Our Times Are in God's Hand

Three years ago today I was in a very different place. I was sitting in a hospital prayerfully waiting for the arrival of a preemie granddaughter. Very premature, we were all praying and holding our breath. It was a very emotional time for all of us. Time stood still as we juggled grandchildren, ministry, friendships and more.

As I was in the waiting room while my daughter was giving birth, I got a call on my cell phone. It was that daughter telling me we had a baby girl, Stella. She was alive but so incredibly tiny. In the natural it didn’t look good. No one would believe a 24 week baby would ever make it. But she did. More than make it, she is now a rootin’ tootin’ handful of love. Three years old, the only remains of her life in the NICU are pictures that astound us more now than they did then. Three years ago we couldn’t even imagine a three year old. Today we are living in the light of what God can do.

Stella has taught me a lot about life and about God.

There are things that happen we can do nothing about. There are things going on that will only be a dim memory one day. There is God who is right in the middle of it all helping us to grow in faith and in Christlikeness. We may not like our present situation, but even in the pain we can grow in grace and knowledge of God. There are times when we are in situations that seem impossible – these are the times we hold onto God the most. He is able.

God speaks to our hearts – to mine and to yours as well. What you are presently in is not where you are going. I AM the God who goes before you. I AM the one who has a plan for your life. I AM the overseer of your destiny. Neither your troubles nor your heartaches – though they be many – I AM greater than this present moment, as fragile as it all may appear. I will take you beyond this day and one day you will look back and see how Great I AM and how special you are to Me. Don’t look back to the former days, but look forward to the future days. Former days are gone – present days may seem shaky – but your future has My Name written all over it. I AM fully aware of every dire circumstance and every fragile moment – but I AM the Lord who watches over you all the days of your life.

Oh beloved, whatever it is God is calling you to it will happen. Whatever you are going through is not forever. God can do exceedingly abundantly beyond all you ever ask or think. Don’t worry if it takes 3 minutes, 3 days, 3 months or 3 years. Your time is in God’s hands. He loves you and He’s for you and that’s what will make your life shine with His glory and cause others to want to live in that same light.

“Lord, I give my life fresh and new to You. I humbly submit every single day and every single situation into Your loving, all knowing hands. It is so good to know that You will take me from the natural and into the supernatural as I trust You. Thank You for being Greater than all my problems and Lord over all my life. Teach me more about You Lord. In Jesus’ Name”

1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. NLT

Jeremiah 10:23 I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course.

Psalm 31:50 My times are in Your hand… NAS

Psalm 139:16-17 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!

God's Plans for You Are Beyond the Forecast

We have a little trip planned at the end of the week. The forecast is promising to be sunny but today is what I see. It’s miserable. The swoop of cold and wet is hanging on and I am now tired of it. All I can see is cold and wet. A good forecast is great but what about now? 

There’s a purpose to the trip we’re taking and we have a destination in mind. Without purpose and destination it wouldn’t matter about the weather here when we start out or the weather where we are heading. 

God wants you to know that He has a purpose and a destination in mind for you. It’s no small thing that the King of the Universe has called you and has great plans for you. These plans are beyond your present circumstances. He knows what the report is in your life right now but He also knows what the extended forecast is – that you will reach your destination and fulfill His purpose. He knows that you may have been given a bad report or may have been told you can’t go or do or be. But He’s beyond the weather forecast and He’s beyond man’s forecast. Whoever speaks to you must first come in love. Otherwise their message can be dismissed. Love gives people the right to speak into your life and God is the Ultimate in Love – pure unadulterated Agape love. So what He speaks over you is Agape Love words. God wants to remind you that Jesus paid the ultimate price to secure your success in the Kingdom of God. He traveled all the way from heaven to the cross, from the cross to the grave and arose from the grave to live and make intercession for you – so that you can find purpose and live out your destination in Him. 

Oh beloved, you once thought you really had a chance to go somewhere with God. You still do. Quit looking at the present and pray through to the future. Now is not your forever. God is working in you a heart of perseverance so that when chilling times linger you will know to stay the course beyond your natural abilities. He’s creating in you a heart of intercession and that’s beyond simple prayers for peace and joy and help. Intercession will get you on to the bright forecast and help you arrive at your destination right on time. 

God loves you and He’s for you. That’s why you can stay the course. That’s why you can pack your bags for the destination of God’s purpose even when it looks like you’ll never get out of the present situation. It’s never too late to listen to God. He’s never too late to change the weather. You’re never too young or too old to hear from God, walk in His footsteps and make it to the destination He has ordained for you from the foundation of the world. 

Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Amplified

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Hebrews 10:36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

Psalm 40:5 O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

Today is a Day of Expectation

Today is a Day of Expectation

This week is spring break for our state. The colleges and the public schools have learned to work together so that everyone is vacationing at the same time. Although the weather is hinting at chilly and rainy it’s got a lot of promise. Having an entire week off is great for both teachers and students. Parents have to juggle schedules and plan ahead to enjoy it but all in all it is a week everyone looks forward to. Great expectations are in a few days of having a different schedule than normal.

Not everyone will take beach trips or travel anywhere, but with a little planning the expectations of no school or work can be realized.  Imagine having to stay in town for the week. Many are doing just that. Not much expectation or excitement in same old same old. But just down the road, within 50 miles of us are several state parks, an Indian artifacts dig, a diamond mine, hiking trails, and more. Anyone can stay home and enjoy every single day. Kind of depends on your expectations. Plan to enjoy and you will. Plan to receive a great opportunity for fun and it will happen.  You can just stay home and enjoy your yard, your house, have the kids ride bikes, read books or tell family stories. Whatever you do, expect and plan to have a great time. It can happen – memories can be made that will take you into your future.

Our life in Christ is a lot like spring break. We look for something wonderful to happen but we don’t often plan on it. Preparation has a lot to do with enjoying our walk with God.  Reading the Bible is no ordinary read. Not a novel or a sonnet or a book of poetry. It’s God breathed. We can expect things to happen when we read the Word. We should expectantly prepare to be challenged in our walk, changed in our thinking and strengthened in our hearts. The believer who reads God’s Word is actually letting God breathe His Spirit written words into their inner man.

God speaks to my heart: You see your life as pretty ordinary. I see it as extraordinary. Every day I want you to live in expectation of something from Me.  I am ready, willing and able. In fact I have already taken great measures to ensure that your life is far from ordinary. Not just at spring break but every single day. When you wake up in the morning I AM there. When you lay your head on your pillow I AM there. When you feel the nausea of sorrow I AM with you. When you wonder what you are going to do today I AM already formulating a plan of expectation for your day that is beyond your wildest dreams. I wish to speak into your life. I wish to take you out of the ordinary and make your day extraordinary. I have plans for you – to live able the level of mundane. My plans are beyond your greatest vacation adventure. In fact where you go I AM there. Sometimes I AM cheering you on. Other times I AM interceding for you. In Christ, I have the greatest day of expectation for you and that day is today.

Oh beloved, you don’t have to wait for a better day. You don’t have to hope that you can get away someday. You don’t have to live locked into ordinary. Jesus has done too much for you to be unbelieving or to live below the level of all that He died to purchase for you. Expect great things! Expect today to be different . Yes, there are hardships, yes there are hurdles, yes, things do go wrong. But God is with you – to walk it out and overcome each and every thing you encounter. Expect Him to speak to your heart. Expect Him to call you to a higher level. Expect Him to take your weakest points and make them strong in His power. Today is your day to expect God to speak, Christ to help, The Spirit to encourage and the day to be beautiful in Him.

God loves you and He’s for you so expectation is your life breath. Ordinary to extraordinary without leaving your house when you open His Love Story, seek His face and change your heart attitude. Rejoice and see what God will do all for you, all for love as you live expecting and worship Him in Spirit and Truth every day of the week.

Psalm 119:131 I pant with expectation, longing for your commands.

I Peter 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation!

James 2:23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.

Psalm 43:4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.

Psalm 89:15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship for they shall live in the Light of Your Presence, O Lord.

Ephesians 3:19-21 [That you may really come] to know [practically, [e]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!  Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]— To Him be glory…

Keep Going for God is Going Before You

When our oldest daughter was little she talked early and said very grown up things. It was really cute. Danny and I were talking to each other one day and she was off playing with toys in her room. She might have been 2, but barely. She came running in the room and announced, “You guys make me nerzis!”  Where she had heard about being nerzis (nervous) I still don’t know, but that was her announcement. We laughed and hugged her up and that was that.

Stress is very much a part of life. It comes out as nervousness, worry, anxiety, panic, and being jumpy. I heard a pastor preach one time that we need to quit figuring out how to de-stress our lives and learn how to deal with the stress. People deal with it in lots of ways. Long vacations, medication, hobbies, and trying to run away from problems. They even go in search of themselves, thinking if they find purpose in self then stress will leave. But the pressures and strains of life are just a part of the human existence. Outward circumstances are bound to give us problems, at least occasionally, so what do we do when we’re face to face with troubles, trials and we need a release?

God spoke to my heart last night before I went to bed: You have a destiny to fulfill.  You have a God who will see that it is done. You have an enemy who wants to kill your destiny. Now do you still wonder why there’s a battle raging?

If life is going to contain stressful times then we must learn our God given responses to the feelings that come so that we can be triumphant over the enemy and go on to fulfill our destinies in Christ. While we don’t want to rejoice in suffering, the very act of rejoicing is one of our biggest weapons against worry, anxiety, fear, and panic.  Everything that God promises us in His Word is true. But His truth doesn’t mean we won’t have trials or stresses or battles. His Truth promises to see us through all these things in triumph over the enemy and in victory to live life as a child of the Most High God.

Oh beloved, God knows what you’re going through. He is with you and He is for you. His guardianship is guaranteed for you are His child and He is your Father. There’s no need to live in a state of constant panic for the God of the Universe is with you! If He can put the planets in orbit and cause the tides to ebb and flow, if He can adjust the seasons and give rain in due time, then can He not take care of you? You mean more to Him than many sparrows, yet His Word says that not one sparrow falls to the ground without His knowledge. He knew your life and the purpose He had for that life before you were even completely formed in your mother’s womb. He knew your destiny from the foundation of the world and He loves you enough to make a way for you to complete that destiny in victory and strength. He knows that much has come against you and that you feel weak and powerless at times. He’s seen you try to escape the trials and keep yourself free of stress, but He also sees that it hasn’t worked for you.  He wants you to know this morning that He can give you the commitment and stamina to stay the course. He wants you to know it is in the hardest moments of life that His light can shine through you. He wants you to know that you need to learn to stand against the enemy and stand with the Lord to complete your call in life. And beloved, He wants you to know that you don’t have to go it alone – He is with you every step of the way. He knows about every rejection, every sorrow, every weakness, every time you ever quit because you were looking for a stress free place. And yet this morning He says to you, rise up and go. Head into that stress with the armor of God and watch as you become more than a conqueror and your strength will rise because you are going with God.

God will never leave you or forsake you, so that you don’t have to forsake your place of purpose in God’s plan for your life. Rejoice in the battle for you are destined to win. Rejoice in the Word for that is your armor. Rejoice in the King for His army is with you. He loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that matters as you overcome it all to live in the light of His Word.

2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Psalm 112:7 He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Isaiah 40:28-31  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God,   the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

The New Year is Full of God's Hope

Nothing left under our tree but some loose dry needles. Since we got a live tree again this year it looks like we’re going to have to dispose of it pretty quickly.  Just a month ago it was green and the needles were supple. Freshly cut from the earth, it was gorgeous. Now it’s about done in. We can’t keep it over for another year. Without roots and soil and water it won’t make it. The evidence is there already. It’s done for.

This year has flown by. Just yesterday 2013 came upon us with such promise. If you’re like us, there were some great things that happened this year.  And if you’re like us, there were some not so great and unexpected things that happened.  When you open up a new year it holds lots of wonderful plans and hopes and dreams. But you can’t carry that calendar over for another year either. Everything written in it is done. That’s the past. It too must be thrown out with the Christmas tree.

We cannot do one thing about bringing a dead tree back to life.  We can’t do a thing about repurposing a calendar for another year. We can’t do anything about the outcome of the months we’ve spent in our lives.  Even though the tree has died, the year has dwindled and our plans have come and gone, not to be seen again, we can keep the good things for future reference. We can also look to the not so good events as our record of overcoming the odds, staying the course and celebrating the victories. We can pack away the ornaments from the boughs to place them on the new tree, we can catalog those good times, those precious moments to fondly remember in our hearts and we can open up a new calendar with high hopes and bright purpose.

I have a bad habit of keeping broken ornaments. I don’t know why. But God speaks to my heart and tells me to throw out the broken. Discard the past. I cannot relive it. I cannot bring it back to life. I cannot revive the year. It’s been spent. Whether I spent it right or misspent any of it is of no concern now.  God says look to the future.  Even the good things - and there are always good memories, great moments and fond reminiscences – have to be put in their place. We cannot live tomorrow fully if we’re holding onto the used up yesterdays. It just can’t be done.

Oh beloved, rejoice! A new year is approaching.  In a few short days it will be 2014 and the calendars will be brought out with clean spaces signifying the clean slate God gives you each and every day. For you who are dealing with loss, God says this could be the year of redemption, regeneration and renewal. For you who are walking through dark hours, this new year holds lots of hope for better days of health and happiness.  For all of you, it is time to throw out the old and take in the new. It’s a new day. It’s a great time to ask God to give you fresh plans and renewed purpose.

Regardless of your age, your abilities, your education or your pocketbook, God wants you.  He wants to take you into newness of life with Him. He wants you to believe Him. To receive His promises and to live in the light of His Word like never before. It’s a new day God has given you today and it’s a new year ahead to live it with gusto and victory. Your life is full of significance because God loves you and He’s for you!  No man can pronounce you done for. No system can pronounce you obsolete. No religion can say you’re not good enough. Because God says behold I AM doing a new thing with you beloved!

Blessings to you as you seek Him with all your heart for that's where we truly live and move and have our being whether it’s the end of a year or the beginning, He’s with you all the way.

Hebrews 6:18-19 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil…

Acts17:28  For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. KJV

Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.

I Timothy 4:10 With a view to this we toil and strive, [yes and] suffer reproach, because we have [fixed our] hope on the living God, Who is the Savior (Preserver, Maintainer, Deliverer) of all men, especially of those who believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to Him). Amplified

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Merry Christmas Beloved!

Merry Christmas! Such precious words. Such a miracle message. Such a joy and delight. Christmas. How very blessed we are to be able to celebrate a holiday with the One who has given us life and breath and opportunities.  This babe in a manger is no fictitious childhood story that must eventually be outgrown and put away.  His glory does not tarnish. His value does not lessen. He remains the same yesterday, today and forever.  While much about the holidays celebrated is so much pomp and circumstance, storybook adventures and wives’ tales, this message is eternal. This King of Kings is faithful and true.

You may be thinking as you rise early this morning that you left something out of your plans. You forgot a gift, you didn’t remember the cranberries, you don’t have enough cola or punch.  You may be wishing you could undo an error, repair a rejection, restore a friendship or regain a trust.  You may be missing a loved one, longing for a kind touch or wishing you could do things differently.  You might wonder if it will ever be perfect, if the gifts will fit or if anyone will care.  Right about now you may be coming face to face with the fact that you’re not perfect, people aren’t perfect and life is not perfect.

Look beyond all that. Look once more at the manger, the cross, the tomb and the sky. The Light of the World has arrived! The Savior of the nations has been here! The tomb where all your mistakes, mishaps and missteps have been laid to rest is empty! And the sky, where your hope of glory awaits is full of promise, full of mercy, full of grace. Keep watching the horizon, keep searching for His return for He is coming again!

Oh beloved, Jesus is the reason for the season to be sure. But it’s more than that!  He’s the reason you live and move and have your being. You are no accident, this day is not an error and your life is no mistake. You are waking up to the most wonderful day of your year. You are alive and you are capable of taking in His Truth and living out His purpose.  Rejoice in all you are In Him! He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Prince of your peace, the Counselor with all your answers and the Majestic One Who is praying for you day and night at the Father’s Right Hand.

Quickly, before others get up and the day gets covered in wrapping paper, ribbons and too much food. Slip into the Father’s waiting arms and read His book of love! Every wonderful Truth is your gift from Him to you.  He is everything He says He is. He does everything He says He will do. Open all the gifts, don’t leave one unopened. Rest in His care, delight in His presence, grow in His grace, feast on His manna and walk in His anointing.

Merry Christmas beloved of God. True happiness is found in Him. Overcoming life is met in Him. Purpose and victory, honor and commitment are abounding through Him. He loves you and He’s for you and those gifts cannot be taken from you  all the days of your life.

Colossians 2:9-10 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Ephesians 1:6-8  So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.  He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

1 Corinthians 1:7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Habakkuk 3:18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and He is eternal life.

If He Provides Salvation He Provides Everything Else

You can’t help but notice that not everyone is smiling this time of year. Of course those who have lost loved ones in 2013 are especially hard hit during the holidays. Broken families, broken dreams, broken hearts all walk around trying to find the spirit of Christmas and provide for the needs, hopes and desires of themselves or of someone they love. Often it is the loneliest time of year. Unmet ...expectations take a huge toll on people. It seems that as the lights are brighter and the decorations are huge it just makes the rejections, the heartaches, the tears and the fears bigger as well. If we’re not careful we will try to make Christmas be all we ever wanted and have the holiday itself meet our needs and it will come up lacking every time. Can you relate?

This is the season that promises the most blessings and holds the most profound encounters with God Himself. Yet if we make it about the gifts and the decorations, we’ll find our hands full of tarnished tinsel and discarded wrappings.

What is it that you need this season, beloved? What are you looking for to fulfill the longing of your heart? What are you looking for? What is your heart’s desire and your hopes and dreams? Where is your lack? What’s missing? What is threatening to steal your joy, your peace and your promises? What burden is covering the real meaning of this Holy time? How can you move past the messiness of everyday life to enjoy the extraordinary message of Christ?

God speaks to my heart: He is God. If He can provide a Savior then He can provide everything else.

Oh beloved, stop wrapping and wrangling and sorting and running. Before the day becomes a blur of busy-ness, rest for just a moment in the Father’s arms. Let Him be your Savior and Provider, your Jehovah-Jireh. He has not only provided the way to heaven and forgiveness of all your sins, in Him is provision for your entire life. Whatever you are in need of, whatever you are lacking, He has provided. Where you are empty, He wants to give you meaning and more. He can also save you from worry, fretting, depression, disappointment, discouragement, resentment and more. Whatever you take to Him and present before Him, He will provide the answer to that. Give Him all your hurts and wants and dreams for He will either fix them or replace them with something better for you. He hears your prayers and He answers each one with love and care.

Rejoice in the all that God is, in all that God has, in all that you are in Christ. It begins with an everlasting relationship that will be your mainstay for your entire life. Oh what a Savior and oh what a King! He loves you and He’s for you and that’s why all your needs are met, not just at Christmas but every day of the year.

II Peter 1:2 May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (Amplified)

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.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

Philippians 4:19 And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Amplified

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

You Are Created to do what only You Can Do

As Danny left early one morning for work I noticed a small brown smudge on the storm door.  As we prayed for one another at the door and he walked out he turned and bent down to inspect the smudge.  Turns out it was a little snail! An amazing little creature of God’s earth climbing on the clear glass. He was not afraid nor was he stopping.  He was a living animal, created by God’s pleasure to do what only a snail can do.

We are a lot like that little snail. At times other people we encounter seem only like a smudge. We give little thought to them or their lives. They seem so small to us, so insignificant, so useless. At times we appear as only a smudge. I mean really, we feel useless don’t we? We see ourselves as little slugs with a shell we can recoil into when life gets rough and we tend to recoil a lot. Sometimes people pronounce us as slugs. We are useless to them. We have become just a smudge on their horizon and in their view we are in the way. We may be flicked away like so much dirt.  We may have flicked others away like such a nuisance.

God speaks to my heart:  Things will happen. Little dots of trouble, trials, nuisances will show up in your view along the way. It is only upon closer inspection that you will find My purpose in that smudge.  While you just want to flick your trials away, I want to use them to further My glory in you.  While you too may feel like a snail on glass, you are actually a beautiful creation meant for My purpose alone and I have you steady in My hand as you travel My plan for your life. And even if you are flicked away by people or circumstances, I will not let you be crushed! You will not lose your strength or your covering for I AM your all in all.  Every single time you feel humiliated, harassed or rejected, I AM growing you to be more like Me, so that I can use you in even greater capacity.

Oh beloved, Trust God! Rejoice in what He says about you! Rest in His promises!  And thank Him that you are more than because He is a More Than God!  All things are in His hands, including you and your life and your calling. Don’t despair but look into the Lord’s wonderful face, where the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace!

God loves you, and He’s for you and that’s enough to give you purpose and peace.

Isaiah 25:1 O Lord, I will honor and praise Your name, for You are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now You have accomplished them.

Psalm 57:2  I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill His purpose for me.

Psalm 70:4 But may all who search for You be filled with joy and gladness in You. May those who love Your salvation repeatedly shout, “God is great!”

Psalm 138:8 The Lord will work out His plans for my life— for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for You made me.

Dreaming of More?

As we were driving from Fayetteville to Rogers on old 71 highway I saw a huge sign, “Selling dreams since 1972”. That really caught my eye and I couldn’t wait for us to get close enough for me to see what it was. As we drove past I looked and saw it was a weed filled empty lot with a gate and the sign. I realized it was an old mobile home sales lot. 

Actually they marketed their wares as selling dreams but there were no longer any dreams being sold there. Those dreams had not lasted. All that was left was the shell of what once was.

Dreams are for sale everywhere you look. If you can pay the price you can achieve your dream. But will it last? And is it worth it? Some dreams exact incredible prices. And yet even when the price is paid, the dream doesn’t last. It’s often a façade of what someone is really looking for – a cheap imitation and illusion.

There are dreams that will last. They will stand the test of time and give great and lasting pleasure.

There is the dream for purpose. That can be found at the feet of Jesus. As we bow our heads and hearts to Him, He gives us so much in return. Ever dream of having purpose? You do, when your heart belongs to Jesus. You never function at greater heights than when you live in His light and fall in line with His will.

There’s the dream for significance. Everyone wants to find meaning to their life and feel they are part of something greater than themselves.  This is found at the throne of grace.  As you pledge your allegiance to the King of Kings, He crowns you with His significance. You can live beyond self as you find your worth in Him.

Maybe you dream of being more…. More beautiful, more important, more loved, more joyful, more successful…when you put all your hope in the Lord, you become all that you’ve ever dreamed of being. God says you are fearfully and wonderfully made – you are beautiful in His sight. You are so wonderful and so loved that the Lord gave His life for you. You have been redeemed, ransomed, restored and renewed. You are a success simply by being God’s beloved child. You are loved for God is Love and God is your Father. 

You never have to succumb to depression or discouragement, for the Lord has given you a spirit of power and might and a sound mind.

The world will sell you a bill of goods. It will tell you it can sell you dreams that will be fulfilling but when you pay that price and take that dream home you find it oh so empty. You have to pay and perform and keep paying and keep performing. But with Jesus, every dream you could ever imagine and so much more is achieved! Every blessing is signed in the Blood of the Lamb and it is signed sealed and delivered for you! 

Oh beloved, run to the greatest message you’ll ever read: The Word of God. Every single promise, every single hope, every single truth is all about you and your relationship with Him! Jesus made the way for you to find more fulfillment than you could ever imagine. He even promises that if you will find your delight in Him He will give you the desires of your heart.  Keep reading, keep taking it to heart, keep soaking in God’s Truth and you will find everything you ever dreamed of.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s where your dreams all come true.

Psalm 105:19 Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

Matthew 6:21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

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

Psalm 146:5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

 

God's Love For You Endures No Matter What!

There’s an old joke about the husband and wife, married many years. One morning the wife says to her husband who is busy reading the paper, “You never tell me you love me”. To which the husband replies, “I told you the day we got married.  If anything changes I’ll let you know” as he resumes reading the paper.  Obviously he was content with that. Obviously she was not.

There are some things we need to hear over and over. A statement from the heart about love is one of them. Kids thrive on it. Adults respond to it. Even pets enjoy the master saying in baby dog talk, “I wuv you!”

There are some things we need to know are true no matter what else goes on in our lives. One of the greatest things to know, to cherish in your heart, regardless of what life throws at you is that God Loves You! He says it often. He speaks it into your heart every chance He gets.

His True love is not indifferent. It is not apathetic, unresponsive or unconcerned. God’s love takes you personally. His nature is love, so that everything about you is loved. And everything about Him speaks love to you. 

I know we live in a world where apathy is rampant and forever is impossible! But God is True! And His Word shows His feelings about you! Although He is not bound by His feelings, He certainly feels incredible perfect love for you.  Love created you before you were known in your mother’s womb. Love made a way for you when Christ went to the cross. Love gives you purpose and freedom to be all that He intends for you to be! Love comes after you when you go astray. Love steps in to guard you when other things try to distract you.  Love is perfection that covers your imperfections.

Oh beloved!  Rejoice this morning as you talk with the Love of your life! He’s always on your side, always with you and always speaks in Love! Take His Love Story for you from the bookshelf this morning and read! All of His love songs were written for you! Daily He says “I love you!” and daily He yearns for your response for His love is active! His love will take you through the pain, the sorrow, the mourning and give you a fresh start every single day. Although His love is forever and it never changes, He still speaks it into your life always! The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is your Jehovah –Nissi, your Banner of Love!

Exodus 17:154 Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”).

Psalm 121:5  The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.

Isaiah 52:12  You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the LORD will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.

Psalm 69:16  Answer my prayers, O LORD, for Your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for Your mercy is so plentiful.

Psalm 136:1-3    Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.

Lamentations 3:22-23  The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.

You Will Find Your True Value in God's Word

I love definitions. I like to look up synonyms and antonyms. I guess you could say I love words. To me they paint pictures that the heart can see. Definitions are incredibly important.  Without the proper usage of words, we could accidentally hurt someone.  We might even hurt ourselves.  We’ve got to know the difference between acetaminophen and arsenic. One cures, one kills.   Once we know the truth about something, the real definition of it, we can use it properly and for its intended purpose. 

I know some of you are hurting this morning because of words. Someone has labeled you and struggle as you might to remove the moniker, it wants to stay firmly planted in your heart and mind. You may have heard it so long that you now believe it to be the truth. You may only have heard it once, oh so long ago, but it stuck. People may have harmed you by telling you lies about yourself. The enemy of our soul is the ultimate liar and he loves to whisper those lies into our hearts.  Words to discourage, tear down, destroy.  To make you feel unworthy, unloved, unimportant.

Oh beloved! Run to the Ultimate Book of Definitions and find your true value inside its cover! All of God’s Words will speak life into your body and beauty into your soul. They always lift you up, they always encourage you. They will bring improvement and restoration.  God says to you this morning, believe Me for I speak the Truth to you. It is MY definition of you that counts. If you will begin to live in the light of My Word, you will see yourself as I see you. Then you will be able to go out and share with others what their true definition is.  Seek My Face, listen to My Words and let Me love you! Together we can destroy speculations from the enemy of your soul so that you can truly live loved! I will always love you, I will always desire your best and I am always on your side!

Isaiah 26:4 Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.

John17:17 Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. (Amplified)

2 Corinthians 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

Deuteronomy  33:3 Indeed, He loves His people; all His holy ones are in His hands. They follow in His steps and accept His teaching.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

It is In the Giving Away that We find Real Joy

To make extra spending money when I was little, my mother crocheted doilies. I’m talking about the huge triple ruffled kind that was stiff starched and prominently displayed all over the house. She crocheted with tiny needles and fine thread. I have the last doily she worked on with the needle and thread attached that she was using.  Some would say that is a silly thing to hold onto. But it’s a visible reminder that regardless our life’s circumstances we should continue to create and enjoy every day.  She crocheted those lovely pieces as though she would be keeping them forever, never lacking in quality no matter that they were going to someone else’s home.  She thoroughly enjoyed the very things she was destined to give away.

Often we humans hold tightly to the things we hold dear. Whether it’s friendship or ministry or family or hobbies or talents.  They’re ours we reason. We don’t share well. We keep things to ourselves. We’re almost miserly with our affections.  Yet it is in the giving away that we find real joy.

Oh beloved, God knows your heart. He knows you want to enjoy the days He’s given you, but you find it hard to release the worry and the fear.  What if you give it all? What if you forgive completely, love whole-heartedly and let Him be first? What if you use up the talents He gave you for others? Run to Him this morning and lay it all at His feet. He will take what you are holding back and exchange it for a treasure trove of beauty in your life that’s meant to be shared, distributed, given away. You can trust Him beloved, because all that you give away and in the measure with which you give it is how He will give back to you. He says you cannot give too much. Even in your lack, if you begin to give you will see amazing things begin to happen.  How blessed are we to be people who can trust Him with everything? He loves you, He’s for you and that’s all that really matters.

 Matthew 25:29 For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.

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.

2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

Romans 8:32 Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else?

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Root or Shoot!

Root or shoot. Last night we went to a grandson's ballgame. Before the game he told me he wanted me to hoop and holler when he hit the ball. So, being the good grandmother I am, I did just that! Once he hit the ball so well that I hollered, Woo Hoo! Way to go Blakely! As he left home plate to run towards 1st base he turned to look at me with such glee in his eyes! He loved being rooted for! I thin...k he grew in stature a couple of inches. He was proud of himself and he knew that we all were proud of him. It can go differently for kids. Sometimes parents major on the minors. They critique to the point that instead of building their kids up they put them down. You see the outcome in various ways. low shoulders, shrugs, head down, and even taunting of other kids, eager to point out their mistakes. Oh beloved, perhaps you've been shot down. Instead of someone rooting for you, you feel you're being shot at! You try to dodge the bullets of anger, animosity, unforgiveness and fault finding. Maybe you've been the brunt of it so long you find yourself doing the same thing to others. Shooting always finds victims, but rooting always brings victory! I promise, on the authority of God's Word that He never shoots, He always roots. Even when His children are having problems, He's there in the stands whooping and waving you on to victory! He's walking with you into the dugout when the world says You're Out! He's holding your hand and telling you to hang in there beloved! He loves you, He has a wonderful plan for your life and He's nicknamed you Winner! Romans 15:4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Ephesians 4:29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Philippians 2:1-2 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Psalm 62:7 My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.