most certainly be with us.

 

Dear God, Thank You for always being with me and keeping me safe and protected in Your refuge.  Please help me to remember that You will provide for my needs and will save me according to Your perfect plan for my life.  Amen.

12-30-2007: Good Medicine

Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

I have read that laughter is literally good medicine, it boosts your immune system.  Well, if it is in the Bible then it definately did not surprise me that "modern science" found its benefits!  The opposite can be true too so please remember to not take life too seriously, remember to take the time every day for something that is positive and will make you laugh a true and hearty laugh.

Father, Thank You for laughter and happiness and all the benefits that come from them!  Please help me to remember that You not only want us to be happy but have made us so that a cheerful heart is truly good medicine for our bodies, minds & souls.  Amen.

12-28-2007: God is watching us

Thank you all for your patience and understanding with me and my "dissappearence" this past week.  We are still on vacation but I should be in a better position to continue my daily verses from here forward.  Have a blessed day!!!

Psalm 121:8 "The Lord will watch your coming and going both now and forevermore."

This is very reassuring as we prepare to brave the still falling snow here in the cold & Windy City suburbs.  In life it gives me great comfort to know that God is always watching me.  We never need to feel alone because time and again He has told us He will be with us, He is watching us and He will never forsake us.

Dear God, Thank You for watching and protecting us always!  Thank You that You are ever keeping us in Your protection and that You allow Your favor to go before us in all we do.  Please help us to always remember that You will protect us and are always knowing when we need You most because You are truly watching us always. Amen.