Need A Specialist? You Have the Lord!

He called my office looking for information about pecan trees. No one was in the office except me so I tried to find the information for him about a particular variety of tree. Without having any luck online I got his number and called an agent in another county who is known for his incredible knowledge of pecan trees. As I asked a couple of questions, the agent began giving me information. It was apparent that he knew his stuff. I found out things I never knew about pecan trees as well as the information that my client wanted. I hung up the phone amazed at what that agent knew.

The agent’s reputation preceded him but now I had experienced it for myself. My experience plus his reputation made for certainty. Had I called a cattle specialist with the information I needed I would have come up empty handed. They might have known about pecans but they wouldn’t have the detailed specific information I needed. It’s not their specialty.

I also noted that this agent who had all the information about pecan trees wasn’t just a knowledge base. He loved pecan trees. He enjoyed studying them and sharing his information with whoever called. It was educational to talk with him but it was a delight also. His incredible knowledge was only trumped by his obvious love of the subject. He enjoyed talking about pecan trees with anybody who asked.
It’s obvious when we are in need that what we need is a specialist. We need someone who knows more than we do about the need. But we want more than mere intellectual information. We need more than mere head knowledge. I can find information, but I want heart and soul mixed in. I want someone who loves their subject and is willing to share it with me whenever I need.

God speaks to my heart: Our specialist is God Himself. He has all knowledge. He has information for any situation we may find ourselves in. But He’s not just full of knowledge, He loves us. He loves to share all of His truth with us. He has a knowledge base of all we could ever need to know in the Bible. But He didn’t just send us a book of facts. He sent us a Savior, who went to the cross to give us new life. But more than that. He sent us a Helper, Holy Spirit, to reveal God’s truth to us in wisdom, power and love. God could have just had holy men of God write His Words and put them in a book. But His love compelled Him to want relationship with us. Because of His great love we have fellowship with the One Who knows all. Aren’t we blessed?

Oh beloved, this same Specialist, who knows all, knows all about you as well. This knowledge seems to wonderful to you, I understand. Too good to be true but it is! He will meet all your needs. Every question you have, every desire of your heart is met in Him. Every mistake you want to leave behind and every worry, fear and concern you have is known by Him. And He loves you, so that when you have a need you can go right into His presence and ask anything, knowing that because He is God and He is your Savior and He is your Comforter, He will answer you. Nothing is too hard for Him. He wants to share His amazing information with you. He wants to fellowship with you. He loves you so much that He shares His truth in love. Others may have given you their version of the truth and it may have left you feeling rejected, despised, alone or fearful. Someone may have given you some worldly advice but it did nothing for your heart and soul. God will always give you His perfect Truth. He will tell you the Truth about yourself and that truth is full of His love and grace and mercy. He will not put you down, kick you out or leave you alone. He will also give you peace in the midst of the storm, joy in the midst of the suffering and strength when you are at your weakest.

What an awesome God! To think that we can have fellowship with Him, the one who set the stars in orbit and created the heavens and the earth. Beloved, run to Him first for your needs. He will guide you, direct you and keep you as well as work things out for your good and His glory. He will send you help in due season, friends who know Him well enough to be trusted and give you the ability to stand amidst it all. God loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that really matters as you seek His face and live in the light of His Word.

Deuteronomy 10:17 For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. NIV

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Acts 17:25 and human hands can’t serve His needs—for He has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need.

Psalm 139: 1,5-6 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You go before me and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

Who's Writing Your Love Story?

“Looking at him, she saw her future and felt all the ragged tears in her heart heal themselves. “I fit,” she whispered in marvel, stepping closer to him. “I fit with you.” He nodded and wrapped his arms around her. “Perfectly.”

While looking around Pinterest one day I found the sentences above in an artistic quote.
I assume it is from a love story. But it struck me as being so true for us as believers who come to Christ. 

We are a people with issues. We have huge holes torn into our hearts by life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are always on the lookout for people to love us. We look for acceptance and camaraderie. We are on the hunt, hoping this next boyfriend or girlfriend will fulfill us. We look for the friend that will stay with us through the long haul. We hope that someone will come alongside us in our walk of faith that will meet our longing to love and be loved. We get disappointed in the search because nobody can meet those high expectations. 

God speaks to my heart: Look to Me. I am your future. I will heal all the tears in your heart as you find your completeness in Me. Step into My love, accept My forgiveness and new life. You will find that you fit perfectly in Christ like you have never fit anywhere else. I long to wrap My arms around you and teach you of Myself, so that you will know that I am perfect for you. I love you with an everlasting love. I will watch over you, guide you, direct you and keep you safe all the days of your life. Just stay close to Me and let Me mold you and make you into a person of faith, courageous and victorious because you walk with Me. Other loves will grow cold or disappoint from time to time, but I am the One that your soul loves. I am the only way to find complete contentment, joy and peace. There is no other who can give you this. Wrapped in My love you will find yourself able to forgive offenses and hold others loosely in your life. I will also make other loves sweeter because you find the ultimate source of all your needs in Me. 

Oh beloved, have you been reading love stories and are you looking for love to find you? You may be wishing on fairy tales and romances, but God is speaking to your heart. He loves you because His essence and being are love. He cares about every issue in your life and everything that you are concerned about He is concerned as well. While you are searching for answers, He IS the answer. He cannot make others meet your needs, and they are not meant to meet them all. But He will meet all your needs just as He promises in His Word. He will meet your needs and more. He will give you a new heart. He will give you a new life. He will make the old things that tore you up and left you bleeding on the ground heal completely. You may have issues with others who didn’t love you with real love, but God is here to mend your broken heart and make all things new. Let Him lead you into a deeper walk of faith. Let Him teach you how to live in the light of His love. Let Him be your all in all and other things, other people, other situations will fall right into place. 

No wonder they call Him the Savior! He’s with you and He’s for you as His love envelopes your entire life. You are destined to walk in Him and fulfill all the wondrous things He has for you as you seek Him first. Get out His beautiful love story every day and read from its pages for the Bible contains the greatest love story ever written – just for you as you look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith for He alone is faithful to the end.

I Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Isaiah 43:21 The people whom I formed for Myself will declare My praise.

Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Jeremiah 31:3 Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself.”

Psalm 62:5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.

Let's Learn to "Sow"

My mother was a real seamstress. I know I’ve talked about that before. But this morning as she came to my mind I thought about her life and how she really did do a lot of sewing.  In her early years she used feed sacks to make dresses. She cut out old dresses and made new dresses from them. She would go to yard sales and find material or old quilts and make gifts and crafts of them. She didn’t sit around and lament that she couldn’t buy the finest cloth. She didn’t think “someday I will sew, when the conditions are right and I have lots of money or time or more ability”.  No, she just sewed wherever she went and whatever conditions she found herself in. Whether she had the best or not, she made something of it. She sewed.

Wouldn’t you know it? As much as my mother loved to sew, in her early 60’s she found herself working in a department store’s cloth department! Row upon row, shelf upon shelf of it. She could buy all kinds of the loveliest material at huge discounts. She had opportunity to visit with other people who loved to sew. She could buy patterns and make more things for her children and grandchildren.  God blessed her by letting her reap from the bountiful blessings of what He had stored up for her all those years.

Oh beloved, this is your day to begin sowing! You don’t have to wait another day. You don’t have to wait until conditions improve – sow right from your lack.  God blesses what we sow. He is working behind the scenes, fine tuning the machinery of your life, oiling the bearings, threading the needle and working the pedal. All you have to do is step out in faith and sow!  He has given you absolutely everything you need to sow for today, so don’t procrastinate, don’t hesitate and don’t whine about your shortage. If all you have is a smile – sow it into someone else’s life.  If all you have is a kind word, sow it! If all you have is a Scripture from childhood – sow it. Sow what you have!  And don’t forget to sow forgiveness, peace, joy, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, blessings, honor, and more. The more you sow, the more you will have.  Don’t hold back, don’t save the best for yourself, and don’t be miserly. Sow liberally and watch as you reap a harvest of blessings in return.

Today is the best day to learn to sow. You don’t need anything but the Word of God and His Holy Spirit guidance. If you begin today, in the conditions you are presently in, one day you will reap a magnificent harvest! The harvest will come at just the right time, with all the right bells and whistles and provide blessings beyond blessings for you.  Reap what God blesses you with today and He will bless you more!

God always supplies the things you need. God always gives you something you can sow into another’s life. Even in the midst of your pain, agony, troubles, rejections, trials or present need – God will provide. For that which He promises He will do. He loves you so He provides for you. He’s for you so He multiplies what you sow.  Rejoice as you and He make beautiful memories together that will reap a bountiful harvest of more of His great love and care!

Ecclesiastes 11:4 He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.

Psalm 126:6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.

Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

1 Peter 3:9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.

Feeling a little weak? Get Connected!

Danny and I love coffee. He actually loved it before I did. Back when we were first married he drank it every day but I had no desire to even try it. After about 10 years, he finally talked me into it. What I liked about coffee the most was that it gave us time together. We had that in common and drinking coffee together especially in the morning gives us time to visit and discuss the day’s plans and talk together about God’s plans for our day.

We’ve gotten to like coffee so much that we’ve even begun to try gourmet coffees from various countries. We finally bought a more expensive coffee maker so that we could get hotter coffee quicker!

I got up yesterday morning to make coffee and the machine ran through a pot of coffee but when I went to pour a cup I found just colored water and it wasn’t even hot. I was concerned that our newest more expensive maker had already bit the dust. I tried everything. I carried it from plug to plug and yet no power. No light came on and no sizzle could be heard. Quickly, because we have to have our coffee you know, I told Danny something was wrong. He asked me if I’d checked everything and I said I had. But when he came downstairs to check it, he reached to the back and flipped a small switch. I had forgotten all about that switch. Sure enough with the main switch on the machine then lit up and began heating the reservoir so we could have our coffee!

How often do we take our life for granted? We just assume things are going to work well and instantly get things done when we need it. We flip a switch and we’re ready to go. Headlong we enter into every day, enjoying everything we can. We get busy and we start to leave things out. No time for things that are important to our life. We find that we start feeling powerless and the things that once gave us enjoyment don’t seem to be working anymore.

Without taking time to make sure that the power is on we are going to find ourselves disconnected and weak, just like that pot of coffee. We’ll get frustrated, confused and fearful. Where’s the power? Where’s the connection? Why isn’t my life working the way it’s supposed to?

You have a life that is full of wonder and delight. You probably can go on your own steam for the good days – at least we think so don’t we? You and I both, if we admit it, try to make it on our own power when things are going good. We don’t even check the connection we just go on our merry way.

Unfortunately life also has those times when we’re not sure how we’re going to make it. Troubles come in, problems arise and we feel as though we’ve thrown a breaker. We’re powerless and we are frantic. What will we do? Where will we go? Who’s going to fix it for us?

Oh beloved, today before you leave the house , take a moment to make sure the power switch is on. You could run on your own steam temporarily, but it’s much better when you’re connected to the Lord first thing, every day. If the connection has already been established, through the Word and prayer, then when a problem arises you’ll remember the connection and run right to the source of your power. You won’t have to scramble to find out what’s happened, you’ll keep brewing your life of faith even in the hard times.

God promises, because He loves you, that He will give you His wisdom, power and might. He’s always full of His power and always ready to pour out His Word to meet your every need. He’s never confined to the world’s power grid – He is ALL Power! He won’t turn you away, He won’t limit your use and you won’t go away wishing for something else.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s the power you need to make each day flavorful, robust and fruitful all the days of your life!

Ephesians 6:10 10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

Matthew 22:29 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

1 Corinthians 1:24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Hooked on the Truth or Feelings?

Ever find yourself humming an old song from your youth? I don’t know where they come from except they must be in the deep recesses of our memory.  Yesterday “Hooked on a Feeling” was playing in my mind and I found myself sure enough humming it.  It’s as though B J Thomas himself was in my office.

Although the song itself is a love song, the words speak to me about feelings. I often get hooked on feelings. I would bet you do too.   There are times when a phrase will come to my mind out of the blue trying to convince me that my feelings are the real truth.

We usually recognize the lies that are in direct proportion to our knowledge of God’s truth. Those are such thoughts as “God’s not real is He? “Did Jesus really die on the cross?”  “Was Jesus really resurrected?” “Is the Bible true?”  Even though we may know the truth, those doubt provoking words can change our feelings if we’re not careful. 

Other times we are in a transition of some sort. Sometimes it’s after an encounter with change. Or fear. Or decision making. It can be what another has said about us in anger or rejection. Sometimes it’s because we’ve messed up – you know the phrase “I’m so stupid” or how about “I’m just a mess up”.  Other feelings come to mind as thoughts like, “God doesn’t love you”.  There are even self-talk thoughts that come to mind, “I hate myself”, “nobody loves me”, “I’m ugly” or well you can fill in the words.

If we’re not careful we will get “hooked on a feeling” and our life will spiral downward. We’ll take those wrong thoughts and dwell on them, take them in and begin to live them out. 

We have an enemy and he has a name and he is real. And he’s real good at putting his thoughts in our minds and replaying them over and over at just the right time.  He’s a user. He will use our thoughts of guilt, condemnation, fear, anxiety, worthlessness, hopelessness, and self-hatred against us.

God speaks to my heart: Oh precious child of mine. Did you hear those words? I said precious child.  And I speak the truth. Who are you listening to? What are you filling your mind with? Why are you listening to the father of lies? I AM your Real Father and My Words are Real Truth! I AM your protector, not just of your physical life, but of your emotional and spiritual life as well!  The more you take in My Truth and hearken to My Words, the more you will be able to dispel the lies of darkness.  And the more you let Me put My thoughts into your heart, the more you will be able to share My truth with others!

Oh beloved, God says you are indeed beloved. And His Word says you are beautiful, redeemed, blessed, fruitful…and much, much more. Run to His Word this morning and take it in, find it, read it, meditate on it and live it out. As you become more hooked on God’s truth you will be able to shut down the feelings that try to fill your mind. What God says about you is pure truth, because above all God loves you and He’s for you and that’s what really matters isn’t it?

 Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

John 10:10 The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Romans 8:34 Who then will condemn us? No one--for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.

Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 139:17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!

Jesus Has Opened the Storehouse for You!

Remember when there were convenience stores everywhere? I mean there were even stores out in the country. Between the little town I lived in as a teenager and the closest big town I can remember at least three such neighborhood gas and grocery places. Two of those stores were so important to the county residents they were called Haugland’s Corner (the store was in a big square curve) and Byer’s Hilltop station (you guessed it, right on a hilltop).

It was nice as a kid growing up to ride to these stores. From the hoop cheese sitting out at Byer’s station to the ice cold Grape Crush drinks in the cola chest in Haugland’s store, there was always something to purchase to ease the summer heat.  When I lived in a bigger town there were neighborhood stores as well. One could ride their bicycles to get a loaf of bread for mom, put it in the basket on the front of your bike.  It was convenient.  It was easy. And everybody knew everybody including the store owner.  Nothing was more refreshing on a hot summer day than to walk into the coolness of the little stores.

Most of the home owned convenience stores of the day are closed now. I don’t really know what caused the demise of the little stores; could have been the economy or the mobility of the succeeding generations, but it’s sad.  Their façade tells a tale that the generation after us will not know at all. Yes, we can buy whatever they had and more by going to a bigger town and entering a bigger store, but the personal touch and fellowship of owner and purchaser is gone forever.

I am reminded of Jesus, Who left the splendor of Heaven, as the song goes, knowing His destiny. His ministry was not born of convenience.  His reconciliation required Him to leave everything that was good and perfect and “heavenly” to come to earth for us. Not just to set up shop to introduce us to Himself, but to live to die, so that we would be reconciled to Him.

The reconciliation of the entire human race meant more to Him than His convenience.  He put aside His ease, His honor, His glory and walked as one of us, lived as one of us, died as one of us. You and I beloved were worth it to Him. He moved in as a friend, opened a store of grace and gave it all away.  To everyone who came by Him, His offer stood from Isaiah 55, “ Come buy, eat, you who have no money…”

Because of His great love, God poured Himself into community and poured Himself out on the cross. He took our unforgiveness, our trespasses, our sins and nailed every single one of them on the cross. And He did the same for those we love, those we tolerate and those we want to ignore, dismiss and forget.

In God’s store the shelves are full and brimming over with everything you need. There are bushel baskets full of forgiveness, for you and for others. There’s a whole storefront of grace, peace and joy.  There’s shelves lined with precious gifts of kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.  Everywhere you look, beloved, there is Love. Love is what God’s store is built with and Love is what makes it remain. Long after the stores of yesteryear are bulldozed away, God’s store remains open forever and ever, just for you, even if you were the only patron, He’d have it all for you. 

Oh beloved, won’t you stop for a moment on this day and step into God’s storehouse of wonder, awe and blessings – read His Word, listen to His voice and fellowship with Him. He has such wonderful things in store for you! He wants to set up shop in your heart, He wants to give you reconciliation, purpose and faith. He won’t charge you for one thing; it’s all free to you from Him. He will free you from every bondage and more. He wants your open heart to woo others to Him and He wants you to live forever with Him. Everything that needs repair in your life He has the fix for you. No matter what the hurts, the sorrow, the agony, the desperation you may have experienced, in His presence you have all your needs met forever.

Stay close to the Lord and visit with Him often and drinking of the refreshing fellowship daily. He loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that really matters to your heart.  

Isaiah 55:1 "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.

2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

God Will Change What You see Through Eyes of Faith

Our vacation has taken a little detour. We had plans but the circumstances of the plans made for much prayer and consideration. Finally we felt that we should go in another direction.  And we did.  

As we rode I realized something. The mountains we traveled through and the road we traveled on are the same ones we’ve come through many times before. But this time was different. In fact, it was very enjoyable.  I’m just not fond of cliffs or hairpin curves but yesterday was exceptionally wonderful.   We met people, we shared Jesus, we encouraged lives and we laughed together.  We asked for divine guidance and He answered.  I asked for help to make it and He responded.

Sometimes when we’re going through the mountains of difficulty our only prayer is for relief.  Could it be that from time to time God wants us to grow through the trouble rather than be relieved of the difficulty? 

I discovered as I rode behind my husband on the motorcycle through the mountains that there are times when God just helps us get through it. Sometimes He teaches us a better way. Sometimes He allows a detour. Sometimes He changes destinations, outcomes and plans.

We want the circumstances to change.  We don’t like the difficulties, the strain, the stretch, the helplessness we feel when in the hard spot or on the difficult road.  God wants growth.  His desire is not to destroy us or to keep us going through the same path of trouble over and over. But His desire is that we will learn to rely on Him more and more, so that when we’re done with the road we’re on, we find that we know Him better and are able to actually thank Him for the good things that came, even while traveling the hard road.  

One thing I know for sure, regardless of the circumstances of life, just one touch from the Lord changes everything.  Just one touch from the Lord changes me.

We all face troubles. We all go through trials. We all have high places of suffering, difficulty and pain. It’s inevitable.  If we focus on the danger we may make it through but we’ll be miserable. But if we focus on the Lord, not only will He get us through it, He will give us joy in the midst of it all. He will give us a better outlook and purpose in it. We can relax and find blessings in the ride, even when it’s hard. The only way to do that is to let God touch it all. 

Oh beloved, run to the road map of life and read: The Bible is full of God’s promises for your trip.  He has the absolute best plans for you.  You may not understand the road you are on, but God knows every turn and every twist. He has gone ahead of you to prepare for your safety. He is behind you to encourage you to go on through.  He is within you to give you courage, strength and grace beyond your natural abilities.  He says I AM your way, I AM your truth, I AM your life. If you will trust Me, I will change what you see and give you eyes of faith to ride the mountains of difficulty, cruise the valleys of despair and survive the winds of change, the storms of life and the detours you never planned. 

God loves you and He’s with you all the way and that’s worth trusting Him wherever the road of life leads you, knowing it’s His touch that changes everything. 

2 Corinthians 5:7  for we walk by faith, not by sight. (NAS)

Isaiah 43:2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 

Hebrews 11:8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.

Isaiah 42:6 I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.

Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and song; yes, He has become my salvation.

Not Sure if You're an Overcomer? God is Your Source

There is a lot of talk these days about survivalism. However you feel about it, merit can always be found in preparing ahead for hard times.  Having gone through an ice storm several years ago, we were thankful we had extra food in the cabinet so that we didn’t go hungry, for we literally could not get out of our driveway for days! Our electricity was off for a week and we had to resort to techniques for healthy living and cleaning that were beyond the norm.  I heated water in the fireplace and washed dishes at the sink.  We heated our food at the fireplace as well.  We lived downstairs and slept on pallets while closing off the upstairs. Literally going to the bathroom was about like going to the old fashioned outhouse – it was cold and we had to carry a flashlight! We also had to learn how to entertain ourselves! We still had two kids at home who were not having fun. We learned that you don’t have to have the TV on 24/7.  We played card games and board games. I put together a lot of puzzles.  We talked to one another and reminisced and laughed a lot! We had time for one another and the things that meant so much to us.

Now, we didn’t have to suffer at all really, but it reminds us that when God allows us to go through hard times we can be resourceful and seek His face. That if we should need to stand for our faith or go through truly hard things, we can do it with God’s help.

I admit I am no expert on the subject of survivalism, but I know one thing – God’s promises are for His people. In good times, they are a reminder to walk with Him. In bad times, they are a source of comfort to seek His face. In times of plenty, He warns us through His Word not to forget Him. In times of hardship and want, He reminds us in His Word to trust Him.  Should we prepare ahead? Absolutely, for God’s Word tells us so.

Oh beloved, do you know how to survive? Are you struggling with what if’s and if only’s? Are you concerned that when things get hard you won’t have enough or that you won’t know how to make it? Maybe you think you might have to suffer and you don’t know what you’ll do.  Run to the Lord this morning and let Him set up your survival skills! His Word has marvelous biographies of heroes of the faith who were victorious in battle, courageous in the face of incredible obstacles and fearless in the days of famine, peril and war.  Although they went through hard times, they were triumphant for their destinies were set by the Lord.

You are a survivor! You will overcome by the blood of the lamb. You will be victorious because it is through God you will do valiantly. He will tread over your enemies. He will make a way where there is no way. He will care for you just as He cared for Sarah and Joshua and Joseph and Daniel. Everywhere you read in the Bible there are wonderful accounts of champions of the faith.  Look to the ultimate heroes of the Word of God and see – no one who trusts in the Lord will be disappointed for His everlasting covenant of grace surrounds those who put their trust in Him!

Always remember that God loves you and has a marvelous plan for your life. When you seek His face first and become a proponent of His ways, He will guide you, He will instruct you, and He will watch over you and keep you in His arms all the way to Heaven! Now that’s worth preparing for! That’s worth praising His name!

Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise Him— my father’s God, and I will exalt Him!

Jude 1:24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into His glorious presence without a single fault.

Isaiah 51:12 I, yes I AM the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear?

Jeremia 17:7 But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

He Speaks Blessings if You Take the Time

I enjoy getting up early. Before the sun begins to peak through the tops of the trees and all is quiet. Especially when it’s a work day – I enjoy the quiet time before the hustle and bustle of getting ready, driving to town and opening my office. 

Danny was off a few days during in December, since his work hours were used up. He did a lot of things around the house and I was excited to see the outcome. He also slept in. I’m reminded that when we were dating I was an early bird even then. Sometimes he’d sleep till noon on week-ends and I could hardly wait for him to wake up and call me.

As I left the house one morning, he slept in longer than usual. I hated to go to work without time with him.  I realized that I wanted and needed more time with my sweetheart! Sometimes his job will have him going at 4:00 in the morning! Other times we find that we may be going in opposite directions and time together is at a premium. Still I want time with him! It blesses me to watch him read his Bible and ponder God’s will. To share together God’s Word and what He’s saying to both of us is a real joy. It’s really special to sip coffee together and relish the silence of early morning. It’s also a great time to share personal tidbits from the previous day.  My day goes better when I’ve had time with the love of my life. No distractions, no phone calls, just the two of us. I find that spending time with him makes me more ready and willing to meet the day’s demands. He is a calming influence and a blessing to my heart. He’s my best friend.

Are your day’s events swirling around you like an out of tune band? Are you feeling out of sorts and unable or unwilling to cope with the goings on all around you? Are you meeting the same problems and still having the same issues? Feeling discouraged or unfulfilled? Even unappreciated or rejected? Maybe you’re working yourself into a rut, and wondering why you never feel rested and relaxed. Maybe others’ demands on your life put you at odds with your personal needs.

Oh beloved! Take a moment and rest in His Presence! He’s the One Who always has time for you. He’s the One Who never sleeps, never takes His eyes off of you and always has something wonderful to share with you, if you’ll just take the time. He is your calm before the storm, your peace in the midst of chaos and your staunchest ally. He truly is the very best Friend you could ever have. Take just a moment and sit quietly as you listen. Do you hear Him? He’s speaking love words over you, He’s speaking blessings into your heart and mind and He’s speaking love, joy, and peace into your life! Isn’t it wonderful to just rest in all that He is. Isn’t it wonderful to know that He loves you outrageously and He’s for you eternally. Now that’s worth stopping to enjoy!

John 15:5 Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

John 6:35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desires.

Psalm 119:147 I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.