Author Archives: cb.cooksey

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About cb.cooksey

This blog was created from a desire to reach the internet community with a ministry of encouragement. I post as God directs and pray that the right people will land here and read His encouraging message of love and hope. If you are reading this, I have prayed specifically for you, and I hope that God's words take root in your heart. Blessings to you!
Sep15

Butterfly Wings

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Orange Butterfly dry brush copy

“Yet God has made everything beautiful in its own time.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11a (NLT)

The wondrous transformation of a grubby caterpillar into a graceful butterfly is one of the most fascinating processes in nature.  The last important phase of the complete metamorphosis includes the newly formed butterfly’s struggle to emerge from its gauzy cocoon.  As the new creature works to free itself from the cocoon encasing, fluid is pumped into its delicate wings.  If someone from the outside tries to “help” the butterfly by ripping open the cocoon, the butterfly’s wings will never be fully developed, nor strong enough, for flight.  So the struggle to emerge from its protective covering is perhaps the most critical step in the butterfly’s preparation for its new life of flight.  Without the struggle, the butterfly will never be capable of flight.

Compare this process to your own life.  Are you struggling through some sort of difficulty right now?  At the moment it is impossible to envision any sort of “beauty” that could emerge from the ugliness of your circumstances.  Perhaps you long for an easy way out of your problems.  You wish that someone would come along and make everything “right” again.

But remind yourself that as you work though your challenges, you are becoming stronger.  Your “faith muscles” are being groomed and strengthened.  God will use this hardship to transform your development as a believer, and you will emerge from your trials with stronger faith than you ever would have experienced without the struggle.

Remember that you are not alone during this rough time.  God promises to be with you through every difficult circumstance.  Turn to Him and seek His guidance to help you solve your problems.  Ask Him to give you the strength to endure the trial.  Trust Him completely and know that you will come out on the other side of the challenge as a well-developed child of God, ready to face a new phase in life.

Most of all, remember that God makes everything beautiful in its own time.  Wait patiently to see the beauty that will emerge from your struggles.

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.
You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.
So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.
Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. “
James 1:2-4 MSG
Sep12

The Collector of Tears

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Rainbow at Niagra Falls Canada

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.

Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

Is anyone crying?  God is listening.

In fact He cherishes you so much that He catches each one of your tears with tender compassion and records them in His ledger.  Not one tiny tear goes unnoticed by God.  You are precious to Him, and He cares deeply about your pain.

“This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says:  I have heard your prayer and seen your tears;”

Isaiah 38:5b (NIV)

If you are overwhelmed with a heavy burden of sorrow, grief, regret or heartache, your loving Heavenly Father promises to be close to you.  He keeps a watchful eye on His children, and His ears hear your faintest cries.  He comforts those who are crushed in spirit.

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.  The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. “

Psalm 34:  17-18 NIV

If you are brokenhearted, you are not alone in your agony; the Lord is right there beside you.  He knows your most private anguish.  So when you feel like no one cares or understands, remember that God sees your weeping and hears your cries.  He keeps an account of your sorrows and collects each precious tear.  God even promises that those tears, like tiny seeds, will one day reap a harvest of joy!

“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” Psalm 126:5

 “The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces;” Isaiah 25:8b

Sep11

Peace that Never Ends

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American Flag at Sunset 2

The mountains may disappear,
and the hills may become dust,
but my faithful love will never leave you.
I will make peace with you,
and it will never end.”
The Lord who loves you said this.

Isaiah 54:10 (ERV)

No matter what…

   God’s faithful love will never leave you, and HIS peace will never end.  The shock of any catastrophic event in life does not shake God’s rock solid promises nor does it dilute His never-ending love for His children. Friends may disappoint us, health may fail us, enemies may come against us, relationships may break our hearts…mountains may disappear, and the hills [or even buildings] may become dust…but God will never leave us alone.  He is our Shelter, our Comforter, our Friend, our Protector, our Provider, and our Prince of Peace.

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you… ”  Deuteronomy 33:27

(This post in remembrance of 9/11, U.S.A.)

Sep2

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

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Butterfly in Hands

In His hands are the depths of the earth

and the mountain peaks belong to Him.

The sea is His for He made it,

and His hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 95:4 – 5

God is magnificent; there are no boundaries to His greatness.  No one can fathom the magnitude of His understanding, and He alone is worthy of our praise and worship.  He holds the deepest caverns and darkest valleys in His hands, as well as the highest mountain peaks.  He scooped out the great depths of the ocean floor and sculpted all the impressive land formations.

So if it seems like you are facing a mountain of insurmountable problems or trudging through a deep valley of difficulties, remember that you are being held in the capable hands of your Heavenly Father.  No difficulty you face is too big for Him, and no valley you walk is too low for Him to reach.  Hand everything over to the One who is big enough to handle anything.

“This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord…” 2 Kings 3:18a

“Ah, Sovereign Lord,you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. 

Nothing is too hard for you.”  Jeremiah 32:17

Aug30

God’s Divine Nature

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Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,

Your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,

Your justice like the ocean depths…

Psalm 36:5-6b (NIV)

Take a moment and meditate on the glorious attributes of our Heavenly Father.  Let the truth of God’s character sink into the crevasses of your mind and penetrate the depths of your heart.  Press the “pause button” on the busyness of your day, and simply reflect on His divine nature.

  • God’s unfailing love for you is everlasting; it is as vast as the heavens.  He has loved you before the beginning of time, and will love you into eternity.  He is the God of all Comfort who is kind and compassionate.
  • The Lord’s perfect faithfulness is forever; He is trustworthy, and His Word is reliable and true.  He always keeps His promises.
  • God’s righteousness is as majestic as the highest mountain peaks.  He is holy and pure.
  • The expanse of the Lord’s justice and fairness is comparable to the deepest depths of the ocean.

Even though we could never come close in comparison to the divine nature of our Heavenly Father, God has bridged the gap between our imperfection and His holy perfection.   Because of His grace, mercy and eternal love for us, He gave us His Son as an unblemished sacrifice for our wrongdoings, so that we may live with Him forever in Heaven.  Jesus is the Righteousness of God.  If we simply believe in Jesus, we are covered in His righteousness and adopted into His kingdom as children of God.  The Lord longs for you to spend eternity with Him, and He offers you the free gift of everlasting life through His son Jesus Christ. That’s a promise that you can hold onto for all of eternity.

 …“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.  Jeremiah 31:3a

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

“And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, The Lord, compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness and rebellion and sin.'”  Exodus 34: 6 – 7

 

Aug29

Refreshment For Your Soul

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Peaceful Waters

“…He leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.”

Psalm 23:2b-3a(NIV)

The 23rd Psalm beautifully illustrates our relationship with the Lord, describing Him as our gentle Shepherd who lovingly and tenderly provides for the all the needs of His sheep.  When we follow the lead of our Good Shepherd, He will guide us in the direction that is best for our lives. 

If you are weary from life ~ perhaps worn down from hard work, or weak from illness, or drained from mourning a loss, or exhausted from battling a difficult relationship, or tired from too many sleepless nights,or anxious from financial concerns, or fearful of dangerous living conditions ~ follow the lead of your loving Shepherd.  He is gently guiding you by peaceful streams so that you can take a long, cool drink of refreshment for your soul. He knows your every need, and He cares for you.  Follow Him to the path that directs you right into His loving arms.  Our loving Shepherd would never guide you to the stagnant waters of filth or corruption, nor dangerous, rolling rapids, nor a roaring, tumultuous sea.  His quiet waters are peaceful and calm.  He longs for you to take a soul-refreshing sip of His Living Water. Taste of His goodness and know the quiet contentment of His divine nourishment.

 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

Psalm 42:2a(NIV)

 O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You;

my soul thirsts for you.

Psalm 63:1(NIV)

 Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Psalm 34:8a(NIV)

Aug28

Focus on the Finish Line

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RUNNING RACE

For our light and momentary troubles

are achieving for us an eternal glory

that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,

but on what is unseen,

since what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:17 – 18 (NIV)

Hard times in life may make you feel that you are at the end of your rope, but you are never at the end of your HOPE.  When you face troubling circumstances, it’s easy to focus on the pain you are experiencing, but this verse encourages us to refocus our thoughts from what is happening around us to the One who lives within us.

Our problems should not dilute our faith or cause us to believe the delusion that God has abandoned us.  When your trouble seems overwhelming, it’s easy to lose heart and want to quit.  In the same way that athletes focus on the finish line and ignore the discomfort they endure, we should fix our eyes on the eternal reward for our faith.

“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”   2 Corinthians 4:16 – 17 (MSG)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus,the pioneer and perfecter of faith…, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  (Hebrews 12:1-2 ,3b NIV)

Aug27

Unseen Footprints

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Sunrise Gleam2

Your path led through the sea,

Your way through the mighty waters

though Your footprints were not seen.

Psalm 77:19 (NIV)

Maybe you don’t have an army chasing you like the Israelites did after Moses led them out of Egypt, but you may find yourself ensnared by a situation in which you feel hopelessly trapped.  Perhaps you feel that your back is against the wall, and it is impossible to escape from your circumstances.

When the Israelites were cornered against the Red Sea, they were terrified and felt doomed.  Moses calmed their fears with these words, “Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today…The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.”  (Exodus 14:13a, 14)

If you feel doomed by your circumstances and see no possible means of escape, pray and ask God to intervene on your behalf.  The same powerful Hand that parted the sea for the Israelites can provide a pathway out of your trouble.  Don’t be afraid; don’t panic.  God can open up a way out for you.  Simply stand firm in your faith and watch the deliverance God will bring you.  Follow His unseen footprints…

“But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.”  Exodus 14:29

Aug26

The Light of Life

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Sunrise Amelia April 2006 021

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said,

“I amthe Light of the world.

Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness,

but will have the Light of Life.”

John 8:12

 In a darkened room, the flickering flame of one small candle can illuminate the entire space.  On a grander scale, God used a pillar of fire at night to guide the people of Israel through the wilderness.  As they roamed through the desert on their journey to the Promised Land, they never had to take a step in darkness.  When the pillar of fire moved, they followed.  It was an ever-present symbol of God’s presence, protection and guidance in their lives.

 Jesus came to illuminate the darkness of the entire world.  He brought God’s presence, protection and guidance to each one of us.  Do you follow the Light of Life?  Is He the light of your world?

 

Aug25

Choose the Road to Somewhere

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crossroads

”Barricade the road that goes Nowhere;
grace me with your clear revelation.
I choose the true road to Somewhere,
I post your road signs at every curve and corner.
I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me;
God, don’t let me down!
I’ll run the course you lay out for me
if you’ll just show me how.”

Psalm 119: 29 – 32 (MSG)

Navigating your way along the roadway of life can seem like a confusing maze.  Around every twist and turn there are unexpected surprises, giant potholes, and sometimes dead ends. 

Most of us wouldn’t think of striking out on a long journey without first consulting a map or plugging the destination into our GPS.  God’s Word is our roadmap for life.  Seek His guidance along every step of your journey, and He promises to direct you on the “true road to Somewhere.”  Post His road signs at every curve and corner, and cling to whatever He tells you.  Trust Him to barricade any road that leads Nowhere and show you how to run the course He has laid out especially for your life.

As He graces you with His clear revelation and direction, take time to enjoy the majestic scenery on the road to your eternal destination!

“Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

Ps 119:105 (NIV)